As stated
above, a "problem play" is a drama revolving around the theme of one specific social
problem or a group of related social problems. , like many of Shaw's plays,
addresses the problem of the changing roles of middle class women. Aristocratic or upper class
women would be supported by their families or husbands. There were many jobs available for lower
class women, ranging from domestic service to factory positions. When Eliza is catapulted into
the middle classes via accent reform, she can no longer return to her old life as a flower girl,
but she lacks the financial grounds for entry into the upper classes and sees sponging off
Pickering and Higgins as morally problematic. Instead, what Shaw suggests is that for women to
live lives of moral integrity, they must have freedom to develop careers in the same way as men
do. Eliza's choice to open a high-end flower shop is a typically Shavian solution. In many ways,
Pygmalion, as well as being a highly entertaining drama, functions as a
logical argument concerning how the "new woman" can live a life that engages her
mental faculties and potential as a human being.
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