Integritus Prime

I’ve recently been watching Bridgerton seasons 1 and 2 for the second time, which is rare for me. Aside from being a massive Jane Austen fan, I’ve been intrigued by how well the trauma patterns (which I’ve written a book on) and feminist themes are portrayed in the Bridgerton franchise, and the high quality of acting. I’ve not read Julia Quinn’s books, so my analyses are limited to the Netflix show. I’ve noted that both seasons of Bridgerton depict the male protagonist struggling with trauma, which love helps heal: this will be the focus of my current post. In the next post, I’ll examine the feminist characters and how they challenge the toxic patriarchy. Here’s my take on how trauma shapes the two leading men (spoiler alert):

1. Father Wound – In the first season, the Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset, is plagued by his harsh father’s inability to accept him. Simon loses his mother at birth and grows up with a stammer, which fuels his father’s rage. At his father’s deathbed, Simon swears that he will never sire an heir, so the line can end with him. His relationships with women consist of sex only. When he meets, falls for, and marries Daphne Bridgerton, Simon sticks to his vow, and feels conflicted and guilty, because Daphne’s dream is to have a family. It’s clear that he loves children, but he stubbornly sticks to his vow for some time. Simon shows some of the characteristics of a father wound – boundaries that are too rigid, anger, and low confidence. Eventually, through Daphne’s unconditional love, Simon learns that he need not be perfect, and that he need not continue lashing out at his dead father. They conceive, and presumably live happily ever after – indeed, Simon does not appear in season 2, but Daphne and baby Augie do and all seems well.
2. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – In season 2, the Viscount Anthony Bridgerton, who has spent most of his adulthood fulfilling his family duties – because his father died suddenly when Anthony was a teenager – begins looking for a wife. Prior to this he had a love affair with a soprano singer, and then followed the same pattern of no-strings sex with multiple women. When he meets Kate Sharma, he engages in activities with her, like hunting, that remind him of his father. In particular, when Kate is stung by a bee, Anthony experiences a panic attack, because his father died from a bee sting. Anthony has trouble expressing his emotions, because his father’s death, and his mother’s devastation thereafter, has left him too afraid to pursue true love. It takes a near-death experience – Kate’s accident – for Anthony to admit his love, and to finally unite with Kate. It is interesting too that Kate shares some of Anthony’s characteristic emotional suppression, because she too lost her father and has been the support system for her family.

In both cases, the male protagonists’ journey is to heal their trauma and open their hearts to love. Daphne is seen as the quintessential young woman in season 1, but with the persistence it takes to make her marriage work, despite her mother, Lady Bridgerton’s feeble attempts to prepare her for marriage, sex, and pregnancy. In season 2, a similar character appears in the form of Edwina Sharma, but Kate shines brighter and is as accomplished as Anthony in many ways (playing pall-mall, hunting, riding), symbolizing a shift from season 1 and a deeper look at feminist empowerment – read more about this in the Part 2 of the series.