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" (Pygmalion's Word
Play, Carl Jung, p. 82). When present in the unconscious,
an archetype shapes thoughts, feelings, moods, speech, and
actions. The 'prostitute with a heart of gold' originated in
early Greek mythology as the story "Pygmalion." Next, a
a more modern version called "My Fair Lady" was written and
performed in the 1950's. Then in the 1980's the movie "Pretty
Woman" came out, which has the same storyline as the other
two, although it was modernized and the theme of a
'prostitute with a heart of gold' is much more evident than
in of its predecessors. Although 'the oldest profession' was
just as large a factor in society in 1912 when George
Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion play was released as it is today,
it was talked about much less freely and the idea of
reforming street girl was not as feasible as it is today.
"My Fair Lady" was one of the first versions of a poor
street girl metamorphasizing into an elegant, proper lady.
Pretty Woman can closely trace its roots back to "My Fair
Lady," because both women reform to a better life that they
never dreamed was possible, the most striking difference
being that Pretty Woman is a more modernized version and the
evidence of prostitution is much more evident.
In the story of Pygmalion, he wanted a wife, yet he saw
too much corruption in women and always doubted their true
motives. He was a very talented sculptor, and one day he
began sculpting an ivory maiden statue. No woman was
physically comparable to this statue, not the most perfect
naturally created woman. His art was so good that it caught
him in his own web of deceit. Eventually Pygmalion fell in
love with this counterfeit creation, full well knowi...