G.B Shaw’s Pygmalion: Character Analysis of Eliza Doolittle as Representative of Class Struggle

Abstract

This study aimed at analyzing the character of Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion (by G.B Shaw) as a representative of class struggle in the Victorian society under Marxist literary perspective. George Bernard Shaw's five-act play Pygmalion, which depicts the socioeconomic state of British society at the height of capitalism, is regarded as one of the literary masterpieces of the early 20th century. This study was a qualitative research that evaluate the primary character of Pygmalion, Eliza Doolittle as a representation of the working class' unwavering fight for its rights, a fight the capitalists consciously choose to ignore, under Marxist perspective. According to the findings of this study, the practice of human exploitation in an industrial setting had a significant negative impact on social circumstances in England from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries. The working class experienced severe hardship as a result and was severely dehumanized. The spirit of class struggles then emerged among the workers as a means of emancipating themselves from poverty, liberating them from the domination of the capitalists, and gaining the recognition that they are on an equal footing with other members of society.