Coming of Age in "Bridgerton": Marraige for Maturity
Bridgerton is a show set in the nineteenth century that follows the Bridgertons, one of the many families that try to find their place in society. One of the main characters that the show follows is Eloise Bridgerton. Eloise, among other ladies her age, is expected to go through courting season, the time when ladies and available men around their age attend social events to meet one another and find potential suitors. As many ladies are preparing and attending these events, Eloise, however, remains opposed to the potential event of marriage.
Throughout the show, society is shown to depict coming of age for all women as the time when a lady becomes married. This is because society pushes women towards marriage as the one pathway that will ensure a woman to have a secure future. Any other pathway is restricted by the limitations that society has set on women. Women are therefore raised towards the ultimate goal of marriage. This set pathway, however, limits the experiences and events that women can face, further limiting their ability to experience and find their own meaning of coming of age. Thus, with this one definition of coming of age, Eloise is viewed to be immature, wanting to remain as a child instead of advancing towards adulthood when she expresses her disinterest in becoming married.
Nonetheless, later in the show, Eloise begins following this path to marriage, being seen by society as stepping towards her coming of age. However, she continues showing disinterest in it and only follows this path because she knows of the limitations that are set on her. Although she is forced into society's image of coming of age, she manages to maintain her values and goals of finding her own career and being independent. Throughout the show, Eloise struggles against the societal expectations and limitations that push to shape her life and future. Throughout this struggle, however, Eloise remains determined to strive for her own life where she can do what she wants and be who she wants to be.
I love that you chose to do Bridgerton as your focus for the coming-of-age prompt. Seeing it for the first time, I didn't really envision it as a coming-of-age narrative; however, I like the the way you bring out those aspects in your writing. For example, her coming-of-age journey was forced upon her when she became the marrying age. Although she expressed her discomfort in her situation, I like how she handled it with grace and didn't end up losing herself in the process as you said.
ReplyDeleteI love how Eloise wasn't even a main character yet you were still able to focus on her personal thoughts! Also, it's interesting to see that most girls at that time were forced to grow up faster because they married much younger (like I think courting starts at 17yrs. old in Bridgerton). It's also interesting how Eloise comes of age because she's mature enough to understand that marriage is what's going to make her acceptable in society, and not just Eloise wanting to put a ring on it and find a lifelong partner (like most of the other girls).
ReplyDeleteI really like that you focus on Eloise, and I think the way you talk about her coming-of-age as being so radical is really interesting. I also think that it's interesting how society thinks of her as being immature when she wants to remain independence, because in reality she seems more mature than other women. She has thought about what she really wants and what makes her happy, and she isn't willing to accept society's expectations. That takes courage and independence.
ReplyDeleteHi! I really love how you set up the coming-of-age dynamic and environment in the show. Although it’s different, I feel, than what have in much of American culture today (with the women just working towards marriage in the show), Eloise’s struggles remain similar to those who are coming-of-age in the U.S. may feel too, such as trying to find their own path and being viewed as a child or immature for not being like everyone else. I also think it’s powerful how you described that although she was ultimately forced on the path to marriage by society and to be accepted, she remained true to herself and went through the coming-of-age process in her own way!
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to watch Bridgerton (I keep seeing it on my Netflix recommendations)!! I think it's really interesting how you pointed out that Eloise not wanting to get married causes others to view her as immature. I feel like now, not wanting to get married is more of a sign of independence, as you know that someone is confident in their ability to take care of themself. The ending you describe is also actually something I didn't expect - I would've thought that Eloise would have somehow found a way to live independently. While that would make the show sort of avant garde, what you're describing also sounds really interesting, as Eloise has to find the balance between completely conforming to societal expectations and being her own person.
ReplyDeleteYou wrote about Bridgerton!!!? I want to read your whole essay now lol. Even when the new debutant season occurs, you can still visibly see how stressed Eloise is. I wonder what she will ultimately decide? I think if she chooses to not get married, and rejects societal expectations, this would be "coming of age", showing that she is mature enough to stand up and make a decision regarding her own life. Do you think if she does decide to get married, is this a "coming of age" moment as well?
ReplyDeleteI love how you focused on Eloise instead of Daphne or Simon! I thought it was interesting how not being interested in marriage and all of the non-marriage related activities she was involved in were seen as "immature." It definitely seemed like Eloise had more freedom when she wasn't actively seeking a husband. It was somewhat frustrating not seeing Eloise pursue a more independent lifestyle, but still perfectly understandable given the time period.
ReplyDelete