“Fifty Shades of Grey”
“Fifty Shades of Grey” has become a topic of conversation across the country. This erotic novel was written by E. L. James, arrived in 2011 and has become a best -seller with more than 40 million copies sold.
E. L. James, a British author, describes a relationship between Anastasia Steele, a 21 year old, virginal college student of Washington State University in Pullman, Washington and Christian Grey, a 27 year old, rich, business man.
“Fifty Shades of Grey,” is a narrative story in which Christian Grey, one of the main characters, is a person economically and psychologically dominant. When Anastasia, a journalism student, goes to interview him, she realizes that he is handsome, intelligent, and intimidating. Once they get to know each other, he tells her that in order to continue the relationship they have to sign a contract which designates her as the “submissive” and him as the “dominant” party. The contract allows Grey to have complete control of her life, besides having to fulfill any desires he has in the bedroom. The book has many explicit sexual scenes involving pain, discipline, dominance, submission, masochism and sadism.
I firmly believe that it is a great responsibility to educate my children to respect them-selves and to establish limits in their relationships. This book raises the question of how sexual submission, especially when pain is involved, can be such a turn-on for many young, well-educated women, Today the statistics of violence are alarming. According to Domestic Violence Resource Center, “One in four women (25%) has experienced domestic violence in her lifetime” (Domestic). Also the Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that, “Among victims of intimate partner violence, about 1 in 4 women (24.3%) and 1 in 7 men (13.8%) have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner (e.g., hit with a fist or something hard, beaten, slammed against something) at some point in their life” (US--). I think this book explains the reality of many women who are in a dangerous and abusive relationship. All of us should read this book because it is educational and helps in our daily life.
Nowadays in the developed world, technology has its advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, it has been helping human progress scientifically and medically. On the other hand, technology such as cell phones and computers take time away from face to face interaction. The Internet is the most important tool for working but it can be a monitoring device in a relationship between human beings. Modern technology like Facebook, What ‘s-up, and text messages can be used as forms of surveillance. For instance, Christian Grey gives Anastasia a Nextel and an Apple Computer. So, he knows where she is and what she is doing wherever she goes. He expects her to always be available. She does not have a private life.
There are other control forms that Christian includes in the contract. She has to wear clothes that he approves for. The submissive which is what he calls Anastasia has to drive an Audi. Christian also chooses her doctor and the birth control she takes. He authorizes the beauty salon where she is allowed to go. Anastasia has to do exercise at least four times every week with a trainer that he provides for her. She eats foods only from a list that Christian supplies. She also gets eight hours of sleep a night. The Submissive does not drink in excess or take drugs. So you might think that all these rules above are safe, but she has to agree to any sexual activity in which he uses methods of pain such as spanking, caning, and biting.
E.L James captivates her readers with adventures and suspense. She hooks her readers in every chapter in which she mixing feelings and providing rollercoaster action, so readers are always eager to read the next chapter. Falling in love with someone is a feeling that really cannot be described. As a woman, I was educated to believe that a romantic relationship should be like a fairy tale, but this is not reality. “Fifty Shades of Grey” reminds one that no one is perfect. All of us have a dark side. Everyone has his own emotional baggage. When Anastasia realizes that Christian is a person who controls everything around him, she hesitates. Later, she falls in love with him, so she wants to know why Christian acts that way. It is a long process. Even though she knows that it is difficult for him, she starts to ask. Because of he was abused by his mother, he has a lot of scars. His sadistic acts come from the pain he felt when he was a child. Consequently, he enjoys hurting his submissive because it helps him to release his anger. Christian Grey grew up with the idea that he could not inspire love. Suddenly, Anastasia appears in his life and he realizes that there is a true love and he dares to live it.
“Fifty Shades of Grey,” is an example of woman who loves a man for his strengths and vulnerabilities. When Christian starts sharing his vulnerabilities, he strengthens his romantic relationship with Anastasia. Also this book describes how a person can change his life if he really wants to. Even though Christian does not forget his pain, he learns how to have a better life. He falls in love with Anastasia and she becomes his motivation.
I read both positive and negative comments on the Internet. One of the positive ones was that thanks to this book, some readers have explored their sexuality and feel more freedom with their partners. I think sex is an important tool in a romantic relationship. Sex is not only a mechanical act. It is a way partners communicate their desires. Some couples admit that the monotony in their sexual relationship was what ended their romantic relationship. However, I also read some negative comments about the book being badly written. Also, today I understand why people look at me strangely when I say that I am reading ‘Fifty Shades of Grey.” For me, as an English student, this book is easy to understand and I find a psychological side, which makes it interesting.
Works Cited
Domestic Violence Resource Center | Domestic violence statistics www.dvrc-org/domestic/violence/resources/C61
US -- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) www.cdc.gov official site
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