While they are talking, Higgins' housekeeper, Mrs. Pearce, informs him that a young woman wishes to see him. Higgins asks her to send the visitor in, thinking it might be someone interesting. To everyone's surprise, the visitor is the flower girl whom Higgins met the previous night in Covent Garden. She has cleaned herself a little and has come with a serious purpose.
The flower girl introduces herself as Eliza Doolittle. She tells Higgins that she wants to work in a respectable flower shop at Tottenham Court Road, but she cannot get the job because of her poor pronunciation. Since Higgins had claimed that he could teach her to speak like a lady, she has come to take lessons. She even offers to pay him a shilling for each lesson, believing it to be a fair amount. Though the money is small, Higgins points out to Pickering that it represents a large part of Eliza's daily earnings. He is impressed by her determination and willingness to improve herself.
Colonel Pickering suddenly remembers Higgins' boast from the previous night. He challenges Higgins by saying that if he can successfully transform Eliza into a refined lady who can pass as a duchess at an ambassador's garden party, he will pay all the expenses of the experiment. Higgins gladly accepts the challenge. Excited by the idea, he decides to begin Eliza's training immediately. This marks the beginning of the famous experiment that forms the central plot of the play.
Higgins immediately orders Mrs. Pearce to take Eliza upstairs, give her a bath, burn all her old clothes, and buy her new ones. His harsh manner frightens Eliza, who feels that Higgins is treating her like an object rather than a human being. She protests angrily, saying that she is a respectable girl. Mrs. Pearce repeatedly advises Higgins to behave more kindly and reminds him that Eliza has feelings. Higgins, however, pays little attention to her emotions and remains interested mainly in his experiment.
Mrs. Pearce also questions Higgins about his responsibility. She asks what will happen to Eliza after the lessons are over. Higgins casually replies that once he finishes teaching her, she can return to her old life if she wishes. Mrs. Pearce is shocked by his lack of concern. She warns him that he cannot simply pick up a girl from the streets without thinking about her future. Pickering agrees with Mrs. Pearce and insists that Eliza must clearly understand the nature of the experiment before it begins.
Eliza is tempted to leave because she feels insulted by Higgins' rude behaviour. Higgins cleverly persuades her to stay by offering chocolates and promising her a comfortable life. He tells her that if she succeeds, she will wear beautiful clothes, ride in carriages, and become a lady. Though she remains doubtful, Eliza is attracted by the possibility of changing her life and finally agrees to continue.
Before Eliza goes for her bath, Mrs. Pearce privately warns Higgins about his careless habits. She tells him not to swear in front of Eliza because she may imitate his bad language. She also advises him to be more careful about cleanliness and manners if he expects Eliza to become a lady. Higgins promises to follow her advice, though he does not seem to take it very seriously. This conversation reveals that Higgins himself needs lessons in proper behaviour.
Soon another visitor arrives—Alfred Doolittle, Eliza's father. He is a dustman with a lively personality and a gift for speaking. At first, Higgins assumes that Doolittle has come to take his daughter home. However, Doolittle surprises everyone by admitting that he is not interested in getting Eliza back. Instead, he openly asks Higgins to give him five pounds because Eliza may benefit from the arrangement, and he believes he too deserves something from it. His honesty about his lack of morals creates both humour and irony.
Pickering is shocked that a father appears willing to accept money instead of taking his daughter home. Higgins accuses Doolittle of trying to sell his daughter. Doolittle replies that although he is poor, he knows his own nature and does not pretend to be morally superior. Higgins finds Doolittle's unusual honesty amusing and finally gives him five pounds. Doolittle happily accepts the money and leaves. His visit provides a sharp criticism of society's ideas about morality, poverty, and respectability.
After Doolittle leaves, Eliza returns, completely transformed by a bath and clean clothes. She now looks fresh, attractive, and almost unrecognisable. Her father proudly admires her appearance, while Higgins and Pickering are delighted by the remarkable change. Eliza herself enjoys her new appearance and begins to feel more confident. However, she still speaks in her old Cockney dialect, reminding everyone that changing one's appearance is much easier than changing one's speech and manners.
Eliza expresses her desire to become a real lady. She asks Pickering to call her "Miss Doolittle," and dreams of wearing fashionable clothes and living a better life. Higgins warns her not to become a snob by forgetting her old friends, while Mrs. Pearce brings more new clothes for Eliza to try on. As Eliza happily rushes away, Higgins remarks that they have undertaken a difficult task, and Pickering agrees. The act ends with both men realising the challenge that lies ahead in transforming Eliza into a refined lady.
Act II develops the central conflict of the play by beginning Higgins' experiment. It introduces important themes such as education, social class, personal transformation, responsibility, morality, dignity, and the power of language. It also reveals the contrasting personalities of Higgins, Pickering, Mrs. Pearce, Eliza, and Alfred Doolittle, preparing the audience for the dramatic changes that follow in the later acts.>
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