Social Criticism and Transformation in George Bernard Shaw

Pronunciation Problems and Betting

George Bernard Show focus the attention on problems of pronunciation for people who have the cockney accent and on his idea of orthographic reform. Eliza Doolittle, a flower girl, wanted phonetic lessons by Mr. Higgins, a teacher. She had an incredible accent, but Higgins accepted the bet and say that Eliza will became a Duchess. In this first part Mr Higgins was against to Eliza’s requests, he treated her in a rude way and they had an argument. Then he decided to accept, because Eliza was shouting, as if she was a savage. After six months, Eliza was ready for her first appearance in society and Higgins invites her for a tea at his mother’s house. Eliza spoke with a perfect pronunciation but she repeats all the time the same sentence. Freddy, one of Mrs Higgins’ guests, fount she graceful and he fell in love with her. But at the end Liza’s answer isn’t appropriated and everyone were surprised.

Social Denunciation and Prostitution

It is a social denunciation and the aim of the play is to analyse and criticize the economic origins of prostitution.

In the preface Shaw explains that the real cause of prostitution is the underpaying, undervaluing and overworking of women. Prostitution isn’t a free choice made by women; they can only marry a rich man or work as teacher or housekeeper and are the poorest women are forced to undertake this way to live. finally, he said that prostitution is organized and exploited not only by single people but also as a big international commerce.

Mrs. Warren's Choices

In this part Mrs. warren explains her daughter the reasons of her choice. she tells that her mother was a widow, who had a fried-fish shop and she had four daughters: Liz and Mrs Warren were sisters, and the others were half sisters. Liz and Vivie’s mother were really beautiful, well made; the other girls were ugly but honest. The two “half- sisters”, who worked hard, had a terrible life: one of them died. Instead, Liz and Mrs Warren went to a church school: one day, Liz went out and she didn’t come back. People thought that Liz had slained herself, but one day, while Mrs Warren was working in a bar at Waterloo Station, an elegant woman arrived there. It was Liz. The two sisters began to talk about their future and they decided to go into business together. They became two prostitute, because they needed money, without being underpaid or undervalued.