ELIZABETH SETON SCHOOL

JUNIOR HIGHSCHOOL DIVISION

ENGLISH 8

Research: The Devil Wears Prada

Group 3: Mikke Mouse Clubhouse

Submitted by:

Garcia, Avie
Maniquis, Kit
Miagao, Alyanna
Pelayo, Sofia
Riguerra, Janna
Rivera, Kimberly
Tavu, Amanda

Submitted on: January 21, 2019

Submitted to: Sir Mikke Tiu

 1. How is Feminist Literary Criticism shown in the movie?

The Devil Wears Prada is renowned for its strong female roles and an artificial look into the
fashion industry. On first impression, the movie depicts the fashion industry as being filled with
women in successful positions. Multiple stereotypes were shown in the movie how women are
expected to wear expensive clothing and know how to style themselves especially if they work
for the fashion industry. Women are supposed to look skinny and know about fashion in order to
fit in to the society. Men are casted as strong, rational, protective and decisive. Women are
casted as emotional, submissive, weak and irrational. Men are expected to focus on their jobs,
careers and dreams because they are typically the head of the family. Women are expected to
focus on their family and their relationships more than they should be concentrating on work and
their career. In the end, Miranda's female figure still chooses to pursue in her professional
career and shows that women can choose to prioritize their career, job and dreams. While Andy
ditches her job at Runway and chooses to follow her heart, and Andy showed how it is Okay for
a woman to put herself first. Nigel, the gay, is the only important man. The assistants are
feminine, gossipy, obnoxious women who answer the phones and run errands for Miranda, the
despotic editor-in-chief. The film blatantly portrays Miranda as domineering the fashion industry.
Miranda’s position of power strongly appears appealing to feminists. This film puts forward ideas
that women can pursue a career, but not if it means sacrificing their friends or the men in their
lives, and women can be strong, but not masculine. Feminism was also shown through the
treatment the female characters in the movie were getting. Feminism was shown in a very visual
way, it’s the theme. Fashion has always been considered a female’s attribute. Feminism is
shown in the movie that the boss is a woman not a man. Miranda is seen as a very strict boss
and runs her own company her own way. She seems to be very straight forward and cold
towards everyone else. If she were to be a man, it’d seem normal for a boss to act this way in
his company, but as a woman the boss would look mean or insensitive compared to a male
boss because apparently, a female boss isn’t the usual. These stereotypes were broken by the
characters in the movie. Both sexes are equally human, and should be treated that way.

2. How is American New Criticism shown in the movie?

American New Criticism was shown through Miranda’s way of doing things. No one is above
her. “You still don’t get it, do you? Her opinion is the only one that matters.” said Nigel. That’s
exactly how American new criticism works. The meaning of a text or passage is untouched and
uninfluenced by your opinions, the author’s interpretations, and other outside information, just
like how Miranda makes her own decisions for the company.

3. What makes the story ironic/ ambiguous?

First of all, Andy’s goal was to work as a journalist, so she decided to get into the Runway
job so that her writing capabilities could maybe get exposed and become successful in her
writing career. But having the job did not help. Instead, in the end, she realized to start up her
career as a normal journalist. In short, the irony was that she chose a path she thought would
help her in her career, but as time passed, she realized that was not what she wanted and she
could achieve her dreams in a way that she would be happy. It did not meet her expectations, to
put it simply.