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George Bernard Shaw (26 Jul 1856 - 2 Nov 1950)
Pygmalion
New York: Penquin, 1916/1958. ISBN: 0-14-045022-X.
"The reformer we need most today is an energetic phonetic enthusiast." (5) "Pygmalion Higgins is not a portrait of Sweet, to whom the adventure of Eliza Doolittle would have been impossible." (8) "The change wrought by Professor Higgins in the flowergirl is neither impossible nor uncommon.... Ambitious flower-girls who read this play must not imagine that they can pass themselves off as fine ladies by untutored imitation." (9) "Eliza's instinct had good grounds for warning her not to marry her Pygmalion." (137) "Galatea never does quite like Pygmalion: his relation to her is too godlike to be altogether agreeable." (148)
Preface
1. In this story, who is Pygmalion and what is his profession? "phonetic enthusiast" 5, "simply phonetics" 26, "her Pygmalion" 137, "Galatea ... Pygmalion" 148
2. What is the setting of this story? England 5, London 13
3. Shaw says great art must be didactic. To be a Great Book, must the story have an important main idea -- must it teach a lesson? "It is so intensely and deliberately didactic ... that I delight in throwing it at the heads of the wiseacres who repeat the parrot cry that art should never be didactic. It goes to prove my contention that great art can never be anything else." (9)
4. Do you think there are "ambitious flower-girls" in our society? "ambitious flower-girls" 9
Act One5. What is Freddy's formal name? 147
6. How do Freddy and Eliza meet? How old is Freddy? 15, about twenty (14)
7. Describe how Eliza lives. "respectable" 19, Read 31-32
8. What is the Note Taker's profession? 26
9. What does the Note Taker think of Eliza? 27-28, 119, 128
Act Two
10. What does Shaw think of Higgins? Read
"Higgins appears ... moments" 34, relate to "feelings" 43
11. Why does Higgins eventually take an interest in Eliza? experiment 40-41, 85, 103, 105, 128
12. How does Higgins respond to Liza's name? Read rhyme 39
13. How does Eliza's father respond to Higgins experiment? comic scene 53-62, read Alfred Doolittle lines for discussion of serious content in comedy 57
Act Three
14. How old is Higgins, and how old is his
mother? about 40 (34), in 60s (67)
15. How does Freddy respond to Eliza at the at-home? 77, 79
16. How does Clara respond? What is the b-word? "bloody" 78, H. G. Wells 143
17. What does Mrs. Higgins think of the experiment? "live doll" 81, Eliza's future 82-84
Act Four
18. Why did Eliza throw the slippers at
Higgins? Higgins won the bet: "Thank God it's over" ... bored 98,
Eliza throws the slippers ... "I don't matter" 100, "I heard your prayers"
101, Mrs. Higgins: why Eliza threw the slippers 118-19, "I won't be passed
over ... no consideration for anyone.... divine fire... no feelings"
126-27
19. Liza says, "I didn't sell myself." Is she sold? 103, 85, 61, read Alfred Doolittle 57, "slave" 129
20. Where do Liza and Freddy find refuge? taxicab ride 110
Act Five
21. In Act Five, where is Eliza? Mrs. Higgins
has Eliza upstairs in her home. 111
22. How does Mrs. Higgins respond to Henry? She scolds him. 112-13
23. Eliza is transformed, but her father is too. What happened? Moral Reform Society 113-17
24. Who is Wannafeller? American (Rockefeller?) philanthropist/reformer 115-
25. Why does Alfred refer to the Skilly and the Char Bydis? Read Doolittle on middle-class morality 117
26. What does Eliza say was her "real education"? Read: self-respect ... a lady 122
27. If Henry is the hero, Liza the heroine, should they get married? 129, 148
Sequel
28. Why do you suppose Shaw has Liza marry
Freddie? 129, 134-, 137-
29. Why is Henry a bachelor? 135
30. Is Pygmalion a Cinderella story? 134
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Last Revised: October 19, 2004
Newbery Medal List, 1922 to the Present