Similarly, Eliza also has desires to seek an alternative way of life. She starts off as a filthy and unhygienic girl who speaks gutter speech; for Eliza to change she is going to need Higgins help. Even though Eliza is a low common flower girl, she is yet very caring and has ambitions of her future “THE FLOWER GIRL: I want to be a lady in a flower shop”. This expectation of Eliza would surprise her social class society because of her high ambitions of her future; nothing is expected from or for her. At the beginning of the play, Eliza doesn’t have a name which could be significant to show us that she has no identity.
With Rita and Eliza’s desires to change, it soon becomes apparent that both of the characters transformations are going to be difficult. Both women struggle to fit in with their class and are not confident in how they will successfully manage their changes without the help from Higgins and Frank. Both of the characters struggle and difficulty is portrayed with the use of symbolism.
As soon as Rita enters Frank’s office, it soon becomes clear that Rita is obviously going to have some difficulty with her change. “(The door swings open, revealing Rita). I am comin’ in, aren’t I?...An’ you won’t be able to get out!” The door is symbolic to Rita’s entrance as it shows an indication of Rita’s journey, which is going to be difficult and challenging as she struggles to get through the door, she struggles to get into the social position and class that she wants. Also, what is significant is how Frank is dissatisfied with his life ‘you won’t be able to get out” gives a clear indication, that if he doesn’t do something about his life, he will never be able to be happy and content again. Another use of symbolism for Rita’s difficulty to change is how her lack of education limits her progress of change “I’m not used to thinkin’ like this. It’s quite easy, Rita. It is for you... (She indicates the window and beyond)” Rita’s limited education hasn’t prepared her for this kind of work, whereas it comes naturally to Frank. The use of the stage directions which show Rita moving towards the window is symbolic as it acts as a physical barrier between Rita and the world she wants to belong to.
Likewise, Eliza has her difficulties aswell as Rita. When Eliza is in her poor conditioned lodging, there are certain aspects which symbolises how had Eliza is going to cope with her change “(A birdcage hangs in the window, but the tenant died long ago)” the birdcage without anything in it could suggest Eliza’s poverty and her social class which she is trapped inside and cannot get out, she doesn’t have anyone’s help. However, it could also portray a chance of hope that others have escaped, so she can aswell. Eliza’s desires are symbolised by a poster “...a fashion plate of ladies’ dresses, all wildly beyond poor ELIZA’s means” Eliza’s dreams are symbolises by these women of how she would dream of being like them.
During Rita and Eliza’s journey of their change, both characters feel isolated from their social class systems and the class they want to belong to. They both have a certain occasion where they both feel they cannot change from what they are and find it hard to be able to fit in with everybody else. Rita reveals her dissatisfaction after not turning up to Frank’s party.
“Because I’m a freak. I can’t talk to the people I live with anymore. An’ I can’t talk to likes of them on Saturday, or them out there, because I can’t learn the language. I’m an alien.”
Rita feels completely isolated from both worlds; she feels like a ‘half-caste’ not able to fit in either working class or middle class. This is a significant quote because it portrays an excellent way of Rita struggling, she can’t get to grips with ‘learning the language’ she doesn’t understand what she needs to do to become an educated person and be in the world that she wants to belong to.
Similarly with Eliza, she struggles to understand what is expected of her. She learns the language she needs and how to speak it, however, she relapses back into her old gutter speech. “How do you do, Mrs Higgins?...“But it’s my belief they done the old woman in...Gin was mother’s milk to her...Walk! Not bloody likely” Eliza starts off well, but it becomes clear that she is not ready and still needs Higgins help. Eliza is struggling to stay into the mind of a middle class person and her true identity shines through still.
Both of these women have made sacrifices, so they can achieve their desires; however these changes have the ability for happiness and for sadness. Rita’s change is a successful one; she managed to change internally aswell as externally, with alot of hard work “I’m educated... (...in the direction of the door.) I know what clothes to wear, what wine to buy, what plays to see...” Rita now believes that she knows what’s expected of her to belong to middle class morality. She doesn’t need Frank anymore, with the use of the stage directions, the door symbolises her journey has finally been successful with the hard work she put in.
In contrast, Eliza’s change has made her disgusted as she doesn’t know who she really is anymore; she doesn’t know what her future holds. “What am I fit for? What have you left me for? Where am I to go? ...Whats to become of me?” Eliza’s transformation is a successful but also a doubtful one. Eliza has become isolated from her former social class and from her new one. She has no support from her family and no income, leaving her doubtful of what her future holds and who she really is. She doesn’t belong to any particular class. Her change has become more complicated because these issues have now set her even further apart.
Rita and Eliza’s change is with the help from Frank and Higgins. Frank dislikes Rita’s change as he believes that she has lost her ‘uniqueness’ and it doesn’t reflect who Rita really is.
“...I shall insist upon being known as Mary, Mary Shelley- do you understand that allusion, Rita?”
Frank believes he has constructed Rita, he thinks he has made her into a monster from the classic novel of Frankenstein. He doesn’t think that Rita is the real person he met at the beginning of the play. Rita has gained an education but in return has lost her ‘uniqueness’. Frank tries to get Rita back to her she once was, but fails. Rita believes that she now belongs to the middle class as she has changed, Frank isn’t too sure as he thinks Rita hasn’t found a ‘better song to sing’ but just a ‘different song’, which doesn’t reflect the true Rita. In Educating Rita, the beginning of the play shows Rita as a hairdresser but then she stops being a hairdresser and changes jobs. However at the end of the play, Rita cuts Franks hair which, is significant as it shows Rita has choice.
Similarly, in Pygmalion, Higgins has constructed Eliza as the play was inspired by the Greek myth with the same name, which explores the issues of constructing the ideal woman. “I said I’d make a woman of you, and I have. I like you like this.” Higgins likes Eliza’s new change, he has created a proper life for her and she can do what she wants, but Eliza doesn’t feel the same way. Both characters Higgins and Frank have worked hard to get Rita and Eliza to become the women they wanted to be instead of the young girls. Frank and Higgins are significant to the play because where Rita and Eliza want to belong to the middle class society, Frank and Higgins have abandoned their identities in a way because they are not content with their lives, it’s showing that people can be unhappy with their lives just as Rita and Eliza are unhappy with their lives, regardless of class status.
Overall, Rita and Eliza’s change in identity is presented as a struggle. Rita’s change is external and internal as she believed in herself to change everything about herself. Whereas, Eliza’s change is external as the only change is what you can see, she changes her voice and appearance but internally she still has the mind of a flower girl. Both of these women’s journey of change is difficult as they both come from poor backgrounds, they found it hard to fit in and then found it a struggle to get in the mind of an educated person. As the plays are written in different time periods both are portrayed the same because they have the same meaning which is about struggle of change. The main characters Rita and Eliza learn many lessons along their journey of change, for Eliza she learns alot of external changes such as hygiene, manners, etiquette, confidence and appearance, she also learns how to be independent. Rita’s changes are more internal as she learns dependence, confidence and social skills. All of these changes are positive but they have both struggled to cope with what’s expected of them. The struggles the characters encounter are because of their poor backgrounds as they both lack education. Overall, Russell and Shaw present the changing to one’s identity as a struggle.
