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Introduction
Pygmalion is a play written by G.B. show. Show was born in Dublin in 1856. He is a
propagandist and a great social reformer. In his hands the drama became not an artistic
creation for aesthetic enjoyment, but a medium of social criticism his interest was
primarily in morals, philosophy and social reform, he is called the father of the theatre of
ideas in his plays. Thereto his plays are known as drama of ideas or the problem plays.
Pygmalion deals with modern problems like these of education, social snobbery and the
loss of identity. The title of the play is taken from the ancient Greek legend of the famous
sculptor named Pygmalion, who could find nothing good in woman. Pygmalion was a
sculptor and prepared statues in bronze, marble and ivory, He wished to prepare the statue
of a beautiful woman of his mind. Then he made that statue and asked the Goddess of
beauty to make the statue of the girl alive for him, the girl is Galatea and Pygmalion
became happy.
The problem play deals with problems of the society. The problems are presented and
analyzed. However solutions to those problems are provided by the dramatist. The
readers are provoked to think over the problem presented in the play and work out their
own solutions to those problems. A number of problems have been presented in this play
like; education, social snobbery and the loss of identity.
with the new people and the new place and also she will find it is difficult to go back to
her former environment and sell flowers.
Prof. Higgins accepts the challenge of transforming the flower-girl into a duchess. After
six months, Eliza is really changed in to a lady. But she is not helped to get a good career
she has lost her past identity and cannot go back to sell flowers again. The problem is
hinted by Mrs. Pearce in Act-II where she asks Higgins about the future of the girl after
she would be changed into a lady. Higgins cannot give a satisfactory reply. Then Mrs.
Higgins in Act-III, also refers to the same ideas.
Eliza have stands for the modern student who may like her say to his teacher you never
thought of the trouble of would make for me. Higgins represents the modern teacher
who may reply:would the world ever have been made, if its maker had been afraid of
making trouble? Making life means making trouble.
Show had the national problem of education of England in mind. Being on Irish
dramatist, he has satirized the England people who had no respect for their language and
will not teach their children to speak it. Shaw really was disgusted by the harsh speech of
some people in England.
Elizas problem remains unsolved. Higgins does not help her for her future, so she has to
work out her own solution. Her marriage with Freddy will not solve the problem as he is
a weakling and has no job. Eliza has to support him.
Thus the problem of Eliza remains unsolved. The only solution to her problem is to be the
wife of Higgins or Pickering, but that does not happen and so her problem as those of
countless others who face a similar predicament remains unsolved.
As a result he lost his identity and he faces many problems of dislocation and alienation.
He expresses his anger in these words, who asked him to make a gentleman of me? I
was happy. I was free. Then he has to marry his mistress with whom he was happy so far.
After marriage, he would docile and obedient. The middle class morality intimidates him
into marrying her. Such in the condition of Alfred Doolittle, he cannot give up money
which comes to him as he is regarded the most original moralist in England.
When the play opens we have seen that Eliza as an ignorant girl selling flowers in
convent garden with her cockney. Eliza belongs to the poor family. Here, Shaw represents
Eliza as a poor class girl whose problem is about education. Shaw has been strong critic
of romantic literature. He thinks that romantic literature is always unreal. In all his
dramas, he is strong opponent of romanticism. Pygmalion is really an example of Shaws
sparkling realism. The theme has been quiet imaginatively. The flower girl has been
selected to show the problems of the poor class people at that time in England. It was the
social problem that has been represented in Pygmalion.
not go back to her former life and her former job of selling flowers this that she has lost
her identity, that is why she marries Freddy even if he would solve the problem but she
has no choice as Higgins and Pickering do not help her to pass this problem.
Conclusion
Pygmalion is a play of problems, education problem, class society or class culture or
social snobbery and the loss of identity.
Brand Shaw has presented all these problems, but these is no solution has been provided,
the readers must think for themselves and find out their own respective solution.
Thus the play dealt with various problems of the society or essential problems of the
society which any society may suffers from in the world.
Possible solution Higgins disregard for etiquettes in relation to social class he would
speak to a Duchess in the same way as he would to a flower girl. His mannerisms are the
same for all this is a possible solution hinted at and Higgins strongly feels that he can
budge the distance b/n people belonging to 2 diff social class by teaching them to speak
correctly.