Henry Higgins Timeline and Summary

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• A bystander tells The Flower Girl (Eliza) that a man (Higgins) is writing down everything she says.
• Higgins, here called The Note Taker, steps forward and reveals himself. He goes on to tell Eliza to shut up and stop making a commotion.
• Instead of explaining himself, he correctly guesses where a number of people in the crowd come from just by listening to them.
• Higgins explains to the gentleman that he can perform his trick because he has studied phonetics, that phonetics is his profession.
• He tells the flower girl to shut up and stop butchering the English language.
• Higgins tells the Gentleman that he could turn the Flower Girl into a duchess in six months' time.
• He introduces himself to Colonel Pickering. They agree to go have dinner.
• Higgins gives Eliza some money out of pity.
• Higgins agrees to teach Eliza after Pickering bets he can't turn her into a duchess.
• He bosses Eliza around.
• Higgins doesn't pay attention to Mrs. Pearce's advice.
• He pays Eliza's father, Alfred Doolittle, five pounds in order to keep him from taking back his daughter.
• Higgins is amazed when he sees how beautiful Eliza is when she's cleaned up.
• He gets ready for a tough task.
• Higgins asks his mother to help with his experiment.
• He doesn't listen to his mother when she says no.
• Higgins tells his mother that he's bringing Eliza to her party.
• He tells his mother he has no interest in women.
• Higgins guides Eliza into the party.
• He signals for her to leave when things get out of hand.
• Higgins tells his mother how wonderful Eliza is.
• He ignores his mother's advice.
• Higgins wins the bet.
• He fails to congratulate Eliza for helping him win the bet.
• Higgins talks about how boring the bet was.
• Higgins has a shoe thrown at him by Eliza.
• He gets angry.
• Higgins nearly hits Eliza.
• He goes to bed.
• Higgins shows up at his mother's apartment looking for Eliza.
• He can't do anything without her.
• Higgins argues with his mother.
• Higgins is interrupted by Doolittle.
• He is blamed for ruining Doolittle's life.
• Higgins is flabbergasted when Eliza emerges from upstairs looking confident.
• He doesn't allow Doolittle to take custody of Eliza.
• He argues with Eliza.
• Higgins suggests Eliza get married.
• Higgins gets angry when Eliza threatens to marry Freddy and/or go into business competition with Higgins.
• He nearly strangles Eliza.
• Higgins proclaims that she is no his equal.
• He asks her to stay.
• Higgins is confident that she will return even after she turns him down.