Pride And Prejudice And Bridget Jones's Diary

Bridget Jones's Diary is a highly imaginative interpretation of the novel Pride and Prejudice, so different to be hardly recognizable. Discuss.

Directed by Sharon Maguire in 2001, one hundred and eighty-eight years after Pride and Prejudice was published in 1813, with that, Bridget Jones's Diary would seem be quite diverse to Pride and Prejudice. But it is actually a highly imaginative interpretation of the novel. This modern interpretation is seen through the plot, characters, context, values, language and film techniques.

Pride and Prejudice and Bridget Jones's Diary can be quite deceivable to the extent in which they are similar. To begin with, the first line from Pride and Prejudice states "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." This line has been modified in Bridget Jones's Diary as a voice over and it states, "It is a truth universally acknowledged that the moment one area of your life goes okay, the other falls spectacularly to pieces." This direct appropriation reveals the similarities between the texts and allows reproduction of Pride and Prejudice through Bridget Jones's Diary to be noticeable.

Bridget Jones's Diary and Pride and Prejudice do endure a similar plot. The protagonist is female; she is looking for love and is under pressure to find love particularly by her mother. The protagonist meets a man but his pride and her prejudice keeps them apart. She has been led to believe that the man is dishonest and had been involved in some inexcusable past behavior. Yet he learns to love her "just the way she is" and she learns the truth about her past behavior and he lets go of his "pride" and she lets go of his "prejudice" and they ironically fall in love. In analyses of the plot outline we see the texts do resemble each other and Bridget Jones's Diary is a highly imaginative interpretation of Pride and Prejudice.

Another analogous resemblance of the two texts is the distinctive alike characters. Bridget Jones's Diary reproduces numerous characters which are modern day creations of characters from Pride and Prejudice. Darcy's character in both Pride and Prejudice and Bridget Jones's Diary is similar. In the last mentioned the first feeling of likeness of this character comes when the name Darcy appears. First of all the name is the same, but as we get to know the character we can also recognize traits of character. Both of them are highly respected barristers. The female characters' first impression of Darcy is equivalent, as stated in Pride and Prejudice describing Darcy as "...Proud, above his company and above being pleased." And it is not without reason. In Pride and Prejudice Elizabeth overhears a conversation between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley when he talks about her at the first party: "...she is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me." Likewise in Bridget Jones's Diary Bridget overhears Mark Darcy state to his mother describing Bridget as a "verbally incontinent spinster who drinks like a fish, smokes like a chimney and dresses like her mother."

In Bridget Jones's Diary we find the parallel to Wickham in Daniel Cleaver. He is handsome, out- going, charming and popular among the women, as Wickham. These two characters have a striking similarity, and do parallel actions in relation to the heroine and the hero. Daniel claims that Mark has had a relationship with his former fiancee, while the truth is that it was "..The other way around. My (mark) wife. My (mark) heart." Wickham claims that Mr. Darcy has not fulfilled old Mr. Darcy's wish, and given Wickham the living as a priest. The truth is that Wickham relinquished that, and claimed a legacy of money instead an education in law. And he never did study law. In both cases the heroine believes in Wickham/Cleaver and this leads to sympathy for Wickham /Daniel, and more dislike of Darcy.

Bridget and Elizabeth's character is very different yet has some similar characteristics; they both are opinionated, impulsive, passionate, and embarrassed by their mother. Sure, we could never imagine Elizabeth smoking, drinking, or referring to herself as a "wanton sex goddess." After all, Bridget Jones's Diary, like Pride and Prejudice, is preoccupied with marriage. Regardless of Bridget's efforts toward self-acceptance and inner poise, she is ultimately preparing for the same happily-ever-after with which Elizabeth Bennett was rewarded nearly two centuries ago.

There are also several other aspects one can say are parallel in these two creations. Both of the mothers behave foolishly, and they are eager to get their daughters married. If the coming -son - in law has a fortune and a good income, it is a distinct advantage as stated by Mrs. Bennet; "...a single man with large fortune...what a fine thing for our girls."

The context of the two texts makes the interpretation of Pride and Prejudice in Bridget Jones's Diary hardly recognisable. In 1813 when Pride and Prejudice was published society was a lot different to today's way of life. There was no traces of technology, people traveled on horse and cart and letters were used to communicate between long distances. Sharon Maguire directed Bridget Jones's Diary one hundred and eighty-eight years after Pride and Prejudice was published in 2001. The viewer is exposed to a completely different world full of technology where communication between people is shown through emailing, telephones and television.

In Jane Austen's time values were quite different to the values placed on society in Maguire's time: the values in which today's society are familiar with. In the two texts values are placed on marriage/relationships, wealth, women and social status and to uphold these values would endure a successful life.

The aim for women in Jane Austen's time was not to get a professional career. Women at any rate in the middle classes and in the prosperous families did not get an education and work, at this time women's education was to learn to dance, play the piano and sing. With that their career was to get married to a good husband and a good husband meant a wealthy man which meant a life without any economic worries. If she did not marry her brother and father had to provide for her. If she did not have a brother she would have to live off what she had inherited off her father, which was often very little. Thus one can understand the importance of marriage at this time in the past. Yet in today's society the time in which Bridget Jones's