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The Library
of Alexandria

A character in Pygmalion

Who is Mrs Higgins?

By the Library of Alexandria · 2 minute read · Updated 23. Okt 2026

In short

  • Mrs Higgins is Henry Higgins's sensible mother in Pygmalion, Bernard Shaw's play about speech, class and respect.
  • She receives Eliza in her home, where a social visit becomes a test of the young woman's training.
  • She challenges Henry and Colonel Pickering to consider Eliza's future, rather than simply the success of their experiment.

Who Mrs Higgins is

Mrs Higgins is the professor's mother, and her home becomes an early testing ground for Eliza's new speech. She receives visitors on certain afternoons and has told Henry to stay away because his manners are so poor. He comes anyway, bringing Eliza to meet her guests as a trial of his teaching.

Mrs Higgins and the others in the story

Mrs Higgins sees a problem that Henry and Colonel Pickering overlook in their enthusiasm for the experiment. Eliza's improved accent does not mean that she knows which subjects and expressions suit the company. While the men focus on their achievement, Mrs Higgins recognises that they are dealing with a living young woman.

What Mrs Higgins wants

Mrs Higgins wants the men to think about what Eliza will do when her lessons are over. She asks about Eliza's future, but Henry and Pickering brush her concern aside and remain absorbed in their game. Her concern shifts attention from changing someone's speech to taking responsibility for the person whose life is changing.

Questions

Who is Mrs Higgins in Pygmalion?

Mrs Higgins is Henry Higgins's mother, a sensible woman who questions his treatment of Eliza.

How does Mrs Higgins feel about Eliza's training?

She is concerned that the men treat Eliza as a plaything and make no plan for her future.

Why does Henry bring Eliza to Mrs Higgins's home?

He brings Eliza to test her speech and manners among his mother's visitors.

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