An Analysis of Class and Gender Conflict in Pygmalion Essay -- World L

"Pygmalion is a serious analysis of class and gender conflict." Bernard Shaw's play, entitled Pygmalion, transcends the nature of drama as a medium to be utilized for sheer entertainment value. Shaw's play powerfully comments on the capacity for the individual to overcome the boundaries established by systems of class and gender. Dominant assumptions and expectations may essentially prevent an individual from becoming socially mobile within a seemingly rigid hierarchical social structure. However, Liza, the protagonist utilizes language as the tool which enables the her to escape the confines of the lower class and to be regarded as a human of a certain degree of worth within society. As Liza transforms from flower girl to duchess, the audience is witness to the many ways that an individual can be dehumanised through the socialisation process. Issues of both class and gender arise from the tensions within the play that surround the interactions between Higgins and Liza and the viewer is able to openly question the values that exist within a soci ety that judges the character of a person on the basis of wealth and education. Henry Higgins represents the upper class of society, those that are expected to be both educated and wealthy. He is profoundly aware of his status and is not particularly sympathetic towards those of the lower class. This is revealed as he is first introduced to Liza and refers to her as a 'squashed cabbage leaf.' (Shaw, 2003:18) This first scene is important as it establishes the class differences that are evident within the language contrasts of each of the characters. Higgins plays an important role in establishing this theme as he places great emphasis on phonetics. He has the ability to place an i... ...e society of Shaw's time and of contemporary society. Liza is an independent woman at the closing of the play, when one takes into consideration that she possesses an assertive sense of free will and a determination to maintain her strength of character. Ultimately, Liza's insistence on remaining true to herself is a positive ramification of a transformation process, that in itself presented many moral questions to the perceptive audience. The protagonist has confronted the obstacles imposed on her by social conventions, with regards to both gender and class stereotypes, and has essentially deconstructed the boundaries that had previously prevented her from fulfilling her own capabilities and sense of self worth. Bibliography Bentley, E. Bernard Shaw, 2nd edn. London: Methuen, 1967. Shaw, B. Pygmalion, London: Penguin Books, 2003.

Preschool Age

During preschool age, physical growth begins to slow down. It is much slower than it was during infancy. Children at the early childhood stage, children start to become taller and leaner as they mature. They will look more like adults than like infants by the end of early childhood. â€Å"During the ages two to six, children make great strides in the development of gross motor skills, which involves the large muscles used in movement â€Å"(Rathus, 2017). At four years old, she has a more complex physical development using both gross and fine motor skills. She has greater control over large muscles, such as her arms and legs. She is also able to coordinate multiple tasks at the same time, such as singing and building blocks as opposed to when she was a toddler. She is much more coordinated in her play than the younger children around her. In early childhood, children appear to acquire motor skills by teaching them selves in observing the behavior of other children and adults† (Rathus, 2017, p. 255). Thus, fine motor skills develop more gradually. Fine motor skills are all the small muscles used in manipulation and coordination. Control over the wrist and fingers enable children to, write, dress themselves and in her case the ability to stack blocks. While observing the child's use of language, her comprehension and use of words is more sophisticated, she can make sentences and can understand what others are saying. She can talk in clear speech. She is quite self-assured and can understand the concept of conversation. Her language is more mature, her memory and imagination has developed and she is able to think more symbolically. Children's language skills develop radically during the preschool years. Between the ages of three and five, egocentric speech starts to disappear. The child's conversational language starts to show sensitivity to the listener, for example, the subject was taking turns talking and listening to her fellow classmates. By that age of four years old, some milestones children develop are the ability to ask adults and each other questions, taking turns talking, and partaking in longer conversations. â€Å"They have vocabulary of 1500-1600 words. They're speech is fluent and their articulation is also good. Children can use five or six words in sentences and can now coordinate two sentences together† (Rathus, 2017 p. 301).

Unhealthy Food Choices, Lack Of Parental Guidance, And A...

In 2012, one third of adolescents were either overweight or obese and 18% of 6-11 year olds were obese; that is a staggering statistic (CDC). This can cause life long problems for these children. In this essay, I will show you that unhealthy food choices, lack of parental guidance, and a sedentary lifestyle are some of the leading causes of obesity in our children. For instance, these days with most parents having to work outside the home, there is not much time spent cooking healthy meals. Most children come home to an empty house and many do not know how to cook, so unless there is something prepared for them ahead of time, they head straight for the junk food. Plus, with all the inexpensive convenience foods that are on the shelves these days it makes it too easy for one to whip up a â€Å"family meal† or snack in just minutes in the microwave. The problem with these convenience foods is that they are usually high in fat, sugar, and calories (Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 5). Not only are convenience foods bad for you, but also too are the so-called â€Å"fast foods.† If you go to any local fast food restaurant and order one cheeseburger meal with fries and a soda, you have literally eaten your whole days calories in one meal and two days worth of fat. For instance a Whopper Value Meal contains: 1430 calories, 65 grams of fat, 1930 mg. sodium, 85 mg. cholesterol, 89 grams sugar, 0 vitamins, 0 calcium and 0 iron. (Calories in Burger King Whopper Value Meal (With Cheese, Medium Fries,Show MoreRelatedChild Obesity Paper2748 Words   |  11 PagesChildhood obesity has lasting psychological effects, due to parental knowledge, lack of physical activities, and food advertisement; which has made obesity become a major health issue in many young childrens lives today. First, what is child obesity? 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