User:LillyBoop/Sandbox

Since the rise of feminism in the 1960’s, women have fought for respect from society and to be treated by men as equals. In the developed countries of the modern age, women are finally able to achieve that goal: autonomy and independence in virtually all aspects of their lives. However, this rise to power has not been unobstructed: the doubt of the ability of women to achieve and maintain balanced lives and positions of power is ever present in our society and is frequently featured in various forms of media. The 1996 novel Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding is one of these aforementioned works; its protagonist, a singleton in her thirties by the name of Bridget is prone to constant failure in mostly all aspects of her life at the expense of the reader. She is not the only character of her kind by far, others appearing in film, such as the 2008 release of 27 Dresses; in music such as the song Maybe I Know, written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich; on stage such as in the 1983 play ‘Night, Mother, by Marsha Norman; and in papers as featured in the popular comic strip Cathy by Cathy Guisewite. The portrayal of women in the media as represented by the character of Bridget in Helen Fielding's novel Bridget Jones’s diary as well as other sources is an insult to women as it exemplifies the stereotypical qualities of women that are demeaning, and damage their image as professionals, such as of her inability to focus on issues outside of her personal life; her need to marry for self-validation; her self-degrading persona; and her inability to accomplish simple, self-dictated goals.

One of the most common, still-enduring stereotypes of women is that of the gossipy housewife: a woman whose entire being is focused around the making of her home and the gossip of her neighbours. While in the ideal society put forth by feminist idealists this no longer holds true, Helen Fielding seems to believe otherwise: her protagonist for the novel, Bridget Jones’s Diary is almost a perfect embodiment of these ideals, focusing her life not on the real world that the husbands of these stereotypical husbands would have lived in but on the personal lives of herself and her acquaintances. Bridget’s life revolves around what Cathy Guisewite, author of the comic strip Cathy, calls the “four basic guilt groups of life”: food, love, mom and work. Neither Bridget nor Cathy show much, if any concern for the happenings of the world around them; “both characters are obsessed with trivialities and fixated on their personal lives at the expense of more broadly meaningful concerns”. This is exemplified in Bridget Jones’s Diary during a publishing party whereat Bridget is conversing with a group of colleges and her lack of cultural dept is brought to light by comment made by her co-worker: “Bridget is one of these people who thinks the moment when the screen goes back to Blind Date, is on part with Othello’s “hurl my sound from heaven” soliloquy”. Comments of this sort are not uncommon within the book and while Bridget herself is unaffected by them, they help paint for the reader an image of what she ranks as important: “a good shag” over self improvement. While this exact theme is not common in Cathy, similar one does often prevail: Cathy may not be after sex but she often does peruse aesthetic over intrinsic. Cathy is frequently seen purchasing simply for conspicuous consumption rather than necessity and, like Bridget, shows very little regard for the world around her.

Moreover, Bridget’s obsession with her own life is accompanied by the perception that in order to validate her existence—to not only herself but to society—she must have a significant other. Her lack of companion is brought to light almost endlessly throughout the novel by herself and others including her mother and her smug-married and singleton friends alike. It is common knowledge that Helen Fielding modeled her novel after Jane Austen’s most famous work, Pride and Prejudice; Bridget and her mother reflect flawlessly the attitude of Mrs. Bennet, mother to the protagonist, on the topic of marriage. Mrs. Bennet may have “lived” 200 years before Bridget but their concerns are the same: to find a handsome, well-off gentleman with whom to produce offspring. In fact, when asked marriage was all she thought about, Mrs. Bennet replied “When you have five daughters […] tell me what else will occupy your thoughts, and then perhaps you will understand.” This Victorian outlook on marriage was acceptable in a time when women were considered “property” but in an age where woman are empowered to make their own decisions and can support themselves financially, it is unnecessary. In Mrs. Bennet’s time, “A young woman of her class depended […] on making a good marriage […] If her husband was poor or a gambler or a drunkard, she and her children could suffer genuine privation” but now, since women from Bridget’s walk of life win their own bread, society’s attitude as a whole has shifted and it is only self-centered, insecure women like Bridget who have been left behind.

Coinciding or perhaps preceding Bridget Jones’ inability to attract a mate is her self-damaging, detrimental attitude. Ask any child in North America what the Little Engine that Could repeated over and over as he worked his way up the mountain and he or she will answer “I think I can, I think I can.” Being British-born, Bridget clearly missed out; her constant depression about her weight, life habits, and love life in a time when she is free to be whatever and whomever she wants is a constant source of stress in her life and causes her to demean herself at the expense of her audience. An example of another instance in the media where a woman demeans herself at the expense of others is the song Maybe I know, written by Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry, and originally performed by Leslie Gore. The song is sung in first person by a woman who suspects or may even have proof that her boyfriend is cheating on her but refuses to acknowledge the fact because she wants to believe that he loves her and that he will change for her. However, she is not the only one who suspects his infidelity:

I hear them whispering that he’s no good, He isn’t treating her the way he should. I know it’s me that they’re talking about, I bet they all think I’ll never find out

She is quite aware of the fact that others discuss her misfortune yet she still refuses to help herself and save herself pain and embarrassment by just ending the destructive relationship. Bridget Jones is much the same way: Daniel, her boyfriend for a section of the novel treats her like a commodity; his attention to her is almost like a fad: attentive when the mood suits him and gone the moment a better offer catches his eye. This fluctuation of attraction causes her to reflect negatively on herself—blaming herself for this fluctuating interest and depressing herself because of both the inattention and the self-blame, creating a vicious cycle of self-degradation.

Accordingly, there are ramifications from Bridget’s lack of self-esteem: with little to no love for herself, she has little or no motivation. This lack of enthusiasm towards beneficial activities results in being virtually incapable of attaining even simple goals, leading Bridget often into downward spirals of despair or causing others to look down on her due to her constant failure in almost every aspect of her life: she has difficulty maintaining a personal relationship, achieving what she feels is an ideal weight, quitting smoking and minimize her alcohol consumption. Similar yet contrasting to Bridget’s constant failure in life is the life of character Jessie Cates from Marsha Norman’s play ‘Night Mother. Jessie is also depressed by her constant failures however, hers are not taken in humour: rather than take the depression in stride, she chooses to commit suicide. It is revealed throughout the course of the play that Jesse is an epileptic and that her husband divorced her because of it and her young son is a criminal. In her eyes, her failures, considerably significant that those of Bridget, have defined her life—leading her to the belief that she has no reason left to live. Perhaps Jessie is simply a modern, urban, further along version of Bridget: a “young woman so wounded by life that she can no longer feel the hurt."