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Dandies and Metrosexuals, David Beckham and Bridget Jones: A Cultural History of Gender in the UK

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Dandies and Metrosexuals, David Beckham and Bridget Jones: A Cultural History of Gender in the UK
Dandies & Metrossexuals, David Beckham & Bridget Jones: A Cultural History of Gender in the UK Wintersemester 2008/2009 Andrew Mills

Seminar Paper:

Bridget Jones Diary and Pride and Prejudice

Anna Rjabof Martrikelnummer: 112605 LA English/Philosophy 8th semester AnnafromBanana@gmx.de 1

Table of Contents

I Introduction____________________________________________________________________

II Women in the 19th century – un-/written laws and rights________________________________

III Pride and Prejudice: summary and main points about the female protagonist_______________

VI Bridget Jones: summary________________________________________________________

V Comparison of both novels with focus on the gender norms____________________________

VI Bibliography__________________________________________________________________

2

Introduction
The role of women changed though the history and still there are some injustices and unclaimed rights. This is a try to make clear the differences between Pride and Prejudice as well as Bridget Jones 's Diary concerning the female protagonists. To demonstrate these differences, examples shall be named and explained. Not every „chapter“ in life will receive a thorough examination, because that would break the mould of this paper. The first part of the paper deals with a description of the female protagonists on the basis of their environment which is pictured by their place of living, family and their beliefs as well as situations befalling these women. Of course there has to be a summary of the plot and a short digression to the historical woman in the early 19th century. After the summaries, a comparison the female main characters will be extracted.

Women in the 19th century – un-/written laws and rights
Women in the 19th century had a different social role and lifestyle, than woman have today. Born as a daughter, the only way to get out of the sheltered family home was by marriage. To marry a


Bibliography: Pride and Prejudice Author: Jane Austen published by: Penguin Books, 1994 Bridget Jones 's diary Author: Helen Fielding published by: Picador, 1996 Geschichte Englands vom 16. bis zum 18. Jahrhundert (Volume 2 in drei Bänden) Author: Heiner Haan, Gottfried Niedhart Ausgabe 2 published by: C.H. Beck, 1993 Englische Literatur Geschichte (4. erweiterte Auflage) Publisher.: Hans Ulrich Seeber published by: J.B. Metzler, Stuttgart/Weimar, Oktober 2004 Noblesse Oblige – Die Kunst ein adliges Leben zu führen Author: Christine Gräfin von Brühl published by: Eichborn Verlag, Frankfurt am Main, März 2009 The intellectuals and the masses: pride and prejudice among the literary intelligentsia, 1880-1939 Author: John Carey published by: St. Martin 's Press, New York, 1993 Internet: http://www.publicbookshelf.com/romance/pride-prejudice/five-daughters-1 (last check: August 28th 2009) 12
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