1. Women in Film Evolution of Female Characters between
Cinderella and Pretty Woman Times
By: Edith L Gonzalez

2. Basic components of comparison
Attire (what does she wear?)
Occupation (what does she do?)
Goal (what success mean to her?)

3. Cinderella from Cinderella (1950)
Floor-length dress- To fully cover legs
Long gloves - To cover most of the exposed arm
Full and flowy dress to not bring attention to curves
Shoulders covered by cap sleeves

4. Vivian ward from Pretty WomaN (1990)
Short and fitted dress
Top portion reveals arms and mid-area
Upper thigh revealed
Thigh-high leather boots
Arm fully exposed

5. Occupation Cinderella Vivian Ward Does not earn an income
Father re-married and she lives with stepmother and stepsisters
Works as maid to stepfamily
Treated poorly at home
Spends the day cooking and cleaning
Does earn an income
Left family’s house due to abuse
Works as prostitute to afford an apartment
More exposed to be a victim of crimes such as rape due to nature of job

6. Cinderella vs Vivian ward at work

7. Definition of success Cinderella Vivian Ward
Dependent on men – beginning cycle by dependency on father as father figures are the only income-earning members of families during this time
Looking to marry in order to escape troubles at home and assume she is “on her own”
Ends up with a man who did not treat her well initially and then relies on him as a source of stability
Does not reach a point of individualism
Happy with him (once together) and continuing cycle of dependency
Wants to leave family home due to abusive environment
Wants to be able to make her own money to afford her own place to live so begins work as a prostitute
Meets male character (Edward Lewis) who hires her for the week
Although temporarily dependent on Mr Lewis as he is paying for her services, not looking to always rely on him as a source of income and stability
Stands up for herself when disrespected by his coworkers
Leaves for home after the agreed-upon week of services, and is sought after by Mr Lewis

8. 1950s vs 1990s
The portrayal of women characters in film changed drastically in the way they dressed, what they did on a day-to-day basis, and what their goals were in life – what their definition of success was. Women were shown to dress more provocatively and revealed more skin in even casual outfits. They also were more often seen to have a job in which they earned their own income. And finally were given the overall sense of individuality and strayed away from the traditional dependency women are assumed to have over men. The way a female character is presented in film is based on the careful and strategic planning of filmmakers as well as what social norms exist during the time in which the films take place.