Pygmalion

3 Pages 644 Words

Look again at the ‘At Home’ scene. How does Shaw make this amusing for the audience?

I think that the ‘At Home’ scene is one of Shaw’s most amusing in ‘Pygmalion’. It is Eliza’s
first outing in polite society. I will proceed to discuss and analyse the points that I feel
make it amusing for the audience.
The scene (Act III) begins with Mrs Higgins expecting visitors. It is her at-home
day. Henry, her son, arrives unexpectedly. Her first words to him are amusing in
themselves because instead of welcoming him with open arms as most mothers would do
she says to him in dismay:-
‘What are you doing here today? It is my at-home day: you promised not to come’.
She carries on throughout Act III scolding him and treating him like a naughty boy not to
mention reminding him of his manners.
Higgins... ‘What the devil do you imagine I know of philosophy?’
Mrs Higgins (warningly)... ‘Or of manners, Henry?’
It is hilarious that a mother would be talking to her adult son like that even more so when
Henry is trying to teach Eliza manners.
When the Eynsford Hills arrive Higgins tries to leave but is too late and is
introduced to them. He recognises their voices but cannot remember where he has met
them. The same happens when Eliza arrives and the Eynsford Hills feel they have met her
before but do not recognise her as the poor flower girl.
‘I feel sure we have met before, Miss Doolittle. I remember your eyes’.
It is most amusing that none of the adults recognise each other.
Eliza has been primed to try to keep to two topics, health and the weather. She
tries her best at first but causes some surprise when she speaks about the strange
circumstances of her aunt’s death. Shaw creates a comic effect as Eliza lapses into
cockney slang, her speech lessons have somewhat ‘gone out the window’.
‘But it’s my belief they done the old woman in’.
... ‘They all thought she was dead; but my fat...