The ending of the play is ambiguous in that the audience does not know whether Eliza marries Freddy or returns to live with Higgins. Why did Shaw write such an open ending? Cite evidence from Eliza’s closing speeches to indicate which choice you believe she makes.
In the ending of Pygmalion, all the arguments and tension between Eliza and Higgins come to a head. Eliza flees from Higgins house to his mothers and he follows her to try to get her to come back. She says she won’t until he gives her kindness and respect and he refuses. They argue back and forth until Eliza finally exits, and the audience is left wondering whether she will return to Higgins as he is sure she will or if she will go to Freddy and make a life for herself.
I believe Shaw left an opening to end to have the audience to determine for themselves whether or not she leave Higgins. If Eliza leaves Higgins and goes to Freddy, then she will be completely independent from him; the creation will no longer be dependent on the creator. However if she stays, Higgins will remain in control of her. Thus, the creator controls his creation. Perhaps Shaw wanted us to make the decision for ourselves whether or not the artist and the art should be kept together or separate.
I believe Eliza makes the choice to leave Higgins. Besides the epilogue which states she does, we can infer from her ending speech that she will;
I believe Shaw left an opening to end to have the audience to determine for themselves whether or not she leave Higgins. If Eliza leaves Higgins and goes to Freddy, then she will be completely independent from him; the creation will no longer be dependent on the creator. However if she stays, Higgins will remain in control of her. Thus, the creator controls his creation. Perhaps Shaw wanted us to make the decision for ourselves whether or not the artist and the art should be kept together or separate.
I believe Eliza makes the choice to leave Higgins. Besides the epilogue which states she does, we can infer from her ending speech that she will;
“ELIZA: Aha! Now I know how to deal with you. What a fool I was not to think of it before! You can't take away the knowledge you gave me. You said I had a finer ear than you. And I can be civil and kind to people, which is more than you can. Aha! That's done you, Henry Higgins, it has. Now I don't care that [snapping her fingers] for your bullying and your big talk. I'll advertise it in the papers that your duchess is only a flower girl that you taught, and that she'll teach anybody to be a duchess just the same in six months for a thousand guineas. Oh, when I think of myself crawling under your feet and being trampled on and called names, when all the time I had only to lift up my finger to be as good as you, I could just kick myself”
It is with this realization that Eliza becomes equal with her creator, even better as she states, and I don’t believe a creation that is equal or better than its creator can live in harmony with it. She no longer needs to rely on Higgins and therefore she becomes completely independent from him. Why should she suffer his abuse when she need not too? It is with this reasoning I believe she leaves Higgins.