Pride and Prejudice as well as Helen Fielding’s successful novel Bridget Jones’s Diary deal with the role of women in their contemporary societies and the skills the “accomplished woman” should have. One might think that the concept of the “accomplished woman” is only relevant in the 19th century but Fielding’s funny revised edition of the Pride and Prejudice subject has shown that this idea is still present nowadays. Since Austen’s novel was published in 1813 almost two centuries have passed, the role of women in society has changed through the years because of the feminist movements beginning in the 1960s. Nowadays women are able to depend completely on their own. They are not longer inferior to men, they gained the right to vote in the early 20th century and are able to have successful careers. Nevertheless the concept of the “accomplished woman” seems to be still significant at the present time. Fielding manages to move the concept of the “accomplished woman” into the future and it seems to be more popular than ever. Bridget Jones embodies a woman of the 1990s that struggles with her role in society in a similar way Elizabeth Bennet did almost 200 years ago.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Feminist Theory
3. Comparison of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary
3.1 Education, Skills and Career
3.2 Finding a Husband& Marriage
3.3 Appearance
4. Conclusion
5. Literature
5.1 Internet Sources
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines the evolution of the "accomplished woman" archetype by comparing Jane Austen’s 19th-century novel Pride and Prejudice with Helen Fielding’s contemporary work Bridget Jones’s Diary. The research focuses on identifying how societal pressures regarding education, marriage, and physical appearance persist across centuries despite changing economic and social structures.
- The concept of the "accomplished woman" in historical and modern contexts
- Feminist theory as a framework for analyzing female independence
- Economic and social imperatives behind marriage in both literary works
- The influence of media and societal standards on female body image and self-perception
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 Finding a Husband& Marriage
Finding an appropriate husband and marriage are tremendously important elements in both novels. An accomplished woman in the 19th century as well as nowadays has to find an acceptable husband, but the pressure on women described in both novels differs from each other.
In Pride &Prejudice it is necessary for women to gain economic and social independence because women in the 19th century were not allowed to inherit the property of their families which would allow them to depend on their own.
“The marriage system was the only means by which Jane Austen’s heroines could make a comfortable and respectable life for themselves; yet it is presented to them as an incompatible contradiction between romantic qualities (love, intellectual equality, warmth and mutual feelings) and economic imperatives (equality of class and fortune, sufficient money, equality of education and ‘accomplishments’, and so on).” (Marsh² 137)
It is Mrs. Bennet’s main aim to pair off her five daughters. She wants financial security for them because the girls are not allowed to inherit the family property. Mrs. Bennet acts in a greatly exaggerated way when she finds out about Mr. Bingley’s arrival in the neighbourhood. The news of Mr. Bingely’s arrival at Netherfield seem to be welcome to Mrs. Bennet whose great goal it is to marry her single daughters off as soon as possible because after her husband’s death Mr. Collins, Mr. Bennets pompous nephew, will inherit the estate of the Bennet family.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the central topic of the "accomplished woman" and outlines the comparative approach between Austen’s and Fielding’s novels.
2. Feminist Theory: Provides a historical overview of feminist literary criticism and the evolving status of women from the 19th century to the 1960s.
3. Comparison of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary: Analyzes the core thematic parallels and differences between the two protagonists regarding societal expectations.
3.1 Education, Skills and Career: Explores how education and professional standing serve as benchmarks for women in both the 19th and late 20th centuries.
3.2 Finding a Husband& Marriage: Examines the pressure to marry for financial security versus societal acceptance in both narrative worlds.
3.3 Appearance: Discusses the significance of physical beauty and how both authors critique the resulting internal and external pressures on women.
4. Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, noting that despite significant historical changes, the pressure to conform to specific gender roles remains a central issue.
5. Literature: Lists the academic sources and texts utilized to support the arguments presented in the paper.
5.1 Internet Sources: Specifies the digital resources, such as the Gutenberg project, used for textual analysis.
Keywords
Feminist Theory, Jane Austen, Helen Fielding, Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Accomplished Woman, Marriage, Gender Roles, Education, Patriarchy, Physical Appearance, Social Pressure, 19th Century, 20th Century, Literary Comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this academic paper?
The paper is a comparative analysis of the roles of women in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary, exploring how the concept of the "accomplished woman" has evolved or persisted over time.
What are the core thematic fields addressed in the study?
The study focuses on the requirements of education and professional skills, the pressures of the marriage market, and the societal expectations regarding female physical appearance.
What is the central research objective?
The goal is to demonstrate that despite the feminist movements of the 20th century, modern women still face patriarchal pressures similar to those experienced by the female characters in Austen’s 1813 novel.
Which scientific methodology does the author employ?
The author uses a comparative literary analysis, utilizing feminist theory to evaluate social constructs in both novels and contrasting the experiences of the protagonists, Elizabeth Bennet and Bridget Jones.
What topics are covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section investigates education and career paths, the necessity of marriage for economic or social reasons, and the critique of beauty ideals influenced by the media.
Which keywords define the scope of this work?
Key terms include Feminist Theory, Gender Roles, Patriarchy, Marriage, Accomplished Woman, and the specific titles and authors being compared.
How does the paper differentiate between the marriage pressures in the two novels?
The paper identifies that while 19th-century women like the Bennet sisters needed marriage for basic economic survival, modern characters like Bridget Jones feel pressure to marry primarily for social acceptance and validation by their peer group.
What role does the "accomplished woman" concept play in the analysis?
It acts as the anchor for the comparison, showing that while the definitions of "accomplishments"—such as music and language in the 19th century versus career success in the 1990s—have changed, the underlying standard of being "esteemed" remains a source of pressure.
- Quote paper
- Jeannette Nedoma (Author), 2009, The Role of Women, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/136362
