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| re: Why is Pickering so oblivious to Eliza during YOU DID IT? | |
| Last Edit: mikem 11:36 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
| Posted by: mikem 11:27 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Why is Pickering so oblivious to Eliza during YOU DID IT? - JereNYC 04:08 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
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| I don't know the text of My Fair Lady that well -- is Pickering paying the expenses for the "Eliza experiment"? Higgins is apparently quite wealthy in his own right, since he has a large house and multiple servants even though he lives by himself (and, if we believe his songs, the thought that he would buy a large house in case he would find a romantic partner is out of the question). My only experience with large houses and servants is from Downton Abbey, but it's not clear to me why a single man who is not part of the nobility and who is a bit of a misanthrope would need so many servants for a single house in the city. I don't see Higgins regularly hosting large social gatherings that require servants to staff and to clean up afterwards, although he invites Pickering to stay with him with great ease. I agree with JereNYC that Pickering's disregard of Eliza is out of character. Pickering is useful to the writers in the pre-ball scenes as a counterpoint to Higgins's behavior. But, as JereNYC says, the plot is smoother if he pivots suddenly, so pivot he does. I think Pickering could take more of a middle ground during "You Did It" and still make it clear to Eliza after the song has ended that the experiment is over and she needs to leave the house and return to her old life. He could say something to her like, "What did you think would happen after the bet was over?" with empathy rather than scorn. Perhaps if My Fair Lady was written a few decades later, that would have been the way it would have played out. |
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| re: Why is Pickering so oblivious to Eliza during YOU DID IT? | |
| Posted by: JereNYC (JereNYC@aol.com) 10:32 am EDT 08/23/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Why is Pickering so oblivious to Eliza during YOU DID IT? - mikem 11:27 pm EDT 08/22/22 | |
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| Eliza comes to Higgins in Act II and asks if her clothes belong to her or to Colonel PIckering, who, presumeably, paid for them. My assumption has always been that Higgins is providing the house and the staff and the food (for both Pickering and Eliza) and that Pickering is paying for everything else having to do with the project. | |
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| re: Why is Pickering so oblivious to Eliza during YOU DID IT? | |
| Posted by: mikem 09:59 pm EDT 08/23/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Why is Pickering so oblivious to Eliza during YOU DID IT? - JereNYC 10:32 am EDT 08/23/22 | |
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| JereNYC, thanks for the reminder about the clothes comment, which seems to indicate Pickering is paying for some of Eliza's expenses. | |
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| re: Why is Pickering so oblivious to Eliza during YOU DID IT? | |
| Posted by: CCentero 10:17 pm EDT 08/23/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Why is Pickering so oblivious to Eliza during YOU DID IT? - mikem 09:59 pm EDT 08/23/22 | |
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| It's clearly stated in Act 1. Pickering proposes the bet with Higgins, saying that he'll pay all expenses and for the lessons. | |
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