Pygmalion 1

Many people would assume that My Fair Lady (the 60s movie that is based off of Pygmalion) is mainly a romantic tale, but that’s not entirely true. The story is more a comedy than anything else, and as for relationships, most of them involved are only friendships, and it would be a misunderstanding of the characters for one to think otherwise. Pygmalion, however, does contain some romance—that is, with language. While Eliza flirts with the idea of speaking like a duchess, Mr. Higgins shows the reader the beauty of the English language when spoken correctly. Reading this story helped the reader (myself included) to appreciate spoken word and embrace their stickler (as Lynne Truss would call it) side.

Throughout the story, Mr. Higgins calls Eliza a “creature with… kerbstone English,” a “squashed cabbage leaf,” an “unfortunate animal,” also says she’s “deliciously low—horribly dirty,” and names her “garbage”. All of these degrading terms; just because of the way she speaks! I fear what sort of names he would invent for me and my peers if he heard our pronunciation! Henry cries, “This is what we pay for elementary education… nine years in school at our expense to teach her… And the result is Ahyee, Bə-yee, Cə-yee, Dəyee.” I don’t have faultless English myself, but find this to be a fairly valid thing to be upset about.

 There are many students that go to school on the tax money of others that have only mispronunciation and slang to show for several years of English classes. Though I definitely don’t get as heated as he does, after reading the story, I can’t help but think maybe they should care a little more. There are many aspects that seem to define how others see a person: dress, attitude, actions, and yes: speech. Take, for instance, a politician. If a presidential candidate wants to be liked and respected, they know they must dress sharp and never attend an event in jeans, they have to watch what they do and say, and of course, how they say it. Poor speech, vocabulary, and pronunciation are the source of a lot of ridicule for celebrities and politicians. For example, take widely popular figures like “The Turtle Man”, who is mocked by non-supporters for having a thick southern accent.

So why shouldn’t I then hold myself to some kind of standard? If I’m going to some day have to do an interview for a job or make a formal presentation, I don’t want the interviewer or the audience to think I’m inadequate or uneducated. That realization, I think is the most important thing the reader gets out of Pygmalion. It makes the audience of the play want to watch themselves and in their minds, restores some form of value and respect in the correct usage of the English language.