Comparing Shaw's Pygmalion and Ibsen's A Doll's House

What is the common theme in both Shaw's Pygmalion and Ibsen's A Doll's House?

What is the target of the transformation of Nora and Eliza?

What is the theme of Pygmalion?

What is the commonality between Nora and Eliza?

What is the outcome of the transformation of Nora and Eliza?

What is the significant difference between Nora and Eliza's transformation?

What is the primary role that Nora's husband, Torvald, expects her to fulfill in their marriage?

What is the significance of Eliza's remark in the final act of Pygmalion?

What motivates Nora to take out a secret loan in the play?

What is the main difference between Nora and Eliza's treatment by their respective male counterparts?

What is the outcome of Eliza's transformation in Pygmalion?

What is the underlying theme common to both A Doll's House and Pygmalion?

Common Themes in Shaw's Pygmalion and Ibsen's A Doll's House

Both plays deal with the theme of transformation of individuals, focusing on the two female protagonists, Nora and Eliza.
Both women undergo a transformation from an "inanimate existence" to a life of self-respect and self-esteem.

Nora in A Doll's House

Nora is treated like a doll by her husband Torvald, who lures her with flatters and sees her as a precious thing in his life.
Nora is a devoted wife, mother, and household, but feels unfulfilled and seeks self-realization beyond her domestic duties.
She discovers she has capacities, intelligence, ambition, and courage to go beyond her wifehood bonds.

Eliza in Pygmalion

Eliza is a lower-class flower girl who is trained by Professor Henry Higgins to become a duchess and speak pure English.
Eliza stays with Higgins for 6 months to learn good manners and speech, influenced by Pickering's unintentional boost to her self-respect and dignity.
As Eliza is shown to others, her speech and manners become those of a real duchess, but Higgins comes to understand that it's not just about pronunciation, but what she pronounces.

Transformation of the Female Characters

Both Nora and Eliza undergo a transformation from their initial states, with a focus on their self-respect and self-esteem.
Nora's courage is seen in her secret loan to preserve her husband's health, while Eliza's transformation leads her to aspire to new ambitions in her life.
The plays illustrate that the transformation of the individual is a key theme, with the female characters seeking to break free from patriarchal and societal constraints.

This quiz explores the themes of transformation and social issues in Shaw's Pygmalion and Ibsen's A Doll's House. It analyzes the protagonists, Eliza and Nora, and their journey from oppression to self-discovery.