Major Barbara, another of Shaw's plays first produced in 1905, is considered his initial major work. It delves into the ideological clash between "Major" Barbara Undershaft, who dedicates herself to uplifting the poor through the Salvation Army, and her father, Sir Andrew Undershaft, a tremendously wealthy arms manufacturer. Both characters embody Shaw's concept of the Life Force, or human progress through "creative evolution." The play questions whose contributions better serve society: Barbara's efforts or her father's, who offers his employees a comfortable life but profits from the destruction of human life. Similar to Pygmalion (and many of Shaw's other plays), the narrative centers on a strong, independent female character and examines issues of class, social identity, and human value.

The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism and Capitalism is a notable example of Shaw's political writing, addressing many themes central to Pygmalion. The text reflects Shaw's steadfast belief that only in a socialist society—with collective wealth and equal opportunities—could people look forward to the future with optimism. Writing ten years after the Russian Bolshevik Revolution, Shaw saw that experiment as a failure, noting the trend towards totalitarianism in the Soviet state. Shaw generally favored a democratic shift to socialism, envisioning a collective evolution towards a fair society. Shaw deliberately addressed "the intelligent woman" in this work, highlighting the exploitation of women through unpaid domestic labor and their limited, underpaid roles in the workforce. He wrote, "Our whole commercial system is rooted ... in cheap female labour." Shaw recognized the urgent need to expand educational and employment opportunities for women in his time. This text is extensive but organized in an encyclopedic format.

Plays and Players: Essays on the Theatre, edited by A. C. Ward (Oxford University Press, 1952), and Shaw on the Theatre, edited by E. J. West (Hill and Wang, 1958), compile numerous essays by Shaw on theatre. These volumes include his thoughts on both his own plays and productions, as well as critiques of other playwrights like Shakespeare and Ibsen.

Bernard Shaw and Mrs. Patrick Campbell: Their Correspondence, edited by Alan Dent (Knopf, 1962), collects the letters between Shaw and the actress who originated the role of Liza in the English premiere. Shaw also wrote Caesar and Cleopatra for her and actor Johnston Forbes-Robertson, although she never performed in it. The correspondence extensively discusses Pygmalion.

The Story of English, authored by Robert McCrum, William Cran, and Robert MacNeil (Viking Penguin, 1986; revised in 1992), serves as a companion book to a public-television series. This series, available on video at most libraries, delves into the history of the English language. It explores its evolution from Germanic, Celtic, and Anglo-Saxon origins into early, middle, and modern forms, and its remarkable global spread due to British colonialism and emigration. Today, approximately 1 billion people worldwide speak English as either a first or second language.

Students intrigued by Shaw's examination of speech and dialect issues in Pygmalion will find this book particularly engaging. It delves into the countless varieties of spoken English found around the world. The text also explores how the standards of "the Queen's English" were established during the Victorian era and how social identities were shaped by deviations from this norm. The Cockney dialect of Liza Doolittle, among many other British Isles varieties, receives detailed analysis.

The Story of English sparks valuable discussions on questions such as: What defines "Standard" English? What differentiates a dialect from an accent? How does dialect continue to signify social status?