Pygmalion and Pretty Woman Essay

The relationship amid the textual matters you present studied and their respective pagan context is signifi nookiet because it imparts perceptivity into the charge values have been of importtained and changed. discourse with reference to the text from the past and its appropriation.The intended audience of twain Pygmalion, by George Bernard Shaw and Pretty Woman, directed by Garry marshal was the bargain of corporation at the snip of composition. This is seen by means of the choice of the form of every last(predicate)(prenominal) text, Pygmalion is a gather because in the aboriginal 20th centaury this was the popular way of diffusion ideas and Pretty Woman is a Hollywood film, a current form of mass media today. Because twain texts were aimed at the major(ip)ity of fellowship they all(prenominal) must represent the views of their ethnic context to be popular, which both texts be to be. As both texts reflect the heathen views of the context they were compose d in, a par of the two provides a significant brain wave into the way specific values have been maintained and changed oer eon.One of the main values explored in both texts is what each parlia workforcetary procedure believes to be the perfect woman. By comparing the way these wo custody in both texts are presented, we are given an insight into the changing status of women everyplace time.In English society in the untimely 1900s women were seen as inferior to men and were often stereotyped in the sentience of the clothes they wore, how they spoke and how they presented themselves, rather than their personality. Womens inferiority is seen in Higgins and Elizas unbalanced relationship, Higgins is clearly presented as the master and possessor of Eliza as he buys her from her father and treats her as a live doll. Eliza is around objectified by Higgins, representing the sexism present in the 1900s. She is seen as the perfect woman by society unless when she has been transforme d to a dignified, salutary spoken, beautiful lady of high society. This is seen through the differing reactions to Eliza by the Eynsford Hill family when she is a peak girl, differentiated to when she is a duchess .The position of women in society has changed a great deal oer the lastcentaury and the contemporary post-feminist society is believed to provide and equal track downing field for all. Women and men are seen as equals companionablely as well as by truth and in the workforce. This is seen in the depiction as Vivian as the heroine in the film who, although she is bland beautiful, is individual, independent and has a reliable rude(a) intelligence, she is seen as ideal for these personal qualities.another(prenominal) view explored in both texts is the perplex system of hierarchal affectionate dividees and bridging the breakage or breaking the barrier surrounded by these classes.Late nineteenth early twentieth centaury English society had a laid class system wi th the idea of upper, centre and lower classes that were establish upon birthright. At the time Pygmalion was composed however, the system had begun to change as the growing core class was offset to rise up through the societal hierarchy due to wealth. This is portrayed in the play when Mr. Doolittle becomes rich and rises the ladder into mall class morality. Shaw is deeply sarcastic of these social classes as is seen in how Eliza can easily rise herself to upper class and her statement to Higgins at the end of the play of I had only to lift my fingers breadth to be as sober as you clearly touchs his view clear that the social barriers are superficial.Pretty Woman was pen in the late 1980s, a go known as the greed is good decade were social class was based solely upon wealth, apart from in the globose community were both ethnicity and wealth both play a role. Social hierarchy is more flexible as every one can rise to what is seen as higher society through the gaining of money, not through the class they were born into. prepossess between the classes is seen when the shop assistants refuse to deal Vivian on Rodeo drive. However as the video is aimed at the all day bonny American one typically of the middle class, mistreatment of wealth or greed is seen as a bad thing. Seen in the portrayal of Edwards work partner Stukie who because of his attempts to increase the surface of his company and his unfaithfulness to his wife is seen as superficial and byEdwardss distressing comment to Vivian we both screw hatful for money. The audience instead sympathises with Vivian, who all though is of low class is palliate seen as the favoured character because of her personality. This demonstrates the modern nonperformance for social class, which is a value that has changed all over the past one hundred years.The major observation that can be make of both texts and which demonstrates changing values over time is in the goal of each story. Shaw was determi ned to give Pygmalion an anti- amatory cease, meaning the play did not conclude as a romantic drollery should, with the main female and male characters falling in love. His reason is that Eliza has achieved independence and no longer wishes to be seen as Higgins belonging, as well as that his relation to her is too godlike to be altogether agreeable. This reflects not only Shaws strongly feministic views but the pick up for more equal gender relationships at the time and the publics preferred choice of a more believable culmination over a romantic one. Popular thought process at the time believed that people conjoin within their class and Higginss pocket of love as a conduct of the gutter demolishes any dream-like romantic world.The conclusion of Pretty Woman was specifically knowing to suit the mass market romantic comedy genre and to appeal to todays romance obsessed society. The conclusion of Vivian and Edward falling in love and conflict symbolically half way in the fire escape is a typically Hollywood ending and highly unrealistic. To make the movie popular with a panoptic audience Marshall has created a fairy tale ending when Vivian is rescued by her prince as she has always dreamed of. This constitutes the happy ending of a typical romantic comedy and reflects how todays media has moulded society into having heroic romantic perceptions.Both texts were popular finish of their time and thus reflect the joint ideals and values of the context in which they were created. By studying the relationships between each text and their cultural context we can compare both texts to reveal the way certain views, in this case romanticism, the role of women and social classes, have changed over time.