COMIC REALISM AND SOCIAL CRITIQUE: A STUDY OF HUMOR AS IDEOLOGICAL WEAPON IN GEORGE BERNARD SHAW’S PYGMALION

Abstract

This thesis explores how George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion employs comic realism and satire to critique social class, gender roles, and linguistic ideology. By focusing on the transformation of Eliza Doolittle, the study reveals how language is used as a tool of both empowerment and control. Drawing on theories from sociolinguistics, linguistic criticism, and feminist discourse, the analysis uncovers the ideological implications of speech, identity, and social mobility. Shaw challenges the traditional comic structure by rejecting romantic closure and emphasizing self-awareness over assimilation. The play ultimately illustrates that real transformation comes not from external refinement but from individual agency and resistance to imposed norms.