"Pygmalion," presented to the public in 1914, caused both joy and controversy. This ironically witty work, derived from the classic story of the sculptor Pygmalion who falls in love with his perfect female statue, is notable for its sharp critique of the British class system and also reflects the feminist views of George Bernard Shaw. In this interpretation, the phonetician Henry Higgins is the Pygmalion figure, convinced he can transform Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower seller, into a duchess who feels at home in high society. The only thing he overlooks is that his "creation" possesses a mind and will of its own.