Ella Enchanted Theme of Wealth

Money can't buy happiness, but you wouldn't know that from the behaviors of most of the characters in Ella Enchanted. From Ella's dad the conniving trader to the stepfamily who is practically obsessed with utilizing social connections to increase their wealth, a lot of these people think money is the root of all awesome. Although we do see some counter-examples: Ella doesn't seem to care about money at all, and Areida comes from a humble family. When Char starts to like "Lela" at the ball, he doesn't care that she's not from a family with wads of money. Whether you care about money or not in this book, wealth will affect how others perceive you and treat you in the majority of instances—you know, just like in our world.

1. Do you think Ella would be the same person if she'd grown up in a non-noble household? How does her privileged position affect her upbringing?
2. Why are Hattie and Olive so obsessed with money and status? How does their obsession show itself?
3. What is Kyrria's economy like? How do people make their money? Does there seem to be any way to get rich without starting that way?

Having money in Kyrria is the only way to guarantee that you'll be happy.

Every character who desires wealth is deeply flawed.