Accepting to Rejecting: The Struggle for Identity in Bridgeton

Bridgerton is an American historical romance internet series created by Chris Van Dusen and streamed on Netflix. Based on Julia Quinn’s eponymous book series, it started in 2020 and continues to this day with three seasons. The show follows the wealthy Bridgerton family, confronting love, power, and social status complexities before settling down with their partners. The events occur mainly in early nineteenth-century London during the Regency era. King George the Third's eldest son, Prince George, ruled in his father's place: "[d]ue to his mental illness he had to step back from his royal duties and his adult son George stood in as Prince Regent from the year 1811 to 1820 – hence the name Regency" (Froide 56). Although the show tries to adapt to the modern era and be relevant to viewers, the Regency society's rigid rules and morals noticeably obstruct females from chasing their passion and taking advantage of their full potential. We may develop a better understanding of the range of managing with societal norms and ethics by examining three of the show's female characters: Lady Violet Bridgerton, who is complying with them; Ms. Eloise Bridgerton, who disapproves of the women's limitations by society; and Ms. Penelope Featherington, who loudly but covertly opposes to such restrictions.

First, as a widow and matriarch within the Regency-era society, Lady Violet Bridgerton's character examines the tension between community standards and individual liberty and how it simultaneously empowers and constrains her. Widowhood provides her freedom, which other women in society lack, but it also limits her decisions, as she must maintain an image. Widows are known for being virtuous, wise, and composed and are expected to embody the epitome of grace while upholding the legacies of their late husbands. Although it should make her feel privileged, it does not; she accepts it and sees it as an aristocratic lifestyle, representing a typical Regency woman image. As a matriarch of the house Bridgerton, Violet's duty is to secure her children a happy future and preserve the family's reputation. A common belief is that a woman's primary role is to marry well and raise a family, and later to help her daughters follow her lead, "In the context of Bridgerton’s Regency marriage mart, Viscountess Bridgerton and Lady Featherington’s most vital role is securing appropriate matches for their children" (Wyatt 46). For that, Lady Bridgerton engages actively in the Regency marriage market, not just for her daughters but also for her sons:

Indeed, when Violet sets her sights upon finding eldest son Anthony a suitable bride, she enquiries into various young women and their accomplishments, on one occasion presenting him with a list of fourteen names prior to their attendance at a ball that evening. (Wyatt 46)

These enormous efforts reflect her desire to guarantee matches that can improve or at least sustain the family's social standing. The thoughtful arrangement of social events and preparing her children to fit nicely into societal requirements show that the role of the head of a well-known family is her top priority.

Protecting the family's reputation is a significant element in retaining the structure of a noble society. In the show, avoiding scandals means limiting Violet's choices in discovering new enjoyments and making Bridgerton's image stand over individual preferences or romantic desires. Though attracted to Lord Marcus Anderson, Lady Bridgerton hesitates to act forward in their relationship. Violet's love for her late husband also obstructs this relationship's advancement. She truly loved Edmund, as it appears in one of the conversations with Anthony, the eldest Bridgerton son, while grieving: "Edmund was the air that I breathed, and now there is no air" (Bridgerton, S02 Ep03). These words illustrate a passionate, romantic nature. Lady Bridgerton believes that approving a romantic connection between herself and Lord Marcus would betray Edmund, which is immoral. Society will find it scandalous because she disregarded the widow viscountess's responsibility to preserve the family's high standing and courting Marcus before settling all the children and ensuring their future. After procrastinating with him, Violet moves carefully and slowly with Marcus in their relationship. Her last wish is to give up on the obligations to family and responsibilities and the tiresome work of upholding social rules and values for anything.

Ms. Eloise Bridgerton, in contrast to her mother, embodies a more modern perspective and opposes the strict Regency social conventions that confine her. She struggles for gender equality as she tries to overcome expectations for herself and every other woman. Her quest to define her real identity and create meaningful value in her life highlights the conflict between individual ambitions and the conventions of society; it exposes the difficulties confronting women who attempt to challenge societal standards. Eloise finds it unacceptable to believe that women should only focus on attracting a suitable suitor and getting married. Women being prevented from practicing intellectuality and discovering their true interests bothers her; instead of playing the piano, women can read intelligent books. Her love for knowledge and discovery is illustrated in her bedroom, as it has a wide bookshelf with huge books in it, a large writing table, and a portrait of Mary Wollstonecraft. Like many people, Eloise kept a glimpse of her role model in her private space to inspire and encourage her to continue her quest against societal norms. Wollstonecraft's advocacy for women's rights and arguments for women's education as a feminist touched Eloise's heart. Another author who impacts Ms. Bridgerton is Lady Whistledown, the author of the Societal Gossip paper. Eloise finds her honesty and critique in writing admirable alongside her independence: "We should both aspire to be just like her: unmarried, earning our own money" (Bridgerton, S01 Ep08). She sees her path in life as inspirational. Eloise did not consider that Lady Whistledown might be married or at least a widow, as she considers married women caged; they have no free time as their families occupy all of it. This can be added to why Ms. Eloise Bridgerton refuses traditional marriage.

Desiring to learn more and keep discovering the unknown is a part of Ms. Bridgerton's curious nature. She wants to attend a university and have intellectual conversations, but living in the Regency era means women should focus on preparing for marriage rather than education and other interests. Her confession to Theo Sharpe at the printers reveals that the reason for searching for Lady Whistledown is to talk to her, "It’d never occur to you that I am, in fact, hoping to find the writer so that we may discuss more intellective matters"(Bridgerton, S02 Ep02). Bridgerton brothers were allowed to express their desires and accomplish them, like Anthony, who attended university; Benedict, who is professionalizing his hobby of art and painting; and Collin, who travels the world seeking new adventures. She experiences enormous separation between women and men, as in her talk with Lord Morrison while dancing at the Bridgerton's ball. For him, women cannot even express a thought; they are too small-minded to carry many ideas; this statement outrages Elois, then she responds to him: "And don’t you think it is because they have not been offered the same opportunities?" (Bridgerton, S02 Ep04). She rejects women's marginalization.

Pressing all her passion for studying and gaining knowledge makes her transform all this incredible energy into intrusive passive thoughts instead of taking maximum advantage of them. She develops a contrasting character, defending women and attacking them at the same time: "[i]n Eloise’s eyes, either women are conservative and only want marriage or they are liberal and do not want marriage. She ignores the various degrees of agency sought by other female characters, such as Penelope" (Rogers 37). This conflict results from the pressure caused by family and friends to fit into society's morals. Although Eloise's character is portrayed in the show as a symbol of the growing feminist movement due to her march for gender equality and admiration of Mary Wollstonecraft, one of the first feminists, the show tends to minimize the brutal reality of taking such an active role in Regency England. Bridgerton ignores the actual dangerous consequences that historical figures faced while rejecting societal norms, as they present Eloise's rebellion as irrational and mostly without repercussion.

Ms. Penelope Featherington chose an alternative strategy to deal with firm norms and values: hide-and-seek. She is the third daughter of the noble but financially suffering house Featherington, with a societally unaccepted appearance that makes her overlooked. However, simultaneously, she is the mysterious author of the famous gossip paper Lady Whistledown, considered one of society's power holders. The paper does not only include gossip about the noble society's members but also critiques of its rigid norms and hierarchy. This makes everyone in the society curious about her real identity, even Queen Charlotte, who hires an investigator and announces an award to reveal the author's real identity. Knowing that women's voices are unheard, especially an underestimated woman like herself, she writes the paper and publishes it from behind the shadows. If Penelope is discovered to be Lady Whistledown herself, it will not only cause her scandal from society and punishment from the queen but also for her family. While the Featherington family faces financial difficulties and uncertainty about their daughter's dowries, they grapple to maintain their social status: "To keep pace with the standards of the ton, Featherington considers selling belongings, and is forced to cut back on the household’s food luxuries and number of servants, while there will also be no new dresses for her daughters" (Wyatt 47). Exposing Penelope's secret identity at that challenging phase will destroy their reputation and the value of the family's daughters in the marriage mart.

Like most girls, Ms. Featherington dreams of marrying and raising a family. Her feelings for her neighbor, Mr. Collin Bridgerton, her best friend's brother since childhood, and hiding them for years reveals her cautious self of being undervalued by society. However, she criticizes the marriage mart and the objectification of women in it; she emphasizes the commercial nature of arrangements within Regency-era restrictions. In episode seven of the second season of Bridgerton, Lady Whistledown offers a critical commentary in her paper on the limitations and demands of society placed on women, which reduce them into mere commodities in the marriage market—making their value in their martial bond instead of their individuality and capabilities.

Her secret identity as a secret author who defends women's rights and significantly influences society puts her long-lasting friendship with Eloise Bridgerton in danger. As Eloise finds the truth about Lady Whistledown, she confronts Penelope with anger for keeping it a secret, knowing she admires that author and her opinions. Nevertheless, Penelope replies to her harshly: "At least I did something. All you ever do is talk about doing something. You’ve all these great ambitions, these great plans, but I am the one who actually did something great and you cannot stand it, can you?!" (Bridgerton, S02 Ep08). Hiding such an essential thing from her close friend is devastating, and having her angry instead of excited for her is more overwhelming. She expected Eloise to be happy for her as they share the same beliefs and maybe to help her in her quest, but it was the opposite. Rigid rules and morals in Bridgerton not only confine Penelope and ban her from publishing her paper under her real name but also cause her problems and stress in her life with family and friends.

In conclusion, the show Bridgerton portrays the complications women face through balancing their personal desires with common expectations within the restraints of the Regency-era society. It highlights how female characters like Lady Violet Bridgerton, Ms. Eloise, and Ms. Penelope deal with the strict rules of their society. Each of them exhibits a particular way of handling these morals. Lady Violet seeks a balance between her commitments to her family and her personal desires, while Eloise firmly rejects restrictions placed on women, and Penelope depends on her hidden identity to express her beliefs. The show raises a question regarding the difficulties women still face today in staying their true selves while living up to society's expectations.

Work Cited

Froide, Amy M. "The History behind Bridgerton." The Journal of Popular Television,

vol. 11, no. 1, Mar. 2023, pp. 55–60. MLA International Bibliography, https://doi-org.ezproxy.haifa.ac.il/10.1386/jptv_00093_1.

Rogers, Lizzie. "Reading Will Not Find You a Husband: Eloise Bridgerton,

Accomplishment and the 'Thinking Woman' in the Early Nineteenth-Century Period Drama." Journal of Popular Television, vol. 11, no. 1, Apr. 2023, pp. 27–43. Film & Television Literature Index with Full Text, https://doi.org/10.1386/jptv_00091_1.

Wyatt, Bethany. "‘You Wish to Follow Your Heart, and I Wish to Nurture My Mind’:

The Figures of the Spinster and Widow in Bridgerton." The Journal of Popular Television, vol. 11, no. 1, Mar. 2023, pp. 45–53. MLA International Bibliography, https://doi-org.ezproxy.haifa.ac.il/10.1386/jptv_00092_1.

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