We often see in movies that have a poor and rich character how the difference in wealth has an impact on the characters. There is an upper-class character, usually the man, and the poorer/ middle-class character, which is usually the woman.
As the audience, we tend to find more of an appeal towards the poorer/middle-class individual because they are aware of their social status. They tend to be more personable, charming, and responsible. Whereas the upper-class male will be aware of his status. He will be cold, hostile, but will always have a soft-side which the female has to reveal.
Where do we see this?
It is common in most novels/movies that society plays a huge part in the fate of characters. There is often judgment brought upon the less wealthy character by those of upper class. There is often an ironic fate of the rich and poor character because they will usually end up together despite what society thinks.
This is seen in the movie Pretty Woman from 1990. Vivian, a charming, playful, responsible LA prostitute. She is smart with her money, but obviously is living paycheck to paycheck. She meets Edward, a billionaire bachelor who pays her not for sex, but her company. As the two get to know each other, they eventually become romanticly involved and Vivian begins to learn to standards of high-class society. However, her transition was not always smooth.
(0:50)
This scene shows Vivian shopping in the city and being judged due to her clothing on the streets in the stores. The two women in the store use statements like “that is very expensive”, “I don’t think we have anything for you” or, “I think you’re in the wrong place”. They say this because of her appearance while she is shopping which for high-society, is not seen as appropriate.
The Usual Transition
There tends to be a transition of the character from rags to riches. While a character may be a part of lower-class at the beginning of the movie/novel, there is a shift that they undergo. This can be considered a makeover.
In Pretty Woman, Vivian is pampered by Edward and he takes her shopping because she tells him of her experiences from the previous day. He feels obligated to buy her nice clothing before she resumes her shopping for that day. She returns to the store that refused her service the previous day:
(1:00)
Vivian’s transformation allows her to tell off the woman from the store. She even refuses to buy anything from their store because of their treatment of her the previous day.
The lower-class partner being uneducated with the societal standards of the upper-class is one of the four barriers that we found as a common theme amongst our themes.
