Short Summary of “Pygmalion”, written by Bernard Shaw After a downpour of summer rain two gentlemen meet while seeking shelter under a portico; Professor Higgins is a scientist for phonetics, Colonel Pickering reveals himself to be a specialist for Indian dialects. Higgins soon takes notice of an ordinary flower girl with a strongly developed Cockney accent and takes notes as she is speaking. When Higgins is accused of being a police informant he proves his abilities in guessing correctly the birthplace of several people by identifying their dialects. This leads to a bet between Colonel Pickering and Higgins, who announces that he will transform an ordinary girl (who has not received any education whatsoever) into a graceful, poised lady whom the high society will think of as a duchess.
As the flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, arrives at Higgins’ residence the next day, Pickering offers to cover the costs of the experiment and the lessons begin. During the next few months Higgins develops a relationship with Eliza that is far more complete than any teacher / student relationship is supposed to be. He becomes a mentor for Eliza, and is fascinated by the change of her attitude and the success of his experiment. Eliza on the other hand develops feelings for her mentor and host.
The first time Eliza is presented to high society in London she is being introduced to the Eynsford Hills and their son Freddy. Instantly he is fascinated by her beauty and falls for her. The final test Eliza has to pass is a fancy party that is being thrown by a well known ambassador in London. She is beautifully dressed and makes a stunning appearance as her accent is completely gone and her manners are the ones of a lady. After the party Higgins and Pickering congratulate themselves and completely forget about the girl.
The Essay on Flower Girl Higgins Eliza Pickering
PYGMALION 1. ) In Act 3 we learned a lot more about the character and philosophy of Alfred Doolittle. He is strangely individualistic personally and very eloquent. He is representative of the social class of the "undeserving poor", which, means that he is not entitled to receive financial support from the government, since he is physically able to work. He lives only for the moment; from day to ...
Eliza’s feelings are hurt when she learns that she was never more than an experiment and that the “game is over.” When she accuses Higgins of being irresponsible and insensitive, he is bewildered and leaves in a fury. Eliza resolves to seek advice from Mrs. Higgins but meets Freddy on her way. In the ending of this scene Freddy and Eliza kiss.
The next morning Higgins arrives at his mother’s house with the intention to tell her about Eliza. The old lady chides him and Pickering, who has also come, for playing with Eliza’s feelings and treating her like a toy. Finally Eliza enters and thanks Pickering for always treating her like a lady. When she is left alone with Higgins he begs her to come back since he has gotten used to having her around and has grown fond of her. She tells him about Freddy and shows that she is not, in any way, dependent on Higgins. He cannot help but admire her intelligence and self confidence, the tramp is now a real lady.
As she leaves for her father’s wedding, Higgins shouts after her and begs her to stay but the audience is left guessing wether she will return to Wimpole Street or settle wih Freddy.
