The Princess Diaries Mia Thermopolis’s Life

To achieve these transformations both Eliza Doolittle and Mia Thermopolis had to undertake elocution lessons to learn how to speak properly and to dress and act the way an upper social class citizen or a princess would. Both of these young women have achieved what they once thought was the impossible, a flower girl to a duchess and a regular teenager turned into royalty.

The play Pygmalion is set in London in the early 1900’s when the division between classes is very apparent. Eliza Doolittle who was originally a flower girl is transformed into the elite society of London. In Pygmalion we see a society that is divided by social class. This is shown at the start of the play when the different social classes, who would not normally interact with one another are forced to find shelter under the porch of church. An upper-class man Freddy bumps into a flower girl who is also known as Eliza Doolittle, who calls him by his first name.

Freddy’s mother is shocked and confused as to why the lower-class girl knows who her son is. When the mother asks how she knew her sons name Eliza replies with “I called him Freddy or Charlie same as you might yourself if you was talking to a stranger and wished to be pleasant”.

The mothers misunderstanding arises from the lack of knowledge of lower class slang. In the first act Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle’s relationship is foreshadowed as they do not yet know each other. Henry is taking notes on Eliza’s speech, Eliza gets upset and tells him to mind his own business in which he replies with “A woman who utters such depressing and disgusting sounds has no right to live”.

He then proceeds to inform her that her dialect will keep her in the lower class for the rest of her life, but that he could pass her off as a duchess at and ambassador’s garden party. This is the start of Eliza’s transformation process.

Similarly, in the film The Princess Diaries Mia Thermopolis’s life is the 21st century of Pygmalion you could say. Her priorities are not her looks or her social status and is quite careless when it comes to what her hair looks like when she leaves the house each morning. This all changes one day when it is revealed to her that her father is heir to the throne. Mia is shocked that one day she will have to rule Genovia.

The Princess diaries is set in the 21st century. Social classes have transformed from the 1900’s, for Mia different social classes surround her at school, not separated like in the 1900’s and Mia struggles to fit into the popular upper class, with their clothes and cars. Mia is not like the popular girls. This is first shown as one of her own teacher disregards her and says hello to her friend lily and says “hello lily’s friend’’ to her. The director uses a mid angle shot so the audience can see the distance between the two