Themes: Social Class and Accent

Although all countries have social classes and divisions between rich and poor, England is unusual in the degree to which accent and vocabulary are correlated with class. Bernard Shaw points out in the preface that

It is impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making some other Englishman hate or despise him.

Higgins is a professor of phonetics and conducts serious scientific research, but he makes his money by using his knowledge of...

Themes: Manners and Etiquette

Etiquette is a matter of correct form, whereas manners involve considering the feelings of others. A man who holds his knife and fork incorrectly commits a breach of etiquette, while those who sneer at him for it exhibit bad manners. The distinction between manners and etiquette is central to the play.

While Eliza is taking a bath in act 2, Mrs. Pearce returns to warn Higgins that he will have to alter his own behavior if he is to set a good...

Themes: Subversion of Conventional Romance

Higgins and Eliza are clearly the two major figures in the play, which explores their feelings for each other in some depth. These are not conventionally romantic feelings, however, and the play does not not have a conventional happy ending—or even a conclusive one. Shaw objected to plots where the hero marries the heroine and tended to avoid them in all his plays. He wrote a long epilogue or “sequel” to Pygmalionat least partly to make it...

Themes: Transformation

The theme of transformation in Pygmalionis central to the play's narrative and message. Through the character of Eliza Doolittle, Shaw explores the superficial nature of social class distinctions and the deeper personal growth that comes from self-awareness and independence. The play critiques the rigid class system of Victorian society, illustrating how education and opportunity, rather than inherent superiority, determine one's social standing....