Bernard Shaw 1806-1873

George Bernard Shaw was one of the most celebrated and controversial writers of his time. His initials, G.B.S., were recognized as shorthand code for his work. Shaw served as a transitional figure, moving from the Victorian Era to the Modern Era. Shaw was born into a very poor background, but this did not deter him. He made himself into one of the most important voices in English literature. In 1925 Bernard Shaw won the Nobel Prize for literature, but he refused to accept the award money. Shaw was fully aware of the power of words and the power of class. He knew that one’s use of words could help in advancing or hindering one’s career. He believed that one’s voice identified oneself and had the ability to help or harm them.

In his play, Pygmalion, he describes the transformation of Liza Doolittle from a beggar flower girl into a lady. She is recognized, treated, and identified as being a princess; however, there was a flaw in the transformation. Liza now sounds and acts like a lady but she does not have the income of a lady thus defeating the purpose which is to marry a gentleman. Shaw believed that the point of literature was not to be beautiful but to teach a lesson. Because of this Shaw did not want to have Henry and Liza end up together and married. This would not be a happy ending for Shaw. He wanted to make Liza Henry’s equal. She was able to overcome and stand alone, a bold statement for that time. I liked the ending because it was not what I expected and it did have a good moral lesson to it.