From Bonnets to Blades: The Reimagination of Gender in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

About the Film: 

Movie poster

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a film based on the 2009 parody novel by Seth Grahame-Smith. The film adapts the core plot of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, with the addition of a zombie apocalypse. 

The film takes place in 19th-century England, where a zombie plague has caused millions of people to rise from the dead. To protect those in London, the Grand Barrier was constructed, a 100-foot wall surrounding the city. A Royal Canal was also dug, which is a deep moat surrounding the Grand Barrier with bridges that span the gap. The nobility believe the battle with the undead to be contained, but the opening of the film warns that, "...the ultimate battle between the living and the undead has yet to be staged" (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies 00:9:08). 

This film challenges traditional gender roles by portraying Elizabeth as a capable warrior, while also showing that the threat of their inheritance and social expectations make marriage important for their futures. Elizabeth's story suggests that marriage does not mean surrendering one's independence or identity. 

A summary of the events of the Zombie plague 

The Story of Elizabeth and Darcy

One of the biggest changes in this adaptation is the portrayal of Elizabeth Bennet. She is a skilled warrior who was trained in combat in China. She is independent and is more than capable of defending herself against zombies. Mr. Darcy, or Colonel Darcy, is a wealthy and proud man who is also a skilled zombie hunter trained in Japan. During the ball at Meryton, Mr. Darcy saves Liz from an undead who was going to attack her; this enrages her as she believes that she can take care of herself and doesn't need a man to fight for her. Her ability to defend herself is reinforced moments later when she and her sisters defeat the room full of zombies attacking the ball. When Mr. Darcy sees her fight, he becomes attracted to her dark eyes, strength, and fighting abilities. The scene challenges old-fashioned gender roles by first showing Elizabeth's anger at being rescued, then having her and her sisters fight for themselves rather than waiting for the men to take over. By defending one another, Elizabeth and her sisters show that they are capable of protecting themselves. 

Elizabeth fighting with her sword

Mr. Darcy (left) and Mr. Bingley (right) watching the Bennet sisters fight zombies 

 

The Challenging and Following of Gender Roles 

Mr. Collins proposal scene to Elizabeth

In Jane Austen's original novel, Elizabeth challenges the gender roles of the time through her wit, opinions, and refusal to marry someone like Mr. Collins, whom she does not love. This adaptation builds on her independence by adding her warrior skills. Elizabeth not only breaks the rules of society through her words, but also by fighting zombies and protecting herself. 

When Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth, he says this "I will, of course, require you to retire your warrior skills as part of the marital submission. We absolutely can't have swords in the home"(Pride and Prejudice and Zombies 50:14). This comment reveals that marriage especially for an old-fashioned man like Mr. Collins is still seen as a way for women to submit to their husbands.

In this case, Mr. Collins expects Liz to give up her skills as a warrior and ultimately her independence to become a wife.

Although Elizabeth refuses Mr. Collins, his proposal shows the marriage is still an important concern for the Bennet sisters. Even though they are portrayed as capable fighters, they are still expected to find themselves suitable husbands. 

Kitty (left), Lydia (middle),
and Elizabeth(right)all
shooting at a zombie

The Bennets are a middle-class family whose five daughters are not set to inherit any of the estate, as it is entailed to their male cousin, Mr. Collins. Without a marriage to a wealthy man, the Bennet sisters face a future of poverty or spinsterhood. In this world, survival for the Bennets includes both finding a wealthy husband and knowing how to fight like a warrior. 

Elizabeth gains her power through her fighting skills, but her lack of inheritance means that marriage still affects her future. Mr. Collins tells her that she must put down her knives to become his wife, showing that he sees marriage as a reason for her to give up something so central to her identity. Elizabeth has this to say earlier in the film about giving up her warrior skills to be a wife.

Elizabeth Bennet: "I shall never relinquish my sword for a ring."

Charlotte Lucas: "For the right man, you would."

Elizabeth Bennet: "The right man wouldn't ask me to" (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies 12:58). 

Elizabeth's response to Charlotte shows that she does not reject marriage itself; she rejects a marriage that would require her to surrender her identity. Instead, she believes that the man right for her would respect her independence, a belief that is reflected in her relationship with Mr. Darcy, who does not ask for her to give up her strength and warrior skills. This reflects the films' larger conflict between the expectations of marriage and women's independence.

Conclusion

 Pride and Prejudice and Zombies challenges traditional gender roles through its portrayal of the Bennet sisters as capable warriors who can protect themselves. At the same time, the film follows gender roles by showing that marriage is still very important to the futures of the Bennet sisters, so they must still prioritize becoming wives. This contradiction can make the audience question why, in a world that is so threatened by zombies, society still expects women to find good husbands. At the end of the film, Elizabeth marries Darcy, but she does not give up her strength or independence in doing so. The film shows that a woman can become a wife while staying true to her identity. 

This portrayal of the story of Pride and Prejudice encourages a modern audience to question the typical conventions of gender and recognize that women can be so much more than just wives. Overall, this adaptation of Pride and Prejudice shows that women can challenge the traditional expectations of gender by being strong and independent while still finding love. 

The wedding of both Elizabeth and Darcy and Jane and Bingley