Fairytales
Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin and His Magic Lamp, and The Little Mermaid are just some of the most favorite fairy tales of all time. Among all these tales however, there is perhaps none that is more popular than the story of Cinderella. This well-admired fairy tale talks about the life of a girl living with her wicked step sisters and step mother. Although she is the rightful heir to her fathers fortune, Cinderella was treated badly by her step mother. In fact, she was treated no more as an insignificant maid in the house where she is given heavy household chores while attending to the needs of her step sisters. Despite all of these, Cinderella remained pure and good. Soon enough, her virtuosity was rewarded by her fairy godmother who helped her go the royal ball. There she met the handsome prince who eventually gave the girl named after the Cinders her happily ever after.
The familiar story of the girl from rags to riches now takes a modern turn in the form of the Hollywood blockbuster hit Pretty Woman. From the rags to riches up to meeting his one and only Prince Charming, the plot of this movie has a similar concept to that of the famous fairytale. Unlike the original version however, this modern Cinderella tale is not meant for children. Instead, it explores a world where everything is not as magical and a world where everything doesnt always end with a happily ever after.
This research paper will take a look and compare the folktale Cinderella and compare it with the movie Pretty Woman. It will particularly explore the similarities between these two texts and more importantly its differences. Similarly, this study will also take an in depth look as it tackles the reasons behind why the modern day adaptation of Cinderella is not suitable for children.
The story of Cinderella is one of the most well-celebrated and most popular fairy tales of all time. Children, especially girls, have heard about the story of the beautiful lady who was always abused by her cruel step mother and envious step sisters. From the moment her father died, Cinderella was never treated as part of the family. Instead, her step mother and sister would see her as a mere house maid, sentenced to follow their every whims and orders. Despite of her situation, Cinderella remained good, obedient, and enduring. Her unwavering faith that her life will soon turn around won the favor of her fairy god mother.
In one occasion, the family was invited to go to a royal ball. Cinderella however, was not allowed by her step mother. The poor girl was ordered to stay at home to do all the chores. While her wicked step sisters enjoyed the night away, Cinderella spent her time working and crying. Her sobs of grief was then heard by her fairy god mother. With some pumpkin, mice, dog, and of course a wave of the magic wand, Cinderella was transformed into a lovely princess with glass slippers. Before she left for the palace, her fairy god mother reminded her that she needed to be back before the strike of mind for that is the time when all the magic will fade away.
At the ball, Cinderella immediately captured the eye of the handsome prince who instantly fell head over heels in love with her. As the two stared lovingly at each others eyes, Cinderella was grabbed back to reality when she heard the clock. At once, the girl headed for the door. She was so much in a hurry that she forgot one of her glass slippers.
The love struck Prince then ordered his servant to search the entire kingdom for the girl as he will marry whoever fits the slipper. When the royal servants arrived, the evil step sisters of course, made their best attempt to fit in their huge feet on the tiny slippers. When Cinderella asked if she could fit the slipper, her step mother laughed at her and brushed her aside. However, the royal servants insisted, upon the order of the prince that every girl should be given a chance to fit the mysterious glass shoes. Naturally, it was a perfect fit when Cinderella slid her foot inside the delicate slippers. She soon found herself meeting the Prince who in turn asked her to marry him.
This favorite childrens tale was given a modern twist with the Hollywood movie Pretty Woman. Released in 1990, Pretty Woman was first dubbed as a modern day fairy tale. This film revolves around the life of a girl named Vivian. Played by the actress Julia Roberts, the lead character in this movie was also someone who lives sadly and poorly. Apart from this however, Vivian and Cinderella were two worlds apart. If Cinderella was virtuous and good, Vivian would do everything she can to survive. This includes selling sex for money. The protagonist in this movie was a prostitute. She makes a living by simply asking men to sleep with her for certain amount.
Surprisingly, she met her Prince charming, not in a royal ball, but in Hollywood Boulevard. It was the charming Edward, played by Richard Gere, who approached and asked Vivian for directions. However, the two ended up spending the night together. Edward asked Vivian to be his personal assistant which includes tasks such as being his date and beck and call for only 3,000 dollars. Out of the bargain, the lead character received expensive clothes, free meals, makeover, as well as a crash course on table manners and etiquette. Along the way, the two unavoidably fell in love with each other which changed everything. What was supposed to a two week deal was now a serious love affair that involved emotions and feelings.
Evidently, both fairytale story of Cinderella and Pretty Woman share the same concept. In the book The Morphology of the Folktale, Vladimir Propp introduced his theory of fairy stories. For Propps the entire set of such tale is constructed upon the same basic set of functions (Propp 79). A function is basic part of a narrative language which refers to very significant or important action that creates the whole narrative story. More often than not, these functions follow a logical sequence and although not all tales includes these elements, the functions would always remains in sequence in every story. Some of the most common function included in a fairy tale would include actions such as 1.) a difficult task is proposed to the hero, 2.) the task is resolved, 3.) the hero is recognized, 4.) the false hero or villain is exposed, 5.) the false hero is given a new appearance, 6.) the villain is punished, 7.) the hero is married and ascends to the throne.
Apart from these functions, Propp also included seven spheres of action which are simply defined as roles played by the characters in the story. This includes the villain, the donor or the provider, the helper, the princess, the dispatcher, the hero, and the false hero. Although Propps narrative structure seems complex, it presents itself to be visible not only in fairy tales but even in the Hollywood movies. In the story Pretty Girl, Vivian played the role of the typical princess. The life of the character is completed as she is depicted as someone who is poor, abused, and in Vivians case exploited. Additionally, Vivian also plays the role of the hero while Edward plays the role of the provider. The roles that these characters play likewise set the entire story that adheres to the functions as discussed by Propp. In this case, the difficult task proposed to Cinderella and Vivian is their similar life situation wherein they are forced to do something such as household chores and even prostitute work. In the function wherein the task in resolved, Cinderella was allowed to go to the ball and eventually dance with the prince Vivian on the other hand was given the chance to earn money.
Although both Cinderella and Vivian share the similar character roles and story structure, both seem different when it comes to its target audience or reader. This means that Cinderella, with all its magic and happily ever after, is especially designed for children. In fact, if one will closely observe all the elements included in the tale would involve the use of simplistic objects such as shoes and pumpkins as it mirrors the simple life and experiences of a child. However, Pretty Woman, although dubbed as a modern-version of Cinderella, is suitable for a more mature audience. The scenes as well as the other elements of the movie include things, experiences, and events that closely resemble the real world.
While the two stories share very similar characters, their life situation made them very different from one another. In Cinderellas case, her life was filled with grief because she is constantly maltreated and abused by her evil step mother and step sisters. Her delicate hands and pure heart is condemned to do heavy chores and household duties.
Conversely, Vivian also features a life filled with sadness and struggle. However, the struggle in her life is not represented by difficult house chores. Instead, it is characterized by a difficult life where money is hard to earn. With a poor and uneducated background, Vivian is forced to engage in the prostitute industry wherein she tries to allure men at the Hollywood Boulevard to have sex with her for money. Although the two share similar roles, the role of Vivian is characterized by someone more grounded to reality and that the struggles and challenges in her life present itself in different forms. In Vivians case, the problem presented itself in the form of prostitution and the lack of decent employment opportunities.
The personality and characteristics of Vivian is also a far cry from Cinderella. In fairy tales, Cinderella is depicted as a kind hearted, gentle, and kind woman. Her obedience is also admirable as she persevered in all her hardships with an open heart. However, it is also evident that the character of Cinderella in Perraults version is flat. This means that apart from her sad story of how her step mother would treat her, the reader is not given any details about Cinderellas life. She is basically presented with only two emotions sadness and happiness.
In contrast, the character of Vivian is depicted as a well rounded character. Contrary to Cinderellas meek and gentle personality, Vivian is depicted as a tough girl from the streets. She uses her wit and will to survive the ruthless outside world. The protagonist in Pretty Woman likewise, shows a myriad of emotion which includes sadness, happiness, confusion, and anger. There are even times when she refuses to show her true feelings primarily because of the fear of being vulnerable.
The complicated nature by which Vivian was presented is one of the primary reasons why the movie Pretty Woman was more suited for older audiences. The multi faceted character of Vivian represents the complexity of real life.
Apart from the character of the protagonist, the two stories also differ when it comes to the Prince. In Cinderellas story, the Prince is depicted as a royalty someone who is handsome, charming, rich, brave, and righteous. The Prince in the fairytale version of Cinderella is also someone who is hopelessly romantic. In fact, he ordered all his servants to search the entire kingdom for a girl whom he fell in love with.
On the other hand, the Prince in the movie Pretty Woman is Edward. Similar to the written text, Edward is also rich and handsome but unlike the Prince, he is not as good and as righteous. In fact, his character made it very clear that he and Vivian are very similar people primarily because they have the same job - they both screw people for money. Much like how Vivian sells sex for cash, Edward buys companies and sells them at a higher price. In a particular scene, the movie showed how Edwards job can sometimes be very destructive as it can cause the downfall of a company.
When it comes to the aspect of love, the Prince in the story of Cinderella is someone who would do everything for love. In fact, his love for the girl in the ball was so great that he practically asked everyone in his kingdom to go on a frantic search for her. However, Edwards case proves to be very different.
Almost every relationship in Edwards life is a failure. He is depicted as a guy who jumps from one woman to another. His playboy traits created a joke among his circle of friends as they call his lady love the flavor of the month. Likewise, he has never settled for a long time serious relationship due to the fact that he has commitment issues. Although in his hearts of hearts, Edward like the Prince, longs for the right girl but the harsh realities of life made him jaded and cynical about love.
The character of Edward is also depicted and measured for his vast wealth. In fact, most of the relationships that he has were forged because of his money. For instance, his relationship with Vivian started out as a business proposal with a tag price of three thousand dollars. This would mean that Vivian should be at his beck and call anytime he wants and whenever he wants her. This includes being his official and personal assistant, his date, his companion, friend, and sounding boar among many others. This pattern is best exemplified in the scene where Vivian and Edward were shopping. In this scene, the store manager is trying to be as obedient and as respectful as possible to ensure that both the lead characters would spend all their money in his store.
Likewise, the relationship between Edward and his lawyer also revolves purely around money. In fact, their relationship crumbled when his lawyer discovered that Edward refused to take control of a company that would give him huge amounts of cash. Edwards lawyer even went as far as insulting and even trying to rent Vivians services.
In the story of Cinderella, it was the fairy god mother that changed her rugged and torn clothes into a beautiful gown and delicate glass slippers. With a flick of her magic wand, Cinderella was instantly transformed into a lovely princess. This scenario is also evident in Pretty Woman. However, the fairy godmother is presented in the form of Edward. Aside from taking the role of the Prince, Edward was also the fairy godmother or the provider in this plot. His magic wand was his cash which helped transform Vivian. Much like Cinderellas rugged clothes, Vivian was wearing skimpy clothes. Edward, through his credit card and money transformed the once classless and tactless Vivian into a lady of elegance and sophistication. This is best exemplified in the scene where Vivian was walking along the streets of Rodeo Drive. In the first scene she is shown wearing her skimpy clothes and high boots. However, sales ladies would throw her out of the store as they refuse to accept someone like her inside their posh stores. In the second scene, Vivian is shown wearing high-fashion clothes while carrying bags of other expensive clothing. This instant transformation was possible because of the help of Edwards money.
The setting also played an important role as it distinguishes the difference between the written text and the movie. In the fairy tale, the setting is located in a kingdom far away. Although the place was not mentioned, the author intended it to sound as if it was a place where dreams could easily come true. Significantly, the setting of Pretty Woman took place in the urban city of Los Angeles, California, particularly in Hollywood as this place is dubbed as the place where dreams come true. The movie begins with shot of the place filled with sleazy billboards and neon lights. These elements are used to juxtapose the idea of the mythologized place and what is reality (Emerson 1). The setting is also shown along with people such as pimps, crack dealers, prostitutes, drunkards, and even a murdered prostitute thrown in a dumpster. The irony between the though about the place and the people that lives in it equally draws the line between what is imaginary and what is real.
From the characters to settings, the story of Cinderella and Pretty Woman both shared a common structure. The difference however, is that the modern version of the favorite tale is geared towards showing what is true and what is happening. Fairy tales on the other hand shows a magical world that always starts and ends perfectly.
One of the most common criticisms o fairy tales is that they shield children from the harsh realities of life. Most tales do not include the fact that even the hero can sometimes make a mistake. Often times, people criticize the fact that nothing as simple a magic can make a dream come true, because most of the time, dreams would include hard work, perseverance, and at time doing something such as prostitution.
Yet, at the heart of all this, it is also essential to realize that even though the enchanted tales are not as realistic as Pretty Woman, such tales strive to see not the reality but what is the ideal. It is only by looking at what is possible can someone start to see clearly not what is happening around but most importantly, things that are striving to happen.
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