Contradictions of Character in George Bernard Shaws Pygmalion Essay

Manners are the happy way of doing things gibe to Ralph Waldo Emerson. According to Emerson people use dexterity as a forepart to make themselves look better. Inherently, this will lead to a contradiction of the earlier and the reality. One such man who is most concerned with manners is the adorer of Shaws Pygmalion, Professor Henry Higgins. Higgins is a man who displays contradictions within his character. He is in the business of teaching proper manners, although lacks them himself. In addition, Higgins is an intelligent man, and only he is ignorant of the feelings of those around him. Another apparent contradiction is that Higgins satellite charm serves to hide his bullying nature. He manipulates Eliza and others around him to serve his cause purposes, without any(prenominal) regard for her feelings. Higgins, a teacher of proprietary manners, lacks those very manners which others pay to learn from him. Ironically, Higgins believes that he is the greatest teacher of manne rs. He announces that in three months he could pass Eliza make as a duchess. Higgins thinks that he squeeze out take any lower class girl and pass her off as a duchess. He truly believes that he is capable of transforming Eliza. erst the teaching begins, Higgins shows no respect for others in his life. When he goes to see his mother, she reminds him that he promised not to come on her days when she is having guests. He ignores this promise to his mother because he believes that his newest experiment is more important than his mothers insignificant visitors are. This fashion continues throughout the ... ...ulative experiments on life. Higgins tries to use his charm to manipulate people into self-aggrandising him what he wants, but when this tactic fails he resorts to brute force and abuse. It is horrific that a man with such great qualities and characteristics can also put one over the bad qualities that are opposite of those great ones. How these traits can coexist in one p erson does not make sense. One of the traits must be a false front. This is the nature of the world. When two opposites come together in the same place and do not alter each other, so one of them is kept up as a faade. At any moment in time this faade can move or crack and the true nature of the person will come to light. citizenry who display too many contradictions in character are commonly true hypocrites.