If the Shoe Fits: A Comparative Analysis of Cinderella and Pretty Woman

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Recommended: Fairy Tales and Gender Stereotypes

Attention Getter. Fairy tales portray the idea that anything is possible for someone no matter the person or their social class. The fairy tale of Cinderella tells a story of a woman who has nothing in life, but, with help, finds a prince with whom she lives “happily ever after.” The fairy tale, however, fails to acknowledge that there is any love between the prince and Cinderella, a key aspect of a relationship. The movie Pretty Woman, directed by Garry Marshall, illustrates the Cinderella idea that a man knows what he wants in a woman, but also that he must be in love. In the movie, the main character Edward Lewis realizes that Vivian is a woman who fits his lifestyle and that he could be with, but in addition falls in love with Vivian and the woman that she is. This suggests that Garry Marshall was making the claim that, in addition to chemistry and compatibility, love must be a present factor in a meaningful relationship.

The movie Pretty Woman takes place in Los Angeles where one of the main characters, Edward Lewis, leaves a party he was attending, finding himself on Hollywood Boulevard having to stop for directions when he is approached by a prostitute. The prostitute, Vivian Ward, offers him directions to his hotel and ends up driving him there. About to go to into the hotel, Edward decides to hire Vivian for the night and invites her inside to his room. The next day Edward asks Vivian if he could hire her for the rest of the week to which Vivian replies that it will cost him. Edward hires Vivian as an “employee” for the entirety of the week for $3,000 dollars. Giving Vivian access to his credit cards, Edward tells Vivian to purchase some new clothes so that she can change out of her street clothes. Vivian is unsuccessfu...

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... himself very compatible and eventually realizes his love for her. Even though a person may have all the material items they desire and can find a woman equally wealthy, happiness is not guaranteed because of these facts. While chemistry and compatibility is a factor in relationships, love is equally if not more important of an aspect. In addition, love does not discriminate; it does not discriminate according to social class or the material items that one owns.

Works Cited

Baum, Rob. “Cultural Analysis, Volume 1, 200: After the Ball Is Over: Bringing Cinderella

Home.” Socrates.berkeley.edu. 12 Dec, 2010. Web.

Kolbenschlag, Madonna. “A Feminist’s View of ‘Cinderella’.” Writing and Reading Across the

Curriculum (3rd Ed.). Glenview: 1988. 562-567. Print.

Pretty Woman. Dr. Garry Marshall. Perf. Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. Touchstone Pictures,

1990. Film.

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