Examine the personality of Eliza Doolittle and show how she changes during the course of the play My Fair Lady.

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Stephan Seiler                      English Coursework

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English Set 3 Mrs. Short

Draft 3.

 Examine the personality of Eliza Doolittle and show how she changes during the course of the play.

     George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion parallels some aspects of the classical myth of the same name. Higgins created the Duchess version of Eliza Dolittle in a similar way in which Pygmalion created Galatea. Pygmalion was a sculptor who fell in love with one of the statues he created. With the help of the Gods, Pygmalion married the statue once it had been brought to life.

     In the play Higgins creates a new woman out of Eliza by changing her appearance and the way she speaks. However, although some aspects of her character change, most of her personal qualities remain the same.

     At the beginning of the play, Eliza is described, as a woman who is,

“Not at all a romantic figure”

Wearing shoddy clothes, with hair that clearly needs washing, and,

“Teeth that needs the services of a dentist”

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And her face that also needs washing. In the first scene, one of the very first things that happens is that Freddy knocks Eliza and her basket out of her hands on the way for shelter. Eliza, just naming him Freddy, similar to, “Love” or, “Deary” and says,

“Nah the, Freddy: look wh’y’ gowin, deah.”

This instantly gives the readers or the audience the impression that she has a cockney accent in comparison to the Eynsford Hills. This betrays her social origins, which are a lot less wealthy.

     Later on, when she has been washed and cleaned up, ...

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