Pygmalian and its appropriation Essay

Texts ruminate the climb of the time in which they are composed as well as the culture their respective community possess. This is evident in Pygmalion, a play by George Bernard Shaw and its appropriation Shes on the whole that, a select directed by Robert Iscove. In these two texts, the same Pygmalion legend is approached from two different viewpoints to reflect clearly the context of the time in which each was written. Shaw, through the use of a wide range of spectacular techniques such as language, form, and potting, is capable to appropriate the Pygmalion invention to reflect the values and cultural beliefs possessed by society in Victorian England. Similarly, Iscove uses cinematic techniques such as setting, dialogue and vestments to appropriate the myth to reflect the casual values and cultural beliefs possessed by 20th century American society. subsequently analysing the two texts, we are able to view how values choose been changed or maintained.Pygmalion derives its name from the famous business relationship in Ovids Metamorphoses, in which Pygmalion, disgusted by the loose and shameful lives of the women of his era, decides to create a stunning statue more perfect than any living cleaning lady, named Galatea. Pygmalion goes to the temple of the goddess Venus and prays that she give him a lover resembling his statue Venus is touched by his love and brings Galatea to life. Pygmalion and Galatea marry.Shaw creates his own recitation of the Pygmalion myth by translating this allegory to reflect society in Victorian England. In doing so, he exposes the inadequacy of myth and of romance in several(prenominal) ways. For integrity, he deliberately twists the myth so that the play does non conclude as euphorically or conveniently, hanging instead in unusual ambiguity. Throughout the play, Shaw portrays the faces belabored by the trivial details of life like napkins and neckties, and of how maven is going to find a taxi on a rainy night. Th ese details keep the account statement grounded and decidedly less romantic. Society in Victorian England would not have agreed with the fairytale ideals that the Pygmalion myth implies, and so, Shaw reflects this discrepancy by questioning the values portrayed in the original myth.Robert Iscove, however, tries to reflect the values of contemporary day society by producing a light hearted and slapstick version of the myth. This is do bysetting the play in an American high school in the early twenty-first century, and showing relationships amidst teenagers instead of adults. The ideas of love and marriage have been appropriated into high school flings and dating. This in itself produces a lighter version of the myth as the relationships shown are not as serious. To be popular and cool, teenagers must take over the right clothes, and be seen with the right people at all times. Good grades and moral values have little to do with social acceptance. This is a huge contrast to what w as shown in Pygmalion, and at that placefore helps the reader to understand that values have been changed due(p) to technological advancements, media influence on adolescents and the feminist movement.One of the issues discussed in both(prenominal) texts is one of socioeconomic element, and this is shown through means of language (Pygmalion) and costume (Shes All that).Shaw believed that face spell out did not have much reasonable relationships to its pronunciation. This difficulty helps to perpetuate the low dialects which immediately identify the speakers as either humble ones or ones of poor education. Such dialects are an important factor in the division of people into social twelvemonthes.Every time an Englishman opens his mouth, some other Englishman despises him. Preface.This is shown in the first scene of the play, as Eliza (a poor flower seller) is immediately judged about her social layer as soon as she speaks.THE feeling TAKER A woman who utters such depressing and disgusting sounds has no right to be anywhere no right to live. Remember that you are a human being with a soul and the divine benefaction of articulate speech that your native language is the language of Shakespeare and Milton and the Bible and dont sit there crooning like a bilious pigeon (Pygmalion p. 27)THE NOTE TAKER You see this creature with her kerbstone English the English that will keep her in the gutter to the end of her days (Pygmalion p.27)It is also evident that social class determines whom a person will date or consider marrying, and may only marry psyche who is in the same social class as them.In Shes All That, Iscove uses contrasting images of costume and setting to show the social class division and various stereotypical groups present in 21st century society. Social division is portrayed in a jocular and humorous way as it is set in an American high school instead of the real world. As the celluloid is based on adolescents, social status is not determined by the amount of education or values a person possesses, but instead on their fashion sense or audaciousness. E.g. Laney Boggs is an intelligent, delicious and rational girl who is seen as being at the bottom of the social ladder due to her pigment splattered overalls and baggy shirts, whereas Taylor, who is one of the most popular girls in high school, has only achieved this status due to her sexy appearance and brazen behavior.After comparing the two texts, it was evident that values regarding social class have dramatically changed. During the early 1900s, language, etiquette, birth/family and wealth were what decided where a person fitted into the social ladder, whereas two hundred years later, this is no longer the case. Society in the early 21st century believed that appearances, character and social connections are what take you to the top.The two texts also explore the meaning of the ideal woman. In Pygmalion, Henry Higgins picks up Eliza Doolittle to teach her phonetics an d thereby make her into a brothel keeper. This shows what his idea of a real lady must be. Higgins convinces Eliza to let him transform her into a proper aristocratic lady who speaks proper English, so that she is able to fit in with the upper class. Elizas growth involves increasing self-realization, an evolution from a lower to a higher state of being, and an important quality that is sometimes not innately there and must be developed. Pygmalion spent great time and effort in creating his ideal woman. This gives hope to society, especially the lower classes, that one can change and succeed if they just try hard enough. Eliza Doolittle would not have questioned her morals andboundaries set by society for a girl of no means. Hence the constant recitation of I am a good girl, I amRobert Iscove also transforms the main character, Laney so that she is able to fit into a higher social class in high school and become the ideal woman, yet this is done simply by applying makeup and wearin g revealing clothes and being seen to socialize with the right crowd. Iscove advisedly shows a quick makeover to illustrate that late 20th century society believed that the ideal woman was not necessarily one of etiquette and intelligence, but simply one which looked good, knew the right people and was bold enough to argufy her boundaries.From the aforementioned it is clear that both texts reflect the time frame in which they were composed and provide brainstorm into the way values have been maintained and changed. Both Bernard Shaws, Pygmalion and its modern appropriation by Robert Iscove, Shes All That convey the context and culture in which they were written and explore ideas of social division, the denotation of the ideal woman and debate the relevance of the Pygmalion myth in their respective societies.