" He further elaborates by describing why his profession is so fruitful: "This is an age of upstarts. Men begin in Kentish Town with 280 pounds a year, and end in Park Lane with a hundred thousand. They want to drop Kentish Town; but they give themselves away every time they open their mouths".
Edward Lewis, moreover, is introduced in the text Pretty Woman, as a successful asset stripper who "buys companies and sells off the pieces". Edward's social status is displayed by his ability to reside in the exclusive Regent Beverly Wiltshire Hotel. Through its luxurious setting, the Hotel depicts the notion that its residents would be very wealthy. Edward has been highly educated which is disclosed when Vivian and Edward discuss their schooling years, Edward tells Vivian he "went all the way", indicating he had extensive education, especially in comparison to Vivian. Edward must have had a privileged childhood as his "first car was a limousine" and his money earns him respect and power with his peers, such as Phillip Stuckey who says "I have pledged my life to you". As Edward notes the influence of wealth when taking Vivian shopping, "stores aren't nice to people, they"re nice to credit cards". Edward earns Vivian the reverence of the store managers by telling them that he was going "to spend an obscene amount of money, so we are going to need a lot more help sucking up to us".
In comparison, Eliza and Vivian come from poorer, almost poverty-stricken backgrounds, both selling their wares in order to eke out a living. Eliza sells flowers in order to make money but she is not very successful at her occupation, ingratiating herself to passersby at Convent Garden. She is not "a romantic figure" but this is probably a product of her poverty as Eliza's features are "no worse" than the other ladies at Convent Garden but is "very dirty" in comparison to them. Her appearance and clothes are unkempt as her "little sailor hat of black straw" had "long been exposed to the soot of London" and "her hair needed washing badly".
