Bridget Jones's Diary

“I will reduce circumference of thighs by 3 inches.”

Bridget’s toxic relationship with her own body is established quite early in the novel as maintains an unhealthy fixation upon decreasing her weight. Her misguided belief that she is overweight fuels her ongoing self-esteem issues, and rather than critiquing the poor behavior of the men around her, she comes to believe that her own physical appearance is to blame for her unsuccessful attempts to build a long-term romantic relationship. In this way, Fielding indicates that Bridget’s actions will be governed by The Desire for Self-Improvement, often at the expense of the protagonist’s well-being.

“‘Bridget! What are we going to do with you!’ said Una. ‘You career girls! I don’t know! Can’t put it off forever, you know. Tick-tock-tick-tock.’”

Ticking clocks are a recurring motif that allude to the societal pressure on women to marry and mother children during their fertile years. With her unfeeling comment, Una reinforces the broader social expectation that single women exert their ingenuity and effort to secure a viable match with a likely romantic partner. Her attitude perpetuates an unfair social construct that places undue pressure upon single women to conform to an illogical standard. In this biased stereotypical worldview, marriage and motherhood are prized as the ultimate achievement from which women can derive value, purpose, and respect.

“9st 4 (terrifying slide into obesity).”

Fielding assigns a weight to Bridget that is well below that of an average woman, and the protagonist’s disordered approach to food and her physical appearance is illustrated when she feels terrified and depressed by this completely normal weight. The abhorrence that Bridget has for weight gain illustrates her deep-seated belief that having a thinner body will improve her inherent value as a person. From this perspective, a slim physique is equated with beauty and sexual desirability, while larger bodies are equated with unattractiveness.

“I guzzled them together with a couple of mince pies, the last of the Christmas cake and some stilton. Now, though, I feel ashamed and repulsive.”

When Bridget overindulges in comfort food, she always berates herself for failing to adhere to unrealistic societal pressures that teach women that their value lies in remaining thin. Ironically, Bridget’s feelings of defeat and shame cause her to engage in even more comfort eating, which increases her weight and perpetuates her toxic attitudes toward her body. Through Bridget’s distress, Fielding explores the dark side of The Desire for Self-Improvement and implicitly condemns diet culture for its harmful impact on women’s health.

“Love his wicked dissolute air, whilst being v. successful and clever.”

Bridget’s diary entries frame Daniel as charming but sleazy, and although the protagonist is currently enamored of this problematic combination of traits, Fielding clearly uses this description to foreshadow that Daniel is not the ideal match for Bridget, especially given her New Year’s resolution to hold out for a man of good character. Because Daniel does not fit this description, Bridget’s frustration and heartbreak is inevitable, and Daniel’s frequent misbehavior also illustrates many Sexist Attitudes in Contemporary Dating.

“Her boyfriend, Vile Richard (self-indulgent commitment phobic), whom she has been seeing on and off for eighteen months, had chucked her for asking him if he wanted to come on holiday with her. Typical, but Jude was naturally blaming it all on herself.”

The women have internalized society’s messages about their own inadequacy, and they therefore misinterpret their mistreatment at the hands of their romantic partners as evidence of their shortcomings, rather than recognizing such issues as proof of the men’s cruelty and immaturity. Jude’s boyfriend Richard epitomizes the Sexist Attitudes in Contemporary Dating when he utterly rejects Jude’s request for closer and more meaningful interactions. His response proves that he wants the sexual benefits of dating Jude but is unwilling to commit to her in any real way.

“As women glide from their twenties to their thirties, [Sharon] argues, the balance of power subtly shifts. Even the most outrageous minxes lose their nerve, wrestling with the first twinges of existential angst: fears of dying alone and being found three weeks later half-eaten by an Alsatian. Stereotypical notions of shelves, spinning wheels and sexual scrapheads conspire to make you feel stupid.”

In this passage, Sharon condemns the fact that women are disproportionately stigmatized for being single when they are in their thirties. According to Sharon, men exploit women’s resulting insecurities over this issue and treat them as expendable, feeling empowered by the idea that single women are desperate to secure a man and will therefore tolerate poor treatment.

“You really ought to hurry up and get sprogged up, you know, old girl. Time’s running out.”

The motifs of passing time and ticking clocks repeatedly draw attention to the misguided notion that women carry a “use by date,” beyond which they become infertile and are therefore no longer viable romantic prospects. This cruel comment makes Bridget feel more conspicuous because she is the only single one at the table, and she also becomes increasingly desperate to find a partner. This desperation leads her to tolerate Daniel’s cruelty and inconsistency.

“I feel like the grasshopper who sang all summer and now it’s the winter of my life and I haven’t stored up anything of my own.”

This metaphor illustrates Pam’s resentment over having dedicated her life to the well-being of her husband and her children at the expense of her own. In an attempt to mitigate her regret, she indulges in numerous extramarital affairs and pursues a new career of her own. Through Pam’s dissatisfaction, Fielding creates an implicit rebuttal of the prevailing view in Bridget’s social circles that women should aspire to achieve marriage and motherhood.

“Bridget is one of those people who thinks the moment when the screen goes black on Blind Date is on par with Othello’s ‘hurl my soul from heaven’ soliloquy,’ she said, hooting with laughter.

‘Ah. Then Bridget is clearly a top post-modernist,’ said Mark Darcy.”

In this exchange, Mark defends Bridget at the literary launch party when Perpetua mocks her for enjoying a show that is considered to be “low brow.” His comment cleverly reframes Bridget’s enjoyment of Blind Date through the academic lens of Postmodernism, thereby disrupting Perpetua’s attempt to belittle Bridget’s choice of entertainment. In this moment, Mark reveals his true status as a kind ally, despite the fact that Bridget previously dismissed him as pompous and rude. According to the enemies-to-lovers trope, Bridget’s redefined perception of Mark is the beginning of a more favorable relationship with him.

“[Sharon] was annoyed with me for ringing because she had just got in and was about to call 1471 to see if this guy she has been seeing had rung.”

Even Sharon, the most strident feminist of the group, struggles with the antics of unreliable men. Phone calls are a recurring motif throughout Fielding’s narrative, attesting to the women’s willingness to invest much greater time and energy into relationships than their male counterparts. As the women wait hopefully by the phone, vainly wishing for a call from the unreliable men they have chosen to date, their behavior reflects the ongoing influence of Sexist Attitudes in Contemporary Dating.

“I had a proper job before. I know for a fact it’s more fun going out to work, getting all dressed up, flirting in the office and having nice lunches than going to the bloody supermarket and picking Harry up from playgroup.”

Similar to Pam’s dissatisfaction, Magda’s unhappiness undermines the societal norm that women should aim for marriage and motherhood over all other possible ambitions. She cites the loss of independence that accompanies motherhood, creating the impression that this endeavor can be exhausting and uninspiring.

“‘Daniel, have you met Vanessa?’

‘No,’ said Daniel, putting on his most flirtatious seductive grin and holding out his hand. ‘Nice to meet you.’

‘Daniel,’ said Vanessa, folding her arms and looking absolutely livid, ‘We’ve slept together.’”

Daniel’s view of women as expendable and forgettable is brought into clear focus in this scene as he fails to recognize a former sexual partner. His misogynistic tendencies are therefore fully exposed, and Fielding uses the scene to demonstrate that the character is utterly irredeemable and is an inappropriate choice of romantic partner for any woman, much less the protagonist.

“All you have to do is not eat any food which you have to pay for. So at the start of the diet you’re a bit porky and no one asks you out for dinner. Then you lose weight and get a bit leggy and shag-me hippy and people start taking you out for meals. So then you put a few pounds on, the invitations tail off and you start losing weight again.”

With this tasteless joke, Daniel expresses his sexist view that a woman’s value is entirely tied to her sexual appeal and physical appearance. His commentary implies that women only “deserve” to be taken out to eat if they are thin and attractive. In this heartless dating environment, Bridget struggles to feel any form of self-worth whenever she puts on weight, and Daniel’s unfeeling comment directly contributes to her feelings of inadequacy.

“There, spread out on a sunlounger, was a bronzed, long-limbed, blonde-haired stark-naked woman.”

Daniel is unfaithful to Bridget in a manner that preys upon her deepest insecurities about her own appearance, for the woman on the sunlounger is thin, tall, and confident, representing all of the traits that Bridget desperately wants to embody. Daniel’s callous actions ultimately worsen Bridget’s deep-seated insecurities about herself and damage her self-esteem.

“‘She said I had to talk about the problems I had that were unrelated to Richard.’

‘But you don’t have any problems that are unrelated to Richard,’ said Sharon.”

In this scene, it becomes apparent that Jude’s investment in therapy and self-help books is a pointless endeavor, given that her anxiety is caused entirely by Richard’s self-centered cruelty and immature behavior. This is illustrated by Sharon, who points out that Jude would have nothing to discuss in therapy outside of Richard. The theme of Sexist Attitudes in Contemporary Dating continues to be explored.

“‘Bastards!’ I shouted happily. ‘Shall we have another bottle of wine?’”

The Importance of Friendship in Challenging Times takes center stage when Bridget’s outing with her friends marks a significant shift from her weeks of depression after Daniel’s infidelity. The miseries of misguided romantic relationships allow the group to bond as friends, for by commiserating over similar troubles, they feel less alone and learn to recognize that their partners have contributed to their issues. With such sessions, they learn not to blame themselves for somehow failing to be attractive enough or showing too much neediness.

“Minutes spent having imaginary conversations with Daniel telling him what I think of him 145 (good, better).”

In an instance of paralipsis, the narrative reveals how much Bridget has been dwelling on Daniel, for she mistakenly believes that thinking of him 145 times in a day is a positive step in the right direction. Although Bridget’s descriptions are inherently hyperbolic, Fielding uses this passage to emphasize the idea that romantic success remains central in Bridget’s self-concept.

“I’m thinking dirty vicars. I’m thinking sexual acts in church.”

With these crass comments, Bridget’s boss reveals the fixation of so-called “fast media” upon creating sensationalized and overexaggerated narratives that are designed to scandalize a widespread audience. Fast media therefore becomes a symbol of moral degeneration, as epitomized by Richard when he generates new story ideas for Situp Britain. Fielding also connects fast media to the culture of short attention spans and disposability in modern dating.

“[M]mm. You’re all squashy.”

With this offhand comment, Gav insensitively comments on the feeling of Bridget’s stomach as they kiss; she is offended and devastated by his appraisal, which she sees as confirmation that she is overweight and therefore unattractive. Bridget’s obsession on her weight has its roots in the societal commodification of women’s bodies, and as both Daniel and Gav make offensive comments about her body, these experiences worsen her insecurity.

“Your mother and Julio are wanted by the police.”

The broader plot points of Fielding’s novel are designed to mirror those of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. In this scene, the original novel’s Lydia Bennet and her scandalous elopement with Mr. Wickham is satirically recreated in Pam’s decision to abscond to Portugal with Julio in the wake of the time-share apartment fraud.

“‘You sleep,’ said Julio dangerously, ‘with my woman.’

‘Oh, he’s so Latin, hahaha,’ said Mum coquettishly.”

The stereotyped nature of this interaction is further exacerbated when Pam blithely fails to perceive the deeper problems at stake. Her frivolous attitude is illustrated by her “coquettish” laugh, for she naively believes that the situation is romantic and funny rather than dangerous. Julio’s reputation as a debonair gentleman is also replaced with indications of his true nature, for he is deceitful and dangerous, just like Jane Austen’s Mr. Wickham.

“He was sweating, dirty, his hair was unkempt, his shirt unbuttoned. Ding-dong!”

Previously, Bridget was aware of Mark’s professional and financial status, but she found him to be boring and nerdy. In this scene, however, his unkempt appearance make him appear powerful and sexual to Bridget, and her visceral reaction indicates their romantic attachment, which develops in the novel’s conclusion.