Who Said It?
“You see this creature with her kerbstone English—the English that will keep her in the gutter to the end of her days?”
Who is Higgins?
What motivates Higgins to take Eliza in at first?
To prove he can transform her speech & pass her off as a duchess.
What is the bet between Higgins and Pickering? Be specific.
Higgins bets he can pass Eliza off as a duchess in six months
What central theme does Shaw explore through Eliza’s transformation?
Social class mobility and the illusion of respectability.
What object symbolizes Eliza’s servitude to Higgins?
The slippers she fetches for him
“The difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she’s treated.”
Who is Eliza?
How does Eliza’s attitude toward Higgins change by Act 5?
She stands up to him & asserts her independence
How does Mrs. Higgins challenge her son’s behavior?
She calls him ill-mannered and criticizes his treatment of Eliza
What does the play suggest about appearance vs. reality?
Speech and manners can disguise social origin, not character
What is ambiguous about the ending?
We don’t know if Eliza will truly leave Higgins or return
“I shall miss you, Eliza. I’ve learnt something from your pronunciation.”
Who is Pickering?
What symbolic action shows Eliza’s independence in Act 5?
She decides to marry Freddy & work in a flower shop
In what way does Eliza shift the power dynamic in Act 5?
She refuses to be treated like a project and asserts emotional power.
How does Shaw challenge traditional gender roles?
Eliza defies male control and chooses her own future
How does Shaw use humor to show his opinions about society?
Witty dialogue & exaggerated characters expose snobbery
“You certainly are a pretty pair of babies, playing with your doll.”
Who is Mrs. Higgins?
Which two characters help Eliza recognize her worth and confidence?
Mrs. Higgins and Pickering
How does Mr. Doolittle’s situation show the humorous side of social class differences?
He’s "ruined" by being forced into middle-class respectability.
What does Shaw criticize about the British class system?
That it’s arbitrary, based on language & manners more than worth.
How is the title Pygmalion related to the myth of the same name?
Higgins is trying to create the perfect female just as the sculptor in the myth.
“I can’t turn your soul on. I can’t buy you or sell you.”
Who is Higgins?
How does Eliza prove she’s no longer dependent on Higgins?
She speaks to him as an equal and refuses to fetch his slippers.
Why does Higgins struggle to understand Eliza’s anger in Act 5?
He values intellect over emotion and doesn’t recognize her humanity.
What lesson does Higgins fail to learn by the end of the play?
That empathy and respect matter more than intellect or achievement.
What’s Shaw’s overall message through Pygmalion?
Transformation without respect or equality isn’t true progress