Elle Woods, the lead of the well loved films “Legally Blonde,” “Legally Blonde: 2 Red, White & Blonde” and the musical adaption, “Legally Blonde the Musical,” initially presents as the epitome of a stereotypical blonde sorority girl, embodying an image focused on fashion and social status. However, her bubbly demeanor is complimented by her highly determined and independent attitude, demonstrating how the films and musical develop a complex character that subverts social expectations and challenges audiences to rethink their assumptions about intelligence and capability. The various iterations of “Legally Blonde” develop a dynamic character with a robust backstory, allowing the viewer to gain a strong understanding of what makes up Woods, what she stands for and where she came from. Without these aspects of her personality, Woods would not be as nuanced nor be able to push back against female stereotypes within society and the male-dominated, conservative field of law.

To honor the writing of the films and the complexity of Woods’ character, we can take a psychoanalytical approach to her life, demonstrating how she grew into her iconic personality. 

Birth Order Analysis

A key aspect of Woods’ upbringing is the fact that she is an only child. In the 20th century, Australian psychotherapist Alfred Alder posited the theory of birth order. This idea is in contrast to Freudian ideas, as Alder believed that individuals were seeking companionship and harmony in contrast to them being in constant conflict as Freud believed. Alder also believed that the mind worked to the attainment of future goals rather than ignoring them and Freud suggested.

Alder’s theory relates to Woods’ parents, as he suggested that parental behaviors such as pampering — which describes Woods’ childhood to a tee — cause problems in the child’s life. She was never dethroned by the birth of a younger sibling. Throughout her whole childhood and young adult life, Woods was spoiled by her parents, causing her to become used to getting her way. This is demonstrated in “Legally Blonde” as she has a complete meltdown after her dreams of marrying her college boyfriend Warner Huntington III were crushed. This outburst demonstrates her expectations of receiving what she wishes for and what she believes she deserves. 

However, this pampering from her parents does not simply manifest in subtle entitlement to certain experiences. Yes, Woods’ upbringing made her used to getting what she wants, but it also helped her develop a degree of surety and confidence in herself. She trusts her knowledge and abilities throughout many moments — from believing she had a shot at Harvard, through fighting to do right by Brooke Windym — demonstrating a self-confidence that was integral to her ultimate success in law school and in rejecting everyone’s shallow expectations. 

In addition, Alder’s theory suggests that only children are socialized mainly around parents and adults. Woods’ promptness to settle down directly after finishing her undergraduate degree demonstrates her maturing more quickly than her peers, ready to enter married life at the age of twenty one. As an only child, she spent much of her prime developmental time surrounded by adults, forcing her to become advanced quickly and influencing her worldview, causing it to come from a much more adult perspective. This is further demonstrated by her advanced vocabulary. When seen hanging out with her sorority sisters, she plays down her intelligence and maturity in terms of dialogue, but in the Harvard classroom and the courtroom, she is shown to have very developed speech and ideas.

The actions of Elle Woods as she arrives at Harvard and connections she is able to build with her peers further demonstrate her falling into the “only child”  birth order category. As Woods arrives at the new school, she tries her best to fit in including attending parties and other social mixer events. However, she is extremely unsuccessful in these endeavors as she struggles to form meaningful connections due to lack of cohesivity in personal backgrounds and physical appearances. Instead, Woods is able to bond with Paulette Bonafonté, her nail technician at the local salon. Bonafonté is much older than Woods, having gone through an entire marriage and divorce and settled into an established career. Despite their contrasting approaches to life, Bonafonté and Woods quickly develop a close relationship, each confiding in each other constantly. 

The bond between Bonafonté and Woods demonstrates a direct correlation between Woods being an only child and her approach to life, as her thought processes reflect a greater maturity  than her peers. She is shown struggling to have simple conversations with her classmates about things such as class; however, talking to Bonafanté about things such as marital status and dating after a divorce comes more naturally despite never having experienced either. The significant amount of time that Woods spent with adults while growing up because of her lack of siblings allowed her to easily empathize with adult problems, providing helpful solutions based on what she has seen in the past. Having only adult role models and peers has shifted the way that Woods views the world and her ability to interact with it.

Woods’ need for companionship due to a childhood spent alone is further demonstrated by her relationship with and reliance on her dog. The dog, Bruiser Woods, is demonstrated to be a central character in her life through the films “Legally Blonde” and “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde.” He is also prevalent in “Legally Blonde the Musical.” As she is seen without companions in school, she often talks to Bruiser for emotional support. Her dog is very involved in her life, attending classes and court trials with her and being there when she begins her first corporate job. Elle Woods treats her dog as an important figure in her life, relying on him very similarly to how one could rely on a human for emotional support. She is seen telling him her dreams and hopes for the future, complaining about the challenges she faces and even asking him for advice. The ability that she has to find companionship in a creature that can not relate or respond to her demonstrates the years of isolation she felt without peers to consult in and share thoughts with.

The only child background is also demonstrated by Elle Woods in the amount of pressure she places on herself to succeed. As she is responsible for the legacy of her family, she is used to having their full attention. This is a benefit as far as funding and other support because she receives all available resources, however it places a very large amount of pressure on her shoulders. The high expectations that she has for herself are reflected in her work ethic and determination to achieve all goals that she sets for herself. When Woods decided that Harvard Law School was the path that she wanted to pursue, she put so much effort into maintaining her grade point average and studying for the Law School Admittance Test. All sisters of her sorority were cheering on her efforts and helping in any way they could, as they could see how determined she was and how hard she was striving for success. Most characters in the film — namely Warner and Vivian Kensington — misjudge Woods early on given her vibrant outfits and bubbly personality. However, her upbringing and resultantly her self-standards ultimately defy such assumptions.  

Following Alder’s theory of birth order, the maturity and determination of Woods stems directly from her early childhood experiences. Her surety in herself, as well as her go-getter attitude sets Woods apart from her peers, seeking success and justice, rather than mere approval from adults. 

The Big Five Taxonomy Approach

Woods’ status as an only child is not the only aspect of her personality worth analyzing. The Big Five Taxonomy approach to personality analysis suggests that every personality is made up of five factors: Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability vs. Neuroticism and Intellect or Openness. Throughout Elle Woods’ character arc she demonstrates all facets of a “complete” personality — a testament to both the writing of the films and her complexities in spite of society’s initial expectations of the vapid “stereotypical blonde.”

Throughout both of the films and the musical, Elle Woods is seen to be an extrovert. She has no hesitation when it comes to approaching new people, joining her orientation group easily and introducing herself to attendees at the Halloween party that she goes to. She becomes upset when left alone for long periods of time, deriving energy from being around other people and thriving in social environments. Woods’ main problem faced when transitioning to Harvard Law School was the lack of support system. She thrived in the sorority house, surrounded by all of her best friends and able to spend time with them whenever she wanted. Elle Woods is very sociable, placing herself in the category of an extroverted person under the trait of extraversion.

Elle Woods would also score high in the agreeableness category. She is shown always going out of her way to do her best to help others around her, demonstrated by her willingness to help Brooke Windym, her sorority sister, win a case in the courtroom. She spends many hours preparing a case and completing much research in order to be able to help out someone that she barely knew. She is also shown to be trusting and sympathetic in her relationship with Bonafanté, empathizing with the struggles she is facing when dealing with her ex-husband and going extremely out of her way to help Bufante get her lovable dog back. The extra mile that Woods is always willing to go for others demonstrates the high score that she would receive in the agreeableness category. 

People who score highly in the conscientiousness section of the Big Five taxonomy approach are determined to succeed, organized and plan oriented, all of which are traits consistently demonstrated by Woods. When she puts her mind to something, she archives it including challenges such as admittance to law school. The amount of planning and preparation that she took demonstrates why she would have a high conscientiousness score, as she met with her academic advisor long in advance. She put much effort into the filming of her personal statement video, hiring a film crew, organizing multiple shooting locations, writing an extensive script and orchestrating multiple costume changes. She also allocated her time responsibly when studying for the admittance exam, demonstrating that she was able to plan in advance and stay organized in order to achieve the goal that she was working towards.

Elle Woods also has high scores of neuroticism, as demonstrated by her anxious and depressive tendencies. While she presents herself to her peers as always bubbly and fearless she is shown to be much more unsure when being vulnerable. The conversations that Woods has with both Paulette Bonafonté and Bruiser demonstrate the true anxiety that she feels over the possibility of failure and the deep sadness that she feels over not accomplishing her goals. As seen at the nail salon, Woods is unsure of what path to take in life if things do not work out the way that she was expecting to. Her tendency to spiral and always expect the worst out of every situation are very inline with neuroticism, as this natural instinct causes her to feel anxious and unsure of what choices to make next.

Openness as an aspect of the Big Five taxonomy approach is defined as someone who has strong intellectual curiosity, divergent thinking and an active imagination, all of which are traits exhibited by Elle Woods. Her approach to law is often seen as unconventional especially when compared to other characters such as her nemesis, Kensington. She approaches clients as people, rather than just a case or a folder of papers and actively thinks outside of the box when defending them. When defining her client, Windham, Woods is able to prove her innocence by reciting the rules of receiving a perm hair treatment. This idea is not something that would usually be relevant in a courtroom, but Woods is able to think creatively and pull from personal experience in order to save the person that she had grown to care about. This unconventional approach coupled with her overwhelming instinct to continue to learn more demonstrate the high scores that Woods would receive in the openness category. 

The complexities of Woods’ character, as developed through her distinct childhood and the robust personality crafting by the creators of the film, makes her a powerful, subversive icon that rejects the stereotypes so often presented in media about women, the legal field and, of course, blondes. “Legally Blonde” had, and still has, a significant impact on audiences thanks to Woods herself, who demonstrates perseverance, integrity, passion and success, alongside kindness and impeccable style.