Bridgerton Character Analysis Series
Our most relatable Queen: Miss Penelope Featherington
Here I am, curled up on my proudly pink desk, trying to write about one of the most inspiring characters of the Bridgerton books and TV-Series: Penelope Featherington. Just the name of this amazing character bears testimony to the amount of thought dedicated into giving life into her stunning personality: Penelope as in “Pen”, Featherington as “Feather”, both terms which cleverly reflect the intrinsic essence of our beloved female lead, writing. Something that I and our relatable Queen certainly share.
It is in fact through her passion for writing and her secret identity Lady Whistledown that Penelope finds refuge from the genteel and polite but yet heavily patriarchal society described in the book series Bridgerton. It is through writing that she finally expresses her trueself despite her reprimanded shy and well-padded countenance. It is through writing that Penelope, “this most insipid wallflower” in the eyes of this cruel society, finally blooms and in so doing, it encourages us, female viewers, to do the same.
Penelope teaches us that our bodies’ proportions do not define us. She teaches us that our physical appearance does not dictate our future and most importantly, she urges us to not allow ourselves to believe to be less worthy than an fairytale happy ending, with the capital H-hot prince I might add, just because of some societal unrealistic beauty standard.
Penelope dares us also to be our ugly and faulty selves, including all our rough edges and angles, and to not always pursue this tiring and so sexist idea, that society has nurtured into our minds since God knows when, called perfection.
Penelope pushes us to finally have the courage to believe and to love ourselves, even when the entire world or, even worse, our own family, does not do that! Cause let us be honest, who else otherwise will?
“The truth is, that which some dismiss as common rock, time reveals to be precious stone.” — Lady Whistledown Bridgerton Season 3, Episode 2, “How Bright the Moon”
So please, dearest gentle reader, do yourself a favor and watch Bridgerton Season 3. Take in all the joy that comes knowing that.. sometimes, Netflix really does have some good series to bingewatch with a relatable and finally real female character, which does not have to embody Miss Universe while also being, for some unknown reason, effortlessly perfect. Penelope is the real thing. And as Lord Debling says, frankness is indeed incredibly refreshing.
With love,
Lady Orion
