Fleabag is a British novel that was written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge in 2013. Subsequently, the book was screened in the film of the same name, in which the writer played the primary role. The plot describes Fleabag’s daily life, whose non-trivial behavioral pattern leads to dramatic and comic episodes. A feature of the book and the series is the unusual interaction between the reader and viewer with the character, which voices thoughts and describes situations from several points of view.
The understanding of honesty is transformed through the prism of the community and individuals’ socio-cultural and psychological characteristics. Fleabag is a unique play as the main character interacts personally with all stakeholders, including the readers. Some works of art use this method of attracting an audience. Still, Waller-Bridge combined the sincerity of the heroine and the reader’s involvement in a single narrative paradigm. Fleabag demonstrates the transformation of interpersonal values and the rethinking of social, including family, values. It is no secret that the relatives are assessed as the closest social circle with the highest intimacy elements. However, the woman does not seek to establish emotional contact with the family. For example, Fleabag openly lies to sister Claire about the business’s progress, although it is a professional activity that takes a significant place in the heroine’s life (Waller-Bridge 43). Thus, the concept of honesty is transformed in the process of introducing the reader to minor characters and shows that intimate interpersonal contact does not necessarily occur between family members.
Fleabag is honest with herself and with the reader throughout the book. Each episode, dialogue, and psychological challenges of the heroine are accompanied by comments that objectively analyze the situation. In other words, Fleabag strives to adapt daily routines and communication to a romantic and inconvenient personality. The reader evaluates this as non-trivial behavior, but it demonstrates the harmony between the heroine’s actions and the psychological qualities. Thus, it is the main plot of the play, as Fleabag projects personal drama and comic relief into everyday life.
Fleabag showcases the life of a modern woman and is in line with feminist philosophy. One-woman play allows one to observe the heroine’s everyday life, in which stigma and bias are based on gender. Manic choppiness is the quintessence of modern life dynamics, in which the desire to achieve career and social success invariably meet condemnation and psychological imbalance. For example, the show’s pilot shows Fleabag facing financial expert misunderstanding and sexual stigmatization due to gender (Bradbeer). Thus, the women’s choppiness complemented by a similar serial narrative to expose the social problems of the time associated with alienation, loneliness, and human drama.
The series is filled with invisible connections among humans, animals, and inanimate objects. Hilary is a symbol of the state of mind and the vulnerability of a woman who is left alone with fear and anxiety. The guinea pig, which is directly related to the heroine’s deceased friend, demonstrates the psychological growth and improvement of Fleabag’s social resistance. In other words, Hilary’s fate transforms from unhappiness and doom to love and care, as does the main character’s interactions with men and family. Thus, Fleabag and Hilary’s connection is that the guinea pig symbolizes the heroine’s state of consciousness and the willingness to start a new relationship or revise existing ones.
Works Cited
Bradbeer, Harry. Fleabag. Two Brothers Pictures, 2013.
Waller-Bridge, Phoebe. Fleabag. Nick Hern Books, 2013.