"Pride and Prejudice" certainly is one of the best-known and most frequently criticised works by Jane Austen. Its ironic opening lines “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife” already hint at some of the novel’s topics, such as the omnipresence of marriage in female biographies and the constructions of power through wealth. But what happens if a 21st century writer combines the original plot of "Pride and Prejudice" with popular aspects of the Eastern culture? The novel "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies", written by Seth Grahame-Smith and published in 2009, does so by partly adopting the original text and by inserting (often violent) parts of modern popular culture. The half-conserving, half-comic transformation of the well-known opening lines into “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains” is only one of the numerous means of parody the narrative makes use of, playing on the contrast between its original as an appreciated classic and the frivolous tone of its parody.
This paper will show that "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" is a parody. It will identify and discuss the elements and strategies that are typical of parodies. What gets parodied and how? What effect does this create? These are the central questions this paper seeks to answer. First of all, the approaches of several post-modern theorists such as Linda Hutcheon and Simon Dentith will serve as basic definitions in order to explain the theoretical aspects and properties of parodies. Important characteristics such as the paradox nature of parodies and the theory of encoding and decoding will be taken into account. The second part will consist of a close analysis of parodic strategies in "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies", focusing not only on the formal characteristics of this parody, but also on some features of both 18th century society and the style of the narrative found in "Pride and Prejudice" that are most prominently parodied.
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Defining Parody
- 2.1 Post-modern Theory of Parody
- 2.2 The Paradox of Parody
- 2.3 Encoding and Decoding
- 3. Parodic Elements in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
- 3.1 Formal and Stylistic Aspects
- 3.2 The Female Biography
- 3.3 The Construction of Power
- 3.4 The "Unmentionables" as a Metaphor
- 4. Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper aims to demonstrate that Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a parody. It will analyze the parodic elements and strategies employed, exploring what is parodied, how it's parodied, and the resulting effects. The analysis will draw upon post-modern theories of parody to establish a theoretical framework.
- Definition and theory of parody
- Parodic techniques in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
- The role of irony in parody
- The representation of women and power
- The relationship between parody and the original text
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This introductory chapter sets the stage for the paper by establishing the context of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and its significance. It introduces Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies as a work that combines the original plot with elements of modern popular culture, creating a parodic effect. The chapter outlines the central questions the paper seeks to address: identifying and discussing the parodic elements and strategies, exploring what is parodied, how it is parodied, and the effects this creates. It highlights the use of post-modern theories of parody as a basis for the analysis.
2. Defining Parody: This chapter delves into the theoretical understanding of parody, acknowledging the ongoing debate surrounding its definition. It examines different perspectives, including the Oxford Dictionary's definition, which highlights the paradoxical nature of parody as both amusing and potentially degrading. The chapter extensively explores Linda Hutcheon's post-modern theory, focusing on "repetition with difference" and the crucial role of irony in creating critical distance between the original and the parody. It also incorporates Simon Dentith's perspective, which emphasizes the linguistic dimension of parody and its prevalence in everyday language. Both theorists' views on the potential for constructive or critical intent within parody are discussed.
3. Parodic Elements in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: This chapter provides a close analysis of the parodic strategies employed in Grahame-Smith's novel. It examines both formal and stylistic aspects of the parody, exploring how the narrative manipulates the conventions of the original text for comedic and critical effect. The chapter also analyzes the representation of female characters and the construction of power within the parodic framework, likely contrasting it with Austen's original. The analysis explores how the juxtaposition of historical social norms with elements of zombie horror creates satirical commentary on societal structures and power dynamics.
Keywords
Parody, Pride and Prejudice, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Jane Austen, Seth Grahame-Smith, Post-modernism, Irony, Women, Power, Popular Culture, Intertextuality, Literary Criticism.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: A Parody Analysis - FAQ
What is this document?
This document is a comprehensive preview of an academic paper analyzing Pride and Prejudice and Zombies as a parody of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. It includes a table of contents, objectives and key themes, chapter summaries, and keywords.
What are the main objectives of the paper?
The paper aims to demonstrate that Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a parody. It analyzes the parodic elements and strategies, exploring what is parodied, how it's parodied, and the resulting effects. The analysis uses post-modern theories of parody as a theoretical framework.
What key themes are explored in the paper?
Key themes include the definition and theory of parody, parodic techniques in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the role of irony, the representation of women and power, and the relationship between parody and the original text.
What is covered in Chapter 1 (Introduction)?
The introduction sets the context of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and introduces Pride and Prejudice and Zombies as a parodic work. It outlines the central questions the paper addresses: identifying and discussing parodic elements and strategies, exploring what is parodied, how, and the effects. It highlights the use of post-modern theories of parody as a basis for the analysis.
What is covered in Chapter 2 (Defining Parody)?
Chapter 2 explores the theoretical understanding of parody, examining different perspectives and the paradoxical nature of parody. It extensively explores Linda Hutcheon's post-modern theory ("repetition with difference") and Simon Dentith's perspective on the linguistic dimension of parody. The chapter discusses the potential for constructive or critical intent within parody.
What is covered in Chapter 3 (Parodic Elements in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies)?
Chapter 3 closely analyzes the parodic strategies in Grahame-Smith's novel. It examines formal and stylistic aspects, exploring how the narrative manipulates the conventions of the original text. The chapter analyzes the representation of female characters and the construction of power within the parodic framework, likely contrasting it with Austen's original. The analysis explores how the juxtaposition of historical social norms with zombie horror creates satirical commentary.
What is covered in Chapter 4 (Conclusion)?
The conclusion (though not detailed in the preview) will likely summarize the findings of the analysis, reinforcing the argument that Pride and Prejudice and Zombies functions as a parody of Austen's work and offering concluding thoughts on the implications of the study.
What are the keywords associated with this paper?
Keywords include: Parody, Pride and Prejudice, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Jane Austen, Seth Grahame-Smith, Post-modernism, Irony, Women, Power, Popular Culture, Intertextuality, Literary Criticism.
- Quote paper
- Denise Breidenbach (Author), 2013, Parodic elements, women and power in "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/283155
