Children of their time: Elizabeth Bennet versus Bridget Jones
Nina Dietrich
© Philipps-Universitδt
Marburg
It
is a truth universally acknowledged that Helen Fielding did not invent
the plot of her novel Bridget Jones's Diary, which was first published
in 1996, all by herself. When asked about it in an online chat session,
Fielding admits that she 'shamelessly stole the plot' of Pride and
Prejudice, written by Jane Austen. Bridget Jones's Diary received great
praise from critics in the United Kingdom and beyond. In 1999, Fielding
published a sequel called Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. A highly
anticipated film adaptation entered cinemas in 2001, and soon became
very successful. Even though Jane Austen's novel was published nearly
two hundred years earlier than Fielding's, its plot still seems to be
relevant to a turn-of-the-millennium readership. What parallels are
there between the two novels and their heroines? In how far are
Elizabeth and Bridget children of their time? What changes did Fielding
consider necessary when taking Pride and Prejudice into the late 20th
century? These questions will be answered in this paper.
To
begin with, one should look at the novel as a whole. There are some
analogies between Pride and Prejudice and Bridget Jones's Diary. First
of all, both protagonists fall in love with a man whose last name is
Darcy. Both Mr. Darcies are wealthy and respected members of society. In
Austen's novel, Fitzwilliam Darcy owns a large mansion called Pemberley,
which makes a big impression on Elizabeth. Mark Darcy, on the other
hand, owns a house on Holland Park Avenue, London, which makes Bridget,
for one of the few times in her life, speechless (Fielding 228). Second,
both Elizabeth and Bridget become acquainted with their future partner
at a party. As an illustration, Elizabeth Bennet meets Mr. Darcy at a
ball, while Bridget Jones is introduced to Mark Darcy at Una Alconbury's
New Year's Day
On
this rather general level, the two novels appear to be very similar.
However, there are more differences between the protagonists Elizabeth
and Bridget as one would assume. In the following part of this paper,
the heroines will be described in great detail. The characterization
will be divided into five parts, that is, outward appearance, education,
pride and how it leads to prejudice, temper, and love and emotionality.
First
of all, it should be made clear that it is difficult to describe
Elizabeth or Bridget's outward appearance in an objective manner. Jane
Austen's narrator does not give an explicit description of the heroine.
However, her appearance is discussed in several parts of the novel:
sometimes by characters who like Elizabeth, and sometimes by those who
strongly dislike her.
Similarly,
as Helen Fielding's work is written in the form of a diary, it does not
include an objective view of Bridget Jones. It is only Bridget herself
who comments on what she likes or dislikes about her own appearance.
As
far as Elizabeth's outward appearance is concerned, there are different
opinions.
When
Mr. Darcy sees her for the first time, he hurts Elizabeth's pride by
calling her only 'tolerable' (Austen 13). Elizabeth first laughs off the
remark, but then calls Darcy's pride unforgivable because he has
embarrassed her. Later, however, Darcy starts to admire Elizabeth's
eyes, which he calls 'fine' (Austen 25). When he tells Miss Bingley
about it, she becomes jealous. This is the reason why Miss Bingley
criticises Elizabeth harshly whenever she can. As an illustration, when
Elizabeth walks to Netherfield to see her sister, who is ill then, Miss
Bingley makes negative remarks about the heroine's manners as well as
her style, beauty, and taste (Austen 32). Later, when they meet again in
Pemberley, Miss Bingley is even harsher. She says:
'For
my own part, I must confess that I could never see any beauty in her.
Her face is too thing; her complexion has no brilliancy; and her
features are not at all handsome. Her nose wants character; there is
nothing marked in its lines. Her teeth are tolerable, but not out of the
common way; and as for her eyes, which have sometimes been called so
fine, I never could perceive anything extraordinary in them. They have a
sharp, shrewish look, which I do not like at all; and in her air
altogether, there is a selfsufficiency without fashion, which is
intolerable.'(Austen 221)
However,
this criticism is lost on Mr. Darcy as well as on most other men. Darcy
is strongly attracted by Elizabeth, and he even opposes Miss Bingley's
mean words by saying that he considers Elizabeth 'as one of the
handsomest women of [his] acquaintance' (Austen 221).
The
heroine herself does not talk about her outward appearance.
Bridget
Jones, on the other hand, constantly complains about the way she looks.
In her list of New Year's Resolutions, she puts down that she would like
to 'reduce [the] circumference of [her] thighs by three inches' and 'go
to [a] gym three times a week not merely to buy [a] sandwich' (Fielding
3). Bridget is obsessed with her weight: trying to become thinner, she
loses 5st 3lb in one year and gains 5st 3lb in the same time
(Fielding 310). After her break-up with Daniel Cleaver, Bridget writes:
'Why does nothing ever work out? It is because I am too fat' (Fielding
181). In her opinion, being thin equals being beautiful and successful.
However, Bridget knows about her obsession and has got an explanation
for it: '[
] I am a child of Cosmopolitan culture,' she writes, '[I]
have been traumatized by supermodels [
]' (Fielding 59). Moreover,
Bridget hardly ever gets positive feedback regarding her appearance.
When she has reached her ideal weight, for instance, several of her
friends ask her whether she is feeling well and tell her that she looks
'tired' and 'drawn' (Fielding 106). Bridget is bewildered by the
remarks. In her diary, she writes:
'There's
nothing worse than people telling you you look tired. They might as well
have done with it and say you look like five kinds of shit. [
]
Eighteen years of struggle, sacrifice and endeavour for what?
Eighteen years and the result is 'tired and flat'. I feel like a
scientist who discovers that his life's work has been a total mistake.'
(Fielding 106-7).
Bridget's
mother, too, tells her daughter that she should be 'more bright and
cheerful' because 'nobody wants a girlfriend who wanders around looking
like someone from Auschwitz' (Fielding 131). Thereby, she adds to
Bridget's negative view of herself. Furthermore, Bridget is obsessed by
the fear of looking old. For example, Rebecca embarrasses her by telling
her that she looks several years older than Magda, who is in reality
half a year older than Bridget. Similarly, when she dances with a much
younger man named Simon at a party, he says, 'I've never danced with an
older woman before' (Fielding 234, emphasis added). However, even though
Bridget describes herself in harsh terms in her diary, it does not mean
that she actually is ugly. Her negative attitude towards her body goes
in hand with her low self-esteem. Therefore, the image Bridget paints in
her diary entries cannot be seen as a realistic description.
Next, Elizabeth and Bridget will be compared as far as their education
and intelligence are concerned. To begin with, by 19th century
standards, Elizabeth's education is rather incomplete. Every woman
should try to become as accomplished as possible. According to Miss
Bingley:
'No
one can be really esteemed accomplished, who does not greatly surpass
what is usually met. A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music,
singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the
word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her
air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and
expressions, or the word will be but half deserved.' (Austen 35)
Mr.
Darcy adds that 'to all this she must yet add something more
substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading'
(Austen 35). By standards as strict as these, Elizabeth lacks proper
education. In the 29th chapter of Pride and Prejudice, Lady Catherine de
Burgh asks Elizabeth about her family and her education, and is quite
shocked by hearing that Elizabeth only plays and sings a little, does
not draw and was brought up without a governess. Despite this lack of
formal instruction, Elizabeth is presented as a witty, intelligent
woman. Not only her father, whose favourite she is, says that Elizabeth
'has something more of a quickness than her sisters' (Austen 6), but
also Fitzwilliam Darcy states that he admires her 'for the liveliness of
[her] mind' (Austen 306).
As
far as Bridget Jones is concerned, she does not appear to be a very
learned character either. If Natasha represents the perfectly educated
career woman of the late 20th century, it becomes clear that she and
Bridget do not have much in common. Natasha is 'a top family-law
barrister' and always sounds as if she were in an 'Oxbridge debating
society' whereas Bridget usually embarrasses herself when trying to be
witty (Fielding 101-2). Even though Bridget works in publishing, she
does not know what to say when Mark Darcy asks her if she has read any
good books lately (Fielding 14). In a discussion about literature on
television, Bridget is made fun of. Perpetua introduces her to Natasha
by saying: 'Bridget is one of these people who thinks the moment when
the screen goes back on Blind Date is on a par with Othello's 'hurl my
soul from heaven' soliloquy' (Fielding 101). As for her formal
education, Bridget has got a degree in English. However, the degree is
not considered high standard. Daniel makes fun of Bridget's lack of
formal training on several different occasions, for example when he
corrects her spelling mistakes (Fielding 25), or when he laughs out loud
when telling Bridget that there is 'nothing wrong with a degree from
[
] Bangor' (Fielding 166). As Bridget does not care much about
education, it is no surprise that, when doing Feng Shui, she puts the
wastepaper basket in her 'Knowledge Corner'. It symbolizes how valueless
knowledge is for Bridget Jones.
To
proceed, one should have a look at the two major themes of Jane Austen's
novel, namely pride and prejudice. What is the relationship between
pride and prejudice in Elizabeth Bennet's life? In how far do the two
characteristics play a role in Bridget Jones's Diary?
To
begin with, when Jane Austen first wrote her novel, she called it First
Impressions a title which was altered during the final rewrite. Seen
as a whole, Pride and Prejudice deals with how a wrong first impression
caused by pride can lead to prejudice. As an illustration, when
Elizabeth and Darcy meet at the ball, Darcy calls Elizabeth 'tolerable'
and thereby embarrasses her. Regarding this first meeting, Elizabeth
later says: '[
] I could easily forgive his pride if he had not
mortified mine' (Austen 19). Because of her prejudice, Elizabeth later
believes it when Wickham lies about Fitzwilliam Darcy. She reacts to
Wickham's narration by saying:
'I
had not thought Mr. Darcy so bad as this though I have never liked
him, I had not thought so very ill of him I had supposed him to be
despising his fellow-creatures in general, but did not suspect him of
descending to such malicious revenge, such injustice, such inhumanity as
this!' (Austen 69)
Then
Elizabeth comes to believe that Mr. Darcy prevented Jane's marriage to
Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth loves her sister very much and is loyal towards
her. It is painful for Elizabeth to realise that Mr. Darcy 'was the
cause, his pride and caprice were the cause of all that Jane had
suffered, and still continued to suffer. He had ruined for a while every
hope of happiness for the most affectionate, generous heart in the
world' (Austen 154). Her prejudice is the reason why Elizabeth would not
consider that Darcy might be in love with her even though there are many
hints during their stay in Kent. For example, Mr. Darcy seems to imply
that during her next visit to Kent, Elizabeth would stay in Rosings
(Austen 151). Finally, when Darcy proposes to her, Elizabeth clearly
tells him what she thinks about him and refuses his hand. However, on
the following day, she receives a letter that ends her prejudice.
Suddenly, Elizabeth realises that she has misunderstood Fitzwilliam
Darcy. This knowledge is painful to her.
Austen
writes:
'[Elizabeth]
grew absolutely ashamed of herself. Of neither Darcy nor Wickham
could she think, without feeling that she had been blind, partial,
prejudiced, absurd. 'How despicably I have acted!' she cried. 'I,
who have prided myself on my discernment! [
] How humiliating is
this discovery! [
] Pleased with the preference of one, and
offended by the neglect of the other, on the very beginning of our
acquaintance, I have courted prepossession and ignorance, and driven
reason away, where either were concerned. Till this moment, I never knew
myself.'' (Austen 171)
After
realising that she was wrong, Elizabeth gradually begins to see the
world through a more critical lens, and becomes more careful in her
judgement.
As
opposed to Elizabeth Bennet, Bridget Jones is already prejudiced against
Mark Darcy before she meets him at the New Year's Day Turkey Curry
Buffet. Her mother has made clear that she would like Bridget to form a
relationship with Mark Darcy. Bridget strongly dislikes her mother's
matchmaking efforts. In her diary, she repeats some of the hints that
Mrs. Jones has dropped prior to the party, such as:
'Do
you remember Mark Darcy, darling? Malcolm and Elaine's son? He's one of
these super-dooper top-notch lawyers. Divorced. Elaine says he works all
the time and he's terribly lonely. I think he might be coming to Una's
New Year's Day Turkey Curry Buffet, actually.'
(Fielding 12)
Bridget
ironically remarks: 'I don't know why she didn't just come out with it
and say, 'Darling, do shag Mark Darcy over the turkey curry, won't you?
He's very rich' (Fielding 12). The negative attitude towards meeting
Mark Darcy is worsened by the meeting itself: Bridget dislikes Darcy's
outfit and embarrasses herself when talking to him. Then, Mark refuses
to take Bridget's phone number even though prompted to do so by Una
Alconbury. Despite her not liking him anyway, Bridget is hurt in her
pride, and now even more prejudiced. Therefore, she does not believe it
when Darcy tries to warn her about Daniel Cleaver and becomes very
angry. However, when confronting Darcy, she implies that he speaks badly
about Daniel because of jealousy. Mark Darcy is confused, and Bridget
explains: 'I was just assuming you must have some reason to be so
horrible about my boyfriend other than pure malevolence' (Fielding 171).
The prejudice stays between them until Mark asks Bridget out when they
meet on a party in honour of Mark's parents. He tells Bridget that he,
too, received wrong information about her by his mother, and tells her
that he dislikes Daniel Cleaver for a very good reason. That is, Cleaver
had an affair with Darcy's wife shortly after their wedding. Suddenly,
Bridget realises that she was wrong, and begins to like Darcy.
Another
aspect that appears to be very important for a complete characterization
of Elizabeth Bennet and Bridget Jones is temper. How easy or
difficult is it to provoke the two heroines? As far as Elizabeth is
concerned, she is a very lively and straightforward person. She does not
hide her opinion at all, even though it is expected of a woman living in
the early 19th century. For instance, when Fitzwilliam Darcy listens to
her conversation to Colonel Forster, Elizabeth feels provoked by it and
ironically confronts Darcy. 'Did not you think, Mr. Darcy, that I
expressed myself uncommonly well just now, when teasing Colonel Forster
to give us a ball at Meryton?' she asks (Austen 23). However, she does
not start an argument with him, following the old saying 'Keep your
breath to cool your porridge' (Austen 24). Elizabeth also teases and
provokes Darcy and others several times. As an illustration, she tells
Fitzwilliam Darcy, 'I hope I never ridicule what is wise or good.
Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies do divert me, I own, and
I laugh at them whenever I can. But these, I suppose, are precisely
what you are without' (Austen 50). In many discussions, the combination
of Elizabeth's wit and her temper make her a difficult conversation
partner, and peace loving people such as Mr. Bingley cannot deal with
her frankness at all. Nevertheless, Elizabeth herself enjoys lively
discussions, and does not always want to rein herself. She is
self-confident enough to make her point, and hardly ever regrets having
been straightforward. However, there are some occasions on which
Elizabeth knows that she should better stay silent. For instance, when
Lydia comes home to present her husband Mr. Wickham to her family and
shows no understanding of how disgraceful her behaviour has been,
Elizabeth cannot stand having to endure the folly. At one point,
'Elizabeth [can] bear it no longer. She [gets] up, and [runs] out of the
room' (Austen 255). This also shows how hot-tempered she is.
Like
Elizabeth, Bridget is rather easy to provoke. In her list of New Year's
resolutions, she puts down that she will neither 'get annoyed with [her
mother], Una Alconbury or Perpetua' nor 'get upset over men, but instead
be poised and cool ice-queen' (Fielding 2).
Moreover,
she decides that she has to develop an 'inner poise and authority'
(Fielding 2). These entries show that Bridget is aware of her
shortcomings and wants to improve. However, she does not keep her
resolutions. Bridget already gets upset over her mother, Una Alconbury,
and Mark Darcy on New Year's Day. Later, when she starts dating Daniel
Cleaver and he wants to sleep with her on the very first evening, she
explodes: 'This is just such crap. [
] How dare you be so fraudulently
flirtatious, cowardly and dysfunctional? I am not interested in
emotional fuckwittage. Goodbye' (Fielding 33). As opposed to Elizabeth,
Bridget usually regrets it if she behaves emotionally. After the 'Daniel
fuckwittage dιbβcle', she sadly says, 'I've blown it' and keeps
thinking about it until she and Daniel are on friendly - or rather
flirtatious - terms again (Fielding 37). Not being very determined,
Bridget goes back and forth between loving Daniel and despising him.
This problem is caused by Bridget's lack of self-confidence. She is only
happy when people like her, and therefore depends on them.
When
Daniel is having an affair with another woman and Bridget and he break
up, Bridget thinks it is her own fault because she is not thin enough.
Elizabeth would perhaps have reacted differently and been more rational.
Next,
the heroines's emotional life will be discussed. The main question in
this context is whom Elizabeth and Bridget trust and towards whom they
are loyal. This part will also deal with their falling in love with Mr.
Darcy. Elizabeth herself says, 'There are few people whom I really love,
and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see the world, the more
am I dissatisfied with it' (Austen 114).
However,
there is a small circle of persons who matter to her. Elizabeth's
closest confidante is her older sister Jane. The two girls share nearly
everything and care for each other. For example, when Jane falls ill at
Netherfield, Elizabeth is 'feeling really anxious' and determined to see
her sister as soon as possible (Austen 30).
Moreover,
Elizabeth wants to see her sister happily married to the man she loves,
Mr. Bingley. Therefore, when Darcy proposes in Kent, Elizabeth's loyalty
towards Jane is one of the reasons for her refusal. She angrily tells
Darcy: 'Do you think that any consideration would tempt me to accept the
man, who has been the means of ruining, perhaps for ever, the happiness
of a most beloved sister?'
Even
though Jane is her favourite, Elizabeth is also loyal towards the rest
of her family. To illustrate this, when Lydia runs off with Wickham,
Elizabeth is very upset and even cries in front of Mr. Darcy.
As
far as her feelings for Fitzwilliam Darcy are concerned, after
overcoming her prejudice, Elizabeth slowly begins to realise that she
loves him. After Lydia's elopement with Wickham, Elizabeth regrets
having told Darcy about it. She is sure that now he will never connect
himself with the Bennet family. At the same time, however, she knows
that she loves him.
Austen
writes:
'[Elizabeth]
began now to comprehend that he was exactly the man, who, in disposition
and talents, would most suit her. His understanding and temper, though
unlike her own, would have answered all her wishes. It was an union that
must have been to the advantage of both; by her ease and liveliness, his
mind might have been softened, his manners improved, and from his
judgement, information, and knowledge of the world, she must have
received benefit of greater importance.' (Austen 252)
Later,
when she finds out that Darcy has helped her sister and the whole Bennet
family, Elizabeth is very grateful. She senses that Mr. Darcy has not
done it for Lydia's sake alone, and has hopes that Darcy might still
love her. When they meet the next time, Elizabeth is anxious to get a
chance to thank Darcy. Her doing so leads to a renewal of his proposal,
and this time, Elizabeth gladly accepts. She gives 'him to understand,
that her sentiments [have] undergone so material a change, since the
period to which he alluded, as to make her receive with gratitude and
pleasure, his present assurances' (Austen 295). From then on, she does
not hesitate to tell Darcy about her feelings any more, and is very open
towards him.
Bridget's
attitude towards loyalty and love is similar to Elizabeth's. Bridget is
also loyal towards a restricted circle of persons, in her case her
parents and her friends Sharon, Jude, Magda, and Tom. In the late 20th
century, families as big as the Bennets are rather uncommon; therefore,
Bridget's close friends play the same role as Elizabeth's siblings.
Whenever a member of this immediate circle of friends is in trouble,
they all meet to help each other. These meetings are called 'emergency
summits' and usually consist of much drinking, discussing self-help
books, advice-giving and gossiping (Fielding 19). The friends also care
for each other. For instance, when Tom suddenly disappears, Sharon, Jude
and Bridget are worried. Finding that the police won't help them, they
decide to use the spare keys of his apartment to check on him: when
finding out that he is doing all right apart from some bruises and scars
caused by a nose operation, the friends are very relieved. As all of
them live on their own, they are well acquainted with 'fears about dying
alone and being eaten by an Alsatian' (Fielding 265). It is Tom who
describes best what the friendships mean to him: 'I know we're all
psychotic, single and completely dysfunctional and it's all done over
the phone [
], but it's a bit like family, isn't it?' (Fielding 265)
As far as Bridget's falling in love with her Mr. Darcy is concerned, it
comes as gradually as Elizabeth's. After losing her prejudice, Bridget
soon realises that she is attracted by Darcy. However, Bridget is not
too sure about her feelings. For example, when she thinks that he has
stood her up, she angrily calls him a 'bastard' (Fielding 239). This
insecurity is typical for Bridget. She behaved the same way when being
in love with Daniel Cleaver. When she thinks that Mark is not interested
in her at all, she tries to soothe herself and writes:
'Maybe
Mark Darcy is too perfect, clean and finished off at the edges for me,
with his capability, intelligence, lack of smoking, freedom from
alcoholism, and his chauffeurdriven car. Maybe it has been decreed that
I should be with someone wilder, earthier and more of a flirt. [
]
Must get on with life and not feel sorry for self.' (Fielding 286)
It
is, however, obvious that Bridget is sad about Mark's silence. She does
not know that at that point, he is still in Portugal working on Mrs.
Jones's case. On Christmas Day, he returns. Bridget is very happy and
grateful, not only because Darcy has helped her mother, but also because
he saves her from another dreadful Christmas with her family and takes
her to a hotel to celebrate. 'Why did you bother doing all this?'
Bridget asks. Mark replies: 'Isn't it rather obvious?' and Bridget
understands that Mark is in love with her (Fielding 306).
Finally,
Bridget and Mark are a couple, and Bridget is truly happy.
To
conclude, one should look at Bridget and Elizabeth in the light of their
times. Does Elizabeth, even though being a fictional character,
represent the 'typical' 19th century female? Does Bridget in any way
resemble a real 20th century woman? Moreover, do the two characters
deviate from the ideal of womanhood of their time, and, if so, how does
it affect Mr. Darcy?
In
the early 19th century, women were supposed to fit into a clearly
defined role. Marriage was seen as the only legitimate goal for a
female, and in choosing her husband, she was supposed to look for
material advantages rather than marital happiness. Within family and
society, there was a gendered hierarchy in which unmarried women only
found a place at the very bottom. In Pride and Prejudice, this
traditional, conservative point of view is represented not only by Mrs.
Bennet, but also by Mr. Collins and Charlotte. According to Vivien
Jones, Collins's 'terminology aligns him with advocates of a
middle-class ideal of submissive womanhood' (Jones XII). Charlotte Lucas
fits into this role, and accepts Collins's hand. She sees marriage as a
female's 'pleasantest preservative from want' and does not expect
happiness (Austen 103). Elizabeth is shocked by Charlotte's decision as
she herself 'believes in marriage as a test of personal moral
integrity and in happiness as a legitimate goal' (Jones XX). Elizabeth
represents a rather modern understanding of femininity. She is neither
submissive nor servile, and her rejection of Mr. Collins's proposal
demonstrates her independence. Elizabeth is witty as well as lively, and
does not care much about convention. When Jane falls ill at Netherfield,
it does not matter to Elizabeth that the dirty paths will make her unfit
to be seen when she arrives, as her mother points out (Austen 30).
Elizabeth's priorities do not correspond to those of the more
conservative females of her time. Her idealism is remarkable, and the
want of happiness quite uncommon for a woman of her social class and
with her family background.
As
far as Mr. Darcy is concerned, several highly accomplished young women
with a perfect family background show an interest in him, such as Miss
Bingley or Lady Catherine de Burgh's daughter. Nevertheless, Darcy
chooses Elizabeth. It is her being different that attracts him. Already
in the first part of the novel, Austen writes that 'Darcy had never been
so bewitched by any woman as he was by her. He really believed, that
were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some
danger' (46). A little later, she adds: '[Elizabeth] attracted him more
that he liked.' Being in love with her, he learns to accept Elizabeth's
low social status and overcomes his proud arrogance. Her deviating from
the norm wins over her family background. Darcy admits that Elizabeth's
'liveliness of mind', which others, including Elizabeth herself, would
call impertinence, is responsible for his falling in love with her. He
is much more attracted by an independent, unconventional and vivid woman
of low social rank than by all of the refined, educated, obedient and
domestic women that he has met before.
Helen
Fielding's heroine does not fulfil the ideal of womanhood of her time
either. In the late 20th century, an ideal single woman would be
educated, witty, independent, very selfassured and ambitious. Bridget,
on the other hand, is neither witty nor confident enough to be a good
conversationalist, and therefore often embarrassed by more 'perfect'
women like Natasha or even Perpetua. Her career is not very important to
Bridget either. When having a job in publishing, she spends more time
sending flirtatious e-mail messages to her boss Daniel Cleaver than
actually working. Later, when she works for Good Afternoon!, she
constantly embarrasses herself by lacking either knowledge or
professionalism. As far as her independence is concerned, Bridget Jones
differs from the ideal, too. She is dreaming of forming a stable
relationship and getting married. She even tries whether she would like
being called 'Mrs. Darcy' (Fielding 276). However, Bridget sports some
positive character traits that most of the so called ideal women do not
possess: first of all, she has got a good sense of humour, for example
when she comments on Hugh Grant's getting caught with a prostitute and
getting away with it: 'It was because somebody swallowed the evidence'
(Fielding 198). Moreover, Bridget possesses a sort of childlike lack of
concern. When everyone else discusses 'hierarchies of culture', as
Perpetua calls it, Bridget is the only one who dares to admit that she
likes a game show called Blind Date better than literature. She does not
join the other women's display of talents and knowledge, but stays
herself. Similarly to Fitzwilliam Darcy, Mark is surrounded by perfect
women who are clearly interested in him, for instance Natasha. However,
he seems to be bored by their perfection, and falls in love with Bridget
instead. When asking her out, he says: 'Bridget, all the other girls I
know are so lacquered over. I don't know anyone else who would fasten a
bunny tail to their pants [
]' (Fielding 237). Bridget is less perfect
than the other women of Darcy's acquaintance, and her genuineness makes
her attractive.
In short, both Jane Austen and Helen Fielding develop their novel around a genuine and quite imperfect heroine. Elizabeth Bennet and Bridget Jones are vivid, rather cheeky, and good-humoured. Nevertheless, they also have some major shortcomings, such being proud and prejudicial, and lacking proper education. Therefore, they appear to be complete, believable characters, even though their features and inadequacies are exaggerated by the irony used in the novels. Due to their authenticity, the reader finds it easy to identify with the characters. On the surface, Bridget Jones does not resemble Elizabeth Bennet. However, it becomes clear that Fielding has crafted the character according to the scheme which Austen developed in Pride and Prejudice. Bridget, like Elizabeth, deviates from the ideal. For this reason, the differences between the two heroines can be explained easily. Elizabeth's character would perhaps be considered unexceptional and uninteresting, in the late 20th century. For instance, Elizabeth is prouder and more self-confident than Bridget. As such fearlessness is a rather normal trait for a 20th century woman, Fielding makes her heroine anything but self-confident. In the same manner, she changes Elizabeth's ability to express herself into Bridget's tendency to embarrass herself whenever speaking in public. Elizabeth Bennet evolves into Bridget Jones by changing in the same pace and manner as society.