“ the difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she's treated. ”
George Bernard Shaw, Pygmalion (1913). copy citation
| Author | George Bernard Shaw |
|---|---|
| Source | Pygmalion |
| Topic | respect lady girl |
| Date | 1913 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3825/3825-h/3825-h.htm |
Context
“PICKERING. You mustn't mind that. Higgins takes off his boots all over the place.
LIZA. I know. I am not blaming him. It is his way, isn't it? But it made such a difference to me that you didn't do it. You see, really and truly, apart from the things anyone can pick up (the dressing and the proper way of speaking, and so on), the difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she's treated. I shall always be a flower girl to Professor Higgins, because he always treats me as a flower girl, and always will; but I know I can be a lady to you, because you always treat me as a lady, and always will.” source
LIZA. I know. I am not blaming him. It is his way, isn't it? But it made such a difference to me that you didn't do it. You see, really and truly, apart from the things anyone can pick up (the dressing and the proper way of speaking, and so on), the difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she's treated. I shall always be a flower girl to Professor Higgins, because he always treats me as a flower girl, and always will; but I know I can be a lady to you, because you always treat me as a lady, and always will.” source
Meaning and analysis
