"In the last part of the 19th century, attitudes towards women had
begun to change and their position in society improved in several
ways- in law, in education and employment. "(l). Girls were
allowed to go to high schools and many women started to work,
several took a Job as a teacher or as a shop assistant.
But despite those changes and a growing self-assurance) women
still had to face prejudices and were far from being equal to men-
the right to vote e.g. was withheld from them until after the First
World War.
When Shaw writes his drama "Pygmalion" he tells the story of a
woman who wants to realize her dreams within the male-dominated
society at the turn of the Century.
The men in Shaw's play are still sticking to the old prejudices
toward women. Higgins and Mr Doolittle share the same attitude:
They donīt take them seriously; Higgins says: "She is incapable of
understanding anything,... Give her her orders: thatīs enough for
her" (p.S7).
Doolittle claims: "She is only a woman and don't know how to he
happy anyhow" (p.79)"
Higgins asks: "What on earth will she want with money?" Women
should_be satisfied with marriage. Higgins suggests for Eliza: "l
daresay my mother could find some chap or other who would do
very well."
Women "were not even treated as persons in their own rights, but
were regarded as "belonging to a father or husband"(2).
As Eliza "doesn't belong to anyone" and is "no use to anybody but
me (Higgins)" (p.53), she may be used for the experiment; the
transformation from a "guttersnipe" to a lady.
Shaw calls his play "Pygmalion". Times, however, have changed
since the ancient myth has first been told. Higgins does not succeed
in creating a woman according to his will as the ancient sculptor
did. The dream of forming a creature all by oneself has been
destroyed. In contrast to the ancient sculptor who worked with
stone, Higgins has to deal with a woman, a human being who is
showing a will of her own and feelings .(Eliza says: "l got my feelings
as anyone else"," p. 54.)
Shaw's "Pygmalion" shows a woman that does not accept being
created anymore by a man, but a woman who creates herself.
As Eliza got no parents, she has learned to do without them (p.53).
By selling flowers on the street and earning her own living Eliza
has already achieved some independence ("l can buy my own
clothes", p.52), but she is struggling for a better position in
society: She seeks to become a lady.
She is not satisfied with dreaming,, but dares to go to the house of
an unfamiliar man because she "wants to talk like a lady"(p.54) and
get a job in a flower shop.
By becoming a student of Mr Higgins and living in Wimpole
Street in order to learn how to talk proper English Eliza, however,
is confronted with middle class male prejudices. Her independency
is at stake, ("l' m a slave now, for all my fine clothes", p. I62).
It is then that she learns to stand up against gentlemen.
From the beginning Eliza is showing pride despite her origin.
She does not allow anyone to offend her. She says: "I'm a
respectable girl" (p.22) and repeats a thousand times: "I` m a good
girl, l am (p.26), "l won't pick up no free and easy ways" (p.81).
She knows that Mr Higgins "got no right to touch" her (p.52) and
"doesn`t want no balmies teaching " her (p.52). She first nearly
leaves Higgins' house again because she does not accept his
behaviour: "Iīve had enough of this. l'm going…You (Higgins) ought
to be ashamed of yourself" (p.55).
She even becomes saucy: "You are a great bully, you are" (p.58)
or:"0h, you are a brute" (p.53), "you are no gentleman" (p.49).
Mrs Pearce assists Eliza in her revolt against Higgins. She does not
approve his behaviour, she clearly tells him: "You mustn`t talk like
that to her (p.52)". "l won`t allow it. It is you that are wicked"
(p.53). By holding tight to his superiority Higgins only makes
himself a "cruel tyrant"(p.l64)
When Eliza wins the bet for him and he does not recognize or
praise her deed, she gives her anger free way and throws the
Slippers at him - "those tokens of domesticity and wifely
submissiveness"(3) and leaves the house.
lt then is Mrs Higgins who supports Eliza`s independency: "The girl
has the perfect right to leave if she chooses" (p.l38).
Eliza finally realizes her real power: She does not accept Higgins`
dominance any more: "Oh, when l think of myself crawling under
your feet and being trampled on and called names, when all the
time, I had only to lift up my Finger to be as good as you, l could
just kick myself" (p.l66).
She knows not only that "girls like me can drag gentlemen down to
make love to them easy enough" (p.l63), but also that she may
even "go and be a teacher" (p.l65). She proves to Higgins that it
is not true that "she will relapse into the gutter in three weeks
without (him) at her elbow" (p.l53).
In Shaw's play men are not superior any more: The situation has
been turned around: Men depend on women.
Doolittle has to confess: "I've been a victim to one woman after
another all my life" (p.l57) and Higgins has to realize: "Here l am,
a shy and diffident sort of man. Iīve never been able to feel really
grown-up and tremendous, like other chaps" (p. 68).
Higgins needs Mrs Pearce and his mother to look after him. They
both treat him as if he were a little boy.
When Eliza runs away Higgins has to realize how he needs her: He
"canīt find anything" and does not "know what appointments he has
got" (p.l38). He "shall miss" her (p.l59). Eliza quite correctly
notices: "What are you to do without me l cannot imagine" (p.l68).
It is said that "women were no longer content with being regarded
as something in the nature of an ornament in a male-dominated
society" (4) : Higgins has to grant Eliza freedom in order to make
further living together possible: "You may walk out tomorrow if I
don`t do everything you want me to" (p.l61).
"Women had achieved more personal freedom (at that time),
especially with regard to their rights in marriage, which came to
be regarded more as a partnership of equals". Higgins calls it the
"commercial principle", when Eliza explains: "I won`t care for
anybody that doesn`t care for me" (p.l60).
The woman created in Shawīs play is a new one and not a slave
anymore and the "creator" likes her that way. Higgins proudly
tells us at the end: "l said l would make a woman of you, and l have.
I like you this way" (p.l66).

J. S., Camerloher-Gymnasium Freising