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Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw

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Pygmalion, written by George Bernard Shaw, is well known for its portrayal of the rich and the poor. At the time of its publication, it was common belief that the poor were morally inferior to the rich. Pygmalion argues the opposite. Bernard Shaw used both static and dynamic characters to demonstrate the equality between the social classes regarding morals and intelligence. In the case of Eliza Doolittle, the differences are seen as she transitions from poverty to the middle class. In Pygmalion, she is shown to be a dynamic character, undergoing many changes of personal strength, articulation, and freedom. Throughout Pygmalion, as Eliza Doolittle increases both her confidence and her self-control, her development of personal inner strength is demonstrated. When Eliza is first introduced at the beginning of the play, she is spirited, but lacks confidence and willpower. By the end of the play, she has become bold, self-assured, and is in control of her actions and behavior. In Act I, she is crafty enough to lie about having change, but when it is shown that a bystander is “taking down every blessed word [she is] saying,” she becomes hysterical, declaring that she is a “respectable girl” (1). In Act ???, when Eliza is practicing her new behavioral and oral skills at Mrs. Higgins’ home, she is confident enough to keep up her disguise. She is even known to have enough self-control to cease her chattering and politely bid farewell when Higgins’ suggests that it is time to

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