Assessment 1: Critical Analysis

I’ve chosen to analyse the relationship of Bridget Jones and Marc Darcy. Bridget and Mark
Darcy are both main characters from the Bridget Jones’ Diary book and film series. Bridget
Jones’s Diary is a novel written by Helen Fielding and published in 1996. The novel has a
comic style that grasps the reader’s interest. It is also animaginative interpretation of the
classic novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen published in 1813.

Bridget Jones’ Diary is set in downtown London in the early 2000s, and focuses on the life of
Bridget jones, a 32 year old single woman, who writes in her diary things she wishes to
happen or change in her life. Bridget Jones’ diary is realist as it is set in a place that actually
exists, and portrays real life, and the hardships Bridget encounters in her life. The author
makes use of straightforward language and ordinary speech which makes it more realistic.
The author makes use of the first person narrative which allows the audience to get an insight
in Bridget’s thoughts.

Bridget is a 32 year old, slightly overweight woman. Most of Bridget’s story revolves around
her own efforts to get her life together. Despite having a lot of motivation, she doesn’t always
succeed in her endeavours. However, she never gives up no matter how many obstacles she
stumbles into. She’s is an unrepentant and incompetent heroine, but can be determined when
she wants to be. Bridget is laid back and easy-going heroine. Mark Darcy is a high-qualified
lawyer. He is rich, tall, and intelligent and a bit of a “snooty” man as Bridget remarks. He is
divorced and still live with his mother.

Is Bridget problematic from a feminist point of view?

In a modern day setting, Bridget Jones is an independent woman; she lives alone in a flat and
has a career, but still feels the need to find a partner. Bridget writes in her diary the
expectations today’s society have on women, such as: lose weight and find a nice sensible
man Bridget expresses that she cannot be happy without a man. Bridget is obsessed with
trivialities and fixated on her personal life at the expense of more broadly meaningful
concerns. Bridget Jones’ diary conveys “an image of contemporary women that contradicts
all that feminists have worked to achieve” (Marsh). It can be argued that Bridget Jones
represents the opposite of what women can achieve in real life in terms of self-perfection.
Moreover, her struggles allow the viewers to relate and see how real she is. . “In this way,
Fielding has created a sort of Everywoman in whom readers can easily recognise
themselves…also allows the reader to shed their own complexes” (Summaries).

Does Bridget abide to the expectations laid upon women by society?

Through Bridget, it is shown how women are expected to look and behave to fit society’s
preference. Her mother and friends always question her about marriage: “How does a woman
manage to get to your age without being married? (Fielding 11). Bridget’s mother also
stresses on how Mark is “well-to-do” when attempting to convince Bridget of his suitability
as a possible future spouse. In this modern day setting, class and breeding is still regarded by
parents who want the best for their child. There is a social gap between Bridget and the rich
Darcy. This shows that even if they are independent, women still cannot be seen socially
equal to men as their society views them from different perspectives. The stigma of marrying
and having children is still present for women. Despite, wanting to find herself a man,
Bridget does not want to lose her pride and independence: “I am a woman of substance and
do not need men in order to be complete.” She goes against the norm and shows tremendous
character development. Therefore, despite her struggle in society, Bridget refuses to be
dominated by her society and choses to live independently, even though she is consistently
pressurised by society to get married. Bridget does not care about class or money, she wants
love. This makes Bridget appear headstrong and brave

Does Mark Darcy redeem himself at the end of the movie?

Mark and Bridget’s first meeting is unconventional and starts on the wrong foot, with Bridget
overhearing Mark saying that he didn’t need a blind date with “some verbally incontinent
spinster who smokes like a chimney, drinks like a fish, and dress like her mother”. Mark
Darcy gives the impression of being reserved, rude and arrogant a. Therefore, he differs from
the usual characters from romance novels and films. He embarrasses Bridget. The only
characteristic of romanticism that Mark Darcy possesses at the beginning is that he is from a
wealthy family and has a good job. There are some elements of realism in this scene, as Mark
and Bridget do not fall in love at first sight. Despite being the main characters, they are not
perfect and are full of flaws. They are realistic and seem to be living normal and ordinary
lives. They got their own dramas, crises and dilemmas which allow the viewers to relate to
them and sympathise with them. Bridget is led to believe that Mark has stolen Daniel
Cleaver’s fiancée, and thus, thinks the worse of him. However, later on, Mark reveals that he
likes Bridget and she finds herself warming up to him. Mark shows characteristic of a
romance hero when he helps Bridget keeps her job by getting her an inclusive interview.
Mark Darcy telling Bridget that he likes her just the way she is romantic. When pride and
prejudice are out of the equation, things can change. Bridget learns that Daniel’s story is false
and that Darcy is the more decent human being. Mark is misunderstood and does not know
how to express his feeling which creates misunderstandings. Thus, Mark goes from the one
who is resented by Bridget to the one she ends up with.

To conclude, even though Bridget lives in a modern world, she still lives in a world where
expectations are still laid upon women by society. However, despite going through several
ordeals, Bridget succeeds to find her happy ending.

References:

Marsh, KA 2004, ‘Contextualizing Bridget Jones’, College Literature, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 52–
721

1
Marsh, KA 2004, ‘Contextualizing Bridget Jones’, College Literature, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 52–72
Summaries, B 2016, Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding (Book Analysis) : Detailed
Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide, Lemaitre Publishing, Cork. Available from:
ProQuest Ebook Central. [8 May 2020]2

Bridget Jones’s Diary. (2001) [Film]. Sharon Maguire. Dir. United States/United Kingdom:
StudioCanal.3

2
Summaries, B 2016, Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding (Book Analysis) : Detailed Summary, Analysis and
Reading Guide, Lemaitre Publishing, Cork. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [8 May 2020]
3
Bridget Jones’s Diary. (2001) [Film]. Sharon Maguire. Dir. United States/United Kingdom: StudioCanal.