I want to be better than the station that I was born into. To advance in station, education has always been key, educating one's self on how those in a higher station would interact, talk and even behave. It is no different now as it was then. This is the premise of Pygmalion.
My initial reaction to Pygmalion, was having seen both movies, Pygmalion and My Fair Lady, but I had never read it until now. I understand that I relate to both Liza and Mr. Higgins for vastly different reasons. For Liza, she is wanting advance into a more respectable station through Mr. Higgins education. Also, for Mr. Higgins, he wanted to prove that his talents are superior and this is something that he wanted to prove to himself.
Since I began college in 2002, I have been studying the English language and I found that like with Liza and Higgins, speaking is the first step in getting a foothold into a higher station. We find that there is a class system when it comes to speaking. The uneducated has a speech all of their own, while those of education have been trained in elocution.
Looking at this play as a whole, it represents a life goal that all have, which is to be better. I find that when Liza signed on to have help from Higgins that she did not understand the demand that would be placed upon herself. Like Liza, many who set forth on the path of improving one's station do not realize that there is a dedication unlike any other.
Based on your comments, I would say that education is not the only thing separating the classes. For those not born into privilege, dedication and determination to achieve also contribute to separating out people like Liza. I think dedication is a part of education, but that it differs for people from different classes. For example, learning proper english would be much easier and require less dedication for a gentleman brought up hearing it than for someone like Liza.
ReplyDeleteTony,
ReplyDeleteExcellent engagement with and insights into Shaw's play. I appreciate the way you connect it to your own aspirations and experiences. I do wish you had presented quotations from the text to support and illustrate your views, though! You reliance on broad, unsupported generalizations significantly weakens your post, I am afraid.