Fairy tales often contain fantastic elements as a means to present a social or cultural lesson. But this stereotype of a woman in the kitchen extends to other issues, for instance, it resonates with the other problems in Isabella and Toninho's marriage, which stem mainly from their blind adherence to traditional gender roles. The magic that Isabella creates when she cooks overcomes barriers created by these conventional roles for men and women. Most significantly, cooking eventually becomes the symbol of Isabella and Toninho' s rejection of these roles, so that they may make their marriage a stronger one. All of these elements combine to create a contemporary fairy tale where the purpose is not only to invoke a nostalgia for the warmth and simplicity of childhood or perhaps the soothing powers of food, but also to address, however whimsically, sex and gender politics.
Fairy tales are important because they express cultural moments.
Woman on Top , as a modern day fairy tale, highlights today's confusion over gender roles. The lessons Isabella and Toninho learn about expected behaviors are central the film's eventual moral. As with any fairy tale, this moral is slightly clouded by its sweet ingredients, making it easier to digest than if it were presented through stark reality. These lessons are somewhat complicated, however, because they come with the generic and stereotypical images of beauty, love, and gender roles. And the love shared between these two beautiful people spans time and overcomes all cultural barriers.