PYGMALION 

I. Ib oral 
I am an IB student and the extract that I have been given is from the novel PYGMALION.
I will start by
-Introducing the book and its context
-Make an analysis of the extract in detail to
-Reach my conclusions

A. Summarise + relation to literary work (1´30)

This extract belongs to PYGMALION, a novel that was written by BERNARD SHAW and was
presented to the public in 1913. It narrates:
The determination of an expert in phonetics to prove his point and show the value of language.
He sets an experiment and teaches a poor flower girl how to speak properly and bets she will be
able to pretend to be a duchess after 6 months.

This particular extract refers to the part of the novel…...

When
Who
Where
What

B. Brief literary analysis

C. IB Topics

II. BOOK ANALYSIS 

The myth of Galatea and Pygmalion:
Ovid´s narrative poem: Metamorphoses

-​Pygmalion:​ Cypriot sculpture who carved a woman out of ivory (Galatea)

-​Galatea:​ the personification of beauty and perfection in women
-Aphrodite festivities- offering- wish come true- Galatea becomes alive- kiss

MYTH: fall in love with an idealization, perfect image of women.

DIFFERENCES WITH THE MYTH: LIZA claims she has also created herself (been part of the
transformation process)
Not only 1 Pygmalion: MRS PIERCE & PICKERING also contribute

LITERARY ANALYSIS (B)

-​Stage directions
Objective descriptions MIXED with connotative denotations (description of FLOWER GIRL as
unattractive)

*When addresses the reader: creates a new character-- Stage directions are no longer
instructions but the ​voice of a narrator with its own opinions

-Descriptions:
Abundant descriptions: stands out those related to CLOTHING

IB TOPICS (themes / (C))

1. Identity

❏ HIGGINS:
Hate for women
ACT II: Superiority over LIZA
Insults LIZA in front of her without giving it much importance
Arrogant attitude
Lack of empathy
Dehumanized attitude: does not care about LIZA ´s future
Division of roles: teacher-pupil (no sex)

➔ Womanhood:
ACT II: HIGGINS refers to an idea of womanhood
They are beings who “upset everything”, are known for their jealousy

➔ Self-image
*LIZA:
ACT I: auto-denominated “poor girl”
ACT II: she continues repeating she is a “good girl” to demonstrate she deserves to be taught
She is afraid of her own reflection at the mirror

➔ Appropriation of character
ACT I: FLOWER GIRL feels NOTE TAKER takes away her character when writing
down/ judging her way of speaking

➔ Aristotelian argument: Human beings´nature

ACT I: HIGGINS defends that FLOWER GIRL has no right to live: `cause she does not know
how to speak properly (twisted speech)

➔ Gentility & manners

ACT II: ​Miss Doolittle (not LIZA)
Respect for social titles

ACT V: LIZA thanks PICKERING for ALWAYS treating her like a Duchess
For LIZA, this treatment helped her realize she had a dignity
On the other hand, HIGGINS has no respect for social conventions

2. Experiences

➔ Authority
ACT I: FLOWER GIRL fears for being charged 4 speaking with GENTLEMEN (thinks that NOTE
TAKER is the police/ informer) + calling CAPTAIN (wrong title)

➔ Dressing: the reflection of social class identity

ACT I: the symbol of ​boots
FLOWER GIRL description: “boots are the worst of the wear”
GENTLEMEN recognized by the BYSTANDER thanks to the boots
ACT II: burning of Liza´s clothes
HIGGINS determined to burn LIZA ´s clothes with which she had arrived at his house.
He snatches her identity: LIZA gives up part of herself

*HIGGINS must breakfast with dressing-gown (remember social status)

➔ Mistrust on the basis of appearance

ACT I: FLOWER GIRL has to prove she can afford a taxi
ACT II: prejudices against poor people: described as alcoholics

3. Human ingenuity (creativity+innovation = world)

➔ Higgins´alphabet: the ​undeciphered language created by HIGGINS

4. Social organization

➔ Gender roles ​(división of tasks between men and women)

ACT I: taking the cab
only FREDDY, not DAUGHTER of MOTHER = dependence of women on FREDDY

➔ Misogyny (hate 4 women)

ACT I: HIGGINS despises FLOWER GIRL: insult (silly) and arrogant attitude
Throwing coins
ACT II: disrespectful addressing “baggage”

➔ OBJECTIFICATION OF WOMEN
ACT II: ​“baggage”
HIGGINS has control over her (burn her clothes, makes her bath) without asking for her opinion
on the matter.
 ➔ Marriage
*SENSE OF BELONGING: Liza belongs to FATHER/MAN
FATHER sells her daughter: right as a father (no father duty to bring her up)

ACT V: LIZA realizes she has become DEPENDENT

With social status: women turn into wives-to-be
Same as sexual slavery

➔ Prostitution
ACT V: ​said to only escape for low-class women
Compared with marriage: lack of independence

➔ Gender solidarity
ACT IV: ​She is the only one who worries about her future
ACT V: ​MRS HIGGINS backs up LIZA when she escapes from HIGGINS´ house

➔ Language as a weapon
ACT I: better English = better SOCIAL STATUS = better EMPLOYMENT
ACT II: learn to speak= lady in a flower shop

➔ Social class
Hierarchized society:
-upper class (HIGGINS, PICKERING)
-middle class (DOOLITTLE after inheritance)
-low class:
genteel poor (EYNSFORD HILLS)
Servants (MRS PIERCE)

FACTORS that reflect social class: CRITIQUE TO IDYLLIC SOCIAL MOBILITY IN

CAPITALISM
*​LANGUAGE: indicates where someone comes from
Characters can't get rid of the accent: “marked” since they were born
HIGGINS acts as a judge: Only one who can differ between them

*MORALITY: along with money comes to a responsibility

Poor people (low class) have no time to worry about ethical dilemmas: they have enough with
dealing with hunger.

ACT II: “taxi” as a sign of high class

➔ Poverty over morality

ACT II: the ​father has no ethical code because “can't afford to”

5. Sharing the planet

➔ Power of money
ACT I: money in exchange for secrets
MOTHER pays FLOWER GIRLS for telling her how does she know his son´s name (FREDDY)=
by chance

ACT II: chocolate as blackmail to stay

HIGGINS persuades LIZA to stay by promising her tons of chocolate

➔ Capitalism
ACT I: “age of upstairs”
Wit few money people can escalate in society: LANGUAGE MUST MATCH

EXPERIMENT & METAMORPHOSIS

ACT V: ​LIZA treated as a succeeded experiment
HIGGINS thinks he has done her favor with the transformation: taught her to speak well

With social status: only escape for LIZA: marry (become dependent)
Without it: prostitutes
WOMEN DO NOT BELONG TO THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD

END: HIGGINS betrayed by his own creation: she threatens to work along with another phonetic
expert: “sell all the knowledge he has taught her”