I chose the archetype The prostitute with a heart of gold. An archetype is defined as a universal idea that can take many forms, appearing spontaneously, at any time, at any place, and without any outside influence (Pygmalions Word 82). When present in the unconscious,an archetype shapes thoughts, feelings, moods, speech, andactions. The prostitute with a heart of gold originated inearly Greek mythology as the story of Pygmalion. Next, amore modern version called My Fair Lady was written andperformed in the 1950s. Then in the 1980s the movie PrettyWoman came out, which has the same story line as the othertwo, although it is a lot more modernized and the theme of aprostitute with a heart of gold is much more evident thanin of its predecessors. Although the oldest profession wasjust as large a factor in society in 1912 when GeorgeBernard Shaws Pygmalion play was released as it is today,it was talked about much less freely and the idea ofreforming street girl was not as feasible as it is today.My Fair Lady was one of the first versions of a poorstreet girl metamorphasizing into an elegant, proper lady.Pretty Woman can closely trace its roots back to My FairLady, because both women reform to a better life that theynever dreamed was possible, the most striking differencebeing that Pretty Woman is a more modernized version and theevidence of prostitution is much more evident.In the story of Pygmalion, he wanted a wife, yet he sawtoo much corruption in women and always doubted their truemotives. He was a very talented sculptor, and one day hebegan sculpting an ivory maiden statue. No woman wasphysically comparable to this statue, not the most perfectnaturally created woman. His art was so good that it caughthim in his own web of deceit. Eventually Pygmalion fell inlove with this counterfeit creation, full well knowing thathe would drive himself mad obsessing over an inanimateobject while at the same time knowing that nothing goodcould come ...
