After finishing Pygmalion, I marvel at how much Eliza
does to impress Pickering and Higgins, who do not care for Eliza. In six
months, Eliza transforms from an uncultured and common girl to a sophisticated
and invaluable (to Higgins) lady, in hopes that Higgins or Pickering will find
her worthy of an upper class status. Her complete transformation goes
un-noticed. Higgins and Pickering obsess over their bet and ignore Mrs. Pearce
and Mrs. Higgins’ warning of forethought and neglect Eliza’s emotional needs.
This makes me wonder whether Higgins and Pickering are worth impressing.
In Act IV, Higgins and Pickering
insult Eliza and Higgins calls her “creature” and “insect”; yet, Act IV is the
first notable instance of Eliza reacting to Higgins and Pickering’s rudeness.
These gentlemen have insulted her on a daily basis, but Eliza never left until
that night. Why? Eliza is determined, intelligent, independent, and willing to
change, which are the qualities of an excellent student; Eliza only needs a
teacher. According to Higgins, Eliza has a “better ear” than him, which alludes
to the belief that any phonetics teacher could have taught Eliza, but she stays
with Higgins. Why?
This made me think, why do students
work so hard for school. There are
students who take difficult courses and struggle to get a “100”, when they
could take the minimal classes and pass with a 65. Both types of students will
get a diploma. Who are the students with the difficult courses trying to
impress and why? Is that the same reason
Eliza stays with Higgins? I think the illusion of one’s dreams that keeps the
students working hard, as it keeps Eliza with Higgins. The possibility of achieving
one’s dreams makes a person persistent and willing to struggle with less than accommodating
circumstances. Eliza stays with Higgins, despite his behavior, because she
believes that he will make Eliza a high-class, well-spoken lady, which is Eliza’s
dream.
I also found myself asking the question, Why? Why does Eliza find the need to impress Higgins and Pickering? Why does she stay with Higgins after his mistreatment of her? Why does she endure their rudeness when she is, as you said, intelligent and independent? I think, in Pickering and Higgins, Eliza found a sense of belonging. She felt wanted and valuable to someone, and that often drives people to endure abuse, particularly in meaningful relationships. Additionally, I agree that Eliza's dream of becoming a high-class, well-spoken lady gave her the motivation to work hard and impress Higgins. She wanted to prove to Higgins her ability to transform from a flower girl to an intelligent, classy woman. As she is mistreated, her desire to prove her self worth is fueled, and she stays with Higgins to demonstrate her unknown potential.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading Pygmalion, I found myself drawing comparisons with Frankenstein. Like the creature, Eliza was an experiment, and she was treated as if she were devoid of feeling and emotion. Like Victor, Higgins and Pickering believe the experiment is over when the end-result is completed and they have won their bet. However, they soon realize that you cannot abandon someone you forge a connection and relationship with, for Eliza develops affection for them. She cannot be ignored, and she almost sees Higgins and Pickering as secondary father figures; she wants to make them proud, and perhaps that also is a factor in her desire to stay with Higgins.