We never see any complete families in Pygmalion. We see Eliza's father, but her stepmother is only mentioned in passing. Mrs. Higgins plays a large role, but her husband is never mentioned. The same goes for the Eynsford Hill family. What's shaw trying to tell us here?
Families are somewhat disconnected and do not necessarily follow the typical family structure. Shaw certainly saw the changes in the family structure during his era, yet this may be nothing more than a reference to the fact that Shaw used the characters he needed when he needed them. Alfred P. Doolittle is nothing more than a moocher and we learn that he has been married several times - hardly a good family environment for a girl. Freddy's family seems to have more status than anything else; at one point Eliza thinks she would have to support Freddy if she did marry him. Higgins' mother is a strong personality who seems in charge of the household; part of the message may be that in most families, only one person is in charge.
