54 pages 1 hour read

Jen Wang

The Prince and the Dressmaker

Fiction | Graphic Novel/Book | YA | Published in 2018

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Important Quotes

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“After all, Paris is the city of love.”


(Chapter 1, Page 3)

In evoking the whimsical and well-known aphorism of Paris, Wang highlights the fairytale quality of the story to come and foreshadows the eventual romance between Frances and Sebastian.

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“You know what, just make it ghastly. Make me look like the devil’s wench.”


(Chapter 1, Page 6)

Sophia’s disinterest in finding a socially acceptable husband lays the groundwork for the novel’s subversion of traditional gender norms and celebration of Gender Expansive Self-Expression Through Fashion. The strength of the phrase “devil’s wench” evokes the 19th-century society perspective that viewed any deviation from traditional norms as indecent or even sinful.

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“The client is not the one who wears the dress. THE CLIENT IS THE ONE WHO PAYS.”


(Chapter 1, Page 14)

The tailor’s assertion evidences a perspective that prioritizes profit over innovation in fashion design. In the context of Lady Sophia (a minor under the control of her mother) it also highlights a traditional power dynamic in which a parent’s wishes supersede that of their children.