Pygmalion as a Problem Play

Pygmalion as a problem play Introduction Pygmalion is a play written by G.B. show. Show was born in Dublin in 1856. He is a propagandist and a great social reformer. In his hands the drama became not an artistic creation for aesthetic enjoyment, but a medium of social criticism his interest was primarily in morals, philosophy and social reform, he is called the father of the theatre of ideas in his plays. Thereto his plays are known as drama of ideas ‘or’ the problem plays.

Pygmalion deals with modern problems like these of education, social snobbery and the loss of identity. The title of the play is taken from the ancient Greek legend of the famous sculptor named Pygmalion, who could find nothing good in woman. Pygmalion was a sculptor and prepared statues in bronze, marble and ivory, He wished to prepare the statue of a beautiful woman of his mind. Then he made that statue and asked the Goddess of beauty to make the statue of the girl alive for him, the girl is Galatea and Pygmalion became happy. The problem play deals with problems of the society. The problems are presented and analyzed. However solutions to those problems are provided by the dramatist. The readers are provoked to think over the problem presented in the play and work out their own solutions to those problems. A number of problems have been presented in this play like; education, social snobbery and the loss of identity.

Pygmalion as a problem play “Pygmalion” narrates the story of a poor flower-girl who is transformed by Henry Higgins, Prof. of phonetics, into a lady of rank and statue by teaching her to speak and pronounce correctly. In order to transform a poor flower-girl into a lady of rank create a number of problem like the problem of how to educate her the speech or the manner of speaking as a lady and also the problem of social snobbery from some of the characters in the play who they look with a below look to other people who are poor and the problem of loosing the identity which is presented by Alfred Doolittle, Eliza’s father. A number of problems have been presented and discussed; the discussion is thoughtprovoking. The readers are expected to think for themselves and work out their own solutions.

1) The Problem Of Education The most important problem presented in the play is the problem of education. Eliza Doolittle’s education in phonetics is a difficult problem, but Higgins successfully overcomes the difficulties so much so that within six months Eliza can easily pass off as a foreign princess at an ambassador’s garden party. But her education has made her a lady, and so she cannot go back to her former environment and sell flowers as she used to do. Eliza has been cut off from her earlier environment. She has become a lady and has lost her identity, and alienation, and she must search for belongingness in the new social environment to which she has been raised by her education. As A.C. word puts it, “the problem in Pygmalion is like the world-problem of education. To educate is to give new life to those who receive the education and this life be new in all its aspects and circumstances. Anyone go or travel to a new place, of course, with no doubt will commit several mistakes and this will arouse different problems for him and for others and that is what has happened in the case of Eliza suddenly from the street, from selling flowers in the street to a lady, she will suffer so much to communicate

with the new people and the new place and also she will find it is difficult to go back to her former environment and sell flowers. Prof. Higgins accepts the challenge of transforming the flower-girl into a duchess. After six months, Eliza is really changed in to a lady. But she is not helped to get a good career she has lost her past identity and cannot go back to sell flowers again. The problem is hinted by Mrs. Pearce in Act-II where she asks Higgins about the future of the girl after she would be changed into a lady. Higgins cannot give a satisfactory reply. Then Mrs. Higgins in Act-III, also refers to the same ideas. Eliza have stands for the modern student who may like her say to his teacher “you never thought of the trouble of would make for me”. Higgins represents the modern teacher who may reply:”would the world ever have been made, if its maker had been afraid of making trouble? Making life means making trouble. Show had the national problem of education of England in mind. Being on Irish dramatist, he has satirized the England people who had no respect for their language and will not teach their children to speak it. Shaw really was disgusted by the harsh speech of some people in England.

Eliza’s problem remains unsolved. Higgins does not help her for her future, so she has to work out her own solution. Her marriage with Freddy will not solve the problem as he is a weakling and has no job. Eliza has to support him. Thus the problem of Eliza remains unsolved. The only solution to her problem is to be the wife of Higgins or Pickering, but that does not happen and so her problem as those of countless others who face a similar predicament remains unsolved.

2) The Problem of Social Snobbery This problem deals with the problem of class distinction as it is revealed through Eliza’s actions that the society which Bernard Shaw is dealing with is a class society. Eliza is quite aware of the class system and the class values and she exploits them to her own interest by using flatters as a medium in order to win Higgins and Pickering’s favours and pity, and malce than buy her flowers. And the problem of Alfred Doolittle who is from the ‘undeserving poor’ class. In poverty, he was happy. He could gain money by blackmailing others. As a dustman also he could gain money, but because of Prof. Higgins letter, he was raised to the status of the middle class. He has to deliver lectures on the middle class morality and follow it in his personal life.

As a result he lost his identity and he faces many problems of dislocation and alienation. He expresses his anger in these words, ‘who asked him to make a gentleman of me?’ I was happy. I was free. Then he has to marry his mistress with whom he was happy so far. After marriage, he would docile and obedient. The middle class morality intimidates him into marrying her. Such in the condition of Alfred Doolittle, he cannot give up money which comes to him as he is regarded the most original moralist in England.

When the play opens we have seen that Eliza as an ignorant girl selling flowers in convent garden with her cockney. Eliza belongs to the poor family. Here, Shaw represents Eliza as a poor class girl whose problem is about education. Shaw has been strong critic of romantic literature. He thinks that romantic literature is always unreal. In all his dramas, he is strong opponent of romanticism. Pygmalion is really an example of Shaw’s sparkling realism. The theme has been quiet imaginatively. The flower girl has been selected to show the problems of the poor class people at that time in England. It was the social problem that has been represented in Pygmalion.

3) The problem of the loss of identity. Another problem presented in the play is the predicament of Alfred Doolittle. He was poor, he was considered “an undeserving poor” and so nothing was done for him by society. Still he was happy in he’s poverty. He would from time to time get money by black mailing others and then he would have a good time with his mistress. He was quite happy and contended with his life as poor dustman. But then suddenly as a result of a joke of Prof Higgins, he acquired large wealth and became one of the newly rich. He was raised to the status of the middle class. He had lost his former identity. He was alienated from his former class and the kind of life he led as a poor dustman and he must now acquire a new identity and a new sense of belonging to a higher class. There is also the problem of Eliza after she has been transformed from a poor flower-girl into a lady. Eliza feels happy to be a lady and speaking in the manner of the rich and endeared persons, but after that she disappointed from the person who taught her to speak proper and transform her into a duchess, would not help her to overcome of the new life she has been transform into at the same time she could

not go back to her former life and her former job of selling flowers this that she has lost her identity, that is why she marries Freddy even if he would solve the problem but she has no choice as Higgins and Pickering do not help her to pass this problem.

Conclusion Pygmalion is a play of problems, education problem, class society or class culture or social snobbery and the loss of identity. Brand Shaw has presented all these problems, but these is no solution has been provided, the readers must think for themselves and find out their own respective solution. Thus the play dealt with various problems of the society or essential problems of the society which any society may suffers from in the world. Possible solution – Higgins disregard for etiquettes in relation to social class he would speak to a Duchess in the same way as he would to a flower girl. His mannerisms are the same for all this is a possible solution hinted at and Higgins strongly feels that he can budge the distance b/n people belonging to 2 diff social class by teaching them to speak correctly.