Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 554

Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Humanities and

Social Science Research (ICHSSR 2021)

The Realistic Implication in Bernard Shaw’s

Pygmalion
Gong Fangming1,*
1
The School of Literature, Hunan University, the Southern Lushan Road, Changsha, Hunan, China
*[email protected]

ABSTRACT
George Bernard Shaw is a prolific writer in the west who wins the Nobel Prize in 1925. As an Irish outsider in English
society initially, he fights his way into the literary centre in England. His work Pygmalion is, somehow, an indirect
representation of his personal growth and reflects his understanding of his time, especially his concern for the reality of
the lower class. Pygmalion is about the transformation of a flower girl in the underclass. Higgins, a linguist, runs across
Liza, a flower girl, and Pickering in the street. He boasts he can transform the “ragamuffin” of a flower girl into an
exquisite duchess. The two men are later engaged in the bet that Higgins can live up to his brag. Higgins wins the wager,
but not the respect of Liza. The New Liza, being independent of Higgins, declares that she will leave Higgins and
maintain her present social status by teaching phonetics. Since its publication, Pygmalion has been adapted to the film
and the musical version. The two adapted versions boost the popularity of Pygmalion, but they disappoint Bernard Shaw,
who thinks that both the film and the musical miss his realistic implication. Shaw’s original play is more insightful than
the film and the musical and conveys far-reaching significance. Shaw is never a sentimental playwright. The play’s
attention in the myth Pygmalion shows the writer’s strong desire for social reforms. That’s why Shaw is a famous
member of the English Fabian Society, which endeavours to carry forward social reform. With the realistic ending, Shaw
does not intend Pygmalion to arouse the audience’s strong emotion as much as to be didactic, to inspire the audience to
meditate over the fact that the economy has the highest say in social life in this economic society. However, he does not
agree with the decay of morality. With this in his heart, Shaw, along with Ibsen, initiates a revolution in drama: they use
drama to represent social reality, to broadcast their social ideas, and to inspire the audience to realise these ideas.

Keywords: Bernard Shaw, Pygmalion, realism

bet that Higgins can live up to his brag. Higgins wins the
1. THE BACKGROUND OF PYGMALION wager, but not the respect of Liza. The New Liza, being
AND ITS AMBIGUOUS ADAPTATIONS independent of Higgins, declares that she will leave
Higgins and maintain her present social status by
George Bernard Shaw is a prolific writer in the west teaching phonetics.
who wins the Nobel Prize in 1925. As an Irish outsider in
Since its publication, Pygmalion has won much
English society initially, he fights his way into the literary
attention. Although he persistently rejected offers from
center in England. His work, “Pygmalion”, a Romance in
filmmakers, Shaw, impressed by the ardour and ability of
V Acts, is, somehow, an indirect representation of his
Gabriel Pascal, eventually agreed to make a film of the
personal growth and reflects his understanding of his
play. The film, released in 1938, was a notable success.
time, especially his concern for the reality of the lower
[2] This Irish playwright now had a large audience. The
class. [1]
musical, My Fair Lady, is adapted from Shaw’s
Pygmalion is about the transformation of a flower girl Pygmalion. [3] In 1956, this musical opened in New
in the underclass. Higgins, a linguist, runs across Liza, a Heaven, Connecticut. It has been a spectacular success
flower girl， and Pickering in the street. He boasts he ever since. In 1964, the film version of Shaw’s Pygmalion
can transform the “ragamuffin” of a flower girl into an won an Academy Award as best picture. The film and the
exquisite duchess. The two men are later engaged in the musical boost the popularity of Pygmalion, but they

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 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 554

disappoint Bernard Shaw， who thinks that both the Transformer always symbolizes an active and
film and the musical miss his realistic implication. dignified identity. When Liza becomes a transformer, she
can be independent and get rid of Higgins’ bully.
The film and the musical emerge as typical
Transformer, in this sense, implies the general progress in
sentimental romances with the same ending: Higgins and
human life. This transformation is a more significant and
Liza eventually get married happily, which contradicts
satisfying wish than the happy union in a sentimental
astonishingly with the original one. But the conclusion of
romance.
the original is a realistic one: the New Liza bid farewell
to Higgins’ bully and pursues her dignity by attending to Transformation is not only Shaw’s experience but
the financial need for her present social status. Although the experience of his time. Shaw lives in the later period
the ending in the movie and the musical version whereas of Victorian society, the Edwardian Period, and the
is typical of an idealistic romance: the creator eventually Georgian Period. In his time, many lower-class people
marries his creation, which arouses emotional bravo of grow to be middle-class members through their hard
the sentimental audience, it simplifies the reality faced by work and sagacity, just like Liza. Transformation is a
the lower class and lacks the insight of realistic work. common theme in many plays written by Shaw, such as
This thesis endeavours to analyse the realistic Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Widower’s Houses, Major
connotation from two aspects: the implication conveyed Babara. The main characters in these plays all
by the legend Pygmalion and the implication in Shaw’s experienced transforming their social status from lower
original ending. class to middle class through their efforts. Shaw speaks
highly of this aggressive spirit:
2. THE REALISTIC IMPLICATION IN “Her(Mrs. Warren) vitality, her thrift, her energy, her
THE LEGEND PYGMALION outspokenness, her wise care of her daughter, and the
managing capacity which has enabled her and her sister
The title of Shaw’s play, “Pygmalion”, a Romance in
to climb from the fried fish shop down by the Mint to the
V Acts, can be connected with an ancient Greek legend
establishment of which she boasts, are all high English
about Pygmalion. Pygmalion is a famous sculptor who
social virtues ”. [4] (p. 230)
was a misogynist and determined to live out his
bachelor’s life. But against his wish, he carved a statue so In this sense, Shaw’s play’s central image, Pygmalion,
perfect that he fell in love with his creation. Driven by his signifies the historical trend that brings progress to many
ardour for his work, he prayed to Aphrodite, the goddess lower-class people and society. Shaw’s play,
of love, that she might have Pygmalion’s beloved “Pygmalion”, a Romance in V Acts, is, therefore, a highly
creation come back to life. Aphrodite fulfilled his wish, suggestive work, which conveys the writer’s humanistic
and Pygmalion happily married his work, which he desire for the progress of the lower class.
named Galatea. This myth echoes the long-cherished
dream that the lovers should end in a union, and in the 3. THE IMPLICATION IN SHAW’S
audience’s mind, so would Shaw’s “Pygmalion”, ORIGINAL ENDING
Higgins, and his “Galatea”, Liza. Therefore, the title
“Pygmalion” seems to justifies the assumption of the Confronted with a different ending of a sentimental
movie and the musical that the play Pygmalion is a happy romance, Shaw defends his original conclusion in the
romance. The two adapted versions correspondingly prose “Sequel”. He stresses once again his original design
make use of the legend’s blissful meaning and wins the that the marriage between Higgins and Liza can never
heart of sentimental audience. happen. Shaw explains that he subtitles his play a
“romance” because the technical meaning of “romance”
However, George Bernard Shaw doesn’t intend the
refers to anything that is highly improbable. Although it
above implication by Pygmalion. Although he named his
is taken for granted that a romance suggests an eventual
play Pygmalion, the legend Pygmalion has a different
happy union between lovers, he does not intend this
meaning from the above assumption. For Shaw,
ending in Pygmalion. He will never let his creation, Liza,
Pygmalion is a God who brings transformation. To be
marry Higgins, a typical social misfit, to fulfill the whims
specific, it’s the transformation of identity, of social
of the sentimental audience, even though the
status. In the play, Higgins transformed the image of Liza
sentimentalists outnumber the realistic audience to a
from a flower girl to a duchess, and Liza eventually
great degree.
realised that she be a transformer either.
Firstly, Higgins is more than twenty years older than
“You can’t take away the knowledge you gave me.
Liza. There is probably a generation gap between the two.
You said I had a fine ear than you can……I’ll advertise it Besides, Liza is aware that she is kind, intelligent, and
in the papers that you duchess is only a flowergirl that beautiful enough to marry an upper-class member more
you taught, and that she’ll teach anybody to be a duchess desirable than her teacher. The heroine is, therefore,
just the same in six months for a thousand guineas”. [1] unlikely to form an intimate relation with the hero.

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Secondly, Liza refuses to remain the guinea pig to wickedness — behave bravely, admirably, and in the
Higgins’ linguistic study; she recognises that Higgins’ final analysis, public spiritedly”. [4](p. 120)
linguistic experiments will always be the vital thing in his
Shaw intends his plays to preach these ideas.
life. Higgins is far from an eligible husband. Besides,
Pygmalion, with a Cinderella romance, illustrates Shaw’s
Higgins is determined to live out his life as a bachelor.
conviction. Liza, with her social snobbism, always makes
Thirdly, after gaining her independence, Liza does not not so noble but realistic choices. In act II, despite
want to endure Higgins’ bullying, his condescending way Higgins’ trampling on her dignity, she chooses not to
of treating her. Higgins, as her creator, would always use leave when Higgins promises her a wealthy life after that.
her origin as a way to annoy her and bully her. The union The play ends up in Liza’s final realisation that she can
between the superior creator and the inferior creation will be economically independent of Higgins by teaching
be far from satisfactory. This is opposite to the legend. phonetics. Shaw wants the reader to be impressed by this
eventual insight of Liza, which resolves her lingering
Last, Liza has a sincere wooer, Freddy. She intends to
worries about her social status. This conclusion
marry Freddy because he is emotionally attached to her
demonstrates that it is not the character but the economy
and would therefore treat her with respect. But Freddy is
that qualifies one’s middle-class membership. The
not capable enough to seek a livelihood. Hence she is
economy has the highest say in social ranks.
thrilled by the idea that she can financially support herself
and Freddy by teaching phonetics. This marriage is As for whom Liza marries, it is not so vital. Therefore,
suitable for Liza, who attaches more importance to no marriage takes place in the original, and this incurs the
dignity than to material. seeming “ambiguity”. But it is because its ending is
ambiguous, the play Pygmalion is distinguished rather
As a result, despite the fact that Higgins can easily
than run-of-the-mill. If it ended with Liza in Higgins’
support Liza, Higgins’s age, character, and way of
arms, it would be a delightful comedy that follows a well-
treating Liza make him less likely to be her husband. His
worn path to an expected conclusion. But the ending of
relation to his creation, Liza, is too hierarchical to become
Shaw’s original play leaves the reader alert and
an agreeable couple. In addition to that, Liza has a much
stimulated.
more desirable wooer. The hero and heroine in Shaw’s
Pygmalion are destined to have an opposite ending to the Besides, when the play ends in Liza’s parting with
legend. Higgins against his wish, it serves as a satire of middle-
class morality. In the text, Higgins, an upper-class
Although the two can not get married, which may
member, treats Liza as an object in his experiment and
upset some sentimental readers, the play is a qualified
shows no respect. When Liza rebels against his bully, she
success, with its witty dialogues, humorous scenes, a
said:
Cinderella romance, and especially Shaw’s profound
meditation over reality which upgrades the work to a “oh, you are a cruel tyrant. I can’t talk to you: you turn
classic. everything against me: I’m always in the wrong. But you
know very well all the time that youre nothing but a bully.
In Shaw’s time, capitalism has stepped into the
You know I can’t go back to the gutter, as you call it, and
imperialist stage. In this new stage, the economy has the
that I have no real friends in the world but you and
highest say in every aspect of human life. However, in
Colonel. You know very well I couldnt bear to live with
any former society, which was an ethical society, moral
a low common man after you two, and it’s wicked and
judgment preoccupies the mind of people, the poor and
cruel of you to insult me by pretending I could. You think
the wealthy. In the imperialist stage, Nietzsche announces
I must go back to Wimpole Street because I have nowhere
God’s death: the long-cherished faith in morality yields
else to go but father’s. But dont you be too sure that you
to economic needs. Against this background, Shaw walks
have me under your feet to be trampled on and talked
out of the traditional Shakespearian perspective, which
down”[1].
focuses on the moral side. With the influence of Marxist’s
Das Kapital, Shaw emphasizes the economy’s decisive This statement is a fierce attack against the
role in social life. He advocates that economy has an indifference prevailing among the upper-class
enormous impact on people’s actions, especially that of represented by Higgins.
the poor. At the same time, he points out that poverty is
the most severe crime and that our first duty is to get away 4. CONCLUSION
from poverty[5]. Shaw, therefore, advocates the
materialist way of Froissart’s knight. Although the film and the musical wins much
attention, Shaw’s original play is more insightful and
“Froissart’s knight, in placing the achievement of a
conveys far-reaching realistic significance. Shaw is never
good life before all the other duties—which indeed are a sentimental playwright. The play’s attention in the myth
not duties at all when they conflict with it, but plain Pygmalion shows the writer’s strong desire for social
reforms. That’s why Shaw’s a famous member of the

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 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 554

English Fabian Society, which endeavours to carry

forward social reform. With the realistic ending, Shaw
does not intend Pygmalion to arouse the audience’s
strong emotion as much as to be didactic, to inspire the
audience to meditate over the fact that the economy has
the highest say in social life in this economic society.
However, he disagree with the decay of morality. With
this in his heart, Shaw, along with Ibson, initiates a
revolution in drama: they use drama to represent social
reality, to broadcast their social ideas, and to inspire the
audience to realise these ideas.

REFERENCES
[1] Shaw, Bernard, Pygmalion: a Romance in Five Acts,
Longman Group Ltd., 1981, pp. 103.
[2] Asquith, Anthony, and Leslie Howard, dir. Bernard
Shaw’s Pygmalion 1938, 2011. Doi:
http://v.pptv.com/show/XA4Xlf1j0xF08vw.html
[3] Kukor, George, dir. My Fair Lady. 1964. Doi:
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/bvuBi4wRR
VU/
[4] Shaw, Bernard, Prefaces, Constable and Company
Ltd., 1934, pp. 230, 120.
[5] Shaw, Bernard, The Ana of Bernard Shaw, Gansu
People’s Press, 1991, pp. 19.

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