While watching both Disney’s, “Cinderella,”
and the film, “Pretty Woman” one can clearly see a young woman experiencing a
journey as some may describe as “rags to riches” or going from a really tough
point to the top happiness point, with money involved. In both these films the
women reached success in similar yet different ways involving money, magic, and
a charming young man. The reality of this picture perfect ending is not very likely,
but is entertaining and hopeful.
In Disney’s “Cinderella,” Cinderella
is orphaned to her cruel step mother, and accompanied by her evil step sisters.
She is forced to do all house hold chores, and follow her step mother, and
sisters every command. She is saddened when she is not allowed to go to the
ball due to her step sisters ruining her beautiful gown that the house mice
made for her. She is crying when her magical fairy godmother appears, and uses
magic to help Cinderella go to the ball. The fairy godmother gives Cinderella a
carriage, with white horses, a beautiful new gown, and glass slippers. Cinderella
rushes to the ball, and the charming prince falls in love with her. They dance
together until the clock strikes midnight, and Cinderella must quickly leave
prior to the prince seeing her change back into her regular self. Yet, as
Cinderella runs down the steps of the castle, her glass slipper falls off, and
the prince sets out to find the girl whose foot will fit, and they will marry,
and live happily ever after. Cinderella’s step sisters try and fit into the
slipper, but there feet do not fit. Finally, Cinderella fits into the slipper,
and also shows that she still has the second slipper to farther prove that she
was the girl from the ball that the prince fell in love with. They marry, and
live happily ever after.
In Disney’s version Cinderella
experiences the perfect “rags to riches scenario. She goes from losing her
parents, living with an evil step mother and step sisters, and being forced to
do terrible household work, and simply just being bullied, to finding love
within the prince, who also comes with safety, money, and happiness. She goes
from an extremely low point, to an extremely high point thanks to magic in the
fairy godmother, who granted her the things she needed the night she met the
prince. Also thanks to a charming prince, who chose Cinderella, and loves her. In
reality, this is very unlikely to happen. Magic is not real in the case of
fairy godmothers turning a pumpkin into a carriage with one flick of a wand. Also,
women in hard situations from their childhood, like Cinderella will most likely
never have the opportunity to experience something like going to a
ball. This story is just not realistic at all, but it does portray the perfect
scenario of rags to riches through magic, and marriage.
The movie, “Pretty Woman” is a
modern update of the classic “Cinderella” story. Vivian, a prostitute, and a wealthy
businessman, Edward fall in love with one another, creating an unlikely pair. Edward
is on a business trip in L.A, he decides to pick up a hooker one night, in an
attempt to get directions. Instantly Vivian’s personality vibes with Edwards,
and the connection begins to form. Edward soon hires Vivian to stay with him
for the weekend. They grow closer, discovering there are going to be many
difficulties to make their relationship work, considering they come from two
strangely similar, yet different worlds.
Vivian also went through a rags to
riches, more modern fairy tale. Vivian begins as a poor prostitute, who cannot
pay her rent, and did not like her job. She even at one point in the film
confesses to Edward that she cried the first time she was picked up by a man.
Then she became numb to the entire experience. She obviously craved more, and
has aspirations with her life. When Vivian met Edward, she saw what it felt
like to live comfortably, and more happily. Edward not only bought her
beautiful clothing, took her to events like fancy dinners, and horse races, and
stood up for her when people were mean because of her past. But, Edward also
loved her very deeply. Vivian and Edward struggled to understand and see how their
love could work, but in the end realized how much they met to one another, and lived
happily ever after, rescuing one another.
Vivian, like Cinderella went from a
low point, to a high point. Or some may say, “rags to riches.” As nice, and romantic as this story is, again it is not realistic. It is more likely to happen then
Disney’s “Cinderella” because there is not magic involved, and
is based on real life situations. While a rich businessman could meet a prostitute,
and they could fall in love in real life, the odds of this happening are unlikely. Those types of people live in very different world. People usually are more concerned with social
status, and who they are seen with, then actually expanding to new people, no
matter how different they may be from one another.
In conclusion, Cinderella, and
Vivian both experienced the “rags to riches” fairy tale precisely. In
Cinderella, magic, and marriage played a huge part in helping her reach the “riches,”
and her happy ending. In “Pretty Woman,” a charming man, friends, money, and
love helped Vivian reach the “riches,” and her happy ending.
Photo sources: google images
