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Literary Devices
Definition of Alliteration
Alliteration is a figure of speech in which the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the “b” sound in: “Bob brought the box of bricks to... read full definition
Alliteration is a figure of speech in which the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the “b” sound in: “Bob brought... read full definition
Alliteration is a figure of speech in which the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the... read full definition
Act 2
Explanation and Analysis—Boots, Butter, Bread:
In Act 2, after Mr. Higgins has decided to host Eliza in his home and tutor her, he is confronted by his maid and head of house Mrs. Pearce. In a scene in the kitchen, both Mr. Higgins and Mrs. Pearce reference alliteration and use it to differing effects. Mrs. Pearce points out Mr. Higgins’s hypocrisy; he is supposedly training Eliza out of her lower-class mannerisms and way of speaking, yet he is guilty of using foul language himself. Mrs. Pearce confronts him, trying to encourage him not to use the word "bloody," in order to set a better example for Eliza. She cites examples of his use of the word, saying:
Only this morning, sir, you applied it to your boots, to the butter, and to the brown bread.
Related Themes:
