Pygmalion

Higgins’s reaction to discovering that Eliza is missing implies that he cannot imagine a situation in which his linguistic creation would willingly choose to leave him. Even though Eliza explicitly tells him she is leaving, he cannot conceive of his creation as autonomous. His reaction gives no indication that he thinks of her as an independent person, let alone as a romantic prospect. He still does not accept her as an equal and continues to bully her and boss her around.

Doolittle reappears comically transformed. Like Eliza’s, his clothing is replaced. Unlike his daughter’s, his speech remains the same; he drops the letter h to call Higgins “Enry Iggins” (Act V, Page 110) and uses the word “aint” (Act V, Page 112). In addition, he has financial independence, as he makes “four thousand a year” (Act V, Page 112). His newfound financial stability means that Doolittle must adhere to middle-class morality, just as Eliza must, though his obligations are exaggerated and played for comic effect. He is treated “twice a day” by doctors, not allowed to “do a hand’s turn for” himself, and must deal with “fifty” relatives (Act V, Page 112). Although he is reluctant to do so, Doolittle now participates in the middle-class morality he condemned in Act II.

When Pickering asks Higgins whether he was rude to Eliza before going to bed, Higgins lacks the self-awareness to respond accurately. Instead, he overlooks his faults and instead insists that he “never gave her the slightest provocation” (Act V, Page 115). He fails to recognize his offensive behavior and thinks she became angry only after he returned for his slippers. Higgins’s inability to honestly assess his own actions contrasts sharply with Eliza’s transformation.

The play works to resolve its central conflict in the argument between Higgins and Eliza. Higgins is positioned as a scientist determined to better the world, although his manners are rough and his language is abrasive. Eliza, on the other hand, seeks kindness, dignity, and independence. Their contradictory worldviews and cross-purposes make a reunion—whether romantic or platonic—unlikely.

Eliza enters the scene with the poise and dignity of a lady. She engages in polite small talk, asking about Higgins’s health and commenting upon the weather. Seeing his creation use his tools against him infuriates Higgins, who demands, “Get up and come home; dont be a fool” (Act V, Page 115). Instead of accepting her role as a Victorian woman, Eliza uses these skills to assert her independence and reject Higgins.

Higgins’s manners are contrasted with Pickering’s. Eliza states that she “should never have known that ladies and gentleman didnt behave like [Higgins] if you hadnt been there” (Act V, Page 119). When Eliza pointedly turns to Pickering and compliments his consistent good treatment of her, she implicitly criticizes Higgins’s rude manners and wields language with a precision she learned from Higgins.

When Doolittle appears, Eliza reacts with the sound “A-a-a–ah-ow-ooh!” (Act V, Page 121). Her slip into her prior street speech suggests a possibility that she will revert to her old ways. In her shock, she allows her performance to drop, revealing her real self, as her new speech does not fully capture her identity. Higgins’s immediate reaction is to cheer, as if he were still engaged in a game or bet rather than interacting with a fully developed person with a complex and layered identity. He continues to fail to acknowledge the humanity of those around him.

Eliza’s biggest transformation comes when she realizes that she cannot become a lady if she remains with a man who demeans her and, at best, treats her as if she were still a flower girl. Higgins now claims he is “accustomed to [her] voice and appearance” (Act V, Page 123). Eliza, having realized “the difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she’s treated” (Act V, Page 120), recognizes that Higgins sees her only as something useful. Her ability to control her emotions contrasts with his repeated loss of his temper. While Higgins taught her respectability, he did not teach her the newfound self-respect and self-possession that she gained. In this way, Eliza subverts the Pygmalion myth: The creation surpassed the creator.

Higgins attempts to explain his rude behavior by claiming that the “great secret [...] is not having bad manners or good manners or any other particular sort of manners, but having the same manner for all human souls” (Act V, Pages 125). While admirable, his claim does not seem to reflect his own actions. For example, when he first meets Eliza and Pickering on the portico, he treats them radically differently based on his assessment of their assigned position in the social hierarchy.

The play ends ambiguously, leaving many questions about Eliza’s fate unanswered. It is unclear whether she broke free, will go back to Higgins, or will marry Freddy. By refusing to answer these questions, the play maintains the tension surrounding Eliza’s transformation. What initially seemed relatively simple—passing tests to trick others and win a bet—becomes difficult and complex when the character’s full humanity and range of options is recognized. The possibility that Eliza truly transformed herself, improved her situation, and developed the agency and autonomy to determine her own future path ends the play on an optimistic note.