The book is essentially Bridget’s diary over the course of a year. The book opens with a hung-over Bridget on New Year’s Eve who is obliged to go to her parent’s house. Immediately Bridget is confronted with her overly-embarrassing mother and friends of the family, including ‘Uncle’Geoffrey, who never tires of asking, ‘how’s your love life?’
As the diary unfolds, we see Bridget’s thoughts and fears played out. She worries mostly about her love life. After the disastrous meeting with Darcy at the New Year’s Turkey Curry Buffet, Bridget wonders ‘Oh, why am I so unattractive? Why? Even a man who wears bumblebee socks thinks I am horrible.’ [1]
She worries about the state of her career, her bad habits – such as her over-eating, smoking and drinking; arguably, all the things the average modern woman worries about.
Family
The book is loosely based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: Fielding purposely chose to name Bridget’s love interest Mark Darcy (who also shares the same character traits as Austen’s Fitzwilliam Darcy). Mark Darcy is a stuffy, stereotypically English human-rights barrister who is overly wealthy and a bachelor.
There are also numerous similarities between Elizabeth Bennet’s parents and Bridget’s. Bridget’s mother is melodramatic, super-confident and forever trying to marry Bridget off to a rich, attractive man. Bridget’s father is the exact opposite: he is closer to Bridget, and is much more reasonable and down-to-earth.
Friends
While Bridget’s family are important to her; her friends are her surrogate family in London. ‘Shazzer’ is a strident feminist with extensive knowledge of Susan Faludi’s feminist treatise Backlash. Jude is a successful businesswoman who is having an on-off relationship with a man nicknamed ‘Vile Richard’. Finally, there is Tom, the overly cynical gay man.
Bridget, Shazzer, Jude and Tom act as a support network for each other: offering advice on relationships, work and family, as well as offering unconditional support.
Relationships
During the course of the year, Bridget has two relationships. The first is with the unsuitable Daniel Cleaver, Bridget’s boss. Bridget falls in love with Daniel, but these feelings are not reciprocated. Bridget later discovers that Daniel is cheating on her and she refuses to see him, though she struggles emotionally.
In December Bridget begins a relationship with Mark Darcy after a rocky start: he helps Bridget after an incident in the family involving Bridget’s mother, a date that never was and a confrontation at Christmas.
The book ends with a list totalling weight gained, weight loss, alcohol units consumed and New Year’s resolutions kept: One, with the words ‘An excellent year’s progress.’ [2]
Themes
As had already been stated, there are numerous similarities between Bridget Jones and Elizabeth Bennet: it could be argued that Jones is the twentieth century version of Bennet.
Bridget is ahead of her time; she breaks the mould of femininity. She works, has no children and as such is punished by her more traditional friends and family members: consider when ‘smug-married’ Magda invites Bridget for dinner. Fiona (smug-married), along with the other married couples, interrogates Bridget, even asking ‘Why aren’t you married yet, Bridget?’ [3]
It is safe to say that the reason Bridget Jones’s Diary is so popular, is because it is a book that both modern men and women can relate to.
References:
Fielding, H., Bridget Jones’s Diary, London: Picador, 1996
[1] Fielding, H., Bridget Jones’s Diary, London: Picador, 1996, pg.16
[2] Fielding, H., Bridget Jones’s Diary, London: Picador, 1996, pg.310
[3] Fielding, H., Bridget Jones’s Diary, London: Picador, 1996, pg.40
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