ISC Pygmalion Workbook Answer : Act 3

PLOT DEVELOPMENT

The scene is set in Higgins’s mother’s house located in Chelsea Embankment. It is her ‘at-home day’, the day reserved for meeting her friends. Higgins barges unannounced into his mother’s drawing room. She is taken aback by his sudden arrival and asks him to leave immediately as she is expecting her friends to visit. She tells him that he has promised not to come when she has guests as he always offends them with his lack of manners.

Announcing Eliza’s Visit: Higgins tells his mother that he has come with a purpose. He wants her to do a phonetic job for him. When she declines saying that she cannot do any phonetic job, Higgins informs her that he has ‘picked up a girl’, which she mistakenly assumes to be in a romantic sense. Higgins refuses having any romantic connection with her. At this his mother says that it is a pity that he never falls in love with anyone under forty-five. Higgins replies that he does not want to be troubled with young women as his idea of a loveable woman is someone like her (his mother).

He tells his mother about Eliza-a lower class flower girl, whom he has taught to speak proper English and has invited her over. He says that he wants Eliza to sit with her and her guests and speak like a lady. He wants his mother to notice not only her pronunciation but what she speaks about. He also tells her about his bet with Colonel Pickering. Mrs Higgins is not pleased about this uncalled-for visit from a common flower girl. Higgins allays his mother’s fears by assuring her that he has instructed Eliza to restrict her conversation to only two subjects the weather and everybody’s health. Before Mrs Higgins has any time to voice her objections, Mrs and Miss Eynsford Hill arrive. They turn out to be the Mother and Daughter from Act I. Meanwhile, Colonel Pickering also arrives followed by Freddy Hill.

Higgins says that people are ‘savages, more or less,’ even though they are supposed to be civilised. Mrs Higgins tells him to mind his manners, and an exquisitely dressed Eliza arrives at that moment. Eliza behaves elegantly as she
meets everyone.

Eliza’s Faux Pas: The conversation begins with a reference to the weather and Eliza’s meteorological rejoinder, said with all seriousness, provides a few laughs. Everything is going well, as expected, until Mrs Eynsford Hill brings up the subject of influenza, which causes Eliza to jump into the topic of her aunt, who supposedly died of the same disease. In her enthusiasm she talks about shocking topics such as the murder of her aunt and her father’s alcoholism.

New Small Talk: Fortunately, Higgins is able to convince those present that Eliza’s strange way of conversation is the ‘new small talk’ that is a rage amongst the very fashionable crowd. Freddy thinks that Eliza is merely affecting the ‘new small talk,’ and seems to be infatuated with her. Higgins wants to leave immediately as he fears that Eliza may expose herself if she continues in this manner any longer. He rises and looks at his watch, which gives Eliza a hint that it is time to leave. She takes the hint, and gets up to leave. Freddy, who is evidently smitten by her beauty, offers to accompany her while she walks across the park. It is here that Eliza responds with the infamous words-“Walk! Not bloody likely”-which shocks everybody present especially Mrs Eynsford Hill, who laments that she really cannot get used to the new ways. However, her daughter Clara is fascinated by Eliza and declares that she finds the new small talk quaint and delightful. She even tries to imitate Eliza’s speech.

The State of the Poor Elite: Mrs Eynsford Hill while departing from the place, laments to Pickering that Clara is harsh to her for not being up to date with the latest slang’. She pleads Mrs Higgins not to be bothered by Clara’s manners as their poverty deprives her of the opportunity to attend several high-society parties. Hence, she is unable to understand the appropriate ways of conduct.

Mrs Higgins’s Evaluation: The at-home breaks up as the Eynsford Hills leave. Higgins eagerly asks his mother whether Eliza is presentable. Mrs Higgins chides him. She says there is no way Eliza will become presentable as long as she lives with the constantly-swearing Higgins. Pickering too agrees that the ‘sanguinary element’ i.e., ‘bloody’ needs to be eliminated from her conversation. Mrs Higgins demands to know the precise conditions under which Eliza is living with the two old bachelors. She is concerned about Eliza’s future. She rebukes Higgins and Pickering for being “a pretty pair of babies, playing with your (their) live doll.” However, Higgins defends himself saying that, by teaching Eliza a new speech he is actually “filling up the deepest gulf that separates class from class and soul from soul.” But Mrs Higgins resolutely insists that her son is overlooking the problem of what is to be done with Eliza, after she is passed off as a lady. She tries to explain to them that there will be a problem of what to do with Eliza once everything is over, but the two men pay no heed. They take their leave and Mrs Higgins quite annoyed with their ‘infinite stupidity’ exclaims, “Oh, men! men!! men!!!”

The Garden Party: The next event, was not enacted on stage; it can be found in the movie or in the printed edition. It is set at an Embassy in London, one summer evening. This event can be placed right before the beginning of Act IV. It is given to understand that a considerable period of time has elapsed since Eliza’s appearance at Mrs Higgins’s ‘at-home’. Pickering, Eliza and Higgins, all in evening dress, arrive at the grand reception. Eliza appears stellar with her opera cloak, dress, diamonds, fan and other accessories. Inside the hall, a hairy-faced man declares himself as Higgins’s first pupil, Nepommuck. He is an expert phonetician, who brags about his skill of being able to locate any person in Europe by the sole virtue of his/her pronunciation. Higgins and Pickering get worried as they wonder if he could reveal Eliza’s true identity. While Pickering is nervous, Eliza does not see this event as her first rodeo; she has imagined this scenario several times in her head.

Eliza’s Social Success: Eliza greets the hosts with an exquisite grace, while the other guests are awe-struck by her elegance and stop in their tracks to admire her. All seem extremely curious about her. Eliza’s English and manners are so perfect that Nepommuck deduces her to be a Hungarian of royal blood, merely pretending to be an English person. The others present there also agree with him that Eliza must be a princess at least. At that moment, Higgins states the truth about Eliza’s origins and social class, knowing that no one would believe such an absurd and improbable fact. Nepommuck laughs it off. Both the host and the hostess agree with Nepommuck’s conclusion.

The Bet is Won: Soon the group breaks up and Higgins is left alone. He is joined by Colonel Pickering and Eliza, who expresses her desire to leave as everyone is staring at her. An old lady has told her that she speaks exactly like Queen Victoria. She feels that she has lost Higgins’s bet. She says that though she has done her best, nothing can make her ‘same as’ the people present there. Pickering consoles her by saying that she has instead won the bet ten times over. Since they are all tired, they leave.