How Does Shaw Use Dramatic Effect To

Emphasize The Change In Eliza? Essay, Research Paper

The most

obvious change in Eliza is her progression from being a flower girl in act 1 to

a poised, well spoken lady we see in acts 4 and 5. Shaw describes

Eliza as ?not at all a romantic figure. Perhaps eighteen, perhaps twenty,

hardly older.? She is loud with a strong cockney accent. Her first words are

unintelligible. And to show this Shaw has written it in the phonetic alphabet,

to stress that the pronunciation and speech is crucial as people judge other

people on the way they speak and act. Shaw employs

many dramatic techniques to effect this change. At the start of the play Eliza

is naive and simple. She has grown up with the lack of a decent adult role

model and most of the time has to fend for her self. Her father is among the

undeserving poor. Despite this Eliza is ambitious, and desires to better

herself. She the opportunity to do so when the other two main characters both

studying phonetics. The two men introduce themselves as colonel Pickering and

Mr. Higgins. This scene takes place in Covent Garden. The stage directions

describe it to been having ?Torrents of heavy summer rain. Cab whistles blowing

frantically in all directions. Pedestrians running for shelter into the Portico

of St Paul?s church.? Shaw does this cleverly; it gives him the chance to bring

people from all classes together. She first

notices Mr. Higgins when a bystander questions on what he is writing as she is

talking to a gentleman. The crowd instantly think he is a policeman and is

about to charge Eliza. But they soon realize that he is not as one-bystander

comments on his boots. ?Its aw rawt: e?s a genleman: look at his bË-oots.? She

then gets introduced to colonel Pickering when he explains that he has come to

England on a visit from India to meet Mr. Higgins. In this scene

Mr. Higgins is extremely rude to Eliza. He treats her as a ?draggletailed

gutter snipe? and does not take her feelings into account. Whilst colonel

Pickering treats her as her would any other person. During this encounter

Higgins exclaims that he could trick people into thinking Eliza is a duchess.

?Well, sir, in three months I could pass that girl off as a duchess at an

ambassador?s garden party. I could even get her a place as a lady?s maid or

shop assistant, which requires better English? Although

Eliza?s outward appearance and the way she presents herself change through out

the play her morality never does. When she is accused of being a prostitute she

defends her reputation and shows pride in what she does as many young girls in

her position would often turn to prostitution to survive, but she is against

this and will not go against what she believes is right. ?I?ve a right to sell

flowers if I keep off the curb? ?I?m a respectable girl so help me?. She is

appalled when Mr. Higgins continues to discriminate her appearance, life style

and dignity. Although she has made it blatantly obvious that she is hurt by his

thoughtless comments. ?he?s no right to take away my character. My character is

the same to me as any lady?s?. Although she is lower class she has a sense of

dignity and is proud of what she does. But still wishes to better her self. Here Eliza

also gets introduced to the Eynsford Hills. Shaw uses them for contrast. They

themselves are upper class but poor. Eliza accidentally starts talking when the

son of Mrs. Eynsford hills, Freddy bumps into her in a rush to get under the

shade. She almost instantly replies with ?Nah then, Freddy; look wh? y? gowin,

deah?. Freddy is ineffectual and laidback. He feels that he is too good to have

a job, and even if he tried he would not be able to keep it. ?If Freddy had a

bit of gumption he would of got a job at the theatre door?. Stage directions

describe him as a ?young man of about twenty?, in evening dress, very wet

around the ankles?. His mother is curious on how Eliza knows her sons name.

This encounter plays an important role later on in the play when she revisits

them. In this act it seems as if the Eynsford Hills are in a ?higher class? of

society than Eliza. Later on the tables turn. Shaw also uses

the ladies for comparasson through their appearance, with Eliza. Compared to

Mrs. Eynsford Hills and her daughter, Eliza has a scruffy and dirty look.

However she is as clean and as tidy as she can afford to be. Shaw has also

taken Eliza?s costume into consideration as many people make their first

judgments on a person based on what they choose to wear or in this case what

they can afford to wear. He states in the stage directions that ? She wears a

little sailor hat of black straw that has long been exposed to the dust and

soot of London and has seldom, if ever been brushed. Her hair needs washing

rather badly; its mousy colour can hardly be natural. She wears a shoddy black

coat that reaches ne

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