Sadly, while there are many characters in the play who have undergone a transformation, Eliza Doolittle’s transformation is the most important because she not only changed externally but also internally. The other characters who went through a transformation are Alfred Doolittle and Henry Higgins although Alfred’s transformation was external whereas Henry’s was internal.
Alfred was a dustman who did not marry, sent his daughter off to fend for herself when she became 18 so that she would no longer be living off of his income, and enjoyed being in the lower class. In Act 5, we see that he acquired a lot of wealth that rose Alfred into the middle class- he then had to completely strip away his lower class identity and pleasures for that of the appropriate middle class persona. He had to change his old life style to accommodate his new life, and this transformation did not change him internally because he still believed strongly in his morals and opinions against the upper class. He did not want to change himself, but he had to look the part so that he could keep the money. This transformation is notable for the fact that Alfred had to give up his past pleasures for his new rank. These external changes will eventually change him internally as well because when you pretend to be something you are not for long enough, you forget who you really were.
Henry is an ignorant man whose pride is so overwhelming that he bullies everyone regardless of their social class. He is incredibly brilliant and intends to help society, but his disdainful personality blinds him from the greater potential he has. His transformation is not seen until the very end of Act 5 where he admits to liking Eliza. This change of heart is notable because in Act 2, Higgins admitted that he only likes older women and that he is a confirmed bachelor who does not really enjoy having relationships because women drive him mad. “I find that the moment I let a woman make friends with me, she becomes jealous, exacting, suspicious, and a damned nuisance. I find that the moment I let myself make friends with a woman, I become selfish and tyrannical. Women upset everything. When you let them into your life, you find that the woman is driving at one thing and you're driving at another.- Act 2” It is ironic to note that this is actually what made him like Eliza in the first place- her ignorance and opinionated mind. She was jealous for his attention for all her efforts to win his bet, and she wanted Higgins to see her as a lady. Henry was selfish because he was so focused on the bet that he completely ignored Eliza as a human being since he only saw her as an experiment until he won the bet. He was driving to win the bet and did not see her as the lady that she wanted to be. Eliza has proved to be everything that Higgins did not want in a woman, yet he still likes her. He does not really change his morals or opinions in any other aspect other than his feelings for Eliza.
Eliza had the most important transformation because she came to Higgins as a naïve, insecure flower girl who was willing to step out of her comfort zone to make a living for herself. She had big dreams and she wanted them to be more than a dream- after Higgins is through with her, she becomes a strong, opinionated lady. She was always an independent girl, but her past insecurity was about herself and at the end of the book, she is insecure about her future. She knows what she wants now and knows how she should be treated, hence why she leaves Higgins and begins to appreciate Pickering and Freddy. She still has traces of her past self but those flaws actually make her a relatable and enjoyable character. Her transformation is important because it helps the reader decide what her choice at the end of Act 5 is and portrays the concern of art taking on its own life and when it is appropriate for the artist to walk away from their masterpiece.
Alfred was a dustman who did not marry, sent his daughter off to fend for herself when she became 18 so that she would no longer be living off of his income, and enjoyed being in the lower class. In Act 5, we see that he acquired a lot of wealth that rose Alfred into the middle class- he then had to completely strip away his lower class identity and pleasures for that of the appropriate middle class persona. He had to change his old life style to accommodate his new life, and this transformation did not change him internally because he still believed strongly in his morals and opinions against the upper class. He did not want to change himself, but he had to look the part so that he could keep the money. This transformation is notable for the fact that Alfred had to give up his past pleasures for his new rank. These external changes will eventually change him internally as well because when you pretend to be something you are not for long enough, you forget who you really were.
Henry is an ignorant man whose pride is so overwhelming that he bullies everyone regardless of their social class. He is incredibly brilliant and intends to help society, but his disdainful personality blinds him from the greater potential he has. His transformation is not seen until the very end of Act 5 where he admits to liking Eliza. This change of heart is notable because in Act 2, Higgins admitted that he only likes older women and that he is a confirmed bachelor who does not really enjoy having relationships because women drive him mad. “I find that the moment I let a woman make friends with me, she becomes jealous, exacting, suspicious, and a damned nuisance. I find that the moment I let myself make friends with a woman, I become selfish and tyrannical. Women upset everything. When you let them into your life, you find that the woman is driving at one thing and you're driving at another.- Act 2” It is ironic to note that this is actually what made him like Eliza in the first place- her ignorance and opinionated mind. She was jealous for his attention for all her efforts to win his bet, and she wanted Higgins to see her as a lady. Henry was selfish because he was so focused on the bet that he completely ignored Eliza as a human being since he only saw her as an experiment until he won the bet. He was driving to win the bet and did not see her as the lady that she wanted to be. Eliza has proved to be everything that Higgins did not want in a woman, yet he still likes her. He does not really change his morals or opinions in any other aspect other than his feelings for Eliza.
Eliza had the most important transformation because she came to Higgins as a naïve, insecure flower girl who was willing to step out of her comfort zone to make a living for herself. She had big dreams and she wanted them to be more than a dream- after Higgins is through with her, she becomes a strong, opinionated lady. She was always an independent girl, but her past insecurity was about herself and at the end of the book, she is insecure about her future. She knows what she wants now and knows how she should be treated, hence why she leaves Higgins and begins to appreciate Pickering and Freddy. She still has traces of her past self but those flaws actually make her a relatable and enjoyable character. Her transformation is important because it helps the reader decide what her choice at the end of Act 5 is and portrays the concern of art taking on its own life and when it is appropriate for the artist to walk away from their masterpiece.