Describe the relationship between Mrs. Higgins and her son in Act 3 of Pygmalion.
We understand that Higgins is both a bully and a rather crusty bachelor. He doesn't believe that about himself at all, but his mother sides with us. In fact, when he shows up at her house in this scene, the first words she says to him are:
"What are you doing here to-day? It is my at-home day: you promised not to come.... Go home at once.... I'm serious, Henry. You offend all my friends: they stop coming whenever they meet you."
She's right, of course. He has none of the social graces his mother has--and which he's presumably trying to teach Eliza. She really does want him to leave, though she is more distressed than angry.
It turns out Henry would like to use his mother's at-home day as a practice session for his pupil. When he tells her he's bringing over a girl, Mrs. Higgins is thrilled--that perhaps someone...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
else will have a positive influence on her son's hopeless behaviors. Alas. It's only a kerbstone flowergirl. The event is a moderate success, and Mrs. Higgins is charmed enough by Eliza to forgive Henry's lapses in social courtesy.
Their relationship is humorous and good-hearted, as
they banter about all manner of things (no pun intended). Each of
them is serious about their issues, but together theirs is a
good-natured give-and-take which the audience generally finds
amusing.
Describe the relationship between Mrs. Higgins and her son in Pygmalion.
In the Shavian play Pygmalion, the relationship between the characters of Mrs. Higgins and her son, Higgins, is perhaps one of the most comedic in literature. We come to learn about the relationship in Act Three, where we find Mrs. Higgins, a wealthy woman over sixty, during her "at-home". This means that this is an afternoon for her to receive her friends, write her letters, and maybe even entertain a person or two to tea. This is a proper tradition of a lady of her class.
This being said, we contrast her with her son, and here is where the comedy begins. Her son, Higgins, is the epitome of the black sheep child. He swears, is coarse, does not follow any sort of etiquette, has a cranky attitude, bursts into places without being called, and essentially has been a bachelor for so long that he is not willing to change his ways.
On this note, Mrs. Higgins is, literally, his foil, and her good manners and exquisite tastes make their dynamics totally dysfunctional. During this Act, we can witness some funny instances where Higgins and his mother demonstrate a relationship that resembles a comedic tag team. To Higgins, his mother is certainly "Mom", and he clearly seeks her company every time he feels stressed. Contrastingly, Mrs. Higgins does her best to keep Higgins away, for he embarrasses her and makes her nice home look as coarse as he is. However, it is clear that she loves her son, and that she is past the frustration of trying to change him. That is where the funny dynamics come from, and they are clearly illustrated in their first dialogue:
- MRS. HIGGINS:[dismayed] Henry [scolding him]! What are you doing here to-day? It is my at-home day: you promised not to come. [As he bends to kiss her, she takes his hat off, and presents it to him].
- HIGGINS: Oh bother! [He throws the hat down on the table].
- MRS. HIGGINS: Go home at once.
- HIGGINS: [kissing her] I know, mother. I came on purpose.
- MRS. HIGGINS: But you mustn't. I'm serious, Henry. You offend all my friends: they stop coming whenever they meet you.
- Hence, we see a very unique relationship where the mother is aware of the son's follies and the son is aware of his disconnect with his mother's world. However, far from making this a problem to the plot, Shaw makes this a very comedic element makes us see a lighter side of the stuffy Victorian family life. This is a unique trait of writers such as Shaw, and Wilde, where they basically establish that family life does not have to be yet another social acquaintance, but that mother and son can actually love each other and still accept each other's deeply rooted differences.
What is the relationship between Mr. Higgins and his mother in Pygmalion?
Henry Higgins is an only child whose only living parent is his mother, Mrs. Higgins. He is also an eternal bachelor who will not change his single, arrogant ways. He is highly educated and treats all of the women in his life like peons. The only one he truly listens to is his mother. He may not follow through with her advice completely, but he shows her more respect than the other women in the play. He yells and screams like thestuck-up, lonely brat that he is while she gives quiet advice. She is not a helicopter mother because she doesn't hover. She allows him to make his own decisions and mistakes, but she won't agree with him or be intimidated by him. She makes and follows through on her own decisions, too; like the time that she admits Eliza into her home without consulting Henry. This shows that she is also independent and unintimidated by her son even though he screams a lot. There doesn't seem to be anything unusual within their relationship because the mother/son relationship remains in tact without any melodramatic or unnatural occurrences getting in the way.
In Pygmalion, how does Mrs. Higgins' house differ from her son's?
Very simply, Mrs. Higgin's home is elegantly furnished, while her son's home is haphazardly arranged.
It appears that Mrs. Higgins has decorated her home to demonstrate her good taste. So, there are no visible trinkets strewn about the room or "odds and ends of useless things" in strange places. The carpets, furniture, and window furnishings are of the highest quality.
There are a few good oil paintings on the wall, and there is even a portrait of Mrs. Higgins among them. The arrangement of furniture lends a harmonious balance to the living room. There are also flower pots on the balcony, and all is order, beauty, and neatness.
On the other hand, Mr. Higgins has converted part of his living room into a laboratory. In this part of the room, there are file cabinets and a flat writing-table, on which has been placed all manner of objects. Among the objects are a laryngoscope, a phonograph, tuning-forks of differing sizes, a "life-size image of half a human head, showing in section the vocal organs," and a row of organ pipes, complete with bellows.
The only object of measurable elegance is a grand piano next to a side wall. There is a dessert dish on top of the piano, and it is filled with fruits and sweets (mostly chocolates). There are no paintings on the wall, only engravings. The furniture seems to have been arranged haphazardly, without thought to harmony or beauty.
It is ironic that Mrs. Higgins' house should be the complete opposite from that of her son's because one would think that such a wonderful lady would have a similar son. However, Mr. Higgins is an academic bachelor who has an old woman for a housekeeper. The housekeeper does the best she can with what she has to work with, but the messes that Henry leaves behind him are so plentiful that it is tough for her to keep up with. On the other hand, Mrs. Higgins is a proper mother and widow who keeps her home clean and well-organized. Her wayward and overbearing son is completely the opposite of his mother when it comes to society and manners, so why wouldn't he be just as opposite with the maintenance of his household? This opposition between mother and son brings irony and contrast to the play both dramatically and comically.