Gender Issues in Pygmalion and The Importance of Being Earnest

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Gender Issues in Pygmalion and the Importance of Being Earnest
In the play “Pygmalion” by George Bernard Shaw, Eliza is an intelligent character who rises from being undermined by other characters to become a notable individual. Her dress code, manners, and accent progressively change such that she can transform from a simple working-class individual to become an English Lady (McGovern 49). By portraying the way Eliza can easily climb from low to upper class, Shaw indirectly portrays the ideology that upper-class individuals are inherently superior compared to the working class. From Eliza’s character, it can be deduced that a little education can transform a flower seller (Eliza) into a lady.
Eliza is undermined and treated as an object by other characters. For instance, when Eliza meets Higgins for her speech classes, he assumes her and speaks as if she is not a real person. Higgins tells Pickering that Eliza is baggage and they can throw her out of the window. Not only is Higgins rude and self-centered, but he also abused Eliza by calling her a “squashed cabbage” (McGovern 51). This prompts Eliza to rebel against the verbal abuse from Higgins, and she asserts herself to show that she is an individual of value. Pickering scolds Higgins and tells him that he is hurting Eliza’s feelings. Higgins is unremorseful, and he coldly replies that they should not bother about her feelings.
Furthermore, other characters who fail to respect Eliza’s presence are Clara and her brother, Freddy. Clara is portrayed as a self-pitying character who is always complaining and rarely attracts audience identification. When Eliza asks for compensation after Freddy damages her flowers, she shows contempt and disdain. Furthermore, she is arrogant towards Higgins after he breaches etiquette by failing to use an introduction when addressing hear (McGovern 49). Rodelle Weintraub argues that the inability of Higgins to understand the anguish that Eliza is going through is an indication of an individual suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome. His eccentric interests and the way he is obsessed with London dialects is a clear indication that he could have a personality disorder.
Furthermore, Higgins lack of empathy and common sense when addressing Eliza is a clear indication of sensory insensitivity (McGovern 52). It can also be deduced that he appears not to be aware of himself when he makes loudly shouts towards his colleagues. Nevertheless, Eliza manages to stand her ground and manages to climb up the social ...