Tone Shifts:

“Pygmalion” Scene 1, Act 1: 87 Lines

By George Bernard Shaw

TASK

•Your Names: Kylie McCalmont, Jordan Grollmus, Austin Woodruff, Alex Chung, Blake Nissen

•Title & Author of the Piece: “Pygmalion” by George Bernard Shaw, Scene 1, Act 1: 87 Lines

•Topic: A Note Taker and a Gentleman meet on a rainy day in London, they both study phonetics

•Task to Accomplish: Analyze the tone shifts that take place in this particular scene

OPENING SHOT

•What is happening in the first few lines? The Gentleman and The Note Taker carry small conversation about how The Note Taker is able to guess where someone is from based on how they talk, The Flower Girl chimes in with rude remarks and a snarky tone

•What is your first impression of the speaker's TONE? (The Gentleman) Lighthearted (The Note Taker) Observant/Commentator (The Flower Girl) Impatient/Rude/Snarky

•What is your evidence from the text? The [ ] let the reader know how a character delivers the line--for example, The Gentleman laughed when delivering his first line and The Flower Girl had resentment when delivering hers

•What are your observations about the speaker or situation based on the TONE and evidence?

Based on the first few lines I could infer that The Gentleman and The Note Taker will continue their conversation while The Flower Girl inserts her strong opinions and makes rude comments that may or may not be responded to

SHIFT

•The tone shifts when The Daughter starts speaking and the perspective changes

•She is impatient and holds the attention of the audience, she is waiting for a cab in the rain and does not like the comments that The Note Taker is making about her

•Evidence: “[out of patience, pushing her way rudely to the front…]”

•Observations: The Daughter appears to be from the higher class and typically gets what she wants

SHIFT

•The tone shifts when The Mother is introduced in this scene

•The mother seems less distressed than her daughter

•Evidence: “How very curious!”

•Observations: She seems genuinely interested in what The Note Taker has to say and delights in his conversation, The Daughter remains distressed and angry

SHIFT

•The tone shifts when The Sarcastic Bystander is introduced in this scene

•The Bystander comments that The Note Taker is a police officer because he blows a whistle for a cab

•Evidence: “There! I knowed he was a plain-clothes copper.”

•Observations: Attention focuses from the cab to the bystander making a comment

SHIFT

•The tone shifts when The Note Taker comments that the rain has stopped

•Evidence: “I don't know whether you've noticed it; but…”

•Observations: The Note Taker doesn’t acknowledge The Flower Girl’s comment or The Sarcastic Bystander’s

SHIFT

•The tone shifts when The Mother speaks again

•The Mother is the calm figure for her daughter

•Evidence: “It's quite fine now, Clara.”

•Observations: Clara is not happy about not having a cab and especially not after her mother suggests walking. Her mom remains calm regardless.

SHIFT

•The tone shifts when The Gentleman returns

•He brings up again the phonetics conversation with The Note Taker

•Evidence: “[returning to his former place on the note taker's left]”

•Observations: Everything else that has happened in this scene had no effect on The Gentleman

SHIFT

•The tone shifts when The Note Taker gets mad at The Flower Girl

•Evidence: “[explosively]”

•Observations: The girl was annoying The Note Taker and he got furious with her comments and says she is speaking depressing things and makes a note about her poor speech

-> Makes the bet that he could pass her off as a duchess

SHIFT

•The tone shifts when The Note Taker gets excited about a conversation with The Gentleman

•They discover they know of each other and wanted to meet

•Evidence: “[eagerly]”

•Observations: The Gentleman (Pickering) and The Note Taker (Higgins) are excited to have met each other, as they were both going to visit each other anyways

{Select a novel or play that reveals the values of the characters and the society in which they live and, in a focused essay, discuss the contribution the scene makes to the meaning of the work as a whole.}

        In the play Pygmalion, by George Bernard Shaw, Colonel Pickering’s humanistic actions contrast Henry Higgins’ stubborn brutality. Although they belong to the same class, Higgins’ classlessness delineates social boundaries beyond established social constructs. Pickering’s morality establishes the distinction between moral class and the British social class system.

        Pygmalion takes place in London in the early twentieth century. It is easily distinguished who is part of the upper class, whether it be their job, clothes, manners, or the way they speak.

        Act I provides a scene where most of the characters are introduced; conversation between the characters takes place and this scene allows the reader to distinguish characters. Throughout this particular scene, indirect comparison and contrast takes place between the characters. The most dramatic difference between characters would be between The Flower Girl and The Note Taker. The Note Taker studies phonetics, the way people speak and sound, and can pinpoint where someone is from simply by listening to them. On the other hand, The Flower Girl is characterized to be an unattractive woman with poor speech who makes rude comments throughout the scene. The Note Taker, Henry Higgins, even comments about her, “You see this creature with her kerbstone English: the English that will keep her in the gutter to the end of her days” (Act I).

        Through the exchange of conversation between Higgins and The Flower Girl, we can easily see that Higgins is probably part of a higher British class because of the way he speaks and has a passion for proper language. In contrast, The Flower Girl, to Higgins, has no respect for herself or values because she doesn’t try to act polite or speak properly.