A lot of time we take advantage of the things that we have. The play Pygmalion really enhances the idea of personal possession as well as many other topics. Even though there are many themes in this play, I feel that certain themes shine brighter than others. The importance of the English language, and social class and status are two prominent themes in Pygmalion.
Pygmalion really portrays the importance of the English language in relationship to where you “rank” in society. You can be the most intelligent person in the world, but if you cannot speak properly, where you work and live can greatly be effected. Although you may be able to get a job without being able to speak properly, you may not have any room for advancement in your field because the ability to have an intelligent conversation and communicate efficiently is not there. If you think of the capability to speak proper english as the clothes you wear, you will see that in some public settings people react to improper grammar and misuse of words in the same way that you might react to someone who had their shoelaces untied or had their fly down. It is viewed as sloppy, lazy or maybe even somewhat unintelligent.
Most people can agree that there is an obvious distinction in social class and status among the many people that are alive today. For instance, if a homeless man were to walk into a upscale restaurant many people would notice him and instantly begin to question why he was there either verbally or to themselves. In Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw clearly illustrates how separated the classes were in the 1800’s in England. Through various characters he shows us what it was like to live as the rich, the poor, both deserving and undeserving, and the middle class. From first hand experience I can attest to how different each class is. Growing up my biological family was very poor and we struggled to keep food on the table for the family. Eating chocolate for any average or middle class family was like breathing, almost not even thought about. However as a young child being offered a piece of candy, or chocolate was like discovering a rare jewel, absolutely spectacular. After I was placed in foster care with a family that was very wealthy I noticed things that I had hardly ever been a part of, were things that they did in their daily life. Subsequent to living with the wealthier family, I moved in with my aunt where things seemed comfortable. We were not eating lobster every night for dinner but we had dinner on the table. Looking back on I realize how true Mahatma Gandhi’s saying really is, “It is health that is real wealth, not the pieces of gold and silver.”
The importance of the English language, and social class and status are two extremely important themes in Pygmalion, although they are only few among many. Pygmalion can teach many people a lot of great lessons. From reading Pygmalion you can learn these lessons and understand them without actually having to endure them yourself. As Vernon Law once said, “Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, and the lesson afterward”.
