Pygmalion Group

Question:

babiiling
babiiling
Student
High School - 9th Grade

Does this quote,"you must take life the way it comes at you and make the best of it," a theme of Pygmalion?

How does the idea that each individual must make the best of the life he is given work in George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion?

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Posted by babiiling on Tuesday June 9, 2009 at 3:22 PM and tagged with themes.

Answers:

  1. thewritingteacher
    thewritingteacher Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Shaw loved to poke fun at society and its prejudices. Pygmalion, loosely based on the myth of Pygmalion (Book Ten of Ovid's Metamorphosis), demonstrates that social class is not necessarily permanent, and that rich or poor, people are people.

    The idea that individuals have to just accept their lots in life is opposite of Shaw's theme. Eliza was a poor flower-girl whose accent kept her from getting a proper education and a real job. British society would keep her there, saying that she must make the best of her circumstances, but there is no way to break out of that class. Professor Higgins proved otherwise by teaching Eliza a more upper class way of speaking--and she was accepted by the upper class as one of their own. Eliza was not "stuck" in the lower classes of London, but could (and did) work her way up.

    The same is true in modern culture. Just because someone is born into bad circumstances does not mean that he or she has to stay that way. Hard work and commitment can give any individual the possibility of great success.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/metamorphoses-of-ovid/list-characters
    http://www.enotes.com/pygmalion/
    http://www.enotes.com/pygmalion/themes

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    Posted by thewritingteacher on Tuesday August 11, 2009 at 2:00 PM