Thesis Statements
In his play, Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw reveals the importance of respect through the failure of his self-absorbed hero.
George Bernard Shaw adapts the classic romance genre in his play, Pygmalion, in order to criticize the superficial values of society that focus on materialism and insincere behavior.
When the hero of George Bernard Shaw's play, Pygmalion, refuses to be educated and the play ends as a failed romance, Shaw argues that life does not guarantee a happily-ever-after and that marriage is not the idealized state that most assume.
Model Body Paragraph
Topic Sentence
Intro to the Quotation (Context)
Quotation
Reflection
Clearly, Higgins needs to moderate his pride, to see the world from a wider perspective than his own, and ultimately he needs to learn to respect others. But as the heroine, Eliza, attempts to teach Higgins this balance, sophrosune, Higgins cannot hear her, cannot learn from her wisdom. In order to make the point that respect truly matters, she brilliantly argues that she became a lady, not because of her speech lessons, but due to Col. Pickering who always treated her like a lady. Defensively, Higgins argues that his impolite treatment of her is inconsequential because he also treats “a duchess as if she were a flower girl.” Higgins proudly asserts his rudeness as if he were the only man alive to see the world as it truly is. He hates the phony snobbery of the upper class and assumes that few others can discern how fake the class system truly is. As he proudly claims how “fair” he is in his rude treatment of all, he cannot see the hypocrisy that Eliza so passionately tries to argue against. If Higgins cannot respect anyone, he is not being “fair,” but is merely the biggest snob of them all. As she urgently tries to get him to see that the only difference between a flower girl and a lady “is how she is treated,” Higgins stubbornly refuses to get it. Eliza wants the whole world to have the opportunity to rise to the upper class and Higgins wants to treat the whole world like the lowest class. No matter how many people he teaches to speak properly, he will never change the class system until he starts treating people with respect. Higgins must stop fixating on the sound of his own voice and begin to listen.
Model Topic Sentences
I. Intro: Thesis Statement and a one sentence overview
II. Arete: From the very beginning of the play, we see that Prof. Higgins is incredibly talented. He has so much arete.
III. Hubris: Throughout the play, Prof. Higgins believes he is better than everyone else. He is full of hubris.
IV. Sophrosune: Throughout the play, Eliza tries to teach Higgins that respect is important, that they way he treats others matters.
V. Education of the hero: By the end of the play, George Bernard Shaw takes the romance genre and twists the ending. Instead of a typical happy ending where the hero is educated, Higgins refuses to learn. And because of that, Eliza decides to marry Freddy.
VI. Conclusion: theme