Pride and Twilight: updating the Bennet-Darcy myth?

Abstract

El mito Bennet-Darcy, como representante del amor romántico, ha sido explorado en numerosas manifestaciones culturales desde la publicación de la novela Orgullo y Prejuicio de Jane Austen en 1813. No obstante, su retrato contemporáneo parece haber perdido el propósito primigenio de la novela de Austen que, pese a enclavarse en la tradición sentimental, retrataba la condición y subyugación de las mujeres en el periodo de la Regencia inglesa. Como exponente contemporáneo de la cultura popular, la saga Crepúsculo de Stephenie Meyers ha adquirido una gran popularidad, especialmente entre la población adolescente. Meyers a menudo ha admitido el legado de Austen para crear la primera novela de su serie, Crepúsculo (2005). Sin embargo, pese a su influencia, Crepúsculo actualiza y transforma el mito Bennet-Darcy presentando un discurso conservador que difiere del de Austen de forma significativa. El propósito de este artículo es presentar un análisis comparativo entre las novelas de Austen y Meyers respectivamente, en lo que atañe al mito Bennet-Darcy para evaluar los diferentes discursos que presentan e ilustrar el objetivo postmoderno de retomar, recrear y transformar viejos mitos, así como el objetivo de la cultura popular de obtener rentabilidad de ellos.

The Bennet-Darcy myth, as representative of romantic love, has been explored in many cultural manifestations since the publication of Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice in 1813. Nonetheless, its contemporary portrayal seems to have missed the foremost original aim of Austen's novel as, even if it belonged to the genre of the sentimental novel, it portrayed women's conditions and subjugation in the English Regency period. As a contemporary exponent of popular culture, Stephenie Meyers' Twilight saga has gained an enormous popularity, especially among adolescents. Meyers has often acknowledged Austen's legacy to envision the frrst novel of her series, Twilight (2005). However, despite its influence, Twilight updates and transforms the Bennet-Darcy myth presenting a conservative discourse which significantly differs from that of Austen. it is the aim of this article to present a comparative analysis of Austen's and Meyer's respective novels with regard to the Bennet-Darcy myth so as to evaluate the different discourses presented and illustrate the postmodern. aim to regain, recreate, and transform old myths, as well as popular culture's goal of making profit from them.