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Pygmalion: Act III ~Act IV

Pygmalion: Act III ~Act IV. Eliza ‘s Progress & Ways Out. Her Battle with Higgins and Attempts to Seek Solutions. Outline. A. Discussion: Period I: 9:10 – 10:25 Eliza’s Progress (1) Education vs. Social Manners Comic Reversals  Comedy of Manners

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Pygmalion: Act III ~Act IV

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  1. Pygmalion: Act III ~Act IV Eliza ‘s Progress & Ways Out Her Battle with Higgins and Attempts to Seek Solutions

  2. Outline A. Discussion: Period I: 9:10 – 10:25 • Eliza’s Progress (1) Education vs. Social Manners • Comic Reversals  Comedy of Manners • Eliza’s Progress (2) Climax at the Embassy Party? • Scientific Creation vs. Human Concerns • Eliza’s Progress (3) Eliza’s Self-Transformation and First Steps B. Group Time II: 10:40 – 11:00 C. Performance in Class

  3. 11/12 Class Discussion Questions On Act III; Post your group responses before class • Characters & Manners: • Characters & Manners:Group E Eliza’s Education: What has she achieved respectively in the two parts of Act 3, and where does she fall short? Group F Any interesting plot reversals? (67; 68-70; 75) Group A What do they shed light on Victorian manners? Group B The original theatrical version does not show the climatic scene of the Embassy’s party. Do you know why? 

  4. 1. Eliza’s Education vs. Social Manners Eliza’s Education: What has she achieved, and where does she fall short? Any interesting plot reversals? (67; 68-70) What do they shed light on Victorian manners? iii. The original theatrical version does not show the climatic scene of the Embassy’s party. Do you know why?

  5. Achieves: (62) good at pronunciation (RP, but not Cockney Eng.); Appearance (no dirt, good dress + beauty) –(62) -- “'produces an impression of such remarkable distinction and beauty . . . that they all rise, quite fluttered ” -- Freddie falls in love, -- Clara “'devouring her [Eliza] with her eyes' ” “Fails”: (63-65) Conversational propriety—topics (scientific weather report, her aunt’s death & her father’s drinking) and slang  social reality: Murder -- the aunt survived diphtheria, “them as pinched it [straw hat] done her in.” Husband & wife relation (64; make them drunk) Alcoholism Slang -- “Not bloody likely ” Summary: Eliza’s First Performance

  6. 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.” • [imitation] take her everywhere  to get her “delicious” remarks and to mimic “all the people for [them]” (71) • [cultural competence, too] the hardest job, and the greatest success  Higgins and Pickering’s elation over Eliza’s performances – she plays every musical piece she hears, and imitates every sound and dialect presented to her. (69) • 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)

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

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

  9. Comic Reversals in Plot: Language as Social Markers • Act 1 -- Eliza's 'kerbstone English' 'will keep her in the gutter to the end of her days'. (20-21) • Act 3 – (A) Mrs. Higgins -- of language as a social marker • Low-class manners => “the new small talk.”(64-65) • Why? • Higgins’ endorsement; • the rapid changes of this society, where manners also change with everything else. • Clara Eynsford Hills’ insecure status and Freddy’s imbecility and infatuation (65; 66)   their mother (67) Reality: Mrs. Higgins’ judgment: “a triumph of your art and of her dressmaker's”; “give[s] herself away in every sentence she utters”

  10. 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: 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?

  11. The 1st Reversal –of language as a social marker Ironic Implication about social communication • Upper class –indiscriminate and rigid • about the poor aristocrats as indiscriminate trend followers • About Mrs. Eynsford Hill inability to take frank talk about alcoholism

  12. The 2nd Reversal –of Eliza’s Class Background Ironic Implication about social communication: (B) Definition of “Good English” by an Opportunist scientist • No English is expected to speak good English. 2. Nepommuch – an opportunist with no substantial knowledge in his field, a caricature of Higgins as a scientist • I have not your imposing appearance, your chin, your brow. Nobody notice me when I shave. Now I am famous: They call me Hairy Faced Dick. • I help him [Greek diplomat] to pretend; but I make him pay through the nose. I make them all pay. Ha ha!

  13. Upgrading of Eliza’s Language and Status  (1) Social Mobility • Class Distinction blurred: • language and manners: The real upper class is an endangered species, not being able to speak well; • money: some do not have the money to maintain their status. • Superficial interest in origin and royal blood.  Class mobility and mixture of blood (morganatic marriage) and classes is just an inevitable trend

  14. Upgrading of Eliza’s Language and Status (2) Manner & Professionalism 2. Proper manners is not inborn, but acquired; 3. Languageas a social marker – artificial and external. e.g. “Perfect language” is acquired with conscious practice, but not daily usage. (Slang and Eliza’s talk can be truthful and colorful.) 4. Different views of professionalism: • Nepommuck (vs. Higgins) (73) – rapid acquisition of languages as well as money. “I speak 32 languages.” • Passion for knowledge itself  knowledge as cultural capital

  15. 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.

  16. Summary: Major Themes Scientific Comedy of

  17. 11/12 Class Discussion Questions –for all On your boards – Five Recorders (w/ names) • Theme & Set/Lighting/Music: Now with the plot finalized, can you describe the theme of your performance? How does the stage setting, music, lighting or any of the props, help you convey the theme? • Any problems with the costumes—bring photos to class. • Character Performance: two characters memorize a few lines to perform in class; improvements? • Practice Time? • Performance Length?

  18. Scientific Creation vs. Human ConcernAct IV

  19. 11/12 Class Discussion Questions • Group C: Scientific Creation vs. Human Concern i. Higgins, Pickering & Eliza : Why is Eliza angry at the beginning of Act IV? • Why are Higgins or Pickering ignorant about it? • What are the clues to their lack of comprehension? ii. Higgins & ElizaWhat do you think about the fight between the two? 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? • Group D What about Freddy? Is he Eliza’s “Way Out”? Aren’t their meeting and kisses at night dangerous or scandalous?

  20. Act IV 1. Scientific Creation vs. Human Concern 2. Eliza’s Possible Options: Freddy as One?

  21. Act III: 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! • HIGGINSInventingnew Elizas. 3. Speaking together

  22. Higgins’ and Pickering’s Training HIGGINS— on language learning PICKERING – on piano learning I assure you, my dear Mrs. Higgins, that girl— is a genius. She can play the piano quite beautifully— We have taken her to classical concerts and to music— halls; and it's all the same to her: she plays everything— she hears right off when she comes home, whether it's— Beethoven and Brahms or Lehar and Lionel Morickton;— though six months ago, she'd never as much as touched a piano.— • You know, she has the most extraordinary quickness of ear— • just like a parrot. I’ve tried her with every— • possible sort of sound that a human being can make— • Continental dialects, African dialects, Hottentot— • clicks, things it took me years to get hold of; and— • she picks them up like a shot, right away, as if she had— • been at it all her life.—

  23. Reason for their Excitement: 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)

  24. Mrs. Higgins’ concerns //Mrs. Pearce’s Where she lives and on what terms (68) Quality of her education Trouble-- Her future “You certainly are a pretty pair of babies, playing with your live doll.” 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)

  25. 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

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

  27. Higgins vs. Eliza

  28. Higgins vs. Eliza • Eliza—provoking Higgins • “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?

  29. Eliza’s Self-Transformation & Freddy • She puts on ‘her walking shoes, walking dress and hat’ (85). • Put out her tongue at her image: rejecting the old image. • Possible dangerous moves: • Searches for comfort in Freddy (who does not have money) and gets interrupted twice by a constable, and then by a taxi driver • ‘make[s] a hole in the river.’ • Wanders about at night. Mrs. Higgins as a possible savior? Other options?

  30. Summary 1. [Pygmalion Theme] Eliza in her battle of will with Higgins. 2. [Transformation & Education] Eliza on the move, with some uncertain and even dangerous first steps.

  31. Next Time Read Act V and Postscript Answer 1 question online, present it in class with ppt, and 1 in class Performance in Class (with blocking) 11/19 noon -- theatre meeting with the backstage crew

  32. 11/19 Class Discussion Questions On Act V & Postscript; Post your group responses before class Group A . Mr. Doolittle (pp. 89-93): --what do you think about his transformation? Is it funny? Ironical? What does it say about Mr. Higgins and the issue of morality in Victorian society? • -- And about Mr. Doolittle? Do you agree with him that taking the money and being intimidated by middle-class morality is the only choice he has? • 2) How is he a contrast to Eliza? (re. money, class status and marriage) Group B Eliza’s transformation: In what ways do Higgins, Mrs. Pearce, Pickering and Mrs. Higgins help Eliza get a better life? • What does she achieve by herself?

  33. 11/19 Class Discussion Questions On Act V & Postscript; Post your group responses before class Group C. “The difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how's she's treated.“ Do you agree? • Does Eliza have a “relapse” (to low-class manners) when she sees her father? (99) Group D. [Battle of Will] What do they each insist on and see as goals of their lives in Act 5? How do they change their tactics to win the debate? • [Higgins’ changes] Acts IV & V show 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?

  34. 11/19 Class Discussion Questions On Act V & Postscript; Post your group responses before class Group E The Ending -- What do you think about the ending of Act 5? Is it possible for Eliza and Higgins to get married? Compare this ending with the endings -- suggested by the Postscript -- of the film versions of Pygmalion (1938 and 1973 BBC version) and My Fair Lady? Group F In what ways does the Sequel ‘revise’ Pygmalion as a romance? Or deny that it is a romance? -- What are the reasons added here against Eliza’s staying with Higgins as a soul mate? -- Why  does it also introduce the changes of Clara?

  35. Task for All the Groups • A small rehearsal in class to demonstrate either your creativity, or the part you like the most. (If possible, bring your prop to class)

  36. Mini Play Contest: Tentative Schedule

  37. Performance Record 11/12

  38. See you next time!!!

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