What is the role of Alfred Doolittle in Pygmalion? Is he simply a fool cast for comic relief? Or is he more? Explain. Consider him as a mirror image of Higgins.
In Pygmalion, Alfred Doolittle was much more than a fool casted for comic relief. He was an instrument that Shaw used to express satirical views on members of the upper classes. Mr. Doolittle said that clergymen, politicians, doctors, and citizens of the upper classes in general must live for others and not themselves. Alfred enjoyed his life as a pickpocket and a dustman because he could use money as he pleased to make himself happy. There were no restrictions he had to endure regarding the clothes he wore or how well he spoke English. He found this freedom from society’s pressures enjoyable, and he would often drink away the money he came to acquire. When Alfred began to earn four thousand pounds a year from Wannafeller’s trust, he was furious at Higgins for turning him into a citizen of the middle class. Mrs. Higgins asked Alfred why he accepted the offer if it upset him so much, but he confessed that he was intimidated into accepting the four thousand pounds. He stated, “We’re all intimidated…it’s a choice between the Skilly of the workhouse and the Char Bydis of the middle class; and I haven’t the nerve for the workhouse…Happier men than me will call for my dust, and touch me for their tip; and I’ll look on helpless, and envy them” (Shaw 113, Act V). Mr. Doolittle felt trapped between the harsh conditions of the poor class and the expectations he would have to meet if he chose to accept the money. The offer was too irresistible, and Mr. Doolittle would only have to lecture up to six times a year to receive the four thousand pounds. However, he was not pleased with the new conditions he faced as a member of the middle class. When he was sick, doctors would not allow him into the hospital because he could not pay for a doctor. After becoming a healthy man, doctors encouraged him to visit at least twice a day to check on the condition of his well being. Doctors refused to help those who needed the most medical attention and latched themselves onto the wealthy like leeches to suck away as much money as they could. Shaw also made Alfred Doolittle a reflection of Professor Henry Higgins. While Mr. Doolittle was kind and unintelligent, Higgins was unkind and intelligent. At the beginning of the play, Mr. Doolittle was proud of his daughter for finding Higgins and trying to accomplish her goal of working in a flower shop. He also agreed to marry Eliza’s stepmother because she believed it would make them more respectable. Even though he was not fond of the idea of marriage, he still agreed with Eliza’s stepmother’s decision. On the other hand, Higgins was a well-educated man who dedicated years of his life to the science of phonetics. He studied Shakespeare and Milton, and he taught Eliza how to speak English properly within a matter of only a few months. While Higgins proved to be a fantastic teacher, he did not treat people well. He claimed that treating everyone the same was better than treating certain people better than others. The problem was that Higgins treated everyone equally poorly; he never positively encouraged Eliza during her lessons, and he displayed poor manners around the Eynsford Hills and even the ambassador.
In Pygmalion, Alfred Doolittle was much more than a fool casted for comic relief. He was an instrument that Shaw used to express satirical views on members of the upper classes. Mr. Doolittle said that clergymen, politicians, doctors, and citizens of the upper classes in general must live for others and not themselves. Alfred enjoyed his life as a pickpocket and a dustman because he could use money as he pleased to make himself happy. There were no restrictions he had to endure regarding the clothes he wore or how well he spoke English. He found this freedom from society’s pressures enjoyable, and he would often drink away the money he came to acquire. When Alfred began to earn four thousand pounds a year from Wannafeller’s trust, he was furious at Higgins for turning him into a citizen of the middle class. Mrs. Higgins asked Alfred why he accepted the offer if it upset him so much, but he confessed that he was intimidated into accepting the four thousand pounds. He stated, “We’re all intimidated…it’s a choice between the Skilly of the workhouse and the Char Bydis of the middle class; and I haven’t the nerve for the workhouse…Happier men than me will call for my dust, and touch me for their tip; and I’ll look on helpless, and envy them” (Shaw 113, Act V). Mr. Doolittle felt trapped between the harsh conditions of the poor class and the expectations he would have to meet if he chose to accept the money. The offer was too irresistible, and Mr. Doolittle would only have to lecture up to six times a year to receive the four thousand pounds. However, he was not pleased with the new conditions he faced as a member of the middle class. When he was sick, doctors would not allow him into the hospital because he could not pay for a doctor. After becoming a healthy man, doctors encouraged him to visit at least twice a day to check on the condition of his well being. Doctors refused to help those who needed the most medical attention and latched themselves onto the wealthy like leeches to suck away as much money as they could. Shaw also made Alfred Doolittle a reflection of Professor Henry Higgins. While Mr. Doolittle was kind and unintelligent, Higgins was unkind and intelligent. At the beginning of the play, Mr. Doolittle was proud of his daughter for finding Higgins and trying to accomplish her goal of working in a flower shop. He also agreed to marry Eliza’s stepmother because she believed it would make them more respectable. Even though he was not fond of the idea of marriage, he still agreed with Eliza’s stepmother’s decision. On the other hand, Higgins was a well-educated man who dedicated years of his life to the science of phonetics. He studied Shakespeare and Milton, and he taught Eliza how to speak English properly within a matter of only a few months. While Higgins proved to be a fantastic teacher, he did not treat people well. He claimed that treating everyone the same was better than treating certain people better than others. The problem was that Higgins treated everyone equally poorly; he never positively encouraged Eliza during her lessons, and he displayed poor manners around the Eynsford Hills and even the ambassador.