Do you remember Cruella DeVil from the original101 Dalmatians cartoon? She was a selfish, cruel, heartless, evil woman who wanted to skin puppies for a fur coat. In the live-action version made not many years later, they expanded on her character, but she was still selfish, cruel, and a little insane. In both of those films, the focus was on the quiet home of the Rogers and their dogs being disrupted by the theft of their beloved puppies and the adventure of getting them back. In this new film, the focus is on Cruella and trying to justify her evil actions with a really pathetic excuse.
The entire Cruella film is about excusing a woman who wants a coat made of puppies because she had a few difficulties in life. Everyone experiences hardship, and it usually doesn't come with a lavishly wealthy upbringing. Cruella doesn't rise above what little problems she has, she surrenders to them and we, the audience, are supposed to praise her for it. In the film, Cruella is held up as a role model when she is acting very selfishly indeed. Her problems are small compared to those of most, but they are played up as if they are terrible tragedies. We're supposed to sympathize with her, but it's hard to sympathize with a truly unpleasant woman who's out for herself.
