Pygmalion is in many ways a Cinderella story with its transformation of a poor but lovely young girl into a princess. But is Eliza the only character to undergo such a transformation? Consider her father, Alfred Doolittle, as well as Henry Higgins himself. Describe the other transformations. Whose transformation is the most significant? Why?
Pygmalion is indeed a Cinderella story because Eliza was transformed from a dirty flower girl into a well-spoken duchess. She was able to dance with princes at the ambassador’s garden party and marry the man who truly loved her. In addition, she achieved her ultimate goal of opening a shop complete with flowers and vegetables. Eliza and Freddy had to receive instruction from Colonel Pickering regarding the management and maintaining of a business, but their shop did become successful. However, she was not the only character to undergo such a transformation. Her father, Alfred Doolittle, was a poor dustman who abruptly began to earn money from Ezra D. Wannafeller’s Pre-digested Cheese Trust as a result of one of Higgins’s jokes. Mr. Doolittle would collect four thousand pounds each year for speaking at the Wannafeller Moral Reform World League, but he did not accept this offer welcomingly. He was upset with Higgins for transforming him into a victim of “middle class morality.” Alfred was also able to marry his love, Eliza’s stepmother, but only because she wanted to be seen as more respectable by society. Before, they lived freely together without the restriction of marriage. If Mr. Doolittle showed public affection around other members of the middle class to Eliza’s stepmother without being married to her, it would be considered disgraceful by society. Whereas Eliza sought to transform her speech, Mr. Doolittle did not desire such a drastic change in lifestyle. Another character that underwent a transformation was Henry Higgins himself. Before he truly knew Eliza, he treated everyone beneath him like garbage. However, after he fell in love with Eliza, he realized that speech and appearance do not define someone’s personality. When Eliza claimed Henry could simply turn on his phonograph or look at her pictures to make him feel less lonely, Higgins admitted that he would not be around Eliza’s soul, which was what he enjoyed the most. He also confessed that he enjoyed looking at Eliza and grew accustomed to the way she acted around his home. He was so used to her being there that he could not bear the agony of her departure. This was a significant change from his opinion of Eliza when he first saw her on the corner of Tottenham Court Road. He called her a filthy “guttersnipe” and threatened to have her head cut off if she failed to do as she was told. After teaching Eliza and realizing what she was capable of, Higgins admired her. Freddy also transformed regarding his opinion of Eliza. The first time he met her, he knocked her over on the street and did not even stop to help her up. Yet, he could not take his eyes off of Eliza when she entered the drawing room at Mrs. Higgins’s home. After witnessing Eliza’s grace and pureness, he fell in love with who she was. He told Eliza that she had a kind heart, and he even prevented her from committing suicide. Even though Eliza’s transformation is the most detailed in the play, Professor Higgins’s transformation is the most significant. He never would have thought of falling in love with a flower girl, but once he began to teach Eliza, he recognized her compassionate heart.
Pygmalion is indeed a Cinderella story because Eliza was transformed from a dirty flower girl into a well-spoken duchess. She was able to dance with princes at the ambassador’s garden party and marry the man who truly loved her. In addition, she achieved her ultimate goal of opening a shop complete with flowers and vegetables. Eliza and Freddy had to receive instruction from Colonel Pickering regarding the management and maintaining of a business, but their shop did become successful. However, she was not the only character to undergo such a transformation. Her father, Alfred Doolittle, was a poor dustman who abruptly began to earn money from Ezra D. Wannafeller’s Pre-digested Cheese Trust as a result of one of Higgins’s jokes. Mr. Doolittle would collect four thousand pounds each year for speaking at the Wannafeller Moral Reform World League, but he did not accept this offer welcomingly. He was upset with Higgins for transforming him into a victim of “middle class morality.” Alfred was also able to marry his love, Eliza’s stepmother, but only because she wanted to be seen as more respectable by society. Before, they lived freely together without the restriction of marriage. If Mr. Doolittle showed public affection around other members of the middle class to Eliza’s stepmother without being married to her, it would be considered disgraceful by society. Whereas Eliza sought to transform her speech, Mr. Doolittle did not desire such a drastic change in lifestyle. Another character that underwent a transformation was Henry Higgins himself. Before he truly knew Eliza, he treated everyone beneath him like garbage. However, after he fell in love with Eliza, he realized that speech and appearance do not define someone’s personality. When Eliza claimed Henry could simply turn on his phonograph or look at her pictures to make him feel less lonely, Higgins admitted that he would not be around Eliza’s soul, which was what he enjoyed the most. He also confessed that he enjoyed looking at Eliza and grew accustomed to the way she acted around his home. He was so used to her being there that he could not bear the agony of her departure. This was a significant change from his opinion of Eliza when he first saw her on the corner of Tottenham Court Road. He called her a filthy “guttersnipe” and threatened to have her head cut off if she failed to do as she was told. After teaching Eliza and realizing what she was capable of, Higgins admired her. Freddy also transformed regarding his opinion of Eliza. The first time he met her, he knocked her over on the street and did not even stop to help her up. Yet, he could not take his eyes off of Eliza when she entered the drawing room at Mrs. Higgins’s home. After witnessing Eliza’s grace and pureness, he fell in love with who she was. He told Eliza that she had a kind heart, and he even prevented her from committing suicide. Even though Eliza’s transformation is the most detailed in the play, Professor Higgins’s transformation is the most significant. He never would have thought of falling in love with a flower girl, but once he began to teach Eliza, he recognized her compassionate heart.