Pygamlion: power, money and social class

Essay by delym02High School, 12th grade November 2014

download word file, 1 pages 0.0

British Literature

Period

Pygmalion-Critical Analysis Essay

Feminist

Discuss what the gender roles are in the play. How does Shaw represent women? How does he present men? What are the expectations for each gender in the play? What effect do these expectations have on the reader/audience? How might the play change or confirm the expectations of the reader/audience? Are the characters "stuck" in these gender roles or are they capable of change? Are there any gender stereotypes present in the play?

Marxist

Discuss how the power is determined in the play. Is power determined by money and social standing or something else entirely? How important is money or social standing in the play? Can the characters move from one social class to another? According to the message of the play, can people from different social classes be friends? In the play, are the people with money and power happier than those without? What message is Charles Bernard Shaw giving the audience about social status?

Archetypal

Determine who fills the roles of the Pygmalion myth in this play (creator, object of affection/creation, wish giver, transformation).

Give examples of how each of the characters fills these specific roles. How does the play model the myth? Does the play stay true to the myth or does it deviate from the original? Does the presence of these archetypes create expectations in the reader/audience? Are these expectations met or does the text do something unexpected?

Guidelines

You must have an original title. Pygmalion is not an option.

Typed, double-spaced, 12 point font (Arial or Times New Roman).

Include the author's name and title of the play in your introduction.

DO NOT USE I, me, my or mine anywhere in the essay.

DO NOT USE contractions like don't, can't or won't. Use do not,