The women of the play Pygmalion
In Shaw's days women were subordinate to men. They were regarded as property. Therefore, Eliza's father is a good example of this attitude "selling" Eliza to Higgins as if she was his property. This shows that inequality of the sexes is even greater than inequality between classes.
In "Pygmalion", we also find the aspect of natural selection. Eliza has been made a lady, regardless of her origins. During that time, the belief prevailed that only a man can turn a woman into a lady. This is illustrated in Eliza's helplessness and in the way Higgins treats her.
The conflict reaches its climax when Higgins suggests that Eliza should marry. As to Eliza's situation, she has to decide between marrying and going out to work. This reflects the contemporary beliefs that it was degrading for women to earn their own living.
Shaw is not only looking at the idea of woman as objects, but also at the role that Victorian women play in society. They dress up and act like coy dolls simply to attract a mate. Shaw is shining a new light on the role of women in Victorian society and the problems that comes from this vain behavior. For example, at the end of the play, Eliza wants to get her old life back.
So, just like in Shaw’s days, women in Pygmalion had to be well-dressed and had to come from the high society to be important and respected.
It is a fact that the English men in 19th Century had access to a higher education, unlike women who could not access to a higher education than high school, and were exclusively at home. Eliza’s improvement in some areas such as grammar, pronunciation, and human relationships let the teacher to be interested in her
For instance, the only woman in Higgins’ life (beside Eliza) is his mother, a stately and rich lady. But, as a woman, she is the only one to see the Eliza Doolittle experiment as idiocy.
The two other women of the play are Mrs. Eynsford Hill, a woman from the upper class who wants to keep up her appearances and her daughter, Clara, an obnoxious girl who understood that she could be respected by being honest and not only because of her social class.
But in Pygmalion, Eliza begins to rebel against Higgins by tossing the slippers at him. This can be seen as a way of release to the other ladies. Later on, Eliza marries Freddy, who is apparently superior to her, socially, not intellectually. Eliza, though, is eager to work and ignores conventions. Eliza's behavior stands for women who struggled for their rights in those days
Shaw shows that women of his days were starting to become more independant and more important. Even though i twas said that women were lower, weaker, and more reflexive than their male counterparts, Higgins sees the development of Eliza and her confidence. He tries to change her social values and it shows that, at this time, men were starting to see that many women were intelligent.
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