Aug 22, 2008
NCD
I was talking with one of my campers about the relative virtues of Pygmalion and My Fair Lady. I stated my firmly-held opinion that the last (tacked-on) scene of My Fair Lady is inexcusable and a travesty.
"Why? What about it?" she asked. (Bad sign)
"Bernard Shaw paints the metamorphosis of a thing into a woman.* Eliza Doolittle becomes a woman in the play. No woman would ever return to Henry Higgins," I said.
"Well, I agree that he is not a very nice person."
"He's a jerk." (Well, it's true)
"Well, then why didn't he (Shaw) have Eliza and Freddy get together?"
"Freddy? FREDDY? What is she going to do with Freddy?"
"Okay, he probably wouldn't be able to support her and he is kind of an idiot." At least George Bernard Shaw got that much through to her. But she was still unsatisfied.
"Well, why didn't he write someone else in for Eliza to get together with?"
At that point I had absolutely nothing to say. What could I say? How could I explain my firm belief in happy endings and my incontrovertible trust in the author? Why should Pygmalion (or My Fair Lady) end with Eliza being swept off her feet by some unknown character? What about the story lends to such an ending? Why should she throw herself at Henry Higgins or Freddy Einsford-Hill? That's not a happy ending, it's depressing. Shaw spends his play building the nature of an incredible woman. He doesn't give the same honor to Henry or Freddy. How could you read that play and still be so desperate for a romantic ending that you would sacrifice the happiness of all the characters involved?
I saw that it was a fruitless discussion. But I still didn't understand.
*Don't believe me, read the original Greek version
"Why? What about it?" she asked. (Bad sign)
"Bernard Shaw paints the metamorphosis of a thing into a woman.* Eliza Doolittle becomes a woman in the play. No woman would ever return to Henry Higgins," I said.
"Well, I agree that he is not a very nice person."
"He's a jerk." (Well, it's true)
"Well, then why didn't he (Shaw) have Eliza and Freddy get together?"
"Freddy? FREDDY? What is she going to do with Freddy?"
"Okay, he probably wouldn't be able to support her and he is kind of an idiot." At least George Bernard Shaw got that much through to her. But she was still unsatisfied.
"Well, why didn't he write someone else in for Eliza to get together with?"
At that point I had absolutely nothing to say. What could I say? How could I explain my firm belief in happy endings and my incontrovertible trust in the author? Why should Pygmalion (or My Fair Lady) end with Eliza being swept off her feet by some unknown character? What about the story lends to such an ending? Why should she throw herself at Henry Higgins or Freddy Einsford-Hill? That's not a happy ending, it's depressing. Shaw spends his play building the nature of an incredible woman. He doesn't give the same honor to Henry or Freddy. How could you read that play and still be so desperate for a romantic ending that you would sacrifice the happiness of all the characters involved?
I saw that it was a fruitless discussion. But I still didn't understand.
*Don't believe me, read the original Greek version
# posted by cassiopeiarl @ 3:42 PM 
