Act II

New Vocabulary Words: phonograph/genial/impetuous

1. petulance: insolent or rude in speech or behavior

deplorable: expressing grief : MOURNFUL
/consequential/

2. brusquely: markedly short and abrupt/ blunt in manner or speech often to the point of ungracious harshness

10. lingo: strange or incomprehensible language or speech: as a : a foreign language

/saucy/

Pi·ra·ne·si: 1720-1778 Italian architect, painter, & engraver; made series of engravings of classical architecture which contributed to 18th-century Neoclassical movement and to interest in archaeology/

mezzotint: 1 : a manner of engraving on copper or steel by scraping or burnishing a roughened surface to produce light and shade
2 : an engraving produced by mezzotint

3. peremptorily: a : putting an end to or precluding a right of action, debate, or delay <a peremptory mandamus> b : admitting of no contradiction <a peremptory conclusion based on absolute evidence>
2 : expressive of urgency or command <a peremptory call>
3 a : characterized by often imperious or arrogant self-assurance

4. coyly: shrinking from contact or familiarity b : marked by cute, coquettish, or artful playfulness
2 : showing reluctance to make a definite commitment
 gut·ter·snipe: a person of the lowest moral or economic station

5. zephyr: a : a breeze from the west b : a gentle breeze
exquisiteness: 1 : carefully selected : CHOICE
2 archaic : ACCURATE
3 a : marked by flawless craftsmanship or by beautiful, ingenious, delicate, or elaborate execution b : marked by nice discrimination, deep sensitivity, or subtle understanding

9. modulation: 1 : a regulating according to measure or proportion : TEMPERING
2 : an inflection of the tone or pitch of the voice; specifically : the use of stress or pitch to convey meaning

6. elocutionary: a style of speaking especially in public
2 : the art of effective public speaking/deft/

7. intercept: to stop, seize, or interrupt in progress or course or before arrival b : to receive (a communication or signal directed elsewhere) usually secretly
remonstrance: an earnest presentation of reasons for opposition or grievance

8. presumptuous: overstepping due bounds (as of propriety or courtesy) : taking liberties

Procedure:

Part I

Aim: How did Higgins change his mind about accepting Eliza as his student?

• Based on the description of the setting ( page 17), what seems to be very important in Higgins' life? What are the most outstanding features of his drawing room? What does this tell you about him?
• What more do we know about Higgins as described on page 18 in the beginning of Act II?
• What's Bell's Visible Speech system?
• Why did the flower girl come to see Mr. Higgins? How did she find him?
• How different does she look in Act ii from when we saw her in Act I?
• How did she say she'd pay Prof. Higgins?
• Why did Higgins think what Eliza offered was fair?
• What was the bet between the two gentlemen?

HW #2  Describe in your own words based on page 17 what kind person Mr. Higgins is. Make a list of the words used to describe him in the play. Look up any word that you don't know.

HW#3: Write a diary entry from the point of view of Prof. Higgins describing his views of Eliza ,his plan for her, and how he persuaded her by bribing and threatening.

Part II

Aim: What does the bath scene tell us about Eliza?

Procedure:

Make a list of words and phrases that explain her view about taking baths.

Part III

Aim: What kind man is Mr. Doolittle? What would you say about his attitudes?

Procedure:

• Comment on Higgins' remarks about Women on page 30.
• What would Mr. Doolittle say about people who become rich quickly? What might he be (Or what could he do) in today's society? Why?
• What were some of Eliza's habits that that were detestable to Higgins and Ms. Pearce? If she met  lady, what would she say?

HW#4 Let MR. DooLittle address the congress about some social issues. First we need to go back to 1900 England to find our what the main social problems existed that time.

HW#5: Write a Lit Log#1 using the following format-

Log entries will consist of such things as scene summary; comments on the action, characters, language, themes, and so forth; and your personal reactions to those elements of the play.

Record all log entries in a notebook or in our Internet classroom at Nicenet.org

You will decide what to write and what forms to use, but there are three rules that you do need to follow:

1. Clearly label each entry with the act and scene number, and date.
2. Write after every reading assignment or activity.
3. Over the course of the play, respond to the topic of your interest regularly so that by the end you will have become an expert of that particular subject.

For each scene/act, do the minimum of three of the following:

1. Summarize the action of the scene.
2. Comment in one sentence on what you think is the significance of this scene. What would be the play like without it?
3. Ask questions about the scene. Has anything in the scene caused you confusion? Ask one of the characters in the scene a question- or ask me a question.
4. Quote lines from the scene that you enjoyed and comment on them.
5. Describe your reaction to a character, action, or ideas you confronted in the scene.
6. Talk about the relationships characters have to one another, quoting specific words or phrases to give evidence for your opinion.
7. Pretend you are an actor playing one of the characters in the scene. Get inside that character's mind. How the character feels about herself, about other characters, about the situation of the scene.
8. Record the references in each scene that are relevant to your topic.

Review and Discuss Act II

Your Response

1.Do you think Higgins will be successful in transforming Eliza into a "lady"? Why or why not?

Recalling

2.(a) Why has Eliza come to see Higgins?

(b) With what does she offer o pay him?

3. What are the terms of the bet that Pickering proposes?

4.(a) What are Mrs. Pearce's concerns in regard to the arrangement? (b) What are Pickering's?

5.(a) What is the purpose of Alfred Doolittles's visit? (b) How does Higgins respond to his demands?

Interpreting

6. What differences between Higgins and Pickering are pointed out in Act 2? 

7. (a) What is revealed about the role of women of this era? (b) About middle-class and lower-class ideals?

Applying

8. (a) How does Higgins's treatment of Eliza strike you? (b) Do you think this was Shaw's intention? Explain.

Understanding Character Development

Character development is the technique to showing change and growth in characters by their reactions to other characters and unfolding events. A static character is essentially unaltered by involvements of plot, whereas a dynamic character is affected, sometimes radically. In order to observe changes in a character, we must have a clear idea of what qualities that character possesses in the first place.

Using at least five adjectives or descriptive phrases, profile each of the five characters appearing in Act 2. Then tell which of the characters is static and which is dynamic, giving your reasons for your classifications.

Making Inferences About Characters

Occasionally, in a literary work, we receive conflicting reports on a character's ambitions, motives, and thoughts. This is because, as in real life, a character's self-image often differs drastically from the image other characters have of her or him. It is the responsibility of the alert reader to consider all information and then to infer, or conclude from the evidence, what the character is really like. Tell what impression the speaker of each of the following lines hopes to convey, and what impression he or she succeeds in conveying.

1. THE FLOWER GIRL. Did you tell him I come in a taxi? (page 984)

2. HIGGINS. / walk over everybody! My dear Mrs. Pearce, my dear Pickering, I never had the slightest intention of walking over anyone. (page 987)

3. DOOLITTLE. I come about a very serious matter, Governor. (page 994)

Comparing and Contrasting Characters

Using information you have accumulated about the characters thus far, write an essay that explores similarities and differences between any two of the characters in Act 2. First, select the characters and jot down notes about them. Then, write your first draft, remembering to pay attention to underlying motives and stage directions in arriving at an understanding of each character. When you revise, make sure your essay is ordered logically and that you have supported your thesis with details from the play. Proofread your essay and prepare and final draft.