『브리짓 존스의 일기』: 오스틴 다시쓰기와 극복

Abstract

Helen Fielding's first novel, Bridget Jones's Diary is very well known as a rewriting of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. In several interviews, Fielding herself commented on the similarity of the plot and characters between the two novels. Both novels feature a romantic comedy plot: Austen's heroine Elizabeth and Fielding's Bridget initially struggle with their contemporary societies' prejudice and discrimination against them, but end up in a relationship with ideal men who accept the two heroines for who they are. The two novels also share many minor details such as the heroes' last name, "Darcy", indecisive fathers, thoughtless mothers and villains. Even though it has many aspects in common with Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones's Diary marked by its own originality. Fielding's novel reflects the broad changes in the society from the world of Austen's novel by challenging the cultural authority of the original novel which was formed by cultural industry to make Austen's the mere cultural products. Moreover, it realistically and humorously describes the life of a modern single career woman who lives in the metropolitan city of London. With Bridget Jones's Diary, Fielding helped create and popularize chick-lit, the modern version of the novel of manners. Furthermore, Bridget Jones's Diary established certain archetypal features of chick-lit, such as the realistic reflection of the modern woman's life and the pursuit of ways to overcome the problems herein. Thus, beyond a rewriting of Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary features its own originality.