Fifty Shades of Grey Has Feminist Roots? | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

Fifty Shades of Grey Has Feminist Roots?

Let’s take a digital journey into Mr. Grey’s red room and discover how the origins of the literary phenomenon are darker than we might think.

20
Fifty Shades of Grey Has Feminist Roots?
IHDwallpapers.com

The second big-screen installment of the cult favorite Fifty Shades of Grey has hit theatres just in time for the year’s steamiest holiday: Valentine’s Day. The sequel seems to have drawn the same massive crowd as the original, grossing almost $150 million in only two days according to Forbes. After a year’s hiatus between the release of Darker and the first movie, the controversy that swirled around the movie’s suggestive message had almost been forgotten. Now the franchise is back and so are the critics. To add to the discussion I have researched the sexual and psychological attractions that have millions of women enthralled with the erotic trilogy. Let’s take a look at the origins of the genre that has so many people on edge of their seats with bubbling excitement or outright disgust, and also learn why women are so obsessed with the tumultuously sexy Mr. Grey.

To look into the minds of the women that adore the racy trilogy, I went on a mission to see what psychologists say is the reason behind the obsession. Psychology Today’s Deborah Khoshaba Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology) ties the female society’s desire for E.L. James’ erotic prose to its traumatic past of emotional and sexual oppression.

While many take on the belief that such taboo content was not invented till recently, Dr. Khoshaba states, “Racy novels that stimulate the senses have existed for hundreds of years”. She refers to the genre of sensationalism, which originated in the Victorian Era as women became disgruntled with society’s expectation of subservience and obedience. This fresh mindset gave way to a new era of literature that centered on the idea of female sexuality and female dominance over males. Still, as a sign of the times, these stories would end with the female being punished for her actions. Dr. Khoshaba argues, “Fifty Shades of Grey is a contemporary sensation novel”.

She says that the plot, which follows the Dominant Christian Grey as he pursues the young virgin Anastasia Steele as his Submissive, showcases our society’s subconscious anxiety towards the idea of a wholly independent female, suggesting that while we are making strides in gender equality women are still suffering from the impact of sexual oppression. This proposal indicates that Fifty Shades of Grey is perhaps a flawed version of a literary genre intended to strengthen women’s confidence in their sexuality. Also, it opens the conversation as to how the many real life practitioners of Mr. Grey’s BDSM view sexuality among the genders.


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

College Life: As Told By Bob's Burgers

If there's anyone who understand the struggles of college, it's the Belcher family

452
Bob's Burgers

College is a time of gaining independence, exploring new things, and copious amounts of Netflix. If you're like me, you often find yourself laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of the situations you find yourself in. Here are ten times Bob's Burgers accurately captured college life.

1. What you're pretty sure your upstairs neighbors do at 3am every morning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Why Theater Kids Are the Greatest People Ever

Supportive and spontaneous human beings are the best.

343
Theater Kids

Throughout school, the theater department has always been my go-to place with go-to people when I need advice, a dance party, or just someone to listen to me vent.

You never know what's going to happen when you're dealing with theatre or what kind of characters you'll encounter. We have too much fun doing anything! One time in my senior year acting class, we spent an entire class period watching Bob's Burgers, and it was the greatest class period ever.

Keep Reading...Show less
Gilmore Girls
Hypable

In honor of Mother’s Day, I have been thinking of all the things my mom does for my family and me. Although I couldn’t write nearly all of them, here are a few things that moms do for us.

They find that shirt that’s right in front of you, but just you can’t seem to find.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

10 Reasons To Thank Your Best Friend

Take the time to thank that one friend in your life you will never let go of.

7181
Thank You on wooden blocks

1. Thank you for being the one I can always count on to be honest.

A true friend will tell you if the shirt is ugly, or at least ask to borrow it and "accidentally" burn it.

2. Thank you for accepting me for who I am.

A best friend will love you regardless of the stale french fries you left on the floor of your car, or when you had lice in 8th grade and no one wanted to talk to you.

Keep Reading...Show less
sick student
StableDiffusion

Everybody gets sick once in a while, but getting sick while in college is the absolute worst. You're away from home and your mom who can take care of you and all you really want to do is just be in your own bed. You feel like you will have never-ending classwork to catch up on if you miss class, so you end up going sick and then it just takes longer to get better. Being sick in college is really tough and definitely not a fun experience. Here are the 15 stages that everyone ends up going through when they are sick at college.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments