At first glance and introduction, it appears that Mr. Doolittle is nothing more than a sloppy and uncouth sailor. It serves the plot as nothing more than a physical representation of where Eliza comes from. However, in the two scenes he is in, he steals the show. His listless, contented nature belies a man with a sharp mind, sharp ideals and an even sharper tongue. Alfred Doolittle is a man who knows what makes him happy and doesn't like the responsibility he would gain if he improved the quality of his life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay One of the most important parts of Mr. Doolittle's character are his words. His natural gift of rhetoric reveals the brilliant mind beneath his callous exterior. It's the audience's first clear look at the true depth of Mr. Doolittle's character. One of the things Doolittle talks about most in his first appearance is his own contentment. An example is found in lines 255-259 of Act II, where he says: “Undeserving poverty is my line. Taking one position in society with another, it's... it's... well, it's the only one that has a little bit of ginger in it, to my taste. Before and after his “transformation,” he talks about being satisfied with his current position. All he wants is, sometimes, some simple, earthly pleasures. He talks about his disgust with the codependency and responsibility that comes with being a member of the middle class, “middle class morality.” His complaints are most easily summed up in lines 67 and 68 of Act V when he sighs and says, "Now I should provide for all, out of three thousand a year." His words are his greatest strength in this play and he wishes to use them only for the bare minimum of his desires. They make his lack of motivation clear. While Mr. Doolittle's words tell the reader about his strengths and values, his actions tell the reader about his relationship with morality. The first thing she does in the play is use Eliza's position with Henry to ask for money. This view of Doolittle's morality offers the audience a basis for comparison for its further development. He views morality as a privilege granted only to the upper classes. Later, when he becomes rich, he views his responsibility to his family as a terrible curse that he must bear. Another of his signature actions is rejecting any offer that he believes is superior to him. Twice Higgins offers him something beyond his original request: “a place in the toilet” and ten pounds. Both times, Doolittle refuses, saying that all he wants is to do a little splurge and then continue his normal life. Because of the sarcasm and manipulation implicit in Doolittle's words, it is difficult to judge his motives. However, it could be argued that Doolittle's sense of self-worth is, in its own way, a form of morality. It is clear that his moral sense is directly linked to his financial situation. When he becomes rich, he immediately becomes a "victim" of the same sensitivity to which he declared himself superior when he was poor. He has few beliefs that are not subject to change with the slightest change in his financial situation. The characters' reactions to Mr. Doolittle give, in a sense, clearer pictures of his character than his own words. Eliza's bitter anger and revulsion towards him imply a long history of cruelty and abandonment on his part. This is further confirmed by Doolittle's encouragement for Higgins to beat Eliza. It is Higgins's curiosity towards Mr. Doolittle that really confirms that although she is not a good one.