In George Bernard Shaw's play, "Pygmalion," the character Eliza undergoes a drastic transformation both externally and internally. From her beginnings as a poor flower girl to her culmination as a respectable lady of modern society, Eliza shows tremendous growth in her outward appearance and also in her personal opinion of herself. Although Eliza grudgingly agrees to the arrangement with Professor Henry Higgins, their relationship ultimately leads Eliza to evolve into a woman who sees the merit in the lifestyle that has been introduced by Higgins. Originally Eliza lacks education and social skills, but throughout the process, she gains knowledge, social wisdom, and simultaneously learns to love herself and others.
The first significant improvement in Eliza is the change in her social skills. When Higgins meets Eliza, she does not maintain an appropriate amount of eye contact, and she frequently slouches over, as if to suggest that she is not interested in the conversation (Shaw 1). This immediately exposes her lack of social graces to Higgins, who is well-versed in habits that are acceptable to society. As Higgins works with Eliza, he encourages her to walk tall and straight, with slow, purposeful steps while holding her head high. After mastering these small changes, a noticeable difference can be seen in Eliza's self confidence. Since she is projecting an image of assuredness to others, Eliza automatically feels more secure about herself.
One of the most daunting obstacles in Eliza's transformation is her outward appearance. Upon their primary introduction, Higgins instantly notices Eliza's subpar wardrobe, and once he has made his bet, his first order of business is to improve her attire. Higgins instructs his maid, Mrs. Pearce, to thoroughly bathe Eliza and clothe her in an appropriate dress (1). By teaching her to value her outward appearance, Higgins is silently teaching Eliza to value the opinions of others.
