People are always in the pursuit of erasing their flaws and becoming what society would say is "perfect." In the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw the main character Eliza Doolittle was not content with her life and her lamentable speech and manners. In order to become what she considered "perfect" Eliza relied on Higgins to change her into a proper and sophisticated woman. Higgins pounded lessons of proper speech and how to conduct one 's self with eloquence into Eliza 's head minute after minute and day after day. Although Eliza was being transformed externally, as she continued to grow from her lessons, she also began to transform internally and realize that she deserved respect, whether she was a kerbstone flower girl or a duchess. …show more content…
The play is set in the early twentieth century in London. This time in period was referred to as the Victorian era. During this era women had not gained the basic rights and privileges given to man. Women were looked at as housewives, their main role being to act properly, marry, and tend to the house and bear children. Although Higgins felt he knew what was best for Liza and how she should behave and act, he treated her as if she was inferior to him. Liza, now wiser and more confident in herself, began to feel as if she was being treated unjust and showed she was not to back down and she was to stand up for herself. This is best depicted through the body language and actions reflected in the narration and stage directions. Directions such as [Defiantly non-Resistant], [Snapping her fingers], [Disdainfully], [Composedly], and [Determinedly] (PDF Act IV Page 39 and Act V Page 49) allow one to imagine and picture her being confident as she is conversing with Higgins and telling him that she does not need him she is independent and the woman she has always wanted to be. The descriptive elements used for stage direction and in the narration convey more emotion to what the character is saying because the reader can imagine what is taking …show more content…
HIGGINS. "What! That imposter! That humbug! That toadying ignoramus! Teach him my methods! My discoveries!"
LIZA. "... You can 't take away the knowledge you gave me. You said I had a finer ear than you. And I can be civil and kind to people, which is more than you can ... Oh, when I 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, I could just kick myself."
(PDF Act V Page 55)
This part of the plot is the climax in Act V of Pygmalion and here it is exemplified that Liza has matured and realizes that she was being treated inhumanely. Her transformation from a girl with no manners and lack of speech skills to a woman with refined speech and eloquence brought Liza to realize that no matter her position socially she should be treated as an equal. It has been brought to light that she is not on the same level as Higgins because Higgins sees both the rich and poor versions of Liza as the lowest of the low, when in fact through her "new self" she is a symbol for power and respect, especially as a female in the Victorian
Ryder and Liza shows the transition of black people in the American society. Both Mr. Ryder and Liza are African American, but their characteristics are in contrast. Mr. Ryder has mixed blood, but Liza is “very black”. Mr. Ryder is neatly dressed, but she has a hundred wrinkles. The author describes that she looks like “summoned up from the past”. I assume that this contrast shows the transition of the black people. Liza is a typical figure of the past black people, and Mr. Ryder is a new figure. Mr. Ryder uses clean English, which can be white English. On the other hand, Liza speaks a black dialect. The conversation of them clearly shows the difference between the old and the new. I suppose this difference shows the transition of the black people’s society. Because of the lack of the training, most of the black people have their own dialects. However, like Mr. Ryder, some of the black people get improved language. This shows that the black people are getting higher sophistications than the past. In addition, I assume that Liza is another character who is depicted as an improved black person as well. Even though she does not have proper training in her childhood, she colorfully dressed. This means she has suitable appearance in the American society. This is also the point of showing the social change of the black people. All in all, the two characters are the important figures to consider the social change of the black
Eliza's assaults against True Womanhood are violations of the virtues submissiveness and purity. When Eliza refuses to ignore the gallantry of Major Sanford in favor of the proposals of Reverend Boyer despite the warnings of her friends and mother, she disregards submissiveness in favor of her own fanc...
In “The Wife of His Youth,” Liza Jane also delineates deceptive in having social equity. She was married to a slave in the civil war. Her husband was a light skinned slave who managed to escape the slavery and he vowed to come back and get her. Nevertheless, he left his life, and created a new name and life to become allowed into a white society. Liza Jane the wife always knew her true identity in the story. Even in the period of of slavery, she accepted her past and worked as a housewife, meanwhile her husband worked in the plantation. While this life was troubling, she stayed hopeful to maybe come back together with her husband after the civil war ended. Liza Jane searched twenty five years for her husband Sam Taylor. She stayed a loyal housewife and had hope in her husband thinking that he will return looking for her. Mr. Ryder was going to give a ball, there were various seasonings why this was an suitable time for such an occasion. Mr. Ryder can be suitable the president of the Blue Veins. The original Blue Veins was a civilization of colored people gathered in a certain Northern city shortly following the end of the
Before overhearing the conversation, Lizabeth already has a sense of guilt as she finishes attacking Miss Lottie: “Suddenly I was ashamed, and I did not like being ashamed.” The conflict of not being either a child or an adult yet both together has been in her mind badgering her. After overhearing the conversation, she realizes that she is the oldest kid of all the kids she plays with, and she should be aware of her responsibilities for their
Both processes are different, as well as the development of each character, as they are affected by race, gender, and social class. Although seemingly opposite characters, both Lizabeth from Eugenia Collier’s Marigolds, and the Lawyer from Anton Chekhov’s The Bet, have a surprising amount of similarities, which ultimately leads them to the reality of life and it’s
Women play an influential role in The Odyssey. Women appear throughout the story, as goddesses, wives, princesses, or servants. The nymph Calypso enslaves Odysseus for many years. Odysseus desires to reach home and his wife Penelope. It is the goddess Athena who sets the action of The Odyssey rolling; she also guides and orchestrates everything to Odysseus’ good. Women in The Odyssey are divided into two classes: seductresses and helpmeets. By doing so, Homer demonstrates that women have the power to either hinder of help men. Only one woman is able to successfully combine elements of both classes: Penelope. She serves as a role model of virtue and craftiness. All the other women are compared to and contrasted with Penelope.
...n he tried to intimidate her earlier and that she would be so bold to his face. The criticism faced by the characters in the plays demonstrate the idea that women are inferior to men and should not speak out for themselves.
Ryder being the dean of the Blue Vein Society, he met many people, but one person really stood out to him and her name was Margaret Dixon. Margaret was a light-skinned young lady who was very high class, charming, and educated. Mr. Ryder fell in love with her the very moment he met her and wanted to prove this to her by planning a ball in her honor, so he could propose to her. Since Margaret had so many great assets about herself, Mr. Ryder thought she would be a great wife for him because she would not only continue to help him grow in society but also help him with his social status. By doing this Mr. Ryder shows his true colors because is signifies his hypocrisy due to the fact that he isn’t only wanting to marry her, so he can benefit, but also because he is still a married man. Mr. Ryder’s wife Liza is anything but acceptable to him and his society, and since he left Liza behind to create a new life it goes to show what kind of man he is. Liza as well as Mr. Ryder has experienced slavery, however she never once tried to cover up her heritage. Instead, she spent the past 25 years working all while trying to find her long-lost husband. The racial inequality is shown very clear when comparing Ryder’s new life and Liza’s, Liza embraced her background while Mr. Ryder was trying to write his off. In doing so, it portrays the inequality and weakness between societies. However, if Mr. Ryder marries Margaret he thinks it will eventually cover up his past. On the other
Odyssey have in common: they are all very clever. There are two ways that the
...ve been suffering mental abuse by their husband. This play presents the voice of feminism and tries to illustrate that the power of women is slightly different, but can be strong enough to influence the male dominated society. Although all women are being oppressed in the patriarchal society at that time, Glaspell uses this play as a feminist glory in a witty way to win over men. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters solve the crime by reflecting on Minnie Wright’s unhappy marriage that leads her to murdering. Using the relationship between female and male characters throughout the play, Glaspell speaks up to emphasize how the patriarchal society underestimated women’s rights and restricted women’s desires.
When her husband was still with her, she had no identity, she was branded exclusively as Mrs. Mallard, Brently Mallard’s wife. Now, Louise distinguishes that she can finally be her own person and be identified by who she is, not only as someone else’s wife. As Louise departs from her room, she develops into a new person and as Mark Cunningham (2004) writes in his Literary Criticism, The Autonomous Female and the Death of Louise Mallard in Kate Chopin’s “Story of an Hour”, “With Brently’s return, with the reconstitution of her marriage and previous social position, Louise once again vanishes among her husband and her relatives” (para. 3). This explicates that when Louise’s husband was with her, and when he returns, she fades into the background. In the short time Louise is deprived of her husband, she grows into her own identity and this gives way to her feminist ideas. As Louise realizes that she now does not have to live for anyone else in the years to come, Chopin (1894) writes that “There would be no powerful will bending hers” (para. 14). This demonstrates that Louise frequently felt that her husband’s opinion conflicted on hers and she rarely received the attention she deserved. Now, Louise has no one to rule above her, no one to be associated with as lesser than
In the novel Othello, written by William Shakespeare, there are a variety of ways in which women are portrayed. There are strong willed women such as Emilia, who stands up to the men, especially to her husband. If he is wrong she would openly admit that he is incorrect. There are also women who are thought to be a possession as well as extremely submissive to their husbands such as Desdemona. She is the type of woman that will obey her husband to the day she dies. Desdemona believes that her husband is always right and he will never do anything that will lead her into the wrong direction. Many of the women in this time thought the same way. They are viewed as house workers, cooks, and teachers to the children. In addition to those qualities women obtain, having no authority in marriages is also added to the list. In this novel, there is judgment against women because they are “unequal” to men. They are not allowed to do the same as men for the reason that they do not possess the same qualities as men. Men were considered to be superior to women. Women were treated as their “slaves.” In contrast, today’s time women now have power. They have the right to vote, run for office, and even work outside their homes. Women now play the part as the male and female figure in the households. They are considered independent women, not relying on a male figure. Even if they are married now, they do not listen to everything that their husbands tell them to do. It states in the Bible that a male figure is the head of the households; however women today have strayed away from that view that they had back then. They want to be the dominate figure. Times have really changed from the past to the present. W...
The women in Othello are synonymous with Venetian societal standards. Only three women are characters in Othello: Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca but the roles these women play give the reader an idea of how women were portrayed, not only in Shakespeare's Othello but in society in general.
The main protagonist of the story, Elizabeth Bennet (nicknamed both Lizzy and Eliza), is the second daughter in the Bennet family. Second only to her elder sister in beauty, Elizabeth’s figure is said to be “light and pleasing,” with “dark eyes,” and “intelligent…expression” (24). At 20 years old, she is still creating her place in society. Known for her wit and playful nature, “Elizabeth is the soul of Pride and Prejudice, [she] reveals in her own person the very title qualities that she spots so easily” (“Pride and Prejudice”) in others. Her insightfulness often leads her to jump to conclusions and think herself above social demand. These tendencies lead her to be prejudice towards others; this is an essential characteristic of her role
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw is a play that shows a great change in the character Eliza Doolittle. As Eliza lives in poverty, she sells flowers to earn her living. Eliza does not have an education. This shows through the way that she does not have the proper way of speaking. This happens through when Eliza is speaking to the other characters when she meets, then when she is still at a low level of poverty in her life.