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A Psychoanalytic reading of 50 Shades of Grey

It has come to my attention that many people overlook the most obvious reading of these novels because of the erotic content of the novels. Christian Grey shows clear signs of repression of his violent childhood memories and displacement of the anger cause by that childhood onto the women he enters into BDSM relationships with.

  • I can see how this might become... bland. The whole "rough childhood transitioning into a violent adulthood" is a lot like the "it was all a dream" ending: possibly effective, but runs the risk of becoming a lazy explanation for the current disposition of a character. Whoever does pick this one up, try and add more than just the typical signs and traits of traumatic early experiences and stick to the novel more than the psychology. – Austin 9 years ago
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  • I don't believe Psychologists would call psychoanalysis a "lazy explanation for the current disposition of a character," because psychoanalysis is a completely valid explanation for every person's current disposition--not excluding fictional characters. Many people disregard psychology as excuses for behavior and ailments, but that is simply ignorance and lack of understanding. This novel actually has quite a lot of support from those suffering from psychological illnesses for bringing to light social taboos and fostering understanding for those who take part in them. – KeeleyFaith 9 years ago
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  • I don't mean from a psychological point of view, more from a literary one. Nor do I mean that the "lazy explanation" bit applies specifically to this novel. I just pointed those out because a past trauma is an easy way to give the character a reason to act a certain way but is sometimes done lazily so as to give the impression of false depth. – Austin 9 years ago
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