Why do we keep remaking Pride and Prejudice?
As viewers prepare for the Netflix Pride and Prejudice adaptation, Dr Amelia Dale discusses Jane Austen’s enduring legacy.
Article by:
Natalia Burgess
Media Assistant
It is a truth universally acknowledged that adaptations of classic novels can often fall short of the original text. But Jane Austen’s 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice may be the exception. (Well, fingers crossed.)
It’s been more than 200 years since its publication and the novel has taken on a life of its own thanks to its satirical exploration of reputation, societal expectations, economic power and, of course, its use of the enemies-to-lovers trope.
While some people know the tale strictly from that iconic scene of Colin Firth emerging from a lake in a very wet dress shirt (which was sold at auction last year for just over A$50,000), Netflix has recently announced a new adaptation of the novel.
The streaming platform has promised it will “introduce the novel to a new generation” while sticking closely to the original text.
But why do we keep remaking Pride and Prejudice?
Fairy tale romance, IP business and economics
Dr Amelia Dale is a certified Janeite from the ANU School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics (SLLL).
She notes that while Austen’s magnum opus is dialogue-heavy, making it easily adaptable for theatre and television, the desire to adapt it today might also be due to the novel being recognisable intellectual property.
“We are in a moment right now where there are plenty of remakes. Studios are drawn to a recognised IP or an established name,” Dale says.
“With Pride and Prejudice, you can guarantee people will stream it in a way that maybe you can’t with other period novels.”
“Maybe we’re getting a new Pride and Prejudice in the same way as we get a new Spider-man – it’s something that’s guaranteed to make money.”
Dale explains that the rags-to-riches aspect of the plot, which sees protagonist Elizabeth Bennet moving from a position of financial insecurity to becoming part of the one per cent, is appealing to audiences.
“In some ways, Pride and Prejudice is Austen’s most fairytale-like book and she notoriously said that the novel was ‘rather too light, and bright, and sparkling; it wants shade,” she says.
But Dale warns that any adaptation that is too caught up in the fairytale aspects of the plot misses the chance to wrangle with the story’s tensions – including class, capital and status.
“Critics, like my colleague in SLLL, Professor Will Christie, explore how money is tangled up with love in this novel question of whether you can separate Elizabeth’s love for Mr Darcy from the financial security and vast amounts of capital and status that his situation brings,” Dale says.
“Depending on how you interpret the novel, you can view her as being won over by what a good landowner Darcy is, and how beautiful he is. However, you could also argue that she falls in love with the house and the property first.
“It’s about the intersection of class, capital and love, and being at the mercy of people who are richer and more powerful than you are.”
Dale says there’s a particular part of the story that will show us how well the new adaptation deals with these themes.
‘I’m always interested in seeing how adaptations deal with the parallels between how Mr Collins courts Lizzie compared to how Darcy courts her, as they both offer to save her from economic misery, but she refuses both, marrying for love instead,” Dale says.
“And then, she just so happens to fall in love with Mr Darcy, who is super rich.”
“The conversation around money, capital and love, or the erotics of capital – that’s interesting to me.”
The value of adaptation
Although the novel’s latest adaptation is highly anticipated because of its star-studded cast and screenplay from popular writer Dolly Alderton, some bibliophiles are still questioning whether Hollywood has gone too far with remakes.
“Scholars on adaptations generally agree that the adaptation is a standalone text that does things in and of itself,” Dale says.
“It’s interesting to see what choices will be made that are informed by contemporary preoccupations and trends in contemporary period drama. What does a post-Bridgerton Pride and Prejudice look like?”
Dale says it’s important to make these classics accessible for younger audiences.
“We can’t ignore that people come to Austen through adaptations,” she says.
“They shape what Austen is today, and play a big role in generating new fans and new interest in her work.”
Austen’s enduring legacy and literary genius continues to influence modern film, TV and literature.
“There is something about Austen’s works that can be invented and reinvented,” Dale says.
“And they’re so cemented in the popular imagination – similar to Shakespeare – and are repeatedly tweaked and reworked to keep up with contemporary concerns.
“I think to some extent, as long as people are living in systems where people can be politely horrible – and also where money and class matter – then her works will continue to be relevant.”
Top image: Rosamund Pike and Keira Knightley from the 2005 Pride & Prejudice adaptation. Photo: Courtesy of Focus Features Instagram.
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