Pygmalian: A Discuss About Social Class and Its Interference in Interpersonal Relations

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In some parts of the play, Mr. Higgins, acting like he uses to do, speaks some heavy words about Eliza. By the fact that he is a rich man, we can expect that he has a polite and sweet speech, but when we observe the relationship between him and Eliza it is not true. He gives total importance to correct speech, that he is able to treat any people in a rude way. Let’s see this example by Mr. Higgins speech: “A woman who utters such depressing and disgusting sounds has no right to be anywhere—no right to live. Remember that you are a human being with a soul and the divine gift of articulate speech: that your native language is the language of Shakespeare and Milton and The Bible; and don't sit there crooning like a bilious pigeon” chapter 1, p. 16. We can imagine that by this speech, Higgins is making a distinction between people who speaks with correct accent and he is excluding Eliza by her ugly accent and her social condition.

By this time (1912), social class level and type of speech is able to differentiate, join or exclude people. Through their speech people use to discriminate others. Another example of this we can see in “you see this creature with her kerbstone English: the English that will keep her in the gutter to the end of her days” chapter 1, p. 16. From this excerpt we can infer that by someone’s English pronunciation people judge others without even having a closer contact.

We know that the theme of manner and correct speech is very important in this context. In this way, Mr. Higgins decides to spend his time in transforming Eliza into a different person. In the final of the play, we can see that Mr. Higgins’s experiment demonstrates that language can be a means of social mobility, helping Eliza bridge the gap between social classes.

Eliza is influenced by Mr. Higgins’s opinion when he wants to make decisions. Reading or watching the play, we can learn that a guy named Freddy proposed to marry Eliza, but once more time, social class is impeding her of having a relationship with someone. When Eliza says that she will marry Freddy, Mr. Higgins gives his answer: “Rubbish! You shall marry an ambassador. You shall marry the Governor-General of India or the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, or somebody who wants a deputy-queen. I’m not going to have my masterpiece thrown away on Freddy” (act 5, p. 81). Mr. Higgins wants Eliza marry not Freddy, because he is not high society, although he is son of rich people. Note that before Mr. Higgins experiment, Eliza was impeded of participating in high society because he was lower class, but now she is been advised not to marry Freddy because he is poor and seems to have not money enough to support Eliza.

To conclude, we can say that before the experiment, Eliza used to act like lower class people, that is, he was very talkative, uneducated and silly, but after the experiment, she is acting differently. She is now a lady! It shows us the interference that social class has in society. When Eliza was an ugly girl, she was despised, but now she is linked to the high society. Eliza’s education process gave her a possibility of have her own flower shop.

Reference

SHAW, Bernard George. Pygmalion. The Pennsylvania State University, 2004.