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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. At which university does Sweet teach?

2. What does Shaw try to do for Sweet?

3. When does Shaw first become interested in the subject of phonetics?

4. Which system does Shaw use to write his Preface?

5. What does Higgins give Liza in Act 2 when she begins to cry?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who are some of the most important people in England, according to Shaw? Why do you think this is so, again, according to Shaw?

2. Describe the Flower Girl.

3. What does Liza likely mean when she says "I'm a good girl, I am"? Why does she say this?

4. What would, in Shaw's opinion, be a prodigious advancement in the English language? Do you agree or disagree? Explain.

5. Who is the note-taker, and what is he actually doing?

6. How does Higgins feel about women?

7. What should all great art be, according to Shaw? Do you agree? What does Shaw hope his play will teach?

8. Describe Higgins.

9. What makes some English people despise others? What can we infer would solve this problem?

10. What does the Flower Girl do at the end of Act 1 that shows she has a sense of pride and dignity about her?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay about the ending of Pygmalion.

Part 1) Considering the ending of the play, what do you think Shaw's attitude is toward the traditional "happy ending" of most romances?

Part 2) Why, according to Shaw, does his play not end the way most people might expect?

Part 3) Would the play be more satisfying if Liza had married Higgins instead of Freddy? Why, or why not?

Part 4) (optional) If you have seen it, you may consider the slightly different, more "Hollywood" ending in the movie version of the play, My Fair Lady. Compare the ending of the play with the ending of the movie. Which do you prefer, and why?

Essay Topic 2

In the Preface to Pygmalion, Shaw says that all great art should be didactic; that is, it should teach something. What does Shaw hope his play will teach people--both about language and about how reforming it might help society? Do you think the play is successful at communicating the intended message? Write an essay about this topic, using quotations from the Preface as well as from the rest of the play.

Essay Topic 3

Write a compare and contrast essay about Higgins and Pickering. In the essay, compare the way Higgins treats Liza to the way Pickering treats her, giving specific examples and quotations from the play. Consider, too, the way both men behave toward other characters in the play. Is Higgins right that both men treat Liza the same as they would anyone else? Which man is more of a gentleman? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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