Pygmal
i
on
Pygmalion,inGreekmyt hology,akingwhowast hefatherofMetharmeand,throughhermar ri
aget oCinyr
as,thegr andfatherofAdonis,
accordi
ngt oApollodorusofAt hens.TheRomanpoetOvi d,i
nhisMet amor
phos es
,BookX,relatesthatPygmalion,as cul
ptor,makesan
i
vorys t
atuer epr
esenti
nghi sidealofwomanhoodandt henfall
sinlovewit
hhi scr
eati
on,whichhenamesGal atea.Thegoddes sVenus
bri
ngst hestatuetoli
feinans wertohispr ayer.Thei
rdaughter,Paphos,gi
veshernamet othec it
yofPaphos ,t
hec entreofAphr odit
e’s
worshiponCypr us.Thes t
or ywasthei ns
pirati
onf ormanyar t
ist
s:Jean LéonGér ômedepict
edt hemomentoft r
ansformat i
on,and
GeorgeBer nardShaw’sPygmal i
on,inturn,providedthebasisofAlanJayLernerandFrederi
ckLoewe’ smus i
cal,MyFai rLady.
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,Pl
aySummar
y
Onas ummereveni ngi nLondon' sCoventGar den,agr oupofas sorted
peopl ear egat her edt oget herundert hepor t
icoofSt .Paul '
sChur chf or
protec tionf r om t her ain.Amongt hegr oupar eMr s.Eyns ford- Hi l
landher
daught er,Cl ara,whoar ewai ti
ngf ort hes on,Fr eddy,t or etur nwi thac ab.
Whenher etur nsi nf ailure,hei sagai ns enti ns ear chofac ab.Ashe
l
eaves ,hec ol l
i
deswi thayoungf l
owergi rlwithat hickCoc kneyac cent,
andher uinsmanyofherf l
ower s.Aft erhei sgone,t hemot heri s
i
nt erestedi nhows uc ha" low"c r
eat ur ec ouldknowhers on' sname;s he
discover st hatt hef lowergi rlcall
sever yoneei ther" Freddy"or" Char li
e."
Whenanel der lygent lemanc omesi nt ot hes hel ter,thef l
owergi r
lnot es
hisdi sti
ngui shedappear anceandt riest oc oaxhi mt obuys omef l
ower s.
Thisgent leman,Col onelPi cker i
ng,r ef us est obuyt hef lower s ,buthe
givest hegi rlsomemoney.Member soft hec rowdwar nt hegi rlagai nst
takingt hemoneybec aus ether eisamanbehi ndhert akingnot esof
ever ythings hes ays .Whent hef l
owergi rl(Eli
za)l oudlypr oc laimst hat"I
am agoodgi rl,Iam, "t hebys tander sbegi nt opr otes t
.Thenot et aker ,i
t
turnsout ,isPr ofes sorHenr yHi ggi ns,anex perti nphonet i
c s.Hi shobbyi s
i
dent i
fyingever yone' sac centandpl ac eofbi rth.Heevenmai ntainst hat
hec oul dt aket his" ragamuf fin"ofaf lowergi rlandt eachhert ot alklikea
duc hes sint hreemont hs .Att hist i
me,t heel dergent l
emani dent i
fies
hims elfasCol onelPi cker ing,t heaut horofabookonSans kr i
t,whohas
comet omeett hef amousHenr yHi ggi ns ,towhom hei snowt alking.The
twogoof ft odi scus st heirmut ualinter es tinphonet ics.
Thenex tmorningatPr of
essorHiggi
ns'hous e,thetwomenar e
disc
us s
ingHiggins'
experimentswhent heflowergi rli
sannouncedbyMrs.
Pearce,Higgi
ns'housekeeper.Thegir
l,El
iz
aDool it
tl
e,remember st
hat
Higginsbraggedaboutbei ngabletoteachhert ospeakli
keaduc hes
s,
ands hehasc ometot akeless
onssothats hec angetapos it
ionina
,fl
owers hop.Pickeri
ngmakesawagerwi t
hHi ggins,who,int hes pi
ritof
goods port,deci
dest otakethebet :heorder sMr s
.Pear c
et otaket hegirl
away,s cr
ubher,andbur nherc l
othes.Heover comesal lofEliza'
s
objecti
ons,andEl i
zaistakenaway.Att hi
st i
me,Eliza'
sfatherappear s
withtheintenti
onofbl ackmail
ingHi ggins,buthei ssointimidatedby
Higginsthatheendsupas kingforf i
vepoundsbec ausehei soneoft he
"undeservi
ngpoor ."Higgi
nsiss opleasedwi ththeol dfel
low'saudac it
y
andhi suniqueviewofmor al
it
yt hathegiveshimt hefi
vepoundsandi s
i
mmedi at
elyri
dofhi m.
Somet i
mel at er,Higginsbr ingsEl i
zatohi smot her'
shous edur i
ngher
"receivingday. "FreddyEyns f
or d-Hil
landhi smot herands i
sterCl ar
aare
alsopr esent .Thes eturnoutt obet hes amepeopl ewhom wes awunder
thepor ti
coint hefirstact.Now,however ,noneoft hegues tsrec ognize
thatEl i
z aisthe" ragamuf fin"flowergi rloft hatnight.Everyonei samus ed
wi ththepedant i
cc orrec
tnes sofhers peec handar eevenmor e
i
mpr essedwi thEliza'
snar rati
onofheraunt 'sdeath,toldinperfec t
Engl is
h,butt oldwi thlur
idands hockingdet ai
ls.Aft
erEl i
za'
sdepar t
ure,
Mr s.Higginspoi ntsoutt hatt hegi r
lisf arfrom beingr eadytobe
pr esentedi npubl ic.
Somet i
mel ater,Higgins ,Pickeri
ng,andElizareturnlateintheevening.
Themenar edel ight
edwi t
ht hegreatsuccesstheyhavehadt hatdayin
passi
ngof fElizaasagr eatduc hes
satanambas sador'
sgardenparty.
Theyar esoex tremelypr oudt hattheytotal
l
yignor eElizaandher
contri
butiont othes ucc essoft he"experi
ment."Infuri
ated,El
izafi
nall
y
thr
owsas li
pperatHi ggi ns,onlytobeinformedt hatshei sbeing
unreasonable.Elizaisc onc ernedwi t
hwhatwi llhappent ohernowt hat
theexperimenti sover :Iss hetobet ossedbac kintothegut t
er;whatis
herfutureplac e?
, Higgi
nscannotseet
hatthi
sisapr
oblem,andaft
ertel
l
ingherthatal
lof
thecl
othesthats
hehasbeenwear
ingbelongtoher
,hereti
resfort
he
eveni
ng.
Thenex tday,Hi gginsarri
vesathi smot her
'shousec ompl etelybaf f
led
thatEli
zahasdi s
appear ed.Hehast elephonedt hepol i
ceandi sthen
surpr
isedtol earnthatEl i
zaisupstairs.Whil
ewai t
ingf orEliza,Mr.
Dooli
ttl
eent ersandheac c
usesHi gginsofruini
nghim bec auseHi ggins
tol
daweal t
hymant hatDoolitt
lewasEngl and'smostor iginalmor ali
st,
and,asar esult,themanl eftanenor mouss um ofmoneyi nt rustfor
Dooli
ttl
etol ectureonmor alrefor
ms .Hehast husbeenf orcedi nto
middle-cl
assmor al
ity,andheandhi sc ommon- l
awwi f
ear emi serable.He
hascomet oinviteElizatohisweddi ng,anotherconc essi
ont odreadf ul
middle-cl
assmor al
ity.
Eli
zaentersandagr eest oc omet oherfather '
sweddi ng.Ast heyal l
preparetoleave,Higgi nsrestrai
nsElizaandt riestogethert or eturnto
hishouse.Hemai ntainst hathet reatsever yonewi t
hc ompleteequal i
ty.
Tohim,hemakesnos ocialdi
s ti
ncti
onbet weent hewayhewoul dtreata
fl
owergirloraduc hes s.Eli
zaisdet erminedt ohaver es pectand
i
ndependenc e,andt huss her efusestor eturnt oHi ggi ns'hous e.Higgins
thenadmi t
sthathemi s s
esherandal soadmi reshernewf ound
i
ndependenc e.Hefur thermai ntainsthats hes houl dr eturn,andt hethree
ofthem wil
lli
veequal ly,as"threebac helors .
"Eliza,however ,feels
otherwis
e,ands heleaveswi t
hMr s.Higginst oat tendherf ather's
wedding.
