Jasmine Grotte

Composition 1

May 1, 2007                       

                                             My Fair Lady

 The movie My Fair Lady is a picturesque example of the life of a common day student at a university. Elisa, like a student, struggled and persevered. She was frightened and courageous. She found herself staring at a golden opportunity, just an arms reach away, and taking the plunge into an unknown world in hopes of breaking through to a new world full of  adventure. This movie holds an array of arousing inspirations, and should be treasured by all attending a college in hopes of success.

     Elisa’s drive in the movie is her incurable yearning to enter the middle class. She is mocked publicly by Henry Higgins and she is used as boasting stools for him to victaciously prove his expansive knowledge of the English language. He gasconaded that he could even teach this street urchin to speak well enough to work at a flower shop. Enamored at the thought, Elisa washes her face and hands and gathers what bit of money she can muster to persuade Higgins to full fill his extravagant boast. 

     At this point, Elisa has taken the first step toward bettering herself for a future career. A college student who works tedious summer jobs for savings, and follows through with extensive testing has also made a giant leap toward their future degree.

     There is a point where every college bound student will face family or friends who prevaricate against the logic of wasting money and time at a university in lieu of focusing on their specific career path and finding their own way. Many have argued that a college education only gives an individual a pat on the back for work that they could have accomplished on their own. They also contend that a person will earn more respect for life experience and ‘making it’ then they ever could for studying books. These are weak points and hold no solid falsifiable ground. A person just has to apply for a job, even at McDonalds, to understand the necessity of a college degree in this generation. 

     Elisa began to feel the indubitable stress of her particular situation only moments after she had entered Higgins house. She worked night and day with him, retiring rarely to rest. A college student can easily relate, as a student I have a kindred stress. My professor might refrain from treating his students like dirt under his feet, but I find myself solely dependent on caffeine to remain bright eyed and alert.  Juggling two jobs and school leave me with a lucky five hours of sleep a night. That bit of circumstantial relativity is why I find Elisa’s story so inspirational. If she can come up from a poverty stricken life, then I can survive graveyard shift.

The movies simple message to the masses is to keep up the good fight, hard labor reaps well earned rewards.