Middle Class Morality in Pygmalion
Pygmalion is a brilliant play written by Bernard Shaw that gives us an idea of the value in the Victorian era through the witty and rousing lines of his characters. The message Shaw tried to limn through his genius work is vividly drawn and is dearly ambiguous to anyone who is paying attention. In Pygmalion, Shaw focused his theme on the Victorian decorum of the contemporary society, which is named in many parts of Mr. Doolittle's speech in the play as the "middle class morality".
In the Victorian times, the rich were distinguished from the poor vehemently as they lead distinct lives-they dress differently, they act differently and they even speak differently. Above all, the ethics exercised by the rich deviates from the poor, if there were any for them in the first place. Thus, nothing is expected from a pauper whereas everything is expected from a sufficient (middle class).
The first and most potent item of middle class morality is the obligation of men to protect and foster women regardless it is needed or not. In the very first act of Pygmalion such burden is observed through the harsh demands of Clara (woman) to Freddy (man), compelling him to find a taxi for her. Freddy, as uneager as he was, still obliged and carried out his role in the middle class morality, only to find that his endeavors were in vain as his darling mother and sister were long gone upon his return. Another example of this is also from Act I, where nosy bystanders (men) stood out for Eliza (woman) with the silly sense of heroic conquest to save her from the vile Higgins and his notes, but soon learnt that it was merely a mistake. These deeds, however, were not chivalry, they were more like the empty prayers before dinner made in a sanctimonious fashion-a hypocritical routine.
On the other hand, women also bears expectation from men and other women during Victorian times to find a wealthy man to support her because she isn't supposed to work but to polish herself and other trophies like her children or household. Professor Higgins believes in such a virtue, as he intended Eliza to be a "consort for a king" and is stunned at her decision of marrying Freddy. Also, Eliza's stepmother decided to marry Doolittle again as "middle class morality claims its victim", meaning that she was in a way coerced into the action.
Mr. Doolittle, a minor character in the play, takes a rather big role interpreting middle class morality. After his unlikely fate with the Wannafeller Moral Reform World League and the fortune that comes along with it, he became a living contrast of being poor and being rich. By his own words, he stood testimony to the joy of poverty and the woe of prosperity-"I have to live for others and not for myself: that's middle class morality", portraying an ironic picture of the poor enjoying life more than the rich-the world of Pygmalion and the Victorian times.
From his script, we can see all the not-so-subtle offenses Shaw made to taint the idea of middle class morality and it becomes a prominent factor that made the strong tale worth reading and studying.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
In the Victorian era, in New York City, men and women roles within the society were as different as night and day. A man regardless of his extra curricular activities could still maintain a very prevalent place in society. A woman's worth was not only based family name which distinguished her class and worth, but also her profession if that was applicable.…
- 1477 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
In the Victorian era, men were more socially accepted because of their gender. They had more social power because society gave more trust, responsibility, and rank to men. The choices women made were based on the men they lived around. Males were the dependents of the woman’s future, whether it was as family, or workers. Yet this was the perspective of everyone, it was not always fair, nor true.…
- 631 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Shaw creates his own version of the Pygmalion myth by translating this allegory to reflect society in Victorian England. In doing so, he exposes the inadequacy of myth and of romance in several ways. For one, he deliberately twists the myth so that the play does not conclude as euphorically or conveniently, hanging instead in unusual ambiguity. Throughout the play, Shaw portrays the characters belabored by the trivial details of life like napkins and neckties, and of how one is going to find a taxi on a rainy night. These details keep the story grounded and decidedly less romantic. Society in Victorian…
- 1277 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
In the nineteenth century money did make the world go ‘round, especially for a young woman trying to receive a hand in marriage. For women this obligation to get married off during this time period was really difficult to do unless they were handsome, well educated, and or had money running in their family. And numerous of gentlemen, with the exception of some, were too proud to marry below their social rank. In spite of the fact that everyone in the 1800s were either looking to marry into a wealthy family or marry a man or women with a the same or more worthy title than theirs nobody would only marry because they were in love. People in this time period pre-judged anybody based on any little assumptions made or heard of, however, these opinions were most likely untrue or irrelevant, but many still refused to change their conclusions only because they had a superior title and or they were much wealthier making them have a high sense of pride.…
- 323 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Children in Victorian Britain were treated in a way that their family could afford.The author of the article “What was a Victorian classroom like”, writes that ”They were treated by the family's wealth if they were rich they had good education and if they were poor they had poor education” ( BBC Victorian Britain children ). In other words this means that poor people were not treated as well and their kids did not have as many things as the rich kids. It isn’t fair for the poor kids that go to school because they have poor education and the rich kids had great education. This world needs to be fair. Because of people not having a lot of money their kids don’t get good education and have to suffer but the wealthy people still get to have fun and have good education.…
- 532 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Over Four hundred years ago the citizens of England developed one of the first versions of our modern social welfare system. During this time, the poor were labeled as either worthy or unworthy. Elderly, widows, orphans and disabled were considered worthy poor, while unworthy poor included those that physically could work, but chose not to do so. They were often severely punished for their refusal to follow the expected social norms. (Shelly, 2011).…
- 1391 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
Through the play, “we are made to share Wilde’s view of the ludicrous and sinister realities behind the fashionable façade of an over-civilized society where nothing serious is considered serious and nothing trivial trivial” (Reinert 17). In the interactions between people who subscribe to Victorianism, such as Gwendolen and Cecily, the trivial matter of addressing each other while having a conversation is turned into a manner of enormous social importance. In contrast, in the interactions between people who subscribe to Bunburyism, or the total rejection of Victorianism, matters as serious as pretending to have a dead brother Ernest or sick friend Bunbury are treated lightly. Gwendolen and Cecily’s Victorianism leads them to become enraged at each other without reason, while Jack and Algernon’s Bunburyism very nearly leads to their mutual loss of the women whom they love. In this way, Wilde shows that moral ideals should lie in the middle between Bunburyism and Victorianism because of the consequences of taking both ideas of extremes (Reinert 18). Jack sums up the moral best in the last line of the play when he proclaims that he has “now realized the vital Importance of Being Earnest” (Earnest 313). Through this play, Wilde states that the key to success is to simply behave without thought for social…
- 995 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
fooled though. In Down And Out In Paris And London, Orwell has blatantly overlooked the whole concept of the differences between a person of wealth and a person of poverty. Still present in today’s society the rich are dominantly different than the poor. The rich are always allowed to do what ever they want with little or no consequences and they sell us this vision of success but in the long run it does nothing but benefit them proving their selfishness.…
- 1738 Words
- 7 Pages
Better Essays -
Pedersen, Lise. “The Taming of the Shrew vs. Shaw’s Pygmalion: Male Chauvinism vs. Women’s Lib.”…
- 744 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
After reading "A Dolls House" by Henrik Ibsen, I felt that I had a better grasp of the relationship between men and women in the Victorian era. The man was all- powerful in this time; women were well in the background, subservient and dependent on men in all areas of her life. It was surprising to me that women were not allowed to sign legal documents, such a personal loan without a man's signature. Total dependency had to be a tough pill to swallow for strong willed women. I am sure that many clever and cunning women were able to manipulate the men in their lives, letting the man believe that they were in full control of the relationship.…
- 544 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
“Rising unemployment caused by the increase in population, growing numbers of people who had lost or been thrown of their land, high prices and stagnant wages were creating ever greater numbers of poor people.”1 Indeed, early modern England had to face an increasing number of paupers, due to bad harvests, diseases or the enclosure phenomenon. Relief had to be given to the poorest families and individuals, but soon, classes were created to differentiate the deserving and the underserving poor. The basis of this classification seems to have several roots; English citizens feared poor people, but could also feel compassion towards the ones who lacked of chance. But we have to keep in mind that early modern English citizens, who could afford a living and did not need helps, were afraid of the general ideas behind poverty; this class was thought to have all sorts of defaults, and was supposed to threaten order and society in general. So, were policies towards the poor shaped more by fear than compassion? I am going to begin by defining what it was to be poor in early modern England, as well as explaining the radical differences between those two categories of poor people. I will then try to explain the general view that contemporaries had about those two classes; I will finally show what governments and parishes did to help or punish them.…
- 1982 Words
- 8 Pages
Powerful Essays -
This play has a moral message (like a fable, with a lesson to be learned at the end); that we should think of others and work together to ensure a fairer, more equal society, This idea is known as socialism; even now, the political party Labour to some extent follow this idea. When the play was first published, Labour had just taken over the country for the first time. Before Labour, the country was run by Capitalists; these people believed that each person had to look after themselves- this belief, however, resulted in unequal treatment of people.…
- 452 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
List three details you learned by reading Act 1 of Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw:…
- 373 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
People of the Middle class were lawyers, doctors, teachers, merchants and clergy. Mainly, they were the skilled workers. Occasionally an extremely successful person of the Middle class-like Charles Dickens- would be received by, and possibly be allowed to socialize with, the Upper class, but could not actually become an aristocrat. That was a social standing you could only be born into. People in the Victorian era could sometimes marry outside their own class, but it wasn’t…
- 488 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
It is part of the attitude towards money and wealth that separates the wealthy and the poor. The working classes think that things are wealth, while the wealthy understand that wealth, money, is what really achieves and supplies all that they hope to have.…
- 529 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays