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Pygmalion, A Romance That is not Romantic

  • Journal of Modern English Drama
  • Abbr : JMBARD
  • 2016, 29(3), pp.37-63
  • Publisher : 한국현대영미드라마학회
  • Research Area : Humanities > English Language and Literature > English Literature > Contemporary English Drama

Hyun Ah Kim 1

1연세대학교 영문학과

Accredited

ABSTRACT

Pygmalion, A Romance That is not Romantic Abstract Kim,HyunAh Pygmalion: A Romance in Five Acts(1916) written by George Bernard Shaw, does not meet the expectations of the audiences who want a happy-end pairing for two protagonists, Higgins and Eliza. Adding a postscript essay, “What happened Afterwards,” to the 1916 print edition, Shaw explains precisely why it was impossible for the story to end with Higgins and Eliza getting married. Shaw wants Eliza to become a new woman retaining her pride and independence without any help of Higgins in the end. This paper attempts to explore the issues of class and gender of the drama in Victorian society in the late 19th century. Writing a lengthy sequel, Shaw wanted this drama to have the characteristic of ‘anti-romance’ and to be kind of socially-critical and instructive play. Shaw tries to criticize the undermined Victorian caste system and gender problem which was taking on a new dimension those days. He reveals superficial life of fallen aristocrats through Freddy’s family, flexible caste system through Doolittle’s ascent of status, and reality of the middle class morality which ties out people. Shaw also points out the absurdity of middle class education through Higgins who treats Eliza not as a human but as a experiment object. Eliza, worried about her changing identity and married to Freddy who respects her, shows some aspects of a ‘new woman’ who searches for the independent life. Mrs. Higgins and Mrs. Pearce are represented as more insightful than male characters, which proves Shaw’s support to females. And males in the Victorian era show diverse masculinities which seem to challenge Victorian patriarchal values: other than productive single man like Pickering, unproductive men like Doolittle and Freddy, and productive but misogynic man like Higgins, can be said to be on the borderline of masculinities. Shaw also raises the tension of the drama and delivers socially-critical themes effectively by using the anti-climax strategy. We can see his wish for ‘superman’, that is ‘evolved human’ who freely transcends the shackles of class and gender.

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