The Initiatory Experience of a Fashion Novice:
David Frankel’s The Devil Wears Prada
FUJITA Hidekiີ५ఱ‫૽ڠ‬໲‫ڠ‬໐‫ܮ‬ါలĶĸ࣢าक़ˎˌˍˎා˔࠮

The Initiatory Experience of a Fashion Novice: David Frankel’s The Devil Wears Prada

The Initiatory Experience of a Fashion Novice:
David Frankel’s The Devil Wears Prada
FUJITA Hideki
1David Frankel’s The Devil Wears Prada (2006) is an American ¿lm basedon Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 best-selling novel of the same name. Set mainlyin the office of the fictional Runway fashion magazine, this film focuses on theagon between a young woman and the powerful, imperious female editor-in-chiefof the magazine she works as the second assistant to. The young woman, theprotagonist of the ¿lm, has little knowledge of fashion; she gets the job as a mere
stopgap until she ¿nds a better one in journalism. As soon as she starts working at
Runway, she feels herself thrown into an alien, uneveryday world. Moreover, she
is tested through a series of tough, unreasonable ordeals and humiliations by theeditor-in-chief and, in the process, undergoes a metamorphosis.
In this way, The Devil Wears Prada takes the air of an initiation story of theprotagonist. Indeed, this ¿lm is strewn with leitmotifs and imagery of initiation.
It is interesting, for example, that once the protagonist starts working under theeditor-in-chief, she is stripped of her name and is called by the name of the ¿rst
assistant. As I will elaborate later on, this stripping off of the name suggests
a destruction of the previous identity, which is a defining characteristic of theliminal phase of initiation rites. We also encounter a variety of religious imagery
in this film. The editor-in-chief’s name is Miranda Priestly(emphasis added);
Runway magazine is calledȨThe Bookȩin the of¿ce; the visit to the fall fashionshows in Paris as the climax of the story is reminiscent of a pilgrimage to a holy
place. The religious imagery associates the protagonist’s working at Runway− 121 −

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with the entrance to the sacred world, which also characterizes the liminal phase.
Finally, she makes a departure from the fashion world as a changed person. Her
story has a trajectory of initiatory transformation.
The protagonist’s metamorphosis is also the one as a working woman.
The Devil Wears Prada is a ¿lm that foregrounds women in the workplace. Its
plot centers on the actions and emotions of the major female characters. In thisrespect, the ¿lm falls into the genre of the woman’s ¿lm. It deals with problems
and challenges contemporary career women face, such as the conflict between
work and personal life. The study that follows examines The Devil Wears Prada
as a coming-of-age story about a young career woman, tracing the initiatory
trajectory of her transformation with an intense focus on the changing relationshipbetween her and her demanding boss.

2
The Devil Wears Prada opens with a montage sequence showing theprotagonist AndreaȨAndyȩSachs and a series of anonymous young womengetting ready for work in the early morning. The ¿rst shot we see is that of Andybrushing her teeth. The shot is followed by an aerial view of New York City.
What then ensues is a succession of intercut shots of Andy and nameless women
putting their clothes and makeup on. This opening sequence is indicative ofseveral things. Firstly, it reveals that the ¿lm is about a young working woman
who lives in a big city. Moreover, the juxtaposition of the protagonist and the
New York women suggests that she is basically no different from them; that she
is an ordinary working girl in a big city; that she isȨEverygirl.ȩ More precisely,
Andy has yet to work. A recent college graduate, she is about to have an interview
for a job on a fashion magazine. Meanwhile, there is a subtle difference between
Andy and the other women. The shots of the nameless women show them putting
on gorgeous, stylish underwear and clothes as well as elaborate makeup. On the− 122 −

The Initiatory Experience of a Fashion Novice: David Frankel’s The Devil Wears Pradaother hand, Andy’s out¿t is, unlike theirs, somewhat dull and unfashionable. She
seems to have little interest in, and little knowledge of, fashion.
Shortly before leaving her apartment, Andy looks through her bylined
news stories. These are her journalistic achievements as the editor-in-chief of acollege newspaper, things which might make some impact on her interviewer. As
she later says in the job interview, sheȨwon a national competition for college
journalists with [her] series on the janitors’ union.ȩ This shot suggests that she
has a journalistic ambition. The titles of her news stories reveal her leaning
toward serious journalism.
Toward the end of the opening sequence, we see a shot of a woman kissing a
man lying in bed before leaving for work. The camera then cuts to Andy kissinga man who is sitting up in bed and reading a newspaper. These two shots indicate
that, for working women, the corporate world is not the only world; that they havetheir personal life.
In this way, the opening sequence is interesting in that it suggests what
the film is about and also reveals factors that underlie the dynamics of theprotagonist’s unfolding transformation, such as her lack of fashion sense, her
inclination toward serious journalism, and the presence of her live-in boyfriend.
Andy’s job interview is the occasion where she ¿rst encounters her antagonist
Miranda Priestly, the editor-in-chief of Runway magazine. When Andy arrives at
the reception desk of the of¿ce of Runway, she is met by Emily Charlton, the ¿rst
assistant to Miranda. Andy is bewildered by what Emily says sneeringly:ȨHuman
Resources certainly has an odd sense of humor.ȩ This is the ¿rst indication that
Andy does not belong in Runway. Clearly, Emily believes that Andy is totally
unsuited for the job as Miranda’s assistant. She tells Andy,ȨAndrea, Runway is
a fashion magazine. So an interest in fashion is crucial.ȩAs soon as Emily’s cell
phone gets an e-mail, however, not only she but the rest of the staff at Runway fall

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into a state of panic. The e-mail says that Miranda will arrive at the of¿ce muchearlier than she is supposed to do. The camera Àips back and forth between the
shots of the staffȨgirding their loinsȩfrantically and the shots of Miranda making
her way to her of¿ce with designer clothes, shoes, and handbag. We see some ofthe staff members cowering and stepping aside at the sight of her. Andy becomesamazed at the sudden hustle and bustle of the of¿ce. This sequence is meant tounderline that the staff fear Miranda. In this way, the absolute ruler of Runway is
introduced into the story, portrayed as something like a monster.
During the very brief interview, Miranda seems to be indifferent to Andy
and what she says. She tells Andy curtly,ȨYou have no sense of fashion.ȩAnd
when Andy starts talking about her achievements as a college journalist, Miranda
makes a gesture of waving her away and says,ȨThat’s all,ȩthe words with which
she coldly concludes every demand on her assistants. Despite being shocked at
this response, Andy desperately tries to convince Miranda:ȨI’m not skinny or
glamorous and I don’t know much about fashion. But I’m smart. I learn fast
and work very hard.ȩBut her effort is thwarted by the sudden entrance of the art
director who needs an urgent talk with the editor-in-chief. Andy ¿nds herself tobe an invisible girl while they are talking to each other. Deeply humiliated, shestarts leaving the Elias-Clark building. Surprisingly, however, she is called backby Emily and finds that she lands the job. This is because Miranda thinks thatAndyȨwould be different.ȩ Miranda later tells Andy,ȨI always hire the samegirl—stylish, slender, of course . . . worships the magazine. But so often, theyturn out to be—I don’t know—disappointing and . . . stupid.ȩ Accordingly, shedecides toȨtake a chanceȩandȨhire the smart. fat girl.ȩ In this way, Andy getsthe jobȨa million girls would kill for.ȩ
In the very early morning of the first day of work at Runway, however,Andy is roused from her sleep by a call from Emily demanding that she come to− 124 −

The Initiatory Experience of a Fashion Novice: David Frankel’s The Devil Wears Prada

the office immediately. This marks the beginning of her days of struggles andhumiliations. Once at the of¿ce, she ¿nds herself to be a ¿sh out of water. She
is completely confused by names and jargon with which she is not familiar at all.
Moreover, she is the butt of ridicule of her colleagues including Emily because ofher dowdiness. And Miranda is a merciless and ruthless boss who demands that
her assistants ful¿ll any task, however impossible or absurd it is.
Andy’s entry into Runway represents a departure from her previous state. As
mentioned above, the most noticeable manifestation is her loss of her own name.
She is calledȨEmilyȩby Miranda and when she tells Miranda thatȨMy nameis Andy,ȩall she gets is her boss’s wry smile suggestingȨWhat are you talking
about?ȩ. The loss of the name is associated with the loss of the previous identity.
This reminds us of what happens to Chihiro, the protagonist of MIYAZAKI
Hayao’s Spirited Away. Following her descent into a mysterious world inhabitedby ghosts and spirits, Chihiro’s name is replaced with another by a witch-like,domineering old woman. She is then forced to go through a series of ordeals
under the woman. Interestingly, like Chihiro, Andy is thrown into an unfamiliar
world; is stripped of her name; and is forced to struggle against ordeals under the
dictatorial rule of a woman.
The loss of the name represents symbolic death in that a young woman by
the name of Andy ceases to exist. This marks the start of the process in which she
undergoes a metamorphosis, and hence has an interesting af¿nity with the processof rites of initiation. Rites of initiation consist of three distinct phases: separation,
margin or limen, and aggregation (Turner 94). Each of the phases is characterized
as follows:

The ¿rst phase (of separation) comprises symbolic behavior signifying
the detachment of the individual or group either from an earlier− 125 −

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fixed point in the social structure, from a set of cultural conditions (aȨstateȩ), or from both. During the interveningȨliminalȩperiod, thecharacteristics of the ritual subject (theȨpassengerȩ) are ambiguous;
he passes through a cultural realm that has few or none of the attributesof the past or coming state. In the third phase (reaggregation orreincorporation), the passage is consummated. The ritual subject,individual or corporate, is in a relatively stable state once more and,by virtue of this, has rights and obligations vis-à-vis others of a clearlyde¿ned andȨstructuralȩtype; he is expected to behave in accordancewith certain customary norms and ethical standards binding on
incumbents of social position in a system of such positions. (Turner 9495)

The initiate is removed from the previous environment to an unfamiliar one,a state that is often invested with the image of death (Turner 95; Eliade xii). As
liminal beings, initiates are subjected to a series of ordeals and humiliations whichȨrepresent partly a destruction of the previous status and partly a tempering of
their essence in order to prepare them to cope with their new responsibilitiesȩ
(Turner 103). Following her symbolic death, Andy is, like the neophyte inliminality, submitted to ordeals in the form of difficult, exhausting tasks set by
Miranda. She is harassed by constant calls from the boss. She also suffers thehumiliation of being treated like an outcast in the of¿ce because of her dowdiness.
Miranda, of course, makes a key contribution to making Andy feel humiliated.
Annoyed about Andy’s inability to distinguish between blue and cerulean andher calling a fashion itemȨthis stuff,ȩMiranda delivers a snide harangue on
how a fashion designer’s choice affects people like Andy who have no interest in
fashion, thereby humiliating her in front of her co-workers. Miranda also inÀicts

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The Initiatory Experience of a Fashion Novice: David Frankel’s The Devil Wears Pradaa humiliation by dropping her designer coats and handbags on Andy’s desk as adaily routine. And like liminal beings whoȨmust obey their instructors implicitly,
and accept arbitrary punishment without complaintȩ(Turner 95), Andy has no
option but to submit to the ordeals and humiliations.
The neophyte’s experience of symbolic death implies the passage from theprofane to the sacred world (Eliade 9). Interestingly enough, as I mentioned
earlier, The Devil Wears Prada is sprinkled with religious imagery. Miranda’s
family name is Priestly(emphasis added): she is the high priestess of fashion.
Runway magazine is calledȨThe Bookȩat Runway: it is the equivalent of theHoly Bible. Seeing Andy becoming active in working for Miranda, her boyfriend
Nate says mockingly:ȨSomeone’s been drinking the Kool-Aid,ȩas if she has
joined a cult. Runway might indeed strike us as a cult, led by the high priestess of
fashion and attracting devout worshippers. Or rather, considering the title of the¿lm, it might be said to be something of aȨdevil worshippingȩcult. When Emily¿nds out that Andy will accompany Miranda to the fashion shows in Paris, shetells Andy indignantly:ȨYou sold your soul to the devil when you put on your ¿rst
pairs of Jimmy Choo’s.ȩ

3The ¿lm’s middle section shows Andy quickly adjusting herself to Runway.
She learns not only how to dress stylishly but how to work with Miranda. What
the art director Nigel tells Andy in response to her complaint about Miranda serves
as the catalyst for the change. Andy’s father comes to New York to see her. But
their dinner at a restaurant is ruined by a call from Miranda demanding that Andy
get her a Àight out of Miami, despite the fact that no planes are Àying out of thecity due to a hurricane. Andy spends the whole night trying in vain to ful¿ll theimpossible task.

Miranda later makes a cutting remark about this:ȨYou ended− 127 −

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up disappointing me more than any of the other silly girls.ȩAndy runs to Nigelin tears to complain about the way Miranda treats her. Rather than consoling her,
Nigel tells her about the value and signi¿cance of working for a fashion magazine
like Runway:

Andy, be serious. You are not trying. You are whining. What is it thatyou want me to say to you, huh? Do you want me to say,ȨPoor you.
Miranda’s picking on you. Poor you. Poor Andyȩ? Hmm? Wake up,six. She’s just doing her job. Don’t you know that you are working
at the place that published some of the greatest artists of the century?
Halston, Lagerfeld, de la Renta. And what they did, what they created
was greater than art because you live your life in it. Well, not you,obviously, but some people. You think this is just a magazine, hmm?
This is not just a magazine. This is a shining beacon of hope for
don’t know

oh, I

let’s say a young boy growing up in Rhode Island with six

brothers pretending to go to soccer practice when he was really going
to sewing class and reading Runway under the covers at night with aÀashlight. You have no idea how many legends have walked these halls.
And what’s worse, you don’t care. Because this place, where so many
people would die to work, you only deign to work. And you want toknow why she doesn’t kiss you on the forehead and give you a gold staron your homework at the end of the day. Wake up, sweetheart.

His remark makes Andy decide to change. Moreover, with the help of thisart director, she develops from a dowdy girl into someone who has very good taste
in clothes. Nigel is a fashion guru to Andy. He takes on the role of instructorfrom whom the neophyte learns the knowledge and wisdom of the group during− 128 −

The Initiatory Experience of a Fashion Novice: David Frankel’s The Devil Wears Pradathe liminal period. He functions as a guide who initiates Andy into the mysteriesof fashion.
Andy increasingly expresses her competence and fitness for the tasks set
her, and comes to get even a sense of achievement when she accomplishes her
tasks successfully. Moreover, through her work, she gets acquainted with famous
people such as Christian Thompson, a successful writer. This slick, handsome
writer sees Andy as a potential conquest and makes advances to her. Andy’s
evolution into a stylish girl and a competent assistant impresses her boss. Miranda
comes to call Andy by her real name and gives her a new task—the delivering ofȨThe Bookȩto her house. Emily gives Andy directions as to how to ful¿ll thetask: that she has to behave as if she is invisible at Miranda’s house. Andy is,however, tricked by Miranda’s twin daughters into going upstairs and happens
to see her and her husband at an awkward time. Miranda is making excuses formissing a date with her husband at a restaurant, and he retorts bitterly,ȨI knew
everyone in the restaurant was thinking:ȦThere he is, waiting for her again’.ȩ
His remark suggests that Miranda has stood him up not a few times because of herwork. Interestingly, later in the ¿lm, Andy also misses her boyfriend’s birthday
party due to her deep involvement in her work. Anyway, Andy breaks theprohibition of intruding on the sensitive area of Miranda’s life. Miranda retaliates
by giving Andy an absurdly impossible task: obtaining the unpublished Harry
Potter manuscript for her daughters. And she threatens to ¿re Andy if she cannot
achieve the task. Andy calls her boyfriend and tells him that she has decided toquit. With the aid of Christian, however, she manages to accomplish the task andstay at Runway.
Meanwhile, as Andy gets deeply involved in her work, a gulf develops
between her and her live-in boyfriend Nate. The first indication that Andy’s
personal relationships struggle occurs in a bar scene where Nate, Andy, her best

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friend Nellie and Nellie’s boyfriend Doug have drinks and a chat together. Andy
explains to the other three the value of Runway, but the remark rather spoils
their fun and thus makes Nate tease her:ȨSomeone’s been drinking the KoolAid.ȩAnd when Andy’s cell phone ringsȝa call from Miranda, of courseȝNate
snatches it from her hand and tosses it to Nellie, partly in fun and partly due to his
growing dislike of Andy’s being constantly at the beck and call of her boss. The
cell phone is tossed around among the three while Andy is frantically trying to
get it back. When Andy has it back, she snaps,ȨYou guys didn’t have to be suchassholes,ȩand leaves the bar for her task. The camera cuts to the three, who stare
dumbfounded after her.
Nate works as a trainee chef in a small restaurant. He and Andy enter thestory as a young couple both of whom gets a foot on the bottom rung of the career
ladder. In the initial part of the ¿lm, they are shown living a happy, modest life.
However, Andy’s development into a competent assistant makes their relationshipsuffer. Nate believes that Andy despises Runway and the world of fashion, andis thus disappointed to find out that she changes her mind about quitting andstays at Runway. On Nate’s birthday, Andy is unexpectedly told by Miranda toaccompany her to a charity bene¿t because Emily has a cold. She is given thetask of whispering into Miranda’s ear important information about the people
approaching her for greeting. She performs the task better than Emily, whereas
she misses Nate’s birthday party, to his great disappointment. Like Miranda’s
husband, Nate is increasingly annoyed at playing second ¿ddle to his sweetheart’s
job. When Andy later con¿des to Nigel thatȨmy personal life is hanging on bya thread,ȩhe tells her,ȨWell, join the club. That happens when you start doing
well at your work. Let me know when your whole life goes up in smoke. Means
it’s time for promotion.ȩ His remark implies that working her way up the career
ladder involves the sacri¿cing of her personal life.

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The Initiatory Experience of a Fashion Novice: David Frankel’s The Devil Wears Prada

As a result of her evolution, Andy is also forced toȨbetrayȩher co-worker
Emily. Emily is typical ofȨthe same girlȩMiranda hires—Ȩstylish, slender,of course,ȩsheȨworships the magazine.ȩ Although, as is often the case withȨthe same girl,ȩshe may be said to be one of the girls whoȨturn out to bedisappointing and stupid,ȩshe idolizes Miranda and devotes herself to her jobs,
dreaming of working her way up at Runway. She has been looking forward toaccompanying Miranda to the fall fashion shows in Paris, a task only the firstassistant is supposed to fulfill, and has been toiling over losing weight for thetask. When the shows in Paris are close at hand, however, Miranda tells Andy,ȨI
need the best possible team with me. That no longer includes Emily,ȩa remark
implying that Andy will go to Paris with Miranda. Because she knows how
enthusiastic Emily is about going to Paris, Andy hesitates to accept the offer.
Miranda then tells her,ȨIf you don’t go, I’ll assume you are not serious about yourfuture. At Runway or any other publication.ȩAndy has no option but to accept.
To make matters worse, she is the one who has to give the news to Emily. When
Andy is about to give her the news over the cell phone, Emily is hit by a car while
carrying bags full of designer things for Miranda. The shot of designer scarves
scattered can be seen as the visual representation of Emily’s long-cherished dream
being shattered. Emily feels betrayed when she finds out in the hospital roomthat Andy replaces her as the attendant and tells Andy angrily,ȨI don’t care if she
was going to ¿re you or beat you with a hot poker. You should have said no.ȩȨIdidn’t have a choice. You know how she is,ȩAndy responds. Emily then tells
her,ȨThat’s a pathetic excuse. You sold your soul to the devil when you put on
your ¿rst pair of Jimmy Choo’s. I saw it.ȩ Andy has converted to the worshipofȨthe devilȩand acts on the principles ofȨthe devilȩunwittingly: she usurps
Emily’s position to get ahead.
Shortly afterwards, Andy’s relationship with Nate finally collapses. At an− 131 −

ີ५ఱ‫૽ڠ‬໲‫ڠ‬໐‫ܮ‬ါexhibition of Lilly’s photography, Andy happens to meet Christian and is caught
receiving a kiss on the cheek from him by Lilly. Lilly expresses her disgust by
telling her:

You know, the Andy I know is madly in love with Nate, is always ¿veminutes early, and thinks, I don’t know, Club Monaco is couture. For
the last sixteen years, I’ve known everything about that Andy. But
this person. This glamazon who skulks around in corners with somerandom, hot fashion guy? I don’t get her.

Andy then comes across Nate there, and they start arguing over the fact that
she is going to Paris instead of Emily. They then come to the bitter recognition
that they should end their relationship. Nate tells Andy,ȨWe can stop pretending
like we have anything in common anymore.ȩȨWell, maybe this trip is coming
at a good time. Maybe we should take a break,ȩAndy responds. In this way,
Andy’s personal lifeȨgoes up in smoke.ȩ

4The ¿nal phase of Andy’s initiatory metamorphosis, the phase of aggregation,
comes in Paris. Andy is dazzled by the glamour of the fashion shows. One
night, however, she is surprised to see an unimaginable side of Miranda. Whenshe comes into Miranda’s hotel room, she finds her boss unusually wan in her
bathrobe—not in designer clothes—and with her makeup off. Miranda con¿desto Andy that her husband is divorcing her. He ¿nds his position asȨMr. Priestlyȩ
unbearable. Miranda worries that the press would headline her divorceȨCareerobsessed Snow Queen drives away another Mr. Priestly,ȩa remark implying that
this is not her ¿rst divorce. She also worries about the effect of the divorce on her− 132 −

The Initiatory Experience of a Fashion Novice: David Frankel’s The Devil Wears Prada

daughters. In this way, Miranda reveals a rare moment of vulnerability. Her usual
aggressive, imperious self vanishes. It is interesting that Miranda looks spiritlessand vulnerable in her bathrobe. The designer clothes she is usually garbed inmight function as something like armor.
Miranda then says,ȨAnyway, the point is . . .,ȩand makes a pause. We
assume that Miranda is making a further remark about her divorce. But the
subject is the seating chart for a business luncheon:ȨThe point is we really needto ¿gure out where to place Donatella because she is barely speaking to anyone.ȩ
Although Miranda still looks downcast, she changes back into aȨcareer-obsessedȩ
woman. When Andy asks her what she can do for her, Miranda replies,ȨYour
job.ȩ
The weakness Miranda shows in front of Andy implies that it is dif¿cult forsuccessful career women to make their jobs and personal lives coexist. Moreover,Miranda’s anxiety about how the media would see her divorce is indicative ofa double standard successful career women are forced to confront. According
to the double standard, career women like Miranda areȨcareer-obsessedȩshedevils who make their husband or boyfriend feel humiliated and emasculated.
Interestingly, shortly afterwards, Andy refutes Christian’s description of MirandaasȨa notorious sadistȩ:ȨOkay, she is tough. But if Miranda were a man, no one
would notice anything about her except how great she is at her job.ȩ
Immediately after Miranda’s hotel room sequence, while Andy is fixing
her makeup in her own room, the camera cuts from the close-up of her face to aÀashback that shows her looking through her news stories in the morning of her
job interview. The camera then cuts back to a close-up of her face with a stunned
expression. The flashback shot represents her inner voice, which tells her how
far she has drifted away from the pre-Runway Andy. Clearly, the encounter withthe vulnerable Miranda contributes to making Andy feel unsure as to whether− 133 −

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she is on the right career path. A shadow cast over her devotion to her job is aforeshadowing of her ¿nal separation from Miranda and Runway.
After succumbing to Christian’s advances and having sex with him,
Andy learns from him that Runway’s owner is planning to replace Mirandawith Jacqueline Follet, the editor-in-chief of Runway’s French edition becauseȨJacqueline is a lot younger than Miranda and has a fresher take on thingsȩ
andȨdoes the same thing for a lot less money.ȩ Christian also tells Andy,ȨShe
[Jacqueline] is bringing me in to run all the editorial content.ȩWhen Andy rushes
to the door to warn Miranda about the plot, Christian tries to stop her by saying,ȨBaby, it’s done.ȩȨI’m not your baby,ȩAndy snaps. We may say that her sharp
retort expresses her disgust with a foxy male scheme and male conceit.
When Andy warns her boss, however, Miranda seems surprisingly
composed. And at the luncheon that day, to Andy’s surprise and to Nigel’s great
disappointment, Miranda announces that Jacqueline will be a new partner inJames Holt’s company, the position Nigel believed he would gain with Miranda’s
approval. Later, on their way to a fashion show, Miranda explains to Andy thatshe knew of the plot to get rid of her and sacri¿ced Nigel to retain her own job.
After expressing her satisfaction that Andy intently tried to warn her, Miranda tells
Andy,ȨI see a great deal of myself in you. You can see beyond what people want
and what they need, and you can choose for yourself.ȩ This remark implies that
Miranda sees Andy as her potential successor in her job. Their exchange proceeds
as follows:

Andy: I don’t think I’m like that. I couldn’t do what you did to Nigel. I
couldn’t do something like that.
Miranda: You already didȝto Emily.
Andy: That’s not what I . . . No, that was different. I didn’t have a choice.

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The Initiatory Experience of a Fashion Novice: David Frankel’s The Devil Wears Prada

Miranda: Oh, no. You chose. You chose to get ahead. You want this life.
Those choices are necessary.
Andy: But what if this isn’t what I want? I mean, what if I don’t want tolive the way you live?
Miranda: Oh, don’t be ridiculous, Andrea. Everybody wants this.
Everybody wants to be us.

Andy is appalled to realize that she has been, like Miranda, cold enoughto take someone’s dream away in order to get ahead, though unwittingly. She
is also dismayed at the fact that if she chooses to get ahead,Ȩthose choices arenecessary.ȩAt this moment, Andy breaks out of the spell cast byȨthe devil.ȩShe
decides that such a dog-eat-dog world is not one where she belongs.
When they arrive at their destination and get out of the car, Andy turns from
Miranda and walks away. Immediately after that, she receives a call from her bossand throws her cell phone into a nearby fountain without the slightest hesitation,an act that indicates her ¿nal emancipation from Miranda’s control. This moment
is also indicative of her rebirth or resurrection, the imagery which is associatedwith the phase of aggregation, the third and ¿nal one of a rite of initiation. And
the resurrection is not just a return to her former self. Andy survives her initiatory
ordeals during the period of symbolic death andȨreturns to life a new [woman].
assuming another mode of beingȩ(Eliade xii). A series of ordeals have got her
into shape as a career woman. They have instilled in her, as Miranda describes
it, the ability toȨsee beyond what people want and what they need,ȩas well as
enthusiasm and passion for her job. Andy has become self-determining enoughto make a big decision to abandon her excellent prospects for working her way up
the career ladder in fashion journalism and go her own way. These things show
how Andy has come of age as a career woman.

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5What is interesting about the concluding sequence is its presentation of theway each of the three central female characters pursues her career. Back in New
York, Andy has an interview for a job on a local newspaper. The interviewer
describes her news stories asȨexcellent.ȩ He then tells her that he called to the
Runway of¿ce for a reference:ȨI got a fax from Miranda Priestly herself, sayingof all the assistants she has ever had, you were by far the biggest disappointment,
and if I don’t hire you, I am an idiot.ȩAndy is surprised to learn that Miranda put
in a strong recommendation on her behalf. A radiant smile on her face as she iswalking along the street after the interview shows that a new career path is open
to her.
While walking past the Elias-Clark building, Andy calls Emily and offers all
the clothes she got in Paris, saying that she does not have any place to wear them.
Emily pretends to regard the offer as an unwelcome favor, but accepts. When
Emily hangs up, a faint, warm smile appears across her face. Emily then tells
Andy’s replacement,ȨYou have some very large shoes to ¿ll,ȩa remark showing
that, like Miranda, Emily appreciates Andy’s hard work and competence. Emilyis shown walking on crutches and with her leg in plaster in a full shot. Though
she is portrayed somewhat comically, she is shown forging her own career path.
The film ends with Andy and Miranda exchanging looks in front of theElias-Clark building. After the call to Emily, Andy sees Miranda getting into her
car across the street. Their eyes meet and Andy nods her head and waves her
hand as if to express her thanks and farewell. Miranda gets into the car without
reacting. Andy has a smile on her face as if she remembers how her former boss
is and starts walking down the street. Sitting back in her seat, Miranda sees Andy
walking away. She ¿nally breaks into a broad smile. She then puts on an austereexpression again and sternly tells her chauffeur,ȨGo.ȩ We might say that she− 136 −

The Initiatory Experience of a Fashion Novice: David Frankel’s The Devil Wears Pradasounds as if she tells herself toȨgo,ȩdespite having lost her potential successor.
Her indomitable spirit does not allow her to stop and take a rest; she keeps on
going.
In this way, each of the three central female characters is shown navigating
her own career path. The conclusion of the ¿lm does not say that any one pathis better than any other. It offers a range of possibility for female development
as a career woman. The concluding sequence also presents low-key female
bonding. The Devil Wears Prada dramatizes the situation of women at work withan intensive focus on the protagonist’s job experience invested with an initiatory
signi¿cance. The ¿lm can be said to be a woman’s ¿lm which af¿rms women’s
career commitment and achievements.

Filmography
The Devil Wears Prada. Dir. David Frankel. With Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep.
20th Century-Fox, 2006.

Works Cited
Eliade, Mircea. Rites and Symbols of Initiation: The Mysteries of Birth and Rebirth.
Trans. Willard R. Trask. Dallas: Spring Publications, 1994.
Turner, Victor. The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure. Ithaca: Cornell UP,
1977.

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