The Victorian period (Queen Victorian reign, 1837-1901) was a time of revolution and change. It saw great expansion of wealth, power and culture. The modern idea of 'invention' was invented. Religion was in doubt. Romantic emphasis was placed on self-emotion and imagination. Victorians created astonishing innovation and change in democracy, feminism, unionisation of workers, socialism and Marxism. Above all, it was an age of paradox and power (www.landow, 2000).
This essay critically analyses 'My Fair Lady' in terms of power, class and gender relations, all of which were predominant features in the Victorian period, and other attitudes of this time. I will be considering the ways in which material culture is used to reinforce, undermine and negotiate these relations.
Issues that will be discussed in the essay with regards to 'My Fair Lady' are: the class differences during the Victorian period, the power differences between the classes and genders, ie. the power Henry Higgins had over Eliza Doolittle, the gender relations between Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins and the gender relations between Eliza Doolittle and Colonel Pickering.
Eight times Oscar winning movie 'My Fair Lady' (w
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Once she became a lady and living in Higgins' house she owned lots of clothes and lots of material culture but lost her freedom. Women were ruled by men and they didn't have a voice until Queen Victorian succeeded the thrown. This thought could have been drummed into her as a child. Even though Women's rights started in the early 1840's, a man was still legally able to "lock his wife up and beat her in moderation (www. He is quite wealthy but doesn't flaunt his money or a high position in society. The aristocracy's primary concern was to beget a son and an heir, since only a male could inherit family titles and sit in the House of Lords. It is also the type of life one leads with relation to material culture. A girl depending on the parents were taught to read, write, add and subtract (Perkin, 1993; 31). It was not a time for women who were still fighting for their right to be individuals and to abolish the ideal of "Angel in the House (Hellerstein, 1981; 134). She talked beautifully and acted beautifully. The story revolves around Eliza Doolittle, a cockney flower girl from Covent Garden, who agrees to take speech lessons from phonetician Henry Higgins in order to fulfil her dream of working in a flower shop and to increase her standard of life. He saw them as inferior, uneducated, annoying beings without feelings.
Approximate Word count =
2119
Approximate Pages =
8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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