Chapter: 09. A Comedy Of Manners
Comprehension Questions
A. Answer these questions.
Where does Act II Scene I take place, and what is its significance to Professor Higgins’s work? What is Eliza’s initial offer for lessons, and why does she think it’s a fair price? How does Higgins react when Pickering proposes the bet about the Ambassador’s garden party? Describe Alfred Doolittle’s reaction upon seeing Eliza after her transformation. What specific challenge does Eliza face during her first phonetics lesson with Higgins? What reward does Higgins give Eliza when she successfully pronounces “cup”? B. Answer these questions with reference to the context.
“Don’t you be so saucy. I’m come to have lessons. And to pay for 'em too.”
a. Who is the speaker of these lines?
b. What does the speaker mean by “saucy”?
c. What does this statement reveal about the speaker’s character? “The greatest difficulty will be to get her to talk grammar.”
a. Who says this and about whom?
b. What does this line tell us about the speaker’s focus regarding Eliza’s transformation?
c. Why does the speaker consider grammar a “greatest difficulty”? “By God, she’s done it at the first shot.”
a. Who is the speaker, and what specific action is being referred to?
b. What does “at the first shot” imply about the outcome?
c. How does this line reflect the speaker’s feelings or expectations? C. Think and answer.
How does the play challenge or reinforce stereotypes about social class and education? Use examples from the text to support your answer. Discuss Professor Higgins’s teaching methods. Are they effective? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Analyze the role of Colonel Pickering in the play. How does he influence the actions of Higgins and Eliza? 
Comprehension