Comment p.

13
The extract is taken from Pygmalion, a comedy
written by the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw. In
this play, he successfully tries to discuss some important
themes; the importance of the science of phonology, class
conflict, and morality. The play is about a poor lower class
girl who works in a flower shop and looks forward to be a
lady by the help of Henry Higgins, the professor of
phonology.

In the extract, Eliza, the heroine of the play, addresses

Henry Higgins, the main male character in the play, and
Pickering in the crowded street. Henry Higgins is
interested in phonology and strange accents, therefore, he
was standing among people listening to their accents and
taking notes about theirs. All the bystanders think he is an
inspector and is writing down lower class people words
to arrest them and has promotion. Higgins is very
interested in Eliza’s bad accent, so he is taking notes
about her accent. She thinks like all bystanders he is an
inspector and will arrest her. She begins to defend herself
and confirms that she is a good girl. She says these words
many times. She is also independent although she is poor.
She does not like anyone to talk about her badly and
insult her. She always looks forward to overcoming her
poverty and becoming a lady working in a flower shop.
This shows that she is really a good girl.

Mr. JAN Instructor of Phonetics and Translation

1
 Eliza, the heroine of the play, is a lower class girl
works as florist in the street. Even though she is a poor
girl, she is self-confident, ambitious and good girl. She
wants to behave like ladies to work in a flower shop.
Thus, she wants to leave the lower class to an upper class
and that shows that she is ambitious. She talks to Henry
Higgins with no fear although he is an upper class man
and that shows she is self-confident. She has a deal with
Higgins to give money that he will teach her how to speak
like ladies, thus she is independent.

Henry Higgins is an upper class man, a professor of

phonetics, and interested in strange accents. His way of
dealing with people is very tough. He speaks badly all the
time as if he is not an upper-class gentleman. He
challenges Pickering in making Eliza’s accent improve like
upper class ladies. Pickering, Higgins’ friend, is considered
the real Pygmalion of the play. He treats Eliza very well
and teaches her good manners by his way of dealing with
her.

Through the extract one of the main themes of the

play, the idea of class conflict, is very clear. This is clear in
the dialogue between Higgins and Eliza. He treats her
badly while she looks forward to leaving the lower class.
She also does not want people insult her. She wants to live
as a human being. That shows that she has morals. Even
though she is poor, she is a good girl. The idea of the
importance of the science of phonology is very clear in
this conversation. Higgins is in the street listening to
Mr. JAN Instructor of Phonetics and Translation

2
people’s accents and writing down notes about theirs. He
wants to make Eliza’s accent improve and become like the
ladies of the upper class and he will succeed in his task.

George Bernard Shaw uses complicated words, has

some spelling mistakes and is interested in phonetics and
accents. Furthermore, his stage directions are very
important as they reveal a lot about the insights of the
characters.

To sum up, Shaw is very successful in conveying his

themes to the readers. He seems to be controlling his
devices.

Mr. JAN Instructor of Phonetics and Translation