Saturday, December 10, 2016

In Pygmalion, why does Mr. Doolittle consider his new social status a burden?

In Pygmalion,Mr. Doolittle, the former dustman who thinks he'll end up in the poorhouse, comes into 3,000 pounds a year from the Pre-digested Cheese Trust. As a result, he says, "I have to live for others ... that's middle-class morality." His new burdens include lecturing for the Wannafeller Moral Reform World League up to six times a year, marrying his common law wife, and tolerating servants doing things for him that he could do...

In Pygmalion, Mr. Doolittle, the former dustman who thinks he'll end up in the poorhouse, comes into 3,000 pounds a year from the Pre-digested Cheese Trust. As a result, he says, "I have to live for others ... that's middle-class morality." His new burdens include lecturing for the Wannafeller Moral Reform World League up to six times a year, marrying his common law wife, and tolerating servants doing things for him that he could do for himself. He discovers, or is discovered by, 50 relatives who need money, whereas when he was poor, his relatives had no interest in him whatsoever. Doctors and lawyers now take up his time, whereas in the past, they wouldn't bother with him because he couldn't pay. In a nutshell, coming into enough money to lead a middle class life means everyone is clamoring for a piece of his money, leaving him little peace of mind. 

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