In the play Pygmalion, by George Bernard Shore, the experiment of two upper-class gentlemen prove that no matter what her social standing is, a woman can become a queen, if taught properly. The play depicts male domination to be hollow, whereas women are promoted to be logical and free-spirited. The character of Henry Higgins is the perfect example of a posturing, macho figure that believes he knows the best for the world, and women in general. Higgins takes in the character of Eliza Doolittle, who is an illiterate, uncouth flower girl, and attempts to make her into a polished lady fit for high society; he succeeds tremendously, as Eliza's manners and behavior becomes unrecognizable to what they were before. Shaw satirizes male domination through Higgins in that he shows that Higgins thinks that for a woman, outward appearances are all that matters. Being the arrogant male, Higgins is surprised when Mrs. Pearce thinks he is being cruel to Eliza: "Here I am, a shy, diffident sort of man And yet she's firmly persuaded that I"m an arbitrary overbearing bossing kind of person. I can't account for it" (Shaw 1009). Higgins is quite oblivious of Eliza's growth as a person and his own dependence on her as she becomes an intimate part of his life. Eliza, on the other hand, has no pretensions about who she is and how her life is changed thanks to Higgins" mechanisms. She is portrayed to be far more accurate and logical in her assessment of the people around her. The story of Pygmalion is a criticism of social barriers and class distinctions, and it upholds the ideal of equal opportunities of wealth and education for all, regardless of class and gender. .
