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| Marilyn Monroe in How to Marry a Millionaire |
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| Mary flanked by Mr. and Mrs. Bennet in The Other Bennet Sister |
Having finished reading The Other Bennet Sister after having seen the adaption,* I have a number of observations that I intend to write up. But for today, I'll keep it lighter with something that just struck me, a surprising parallel that the director may have alluded to.
In both the book and the adaption, Mary's glasses are made into a big deal. Her mother declares she'll never attract a man if she wears them. It's not just Mrs. Bennet's silliness. The assumption that women in glasses were less attractive persisted well over century later and is very central to the character that Marylin Monroe plays in How to Marry a Millionaire who wanders around unable to recognize people and bumping into things because she has internalized that a woman in glasses would never attract a man.
As depicted in the clip above, Marilyn's character describes herself as "blind as a bat" without glasses, which is why she holds her books upside down while pretending to read.
I wonder if the director of The Other Bennet Sister adaption had that in mind in setting up a scene in
which Ryder holds a book upside down while pretending to read. This is not in the book, so I can't help thinking the director thought of some other films in which the upside down book proves the character is not reading.
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| tom_handing_mary_out_of_a_carriage_keychain |
Much more on the adaption to follow. Watch for my argument that Mary Bennet is closer to a Charlotte Bronte heroine -- with striking parallels to Jane Eyre and Lucy Snowe -- than a Jane Austen one, especially in the adaption. If you are a fan of the adaption, check out The Other Bennet Sister: Celebrating Mary Bennet collection from Totally Jane Austen.
*That's the order I'd recommend for others to follow to enjoy both experiences and appreciate the differences without getting bothered about deviations from the book while watching.
Related
Jane Austen: Love and Money
Jane Austen at the Morgan
Love and Limerence in Jane Austen
Observations on Jane Austen's Emma
Pride, Prejudice and Persuasion: Obstacles to Happiness in Jane Austen's Novels
Three Janes, Two Governesses, and the Abolitionist Movement
The Big Bow-wow & Bit of Ivory
Jane Austen's Heroines
Jane Austen and Capability Brown
Pride and Prejudice in Job Applications