The image of super woman: a portrayal of woman in Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and the millionairess

Abstract

Socialism and Feminism stand first in the list of factors that influenced Shaw in creating strong women characters that must have looked arrogant and brass to the Victorian audience who had assigned a gentile and soft gender role to women. Shaw not only has created assertive women characters but he has created men with an open mind to accept such a woman as part of their society. This creation of understanding and accommodating men has complemented Shaw’s women characters and has lent the space for them to move freely and interact with utmost liberty. If Shaw had created men who had narrower views on gender equality and who are confirmative, Shaw would not have created a truly explosive gender dynamics that has become the hallmark of his plays. It is the influence of socialism and socialists which empowered Shaw to create and present such advanced characters and environment in his plays.