Bridget Jones's Diary

Daniel’s infidelity demonstrates the very worst forms of Sexist Attitudes in Contemporary Dating, and rather than condemning his misbehavior outright, Bridget misinterprets his disdain as confirmation that her own physical appearance is inadequate, and this catastrophic sense of insecurity is only worsened when she inevitably compares herself to the fashion-magazine-beauty of Suki, the woman with whom Daniel has cavalierly replaced her. Bridget’s envious description of Suki highlights her own low self-esteem, for she states, “There, spread out on a sunlounger, was a bronzed, long-limbed, blonde-haired stark-naked woman” (178). When Suki compounds Bridget’s horror and heartbreak by telling Daniel, “I thought you said she was thin” (178), this callous comment confirms Bridget’s suspicion that she has not secured a romantic partner because of her appearance, worsening her self-loathing. Bridget’s insecurities over her weight are further compounded when young, naïve Gav describes her as “squashy” in the midst of a romantic interlude. Thus, Bridget’s Desire for Self-Improvement clearly has a systemic origin, as she lives in a culture obsessed with valuing women based on their appearance.

In these chapters, Fielding critiques the women’s belief that their external problems have an internal source, and to this end, she continues to ridicule the omnipresent self-help industry, making it clear that although the women remain focused upon blaming themselves for their difficulties, the men they choose to date are the real source of their problems. In this light, Jude and Bridget’s ongoing interest in self-help books becomes an exercise in futility, for no amount of studying such titles as Goddesses in Everywoman will provide them with the peace and happiness they seek. Once again, Fielding uses pointed contrasts to illustrate that the men they are dating are actively sabotaging their efforts to achieve stability and calm, as when Richard fails to join Jude for their therapy appointment.

As the women rely upon The Importance of Friendship in Challenging Times and unburden themselves by spending time together, they find a paradoxical sense of bonding in their mutual worries and frustrations over their problematic love lives. In this way, Fielding advances the idea that the women in the novel are the victims of misogynistic cultural conditioning, which teaches them to fear being single above all else. Bridget is exposed to this conditioning constantly, both from her parents’ generation and from her contemporaries. For example, Una scolds Bridget publicly for not yet being married or having a child, exclaiming, “You career girls! Can’t put it off forever, you know: tick-tock-tick-tock” (172). Similarly, Rebecca tells Bridget that single women “do tend to get desperate as they get older” (194). From a myriad of angles, Bridget is bombarded with the misguided notion that single women are inherently valueless and unappealing. Faced with this judgmental social milieu, Bridget begins to feel “depressed” (224) and finds no respite from her growing sense of inadequacy.