Pygmalion Act III (Part 2) & Act IV: Quiz & Class Discussion

Pygmalion Act III (Part 2) & Act IV: Quiz & Class Discussion 1. Education & Manners 2. Scientific Creation vs. Human Concerns 3. Higgins vs. Eliza Pygmalion Theme

Outline Major Event: Act III: the Embassy PartyAct IV: Its Aftermath 1. Eliza’s Education and Social Manners (small talk, speaking English) 2. Scientific Creation vs. Human Concerns 3. Eliza vs. Higgins

1. What does Eliza do at the Embassy party, but not at Mrs. Higgins’, to make her performances in the former improve? • She is in a dream she has rehearsed hundred of times in Drury Lane. • She speaks English perfectly. • She is like a somnambulist (夢遊者) walking in a desert. • She is dressed beautifully. • (Choose the wrong one)

Eliza’s Education • The first party – given topics in small talk • Before the 2nd one: • [pronunciation analyzed] Never “stop thinking about the girl and her confounded vowels and consonants.” • [accent imitation] take her everywhere  to get her “delicious” remarks and to mimic “all the people for [them]” (71) • [learning music] – she plays every musical piece she hears  Higgins and Pickering’s elation over Eliza’s performances • Mrs. Pearce and Mrs. Higgins – less helpful • [P: mild objection] "You don't think, sir." as the end of Mrs. Pearce’s conversation about Eliza. • [H: strong objection] Like two babies playing with their “live dolls” (68)

Eliza’s 2nd Performance • (73) – in a dream; “done this 50 times—hundreds of times.”  envying the upper class • Like “a somnambulist in a desert” (74). • The impressive: her dress, jewels, “perfect” English and ‘strangely attractive self’

Comic Reversals in Plot Reversal in plot = Radical change of the direction in plot, against its logic or against the characters’ expectation Irony

2. What are the points of comic reversals in Act III? • (Choose the wrong one) • Eliza is seen as a fraud at the Embassy party. • Some guests stand on their chairs to see Eliza. • Eliza thought that she didn’t make it at the Embassy party. • The slang Eliza uses gets to be seen as new small talk.

Comic Reversals in Plot (2) (B) Ambassador's party – (75-76) – of Eliza’s status – as a “fraud” and a princess • Eliza thought she lost. “Nothing makes me the same as these people.” • Results: • Perfect English (75) speaks like “Queen Victoria”; “Only foreigners who have been taught to speak it speak it well.” • Eliza: seen as a Hungarian princess, “Morganatic” (貴賤結親的) 2. Higgins’ telling the truth: seen as provincial: ”The London gutter is the whole world for you” (76) • What do the two kinds of ‘upgrading’ (of Eliza’s slang and position) reveal?  Group 2+6

2. Scientific Creation vs. Human Concerns i. Nepommuck vs. Higgins ii. Mrs. Higgins & Mrs. Pearce vs. Pickering and Higgins

3. How is Higgins different from Nepommuck? • (Choose the wrong one) • Higgins studies only one language, while Nepommuck knows 32 languages. • Higgins has an imposing physique, while Nepommuck uses whisker to attract others’ attention. • Higgins does not earn money with his profession, while Nepommuck does. • Higgins helps his students improve their pronunciation, while Nepommuck helps some of them pretend by not speaking English.

4. What is Higgins’ ultimate goal in creating a new speech for Eliza? • To win the bet and earn the money. • To turn Eliza into a duchess. • To bridge the gap between different classes. • To improve Eliza’s livelihood.

Higgins’ Ideal as a scientist • But you have no idea how frightfully interesting it is to take a human being and change her into a quite different human being by creating a new speech for her. It's filling up the deepest gulf that separates class from class and soul from soul. (69)

Examples of H&P’s Excitement 1. The most absorbing work for Higgins 2. (p. 69) • HIGGINS [assailing her at the other ear] Yes, by George: It's the most absorbing experiment I ever tackled. She regularly fills our lives up; doesn't she, Pick? • PICKERING We're always talking Eliza. • HIGGINS Teaching Eliza. • PICKERING Dressing Eliza. • MRS. HIGGINS What! • HIGGINS Inventing new Elizas. 3. Speaking together  seeing Eliza as a mere mimic.

Act II Act IV 1. Scientific Creation vs. Human Concern  Groups 3+4 2. Eliza vs. Higgins  Groups 1+5

5. How are Mrs. Pearce’s and Mrs. Higgins’ worries proven right in Act IV? 1. Eliza starts to worry about her future. 2. Higgins and Pickering are too self-centered to care about Eliza’s feelings. 3. Eliza does not want to sell flowers at a florist shop. 4. Eliza finds herself not suitable for doing anything but selling herself, which she does not want to do. • (Choose the wrong one)

Mrs. Higgins’ concerns //Mrs. Pearce’s Where she lives and on what terms (68) “You certainly are a pretty pair of babies, playing with your live doll.” “Trouble” = Her future You give her 'the manners and habits that disqualify a fine lady from earning her own living without giving her a fine lady's income'. (like Clara 71) Higgins and Pickering’s professional interest Create a new speech in her; “It's filling up the deepest gulf that separates class from class and soul from soul.” (69) Most absorbing experiment Inventing a new Eliza (with language and culture) Science vs. Human Concern (69) E as a human being

Pygmalion Theme and its Climax • Climax: the Embassy Party? Yes and no. • Yes because it proves Higgins “successful” and winning the bet. • No, because the efforts of Eliza’s (self-) improvement should go on. • Not showing it? • What matters is not the magical feat, but its consequences. • This is where the play starts to differ significantly from the original myth. The success does not necessarily lead to a love story.

6. Where does Higgins get obviously emotional in his dialogue with Eliza in Act IV? • When Eliza throws slippers at him. • When Eliza pounces on him with her hands and nails. • When Eliza keeps asking him what is to become of her. • When Eliza asks which of the jewlery belongs to her.

7. Which of the following show that Eliza is ready for a change? • She puts on a walking dress. • She looks for and finds the ring at the fireplace, and then ponders over what to do with it. • She pokes her tongue at her own image in the mirror. • She leaves with some money in her pocket. • (Choose the wrong one)

8. Which of the following show Eliza’s first few steps out as dangerous and uncertain? • She embraces Freddy and the two of them kiss each other out on a street at night. • She finds it lovely to wander about for ever. • She considers suicide. • She considers going to Mrs. Higgins the first thing in the morning. • (Choose the wrong one)

11/16 Class Discussion Questions Before class: Discussion Notes • (2+6) Education and Manners: What has Eliza learned by the end of Act III? Any interesting plot reversals? (67; 68-70) What do they shed light on Victorian manners? 2. (3+4) Scientific Education and Human Concerns -- How are the discussions in Act II and Act III proven right in the one between Eliza and Higgins in Act IV? In other words, what are the consequences of Higgins’ experiment on Eliza? 3. (1+5) Higgins & Eliza: How does the fight between them end in Act IV? What does Eliza want and can Higgins come to terms with her? What do they each care about? Where are the turning points in their dialogue? Are there signs of affection?

Higgins – (77, 78-79) Tired asking for his slippers (78) It’s over!!! “No more artificial duchess” Interesting at first, the whole thing a silly notion and a bore for him. The party – purgatory. Pickering Doing things well = being “professional” 79 5. Higgins: gives command as usual Eliza “tragic” and brooding Performs her duty (slippers) Flinches but then represses her anger (78) Beauty – murderous (79) Controls herself (79) Outburst. (79-80) “take your slippers; and may you never have a day's luck with them!” Higgins, Pickering & Eliza

Higgins vs. Eliza (“YOU won my bet! You! Presumptuous insect! I won it All this irritation is purely subjective.

Higgins vs. Eliza • Eliza: • “There cant be any feelings between the like of you and the like of me. Please will you tell me what belongs to me and what doesn't?” (84) • Signs of affection – but of what kind? • Higgins • [future] “I hadn’t quite realized that you were going away. ” (82) • [next girl] HIGGINS [shocked and hurt] Is that the way you feel towards us? (83) • [ownership; separating property][Being asked about whom the clothes belong to, H is deeply wounded] (84) [dashes the ring to the fireplace] • Decorum + violence. (85) Professional Efforts  Emotional Relation b/w master and servant, teacher and student, or between lovers?

Scientific Creation vs. Human Concern 1. There are, should be, human concerns in whatever professional (legal, scientific, or business) pursuit. 2. Whatever type of emotion Higgins has for Eliza, as a scientist he is humanized, gradually brought to realize that the ‘creature’ under his hand has her own will. 3. What does she want? Why can’t she be satisfied with the solutions Higgins offer?

Summary 1. [Education and Manners] What Eliza has learned and the Ironies on Victorian society 2. [Pygmalion Theme] Creation vs. Human Concerns; Higgins vs. Eliza 3. [Transformation & Education] Eliza on the move, with some uncertain and even dangerous first steps.

Every Group: Stage Prop & Lighting Effect About the story you chose, or Pygmalion – With drawings • Draw a design for one or more of the settings and prop identified in your script (e.g. Emily’s living room, Higgins’ voice lab, the supermarket, Emily’s bridal chamber? The embassy party?) Use only a few signs to symbolize the time and setting. • Research and design costumes that would be appropriate for your characters in their times. Consider financial factors, too, so you can make do with some less expensive alternatives.

11/23 Class Discussion Questions Before class: Discussion Notes • Mr. Doolittle (pp. 89-93): what do you think about his transformation in Act V—and in the postscript? What does it say about Mr. Higgins and the issue of morality and class in Victorian society? Do you agree with him that taking the money and being intimidated by middle-class morality is the only choice he has? How is he a contrast to Eliza? 2. Class Mobility • “The difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how's she's treated.“ Do you agree? • What do you think about Eliza’s, Freddy’s and Clara’s changes, as explained in the postscript?

11/23 Class Discussion Questions (2) 3. Higgins and Eliza • As in Act IV, Act V shows Higgins undergoing changes regarding his views of and relation to Eliza. Where are the turning points and are there traces of his affection for her? What kind of affection is it? How would you interpret their relationship after having read the postscript? 4. Everyone: Which endings do you like: that of Act V, of the Postscript, of the film, or the musical My Fair Lady? 5. Every group: write up a multiple choice question and send it to me before next Moday.

Every Group: Theme and Presentation About the story you chose, or Pygmalion • Rehearse one scene of your play with all the actors and actresses ready for their blocking and their speeches memorized. 2. The director explains how this scene present the theme of the play. 3. The whole class then gives suggestions as to where to improve.

Journal 2: due 12/8 • What have you learned from the mini play contest? From your own group’s performance, and the other group’s? • Does it help you understand or like literature more? • What were the problems you encountered, and were you able to solve them?

Mini Play Contest: Tentative Schedule

See you next time!!! idealist

Pygmalion Act III (Part 2) & Act IV: Quiz & Class Discussion