Revelation of Socio-Cultural Consciousness and Social Transformation in George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion

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Authors: Dr. Devanand Sadanand Puri
Cited by: 0

Abstract

George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion (1913) is a landmark drama that exposes the socio-cultural structures shaping identity, class, and gender in Edwardian England. Through Eliza Doolittle’s transformation from a Cockney flower girl into a socially refined woman, Shaw critiques rigid class hierarchies, linguistic discrimination, and patriarchal authority while advocating social reform. This chapter explores Shaw’s socio-cultural consciousness and examines how the play foregrounds social transformation through education, language, and individual agency. Drawing on cultural materialist and socialist frameworks, and integrating critical perspectives from Holroyd, Bloom, Bertolini, Innes, Eagleton, and Williams, the paper demonstrates that Pygmalion challenges societal norms and promotes human dignity, equality, and moral responsibility.

Fields of Study & Subjects

American and British Literature Analysis Modernist Literature and Criticism Literature: history themes analysis

Publication details

Journal / source
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Publication date
30 January 2026
Language
EN
Document type
Book chapter