"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
Research Objectives and Key Topics
This paper examines how Seth Grahame-Smith's novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies functions as a parody of Jane Austen's original work. The primary research objective is to identify and discuss the specific parodic strategies—such as irony, stylistic transformation, and the insertion of modern, violent elements—that create a critical distance and a contrasting effect between the classic original and the contemporary parody.
- Post-modern theories of parody and the concept of "repetition with difference."
- The paradox nature of parody: balancing ridicule with the conservation of the original work.
- Analysis of gender roles and the re-construction of the female biography as warriors.
- The inversion of social power structures and the removal of traditional financial markers.
- The metaphorical significance of "unmentionables" regarding societal taboos and communication.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Formal and Stylistic Aspects
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a novel that credits Jane Austen as a co-author next to Seth Grahame-Smith. This is justified because the original text of Pride and Prejudice accounts for the better part of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. In addition, the chapters of both works are identical in both number and order. In fact, Grahame-Smith adopts large passages of Pride and Prejudice and partly inserts own passages, which vary in length. His variations range from the substitution of single words over the modification of entire sentences to the insertion of completely new, independent passages. Sometimes, there are only slight changes to the original text, but with great effects. A good example is a passage from chapter one, in which Mr. Bennet is characterised: “Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character” (Austen 4). In Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, it says: “Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and self-discipline, that the experience of three-and-twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character” (Grahame-Smith 8). Although these sentences only differ in one word, the latter results in a very different, even contrasting characterisation of Mr. Bennet.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The introduction outlines the research aim of analyzing the parodic nature of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies through the lens of post-modern theory and stylistic comparison.
2. Defining Parody: This chapter establishes theoretical definitions of parody, focusing on "repetition with difference," the paradox nature of the genre, and the necessity of encoding/decoding strategies.
3. Parodic Elements in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: This main section provides a close analysis of the formal, social, and metaphorical modifications Grahame-Smith makes to the original, specifically regarding gender roles, power dynamics, and the "unmentionables."
4. Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes that the parody successfully utilizes parodic contrast to critique traditional Regency Era values while simultaneously preserving the classic narrative structure.
Keywords
Parody, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Seth Grahame-Smith, Jane Austen, Post-modernism, Irony, Repetition with difference, Female biography, Social power, Regency Era, Unmentionables, Intertextuality, Encoding, Decoding, Parodic contrast.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this academic paper?
The paper explores how Pride and Prejudice and Zombies serves as a parody of the classic Austen novel by analyzing its specific parodic strategies and their effects on the reader.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
Key themes include the redefinition of female roles, the construction of social power through fighting skills rather than wealth, and the use of the "unmentionables" as a metaphor for societal taboos.
What is the main research question?
The paper seeks to determine which elements and strategies constitute the parody and what effects are created by contrasting the classic original with the contemporary, violent version.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The author employs a close comparative reading of both texts, supported by established post-modern parody theories from theorists like Linda Hutcheon and Simon Dentith.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body examines stylistic variations, the transition of female characters into warriors, the inversion of male power dynamics, and the metaphorical meaning of the zombie presence.
Which keywords best describe this study?
Relevant keywords include Parody, Post-modernism, Intertextuality, Repetition with difference, Regency Era, and Parodic contrast.
How does the parody handle the original text’s stylistic conventions?
The parody frequently copies Austen's sentence structures but inserts unexpected, modern, and often violent vocabulary to create "repetition with difference" and irony.
Why are financial wealth and estates omitted in the parody?
The omission suggests a critique of the Regency Era’s obsession with wealth, replacing financial status with individual martial prowess and courage as the primary markers of value.
What do "unmentionables" signify in this analysis?
Beyond being zombies, they act as a metaphor for everything unspoken or suppressed in the original novel, such as illicit financial sources, sexual desires, or uncomfortable physical realities.
How is Miss Bingley's role altered in the parody?
Her role serves to highlight the parody’s focus on fighting skills; because she lacks these skills, she appears inferior in a world that values combat capability over traditional social graces.
- 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
