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How does Eliza complicate our understanding of identity?

George Bernard Shaw's 1913 classic "Pygmalion," first performed as a stage play, is a powerful social commentary that uses Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl, as a protagonist to examine class issues, gender, and identity. Eliza's intricate journey from being an ordinary flower girl to becoming independent provides a compelling examination of identity. George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion presents us with a complex understanding of identity by depicting Eliza Doolittle's arc from timid young maid to ambitious womanhood, thus challenging traditional notions of social, class, and gender identities and underscoring the tension between authenticity and societal expectations.

At Covent Garden, a focal point for London society where all classes collide, we meet Eliza for the first time. Her speech, behavior, and appearance indicate her lower-class status. At this stage, her identity was deeply embedded within her socio-economic background, reflecting her occupation as a flower girl, Cockney accent, and lack of formal education. However, Eliza's fateful encounter with Professor Henry Higgins - a linguistics expert - starts an unexpected transformation that challenges her identity. Higgins boldly bets that he can transform Eliza into a duchess within six months by teaching her to speak and behave as one; such a proposition creates the stage for a fascinating examination of identity fluidity.

Eliza's complex identity becomes increasingly apparent during Mrs. Higgins' "at-home day." Now familiar with high society nuances, Eliza plays her role of duchess flawlessly: her speech is elegant, her manners refined, and her appearance impeccable. Higgins and Colonel Pickering carefully create this new identity for Eliza; audiences witness her sharp contrast between the original and transformed Eliza causing cognitive dissonance. Eliza now embodies two identities - that of an original lower-class flower girl, as well as her newly assumed high-class woman - which raises questions about social identity: can one change one's self merely by changing speech or behavior, or is there some deeper essence that remains the same despite external changes? Shaw's play does not provide definitive answers but instead celebrates its fluidity.

In the final act, there is a pivotal encounter between Eliza and Higgins, marking an important turning point in her identity journey. Eliza proclaims her independence from Higgins by asserting her ability to provide for herself; she wishes to be recognized as an individual human being rather than treated simply as an experiment. This scene marks the emergence of a new Eliza, who has blended aspects from past and present selves to form her unique persona; it shows the powerful interplay between personal agency and social norms when creating one's identity.

Eliza's identity undergoes subtle shifts during these scenes, reflecting her personal journey and wider societal concerns. Eliza's journey from flower girl to the duchess and then independent woman not only illustrates a personal narrative; it challenges rigid social identities. Instead, it shows that identity isn't fixed; it changes based on external factors, personal choices, and interactions with others. The character's transformation from one stage of life and overcoming the view of the majority in the society raises the question of identity by thriving and persevering in different world situations

Pygmalion presents Eliza's identity in a manner that challenges our understanding. She plays different characters at different points in the play, challenging our notions of fixed identities. Eliza's instability of identity may be seen as an expression of resistance against society's expectations and norms -...