Social Inequalities a Pretty Womans Perspective
A Pretty Woman’s Inequality
In the movie Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts portrays a hooker struggling in Los Angeles. Richard Gere plays a very successful businessman. They cross paths when Edward (Richard Gere) gets lost while driving around and Vivian (Julia Roberts) is having a “slow” night on the corner. Edward asks Vivian for directions, and Vivian agrees for five dollars. She takes Edward back to his hotel where he asks her join him for the evening. The next morning, Edward makes a business proposition with Vivian, and pays her for a week to be at his “beck and call.” As the week progresses the two learn a lot about each other and the people the surround themselves with. In the end, they fall in love. Through out the whole movie, Edward’s lawyer, Philip Stuckey (Jason Alexander) is constantly in Edwards ear about everything involving Edwards life. He learns of Vivian and how her and Edward met, and made a few not-so-smart decisions. While Stuckey is in Edwards ear, Kit (Laura San Giacomo) is in Vivian’s ear. Kit is also a prostitute, struggling with the same issues Vivian is. In the movie there is definitely a pattern of how males and females are portrayed. Males are seen as powerful, self-righteous, wealthy, and educated. Women, however, are seen completely different. They are seen as helpless, and our pitied. Even women who are in Edwards circle of friends, seem very needy towards their husbands/ boyfriends. Not once is there a businesswomen introduced in the movie. The movie definitely follows older versions of gender roles. Older roles that was prominent in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Such roles would be how successful the men were and how there are no successful women in the movie. Unless, the audience thinks that marrying a rich man or finding a rich boyfriend, is considered to be successful. Another example would be that the men are seen as powerful where women are not. Men are wealthy and the women are not, the list goes on of
In the movie Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts portrays a hooker struggling in Los Angeles. Richard Gere plays a very successful businessman. They cross paths when Edward (Richard Gere) gets lost while driving around and Vivian (Julia Roberts) is having a “slow” night on the corner. Edward asks Vivian for directions, and Vivian agrees for five dollars. She takes Edward back to his hotel where he asks her join him for the evening. The next morning, Edward makes a business proposition with Vivian, and pays her for a week to be at his “beck and call.” As the week progresses the two learn a lot about each other and the people the surround themselves with. In the end, they fall in love. Through out the whole movie, Edward’s lawyer, Philip Stuckey (Jason Alexander) is constantly in Edwards ear about everything involving Edwards life. He learns of Vivian and how her and Edward met, and made a few not-so-smart decisions. While Stuckey is in Edwards ear, Kit (Laura San Giacomo) is in Vivian’s ear. Kit is also a prostitute, struggling with the same issues Vivian is. In the movie there is definitely a pattern of how males and females are portrayed. Males are seen as powerful, self-righteous, wealthy, and educated. Women, however, are seen completely different. They are seen as helpless, and our pitied. Even women who are in Edwards circle of friends, seem very needy towards their husbands/ boyfriends. Not once is there a businesswomen introduced in the movie. The movie definitely follows older versions of gender roles. Older roles that was prominent in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Such roles would be how successful the men were and how there are no successful women in the movie. Unless, the audience thinks that marrying a rich man or finding a rich boyfriend, is considered to be successful. Another example would be that the men are seen as powerful where women are not. Men are wealthy and the women are not, the list goes on of