Bernard Shaw’s concern for the perfection of the English language in his Comedy “Pygmalion” content introduction chapter I. George Bernard Shaw's life and work

2.2. Themes and symbols
The theme of any work is generally defined as the overall subject of the piece of writing. In Pygmalion, the three most prominent themes George Bernard Shaw presents to his reader are: feminism, change, and communication. How a woman is “supposed” to behave is a societal construct that has a firm hold on many people. It had an especially firm grasp on people during the late 1800s, which gives the reader the setting for Shaw’s play. In this play, Shaw explored what it means to be a woman and what the woman’s “proper place” is. Look at, for example, Mrs. Pearce, who fulfilled the traditional role of a housekeeper. She was a prime example of a “proper” woman. When she is juxtaposed with Eliza, however, the reader is able to see that while both characters are lovable, only one is “proper.” Eliza defied the traditional role of women in British society with her poor use of the English language and her livid cursing. Through those two prominent female characters, Shaw explored a theme of the role of women in society.
In addition, Shaw also explored a more obvious theme: that of change. Eliza quite literally transformed during the play in a rather physical sense. This is as opposed to Higgins, who transformed ever so slightly in the emotional sense. The final theme of communication was also rather obvious. Throughout his work, Shaw pushed the reader to define what communication was and how it affected the characters. Of course, there was the literal communication that was achieved, but on a deeper level, how the words were pronounced changed how Higgins interacted with Eliza. That same idea--that how one pronounces words changes how they are treated--is still common today. This is what made Shaw’s theme so universal. Take, for example, the typical “Valley Girl.” Due to the stereotype that a Valley Girl uses phrases such as “whatever,” “as if,” and “like,” in a high-pitched, quipped manner that is perceived as annoying, many treat the Valley Girl with blatant disrespect. Thus, Shaw’s theme is universal. The three most prominent themes of Shaw’s work were those surrounding femininity, change, and communication.