Pygmalion and Society at the Time Essay -- Papers

Pygmalion and Society at the Time In this essay I will be discussing Bernard Shaw's representation of Edwardian Society in 'Pygmalion'. Shaw was a member of the Fabian Society; a collection of middle class people who believed that capitalism had created an unjust and unfair society. They were concerned about the unreasonable and imbalanced class system of the time and wanted to 'reconstruct society', creating an equal and fair civilisation with no class divide, which was so blatantly obvious due to the ignorance between classes. The rich lived lifestyles of luxury; the men would earn livings through land and property they owned and through careers such as scientists, lawyers and accountants. In the summer, they enjoyed a whole season of entertainment at their London house for tea and dinner parties, dances and visits to the theatre. In winter, they had holidays abroad and spent weekends at each other's country houses. The men went shooting and hunting and the ladies entertained themselves horse riding. Meanwhile, the poor were struggling on the dirty streets earning a pittance for manual jobs in workhouses and places similar. Conditions for them were sometimes so bad that they were forced to live in ridiculously over-crowded houses with other poor families. They could not afford new clothes or even food at times. They could certainly not afford luxuries like the rich enjoyed. The setting of Eliza's home and Mrs. Higgins' home show the both the pitiable living condition of the poor and the far from modest living conditions of the wealthy. Eliza can only afford the basic needs; a place to sleep, one set of clothes and limited light... ...h man, 'I sold flowers not myself.' Eliza's ability to reprimand Higgins is a bit of a shame for Higgins, as he is being scolded by someone who he had always considered lower than him. This illustrates again the fact that money does not buy you respect or manners and does not make you a good person. Shaw wanted the middle classes to realise and consider the working class. He was convinced that the way to alleviate the problem of poverty in society was to provide equal opportunity for all. This message is depicted in Eliza's transformation. Shaw also attacks middle class values and brands them hypocrites. He suggests that exposure to working class values might do them some good and teach them a valuable lesson. It is an influential message from start to finish and will persuade many people to consider others more.