On the Mirror Stage with Henry and Eliza or Play-ing with Pygmalion in Five Acts

This play-ful paper examines the Pygmalion myth as interpreted by George Bernard Shaw in the 1938 film, an adaptation of his 1912 play. This myth of creation is discussed as a cautionary parable for the psychoanalytic treatment situation; mirroring is viewed from the perspectives of Winnicott, Kohut, and Lacan. It is suggested that the wish to create and to be created may play a role in all analyses.