What does it mean to be you pretending to be someone else? Is it important for people to like you, or perceive you as something you are not? These are questions I asked myself while reading Shaw’s Pygmalion.
This play is wonderful because its message is timeless. Why do we have to give up ourselves to allow others to define us? It is a universal question, a theme that crosses borders and seas. Why would someone want to change another in order to identify with something that is not real?
I believe that it is a part of human nature to try to shape our surroundings to fit our comfort level. But I think Shaw wants us to see the brutal ideals that come from trying to shape others in a way that is unnatural to their individuality. I believe the Pygmalion is his commentary about the ills of trying to mold everyone from the same clay.
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4 comments:
Chrishon,
Good subject for this post, and some interesting questions to pursue. Unfortunately, you really don't pursue them here, at least as far as Shaw's play is concerned.
Oh my... you are like the only other person who wrote about Shaw... I love Pygmalion I think that it is an amzing play
Yet again, I enjoyed your analysis! I think that people are most comfortable with conformity. I think that people believe that if everyone is the same then there would be no troubles in the world because there would be no differences between the people. Unfortunately, I believe that people that are more alike do not get along at all. Those are the individuals that have the most problems. Great analysis!
Crishon,
What a great question to ask! Whether pretending to be something that you are not is the best choice is, I think, an eternal question for every civilization. In the U.S., we ask immigrants and lower-income (class) Americans to assimilate to middle income values to be accepted. Diversity is still problematic in the 21st century.
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