Act V — Eliza's Speech on Being Treated
from Pygmalion
Written by George Bernard Shaw
Eliza Doolittle explains the profound realization she has had regarding her social transformation. She distinguishes between superficial accomplishments like speech and dress, and the deeper reality of how one is perceived and treated by others, specifically contrasting Colonel Pickering's respect with Professor Higgins's dismissiveness.
LIZA: I know. I am not blaming him. It is his way, isn’t it? But it made such a difference to me that you didn’t do it. You see, really and truly, apart from the things anyone can pick up (the dressing and the proper way of speaking, and so on), the difference between a lady and a flower girl is not
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