The beloved television show Bridgerton breaks racial barriers as it explores an alternate history in which biracial Queen Charlotte elevated people of color to dukes and earls, welcoming new perspectives in Regency London. Essays in this work examine in detail the hit Netflix series. Topics covered include Bridgerton’s unique, racially conscious casting and its effect on common tropes and roles; the overt sexuality in the context of prim Jane Austen films and historical shows like Downton Abbey, Outlander, and recent nineteenth-century adaptations; dueling; art; manners; dress; social conventions; feminism; privilege; power; dreamcasting; colorism; and yes, the sex scenes.
I have created a separate entry for the one article which I know has a considerable focus on the novels, not just the show, but as I've not read the whole volume, others may do so too. Here's the complete list of articles in the volume:
Introduction - Valerie Estelle Frankel
Beyond the Pale: Genre, Race, and Intersectional Feminist Tensions in Bridgerton - Tracy H.Z. Reese
Casting the Future in Bridgerton’s Past - Amy Cook and Jessica Hautsch
Is “the price we pay … worth the fight?” Undermining the Marriage Plot - April Toadvine
Hornier Than Thou: Revisioning Female Empowerment - Maria Juko
“You can choose to love me as much as I love you”: Identity, Intentionality, and Agency - José I. Rodríguez
Whiteness Is the New Black: Alt–London and the EDI Industrial Complex - Tré Ventour-Griffiths
A More Colorful History Built on Thin Ice: How Modernizing History Creates Moral Issues - Marie Michlová
(Un)Romancing the Ton: Respectability, Leisure, and the Pursuit of Pleasure - Viviana Castellano
Benedict’s Gaze - Sarah Stegall
Off to the Modiste: A Costume Analysis of Season Two - Valerie Estelle Frankel and Madeleine Loewen
Spice Sells: Bridgerton, Sex, and the Jane Austen Brand - Kaitlyn Reid
A Regency Lady and an Edwardian Woman: Tensions Between Social Performances of Femininity and Female Empowerment in Period Pieces - Joy E. Morrow
Bridging the Gap Between Modern Life and the Period Piece: A Directorial Comparison of Bridgerton and Downton Abbey - Schuyler Becker
Natasha Rostova, Mr. Malcolm, and the Duke of Hastings: Comparing Introductions to Racially Inclusive Regency Fantasy - Amanda-Rae Prescott
Here's the abstract:
I have created a separate entry for the one article which I know has a considerable focus on the novels, not just the show, but as I've not read the whole volume, others may do so too. Here's the complete list of articles in the volume:
Introduction - Valerie Estelle Frankel
Beyond the Pale: Genre, Race, and Intersectional Feminist Tensions in Bridgerton - Tracy H.Z. Reese
Casting the Future in Bridgerton’s Past - Amy Cook and Jessica Hautsch
Is “the price we pay … worth the fight?” Undermining the Marriage Plot - April Toadvine
Hornier Than Thou: Revisioning Female Empowerment - Maria Juko
“You can choose to love me as much as I love you”: Identity, Intentionality, and Agency - José I. Rodríguez
Whiteness Is the New Black: Alt–London and the EDI Industrial Complex - Tré Ventour-Griffiths
A More Colorful History Built on Thin Ice: How Modernizing History Creates Moral Issues - Marie Michlová
(Un)Romancing the Ton: Respectability, Leisure, and the Pursuit of Pleasure - Viviana Castellano
Benedict’s Gaze - Sarah Stegall
Off to the Modiste: A Costume Analysis of Season Two - Valerie Estelle Frankel and Madeleine Loewen
Spice Sells: Bridgerton, Sex, and the Jane Austen Brand - Kaitlyn Reid
A Regency Lady and an Edwardian Woman: Tensions Between Social Performances of Femininity and Female Empowerment in Period Pieces - Joy E. Morrow
Bridging the Gap Between Modern Life and the Period Piece: A Directorial Comparison of Bridgerton and Downton Abbey - Schuyler Becker
Natasha Rostova, Mr. Malcolm, and the Duke of Hastings: Comparing Introductions to Racially Inclusive Regency Fantasy - Amanda-Rae Prescott
Conclusion