Bridget Jones is a chain-smoker and a hard-drinker. She is messy, slightly overweight and, even worse, she is still single. Clumsy Bridget spends her time downing drinks with her crazy single friends and strolling around the office with her little skirt. Helen Fielding´s modern novel opens the diary of a British single woman who is desperately looking for “Mr. Right” in a world of “emotional fuckwittages”. Quite the contrary is Elizabeth Bennet, the young heroine in Jane Austen´s most famous novel Pride and Prejudice. She is one of 5 daughters, polite, sophisticated, selfless and, due to her education, she would never compromise herself in public like Bridget always does.
One can hardly believe that there can be found any parallels between Bridget Jones´s Diary and the probably most romantic British novel, Pride and Prejudice. In fact, there are about 200 years between both works but they are indeed comparable...
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The stolen Story: Characters and the Plot
3. Heroes and their Antagonists: The Presentation of Men
3.1 Darcy – The Hero
3.2 Cleaver and Wickham – The Bastards
4. Elizabeth Jones meets Bridget Bennet
4.1 Fine Eyes and Size 12
4.2 The Lack of Education
4.3 Self-confidence meets Clumsiness
5. The Role of the Family
6. Different Time, Different Style
6.1 Narrative Mode
6.2 Language
6.3 The Change of the Novel: From Metaphors of Love to cheeky Chicklit
7. The Importance of Coupledom and Marriage
7.1 Spinsters, Bachelors, Singletons and Social Pressure
7.1.1 Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus
7.2 Marriage – Material in the 19th and 20th Century
7.3 Superficiality – The Importance of Beauty
8. Bridget Jones – A top Post-Modernist and a Post-Feminist
9. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the parallels and differences between Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary, specifically analyzing how characters, narrative styles, and themes have evolved or remained relevant across two centuries. The research focuses on the transition from traditional romantic literature to modern "chicklit" and explores the enduring societal pressures surrounding marriage, gender roles, and class.
- Comparative analysis of protagonists and their romantic counterparts.
- Evaluation of narrative techniques, specifically the use of irony and diary-style versus omniscient narration.
- The impact of changing social status, wealth, and marriage dynamics on female independence.
- The cultural shift from traditional romantic metaphors to 1990s consumerist media influences.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
Bridget Jones is a chain-smoker and a hard-drinker. She is messy, slightly overweight and, even worse, she is still single. Clumsy Bridget spends her time downing drinks with her crazy single friends and strolling around the office with her little skirt. Helen Fielding´s modern novel opens the diary of a British single woman who is desperately looking for “Mr. Right” in a world of “emotional fuckwittages”. Quite the contrary is Elizabeth Bennet, the young heroine in Jane Austen´s most famous novel Pride and Prejudice. She is one of 5 daughters, polite, sophisticated, selfless and, due to her education, she would never compromise herself in public like Bridget always does.
One can hardly believe that there can be found any parallels between Bridget Jones´s Diary and the probably most romantic British novel, Pride and Prejudice. In fact, there are about 200 years between both works but they are indeed comparable. There are numerous parallels between both novels, starting with characters and their relationships; there are scenes that resemble each other and themes both literary works focus on, such as misunderstandings and wrong first impressions, the importance of love, partnership and marriage, complicated or even ‘dysfunctional’ family relations, and status, wealth and reputation.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the comparative scope of the paper, contrasting the protagonists of Austen and Fielding while establishing the thematic focus on social change and gender dynamics.
2. The stolen Story: Characters and the Plot: Explores the shared narrative framework and the parallels between key characters like Darcy, Wickham, and the respective parents.
3. Heroes and their Antagonists: The Presentation of Men: Analyzes the archetypes of the "hero" and the "bastard" in both novels, focusing on how these figures influence the heroines' perceptions.
4. Elizabeth Jones meets Bridget Bennet: Compares the two heroines, highlighting their differences in education, self-confidence, and physical appearance.
5. The Role of the Family: Discusses the shifting dynamics of the family unit and how the parents function as catalysts or anti-models for the protagonists.
6. Different Time, Different Style: Investigates the evolution of narrative modes, language, and the emergence of the "chicklit" genre.
7. The Importance of Coupledom and Marriage: Examines the societal pressures placed on single women and the significance of marriage across the 19th and 20th centuries.
8. Bridget Jones – A top Post-Modernist and a Post-Feminist: Analyzes Bridget Jones as an icon of the 1990s, addressing criticisms regarding her role in post-feminist discourse.
9. Conclusion: Summarizes the enduring relevance of Austen's themes in Fielding's work, emphasizing that despite 200 years of social progress, the quest for romantic fulfillment remains a central concern.
Keywords
Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones's Diary, Jane Austen, Helen Fielding, comparative literature, gender roles, marriage, post-feminism, chicklit, social status, romanticism, narrative style, irony, British society, singleton.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper provides a comparative literary analysis of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary to explore how social themes like marriage, gender roles, and class have persisted or changed over 200 years.
What are the primary thematic fields covered in the work?
Key themes include the evolution of the female protagonist, the role of family dynamics, the social pressure to be in a relationship, and the influence of material status on romantic perception.
What is the main research objective?
The primary goal is to determine how Fielding adapted Austen's timeless characters and plots to fit the urban, 1990s socio-cultural context, and whether these updates effectively critique or mirror traditional expectations.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The paper utilizes a comparative literary study approach, analyzing narrative modes (first-person diary versus third-person omniscient), character archetypes, and historical-contextual analysis of both the 19th and 20th centuries.
What does the main body of the work address?
It covers character parallels, the evolution of stylistic devices like irony, the shift in narrative modes, and the socio-economic context of marriage in both the Regency era and 1990s London.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as comparative literature, post-feminism, chicklit, social pressure, gender roles, and the analysis of classic versus contemporary romance.
How does the author characterize the "family role" in the two novels?
The author views family relations in both works as largely "dysfunctional," where parents often serve as comic figures or negative examples, leaving the daughters to navigate their own paths towards maturity and independence.
What is the author's argument regarding Bridget Jones as a "post-feminist" figure?
The author highlights the criticism that Bridget Jones's obsession with men and her focus on traditional femininity and dieting might be seen as a regressive step for feminist achievements, despite the character's professional independence.
- Quote paper
- Juliane Heß (Author), 2010, Pride and Prejudice versus 'Bridget Jones´s Diary', Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/177677
