The play My Fair Lady and the Nathanial Hawthorne short story “Birthmark” share
themes of transformation and a seeking of perfection. However, in both works we can also find
similar commentary on society’s views towards women, and even some parallels to mythological
and religious themes. In both works, the transformers become obsessed with their aims, working
night and day to mold their hapless charges into their view of an ideal. My Fair Lady is based on
George Bernard Shaw’s play, titled Pygmalion. This title derives from a Greek myth about a
sculptor who creates such an amazing sculpture that it animates with the help of the goddess of
love, Aphrodite, providing him with the perfect companion.
However, both the Leland play and the Hawthorne short story contain further elements of
depth and criticism of these aims that add a layer of complexity to the Pygmalion story. Aylmer
and Professor Higgins both enjoy the benefits of high social status, intelligence, and operating at
the top of their respective fields. It is therefore ironic in both cases that the ones transformed
turn out to be the protagonists themselves. Henry Higgins is abandoned by his good friend
Colonel Pickering, and refuses to acknowledge that he has fallen for Eliza. Aylmer seeks to
make his wife perfect, for whom he has abandoned his scientific career, but winds up a murderer
and utterly alone.
Freud would define both cases as displaying the pathology of obsessional neurosis, and
Salzman applies the term to those who hoard, claiming that they have a “drive for perfection”
(Menzies and Silva 163). In keeping things past their usefulness, they hope to avoid future
mistakes. Both of these narratives also fit into the definition of Lacan’s ideal, which cannot be
realized because it is the idea of perfection, rather than perfection itself, that drives people who
are so obsessed.
, Eliza Doolittle and Georgina are similar in that they both are extremely deferential to
both their society and the wishes of their male manipulators. Eliza breaks into song (“Wouldn’t
it be Lovely”) when she sees Pickering and Higgins recognize each other’s work after viewing
an opera, after which they retreat to Higgin’s cozy London home. When Eliza becomes
frustrated and petulant at Higgin’s house, it is not with the fact that she has been reduced to a
social science project, but rather with her own failure. However, Eliza eventually feels exploited
by Higgins after a successful meeting with Zoltan; these feelings explode after Higgins asks her
for his slippers.
We could almost feel that Higgins is a sort of God. He confers on Eliza education, which
is both a social mobility device but useful in its own right. It gives Eliza personal insight as well
as the confidence to chide Freddie into “showing her” his affections.
If we were to apply the same context to “The Birthmark,” we could say that Georgina did
in fact reach perfection, for to die can be a metaphor for reaching perfection as our world is often
considered in an imperfect or fallen state. Fetterley suggests that Aylmer’s assistant Aminadab
embodies the earthly and physical, as he takes on common tasks that Aylmer has distanced
himself from (164). Aylmer himself observes in the story that were Georgina his wife, he would
never part with the birthmark. This again firms the fact that there is a separation of an Earthly
plane and an ideal one, and mere mortals should be happy to dwell in this flawed world and
count their blessings. In My Fair Lady, Eliza feels that Colonel Pickering has treated her like a
lady, whereas Higgins has never seen her as more than a flower girl. Both Aminadab and
Pickering must stand on the sidelines, with their accurate grasp of reality while both Higgins and
Aylmer destroy the objects of their intense focus.
themes of transformation and a seeking of perfection. However, in both works we can also find
similar commentary on society’s views towards women, and even some parallels to mythological
and religious themes. In both works, the transformers become obsessed with their aims, working
night and day to mold their hapless charges into their view of an ideal. My Fair Lady is based on
George Bernard Shaw’s play, titled Pygmalion. This title derives from a Greek myth about a
sculptor who creates such an amazing sculpture that it animates with the help of the goddess of
love, Aphrodite, providing him with the perfect companion.
However, both the Leland play and the Hawthorne short story contain further elements of
depth and criticism of these aims that add a layer of complexity to the Pygmalion story. Aylmer
and Professor Higgins both enjoy the benefits of high social status, intelligence, and operating at
the top of their respective fields. It is therefore ironic in both cases that the ones transformed
turn out to be the protagonists themselves. Henry Higgins is abandoned by his good friend
Colonel Pickering, and refuses to acknowledge that he has fallen for Eliza. Aylmer seeks to
make his wife perfect, for whom he has abandoned his scientific career, but winds up a murderer
and utterly alone.
Freud would define both cases as displaying the pathology of obsessional neurosis, and
Salzman applies the term to those who hoard, claiming that they have a “drive for perfection”
(Menzies and Silva 163). In keeping things past their usefulness, they hope to avoid future
mistakes. Both of these narratives also fit into the definition of Lacan’s ideal, which cannot be
realized because it is the idea of perfection, rather than perfection itself, that drives people who
are so obsessed.
, Eliza Doolittle and Georgina are similar in that they both are extremely deferential to
both their society and the wishes of their male manipulators. Eliza breaks into song (“Wouldn’t
it be Lovely”) when she sees Pickering and Higgins recognize each other’s work after viewing
an opera, after which they retreat to Higgin’s cozy London home. When Eliza becomes
frustrated and petulant at Higgin’s house, it is not with the fact that she has been reduced to a
social science project, but rather with her own failure. However, Eliza eventually feels exploited
by Higgins after a successful meeting with Zoltan; these feelings explode after Higgins asks her
for his slippers.
We could almost feel that Higgins is a sort of God. He confers on Eliza education, which
is both a social mobility device but useful in its own right. It gives Eliza personal insight as well
as the confidence to chide Freddie into “showing her” his affections.
If we were to apply the same context to “The Birthmark,” we could say that Georgina did
in fact reach perfection, for to die can be a metaphor for reaching perfection as our world is often
considered in an imperfect or fallen state. Fetterley suggests that Aylmer’s assistant Aminadab
embodies the earthly and physical, as he takes on common tasks that Aylmer has distanced
himself from (164). Aylmer himself observes in the story that were Georgina his wife, he would
never part with the birthmark. This again firms the fact that there is a separation of an Earthly
plane and an ideal one, and mere mortals should be happy to dwell in this flawed world and
count their blessings. In My Fair Lady, Eliza feels that Colonel Pickering has treated her like a
lady, whereas Higgins has never seen her as more than a flower girl. Both Aminadab and
Pickering must stand on the sidelines, with their accurate grasp of reality while both Higgins and
Aylmer destroy the objects of their intense focus.
