Affirmative action and Its affect on women Research Paper

Affirmative action and Its affect on women - Research Paper Example Through the years, women in most cultures have been viewed as instruments or properties and worst, as sexual objects who need to satisfy the fantasies of men. This paper discusses this certain issue on feminism wherein women are placed on a lower pedestal as prostitutes. The common perception that women are regarded as such is due to how men treat women in general and that women have the right for a better image than a lowly sex object. If prostitution is considered as a career, then women should be given equal rights as the men so that they will be able to step out from such a shameful status. The movie â€Å"Pretty Women† (Marshall) is the story of a prostitute, Vivian Ward portrayed by Julia Roberts who was hired by a businessman, Edward Lewis played by Richard Gere. The businessman was in Los Angeles for a week and he got lost in the city. That was when he met the prostitute who offered to bring the rich businessman to his destination. The man then hires Ward not as a sexu al partner but as an escort to social events and the two agreed on the price. With the way Ward dressed, she was given queer stares from the employees and other clients of the hotel where Lewis stayed. With such dilemma, the man encouraged her to buy a new wardrobe. With much money on hand, Ward gleefully went to expensive stores but was given an unexpected cold reception. The salespersons did not treat her well because of the way she looked, obviously of an unsophisticated breeding. However, she tries to get back at them when Lewis accompanied her the following day to go shopping, approaching the salesladies that they made a big mistake. As the story unfolds, the protagonist finds herself in love with the businessman and the latter offered to find her a place to stay so they could continue seeing each other. However, affected by the play the two earlier watched, the woman identified her love story with the main characters’ so that she felt insulted with Lewis’ proposa l. The man then leaves for work and the woman was left in the hotel. Later, a colleague of Lewis’ arrived at the hotel tried to sexually assault Ward after some argument. However, Lewis comes in the nick of time to save the woman. He then tries to convince the woman to stay with him but she refuses. The story ends the way the woman wanted to, with Lewis rushing to Ward’s apartment who did not walk through the door but climbed the fire escape ladder with a bouquet of roses clenched in his teeth. The two then kissed and the story ended with the classic tale of two lovers living together happily ever after. The film portrays a very sensitive social issue on feminism that could perhaps be one of the oldest social problems concerning the so-called â€Å"weaker sex†. First, the protagonist was shown on the streets at night, without regard to the dangers that might befall her in her job as a prostitute. The woman along with her companions did not seem to mind what kind of men they would sleep with as long as they have customers who would be able to pay them well and enable them to buy their necessities with their payments. Their job did not just expose them to sexually transmitted diseases but also to physical dangers brought about by criminal activities in their dangerous environment. This is similarly dangerous as other jobs with high health risks such as careers in mining and chemical companies. With the known risks in such work areas, employees are often guaranteed safety through frequent inspections of the work place, training sessions and provision of protective gadgets. However, for prostitutes, no such measures