She was the biggest whore in Alameda and the finest woman that ever lived. Whoever my father was, for an hour or for a month β he must have been a happy man. Any sex worker prostitute, stripper, adult film actor, etc. Underneath the sex kitten exterior lies a very kind and good-natured flower. This is a common trait of characters in the "street-walker" category β they are generally poor and desperate , have gone through the most embittering experiences , and frequently have debilitating drug addictions that wreak havoc on their looks and their personalities.
Not that you can tell, of course, as Hollywood hookers tend to be gorgeous and never suffer from meth bugs or malnutrition. This trope is Older Than Feudalism , dating all the way back to Aspasia note Who may or may not have been one in real life. In s Westerns, due to Bowdlerization, whores may be depicted as dance hall girls and showgirls. If they're a mother, that child will be a Son of a Whore.
If Asian, they may also be an Asian Hooker Stereotype. Is liable to become a Heroic Seductress under certain circumstances. And possibly a Miss Kitty. A Single Mom Stripper is often one of these. This trope is only about prostitutes and other professional sex workers. For people who have casual sex for the pleasure of it rather than for money, see instead Good Bad Girl and Ethical Slut.
However, the tropes can overlap when it comes to the more benevolent forms of sex work or full-scale Unproblematic Prostitution. Alternately, if the description plays up their heart of gold but plays it coy about discussing their work-related activities, it may overlap with The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything. Occasionally, those who have actually been damaged by prostitution may still fit this trope.
Expect a Broken Bird who needs to be shown true kindness to bring out their golden heart underneath bitter exteriors. This is a character type that shows up in a lot of Christian fiction. Can be done extremely well a la Francine Rivers or not. Some may take pity on a protagonist and offer them a place in This Bed of Rose's.
