Language and Metadrama in Major Barbara and Pygmalion: Shavian Sisters

This book explores the themes of language and metadrama in Shaws Major Barbara and Pygmalion, highlighting the importance of performance and the problem of language in the stories of the two "Shavian sisters." It also examines the language content in these plays and discusses how language and theatre are present in our everyday lives.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 229 pages
Publication date: 03 March 2023
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

This book delves into two significant themes in George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara and Pygmalion that have received limited critical attention: language and metadrama. When we examine these plays beyond their social, political, and economic dimensions, we uncover a profound concern with performance and what Jacques Derrida refers to as "the problem of language." Nearly every character in Major Barbara engages in producing, directing, or acting in at least one miniature play. In Pygmalion, Henry Higgins serves as Eliza Doolittle's acting coach and phonetics teacher, while also taking center stage in an impromptu phonetics show. The language in these two plays is equally captivating. Did Eliza Doolittle need to acquire Standard English to achieve full humanity? Should we be concerned about the grammatical errors we hear at Barbara Undershaft's Salvation Army shelter? Are English's precision and purity diminishing? Meanwhile, Shaw persistently reminds us that language and theatre permeate our daily lives, functioning as both stabilizing and disruptive forces.

Weight: 329g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030960735
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022