Skip to content

50 Shades of Grey chapter 6 (not, as previously reported, 7) recap, or “Up, Up, and Away In My Beautiful, My Beautiful Helicopter And Sex Dungeon”

Posted in Uncategorized

Remember yesterday, when I posted about the possibility of a 50 Shades of Grey movie? I’m not saying David Cronenberg has made it, but it does look like he’s made the poster for it:

Poster for Cosmopolis, depicting Robert Pattinson in the back of a Maybach, leaning over introspectively

You are absolutely seeing what you are seeing. In the movie, RPattz plays a young billionaire just trying to get through Manhattan traffic to get a haircut. I already call bullshit on the premise, because if you’re a billionaire, your barber comes to you. But what I find interesting about this is how the connection was made out there, somewhere, to more than one person: “RPattz would make a good brooding billionaire in a story.”
Chapter Six of 50 Shades of Grey starts off with one of my absolute biggest pet peeves in all of fiction. The unrealistic car:

Christian opens the passenger door to the black Audi SUV, and I clamber in. It’s a beast of a car.

First of all, Audi makes a few different SUV/crossover-type vehicles, so I’m going to assume that the “beast” Ana is referring to is the largest one Audi makes, the Q7:

2008_audi_q7_4_2_quattro_premium-pic-9010

That’s a 2008, but this is Audi, so they don’t change all that much year to year. Nothing about that vehicle screams “beast” to me. It’s a classic private school mom’s car. That’s my first beef. My second beef is, you can get this car new off the line for around 40k. Isn’t Christian Grey super rich? He has his own helicopter. So, why is he driving this and not some amazingly expensive sports car, or at the very least, a more expensive SUV (like the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, which can run in the neighborhood of 100k)? I see this all the time in romance novels, and I’m not sure what’s happening, but if your hero is an Italian tycoon, he’s not going to drive a BMW. If he’s a centuries old vampire with chests of gold doubloons just sitting around his house, he better not have just a Lincoln Navigator parked in the driveway. I guess you could make the argument that Christian Grey is frugal, but he just bought brand new shoes, jeans, and underthings for Ana to wear, rather than make her wait for hers to come out of the dryer, so I don’t know from frugal.

Ana is still reeling from the elevator kiss, but Christian isn’t mentioning it, so she figures she must have hallucinated it all. Because if Christian doesn’t confirm her thoughts, I guess that makes them invalid somehow. Christian has “The Flower Duet” from Lakme queued up on the MP3. Just for your reference, here is that song, in a mock-up Audi commercial, because sometimes the universe falls into place like pieces in a divine jigsaw puzzle:

[This video has since been removed by the user]

Ana thinks that this makes him seem “young, carefree, and heart-stoppingly beautiful”. Nothing says “young and carefree” like “I’m a big opera fan.” She questions him about his musical tastes, which run from “everything from Thomas Tallis to the Kings of Leon.” He puts on Kings of Leon, “Sex on Fire,” and Ana feels this is “appropriate”. Why is it appropriate? Did he give her herpes? Christian gets a lot of phone calls in the car, including one from his brother, Elliot, who asks if he got laid. What kind of a weirdo is Elliot, if he sees his brother wrestling an unconscious woman out of a bar and then asks if he got laid? “Hey, bro, you rape that girl last night? High five!” Ana suggests that Christian refer to her as Ana, instead of Anastasia, because she prefers it, but as we all know, nothing in this story is about what Ana prefers and it’s instead all about what Christian prefers for her, so he ignores her request and warns her that he won’t be kissing her again, not unless it’s “premeditated.” He has an easy way with the murder terminology, doesn’t he?

He pulls up outside my duplex. I belatedly realize he’s not asked me where I live – yet he knows. But then he sent the books, of course he knows where I live. What able, cell-phone-tracking, helicopter owning, stalker wouldn’t.

Why won’t he kiss me again? I pout at the the thought.

Ana, can you hear yourself when you think, or is it all just the whistle of a vacant, lonely desert wind in there? Christian opens Ana’s car door for her (prompting the writing of that HuffPo article I mentioned the other day… if you’d like to gag on your own vomit, here’s the link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jenny-isenman/i-cheated-on-my-husband-w_b_1433139.html) and she thinks about him kissing her and the fact that she really didn’t get a chance to touch him or anything. They go into the duplex, where Kate and Elliot are sitting at the table:

She has the most un-Kate ridiculous grin on her face, and she looks mussed up in a sexy kind of way. Christian follows me into the living area, and in spite of her I’ve-been-having-a-good-time-all-night grin, Kate eyes him suspiciously.
“Hi Ana.” She leaps up to hug me, then holds me at arm’s length so she can examine me. She frowns and turns to Christian.
“Good morning, Christian,” she says, and her tone is a little hostile.

I would be more concerned if she wasn’t slightly suspicious. When Ana went home with Christian, she was unconscious. They just graduated college, they know what happens when unconscious women are left alone with young men. Elliot kisses Kate goodbye, prompting Ana to think, “Jeez… get a room.” What kind of a room, Ana? Like, an elevator? A public place where anyone could walk right in? Hypocritical much?

Yes. Hypocritical very much:

Kate just melts. I’ve never seen her melt before – the words comely and compliant come to mind. Compliant Kate, boy, Elliot must be good.

Excuse me, ma’am, but your ass is showing. Didn’t you, just last chapter, finish all the food on your plate, even though you weren’t hungry, because Christian asked you to? Let’s not be pointing fingers vis-a-vis compliancy, okay? Christian and Elliot leave together, and Ana is jealous because Elliot blows Kate a kiss and Christian doesn’t blow her a kiss. Oh, and because Kate had sex:

“So, did you?” Kate asks as we watch them climb into the car and drive off, the burning curiosity evident in her voice.
“No,” I snap irritably, hoping that will halt the questions. We head back into the apartment. “You obviously did, though.” I can’t contain my envy. Kate always manages to ensnare men. She is irresistible, beautiful, sexy, funny, forward… all the things that I’m not. 

Way to slut-shame, Ana. It’s not like you weren’t just rubbing your no-no with Christian Grey’s body wash. Please note, that taking all the circumstances into account, Ana is envious that Kate had sex with Elliot and Christian didn’t rape her while she was unconscious.

“And I’m seeing him again this evening.” She claps her hands and jumps up and down like a small child. She cannot contain her excitement and happiness, and I can’t help but feel happy for her. A happy Kate… this is going to be interesting.

Not as interesting as a happy Ana would be, but I’m sure the existence of such a creature is a statistical improbability. And what is it with references to small children? Especially in the context it keeps getting used in, over and over? Is it intentional, to diminish the characters as women? They’re not having fully adult, grown woman feelings about sex, no, they’re always suddenly somehow childish. That’s really starting to get on my nerves, intentional or not.

Kate pretties Ana up (off screen, thank god, so we don’t have to hear about how horrible the ordeal was), and Ana goes to work at Clayton’s hardware. Where she thinks back on how Kate prettied her up and how horrible the ordeal was. Double crap. Ana is also not thrilled that she has to convince Kate that she wants to have sex with Christian Grey. Kate has got to be the most inconsistently written character ever committed in the written word. One minute, she’s all, “OMIGAWDDOHIM!”, then next she’s (entirely justifiably), “He’s a weirdo and I don’t trust him.” Ana’s would-be rapist, Jose, keeps calling her, leaving three messages and seven missed calls on the cell, and harassing Kate at home. Doesn’t he know that the most romantical of stalkers just trace cell phones? Jeez.

“Tonight is the night,” but Ana still has her doubts:

After all this time, am I ready for this? My inner goddess glares at me, tapping her small foot impatiently. She’s been ready for this for years, and she’s ready for anything with Christian Grey, but I still don’t understand what he sees in me… mousey Ana Steele – it makes no sense.

The pairing of ellipses and em-dash doesn’t make sense, either. Ana does not strike me as someone, inner goddess or no, who is ready for a sexual relationship with anyone. She’s entirely intimidated by Christian Grey and unable to say no to him. She has no self-esteem and what appears to be a very negative view of sex altogether, considering her scathing attitude toward Kate’s night with Elliot. She has all the maturity of a under-ripe banana. This is not a person who should be having sex at all, but she’s pretty much counting on it the day after her very first real kiss. The fact that she doesn’t find it weird that Christian has suggested paperwork will be involved in their sexual relationship is a big, red stop sign. But Christian is waiting for her- and opens her door- after her shift at the hardware store. They chitchat about their day, Ana’s voice “husky, too low, and full of need,” until they arrive at the heliport.

I wonder where the fabled helicopter might be. We’re in a built-up area of the city and even I know helicopters need space to take off and land.

That’s planes you’re thinking of, Ana. Helicopters are perfect for exactly the situation you’re describing, because they do not need a lot of space to take off and land. Come on, this is Helicopters 101 here. No. This is Helicopters 93: Intro To Helicopters. It’s the shit you’re supposed to know before you take Helicopters 101. They get into an elevator, and they share a little smile thinking about the fact that they made out in an elevator earlier that day. You crazy kids with your elevator BDSM. They’re taking the company helicopter, and the guy at the helipad informs them that the checks are already done, so Christian just hops right in. So, we know he’s a shitty pilot, then, because what kind of pilot doesn’t do his own checks? Especially a pilot who runs a powerful company with tons of money, and people might profit somehow off his death? Then again, I’m not going to complain about not having to sit with Ana’s internal monologue while Christian does twenty-minutes of flight safety stuff, because just getting her buckled into the seat is bad enough:

I sit down in my allotted seat, and he crouches beside me to strap me into the harness. It’s a four-point harness with all the straps connecting to one central buckle. He tightens both of the upper straps, so I can hardly move.
He’s so close and intent on what he’s doing. If I could only lean forward, my nose would be in his hair. He smells, clean, fresh, heavenly, but I’m fastened securely into my seat and effectively immobile. He glances up and smiles, like he’s enjoying his usual private joke, his gray eyes heated. He’s so tantalizingly close. I hold my breath as he pulls at one of the upper straps.
“You’re secure, no escaping,” he whispers, his eyes are scorching.

It actually keeps going from there, and there’s so much to enjoy. From Ana (who constantly refers to children or being childlike whenever the subject of sexuality comes up) being strapped into what is basically a giant car seat, to Christian not knowing what seat belts are actually for (pro tip: They’re to keep you from flying out of the vehicle in the event of a crash, not to keep you from escaping), it’s like a delicate ballet of unintentional metaphor making too fine a point and intentional metaphor falling as flat as a first time souffle. Lucky for us, the helicopter ride to Seattle takes an hour, so we have plenty of time for this type of thing:

His face is softly illuminated by the lights on the instrument panel. He’s concentrating hard, and he’s continually glancing at the various dials in front of him. I drink in his features from beneath my lashes. He has a beautiful profile. Straight nose, square jawed – I’d like to run my tongue along his jaw. He hasn’t shaved, and his stubble makes the prospect doubly tempting. Hmm… I’d like to feel how rough it is beneath my tongue, my fingers, against my face.

I just want to pause a moment here and say that while I am deeply troubled by most of the rest of this book, I’d like to offer E.L. James a hearty congratulations for articulating exactly what goes through my mind every time I watch James May driving on Top Gear. Good job, E.L.

There is a lot of chatter over the radio about airspace and clearances and such that we don’t necessarily need to read. Not because it’s not interesting, but because I’m almost 100% certain it’s entirely made up and serves no purpose other than to fill the pages and make the helicopter ride seem like it has been an hour long. Then, they’re flying into Seattle:

It looks otherworldly – unreal – and I feel like I’m on a giant film set, Jose’s favorite film maybe, ‘Bladerunner.The memory of Jose’s attempted kiss haunts me. I’m beginning to feel a bit cruel not calling him back. He can wait until tomorrow… surely.

Or, you know, never. If some guy is acting all crazy, putting his hands on you when you’re clearly saying “no”, you don’t have any obligation to speak to him, ever again. Maybe that isn’t “polite” of me to say, but with a guy who won’t take “no” for an answer, polite is a one way ticket to Rapesville, population YOU. As they’re about to land, Ana feels faint, knowing that she’s going to let Christian down somehow.

He’ll find me lacking in some way. I wish I’d listened to Kate and borrowed one of her dresses, but I like my black jeans, and I’m wearing a soft mint green shirt and Kate’s black jacket. I look smart enough.

They still make black jeans? I mean, I was apparently off the mark in my assessment of whether or not people wear jeans with heels (although I stand by my conviction when I say that is totally gross), but seriously? I haven’t seen black jeans in a while. Okay, whatever floats your boat. You could have borrowed Kate’s dress, instead you’re dressed like Marie Osmond trying to sell her dolls on QVC. Go for it.

Marie Osmond on QVC
“Hi, I’m Ana Steele. Buy this hideous fucking doll.”

They land, and Ana is still super nervous. Her breathing is “erratic,” but at least she’s breathing this time, right?

His look is so intense, half in shadow and half in the bright white light from the landing lights. Dark knight and white knight, it’s a fitting metaphor for Christian.

I thought “Hillside Strangler” was a more fitting metaphor for Christian, but by all means, stick with Dark knight. Because every time I see it, I’m going to get to use this:

Abed from Community dressed as Batman
Christian tells her that she doesn’t have to do anything she doesn’t want to do, to which Ana responds, “I’d never do anything I didn’t want to do, Christian.”
List of things Ana has done so far in this book that she didn’t want to do:
  • Interview Christian Grey
  • Call Christian Grey
  • Talk about Christian Grey to her roommate
  • Keep the books Christian Grey gave her
  • Be rescued from a bar by Christian Grey
  • Finish her breakfast
  • Get prettied up for Christian Grey

I think we’re well past the point in our acquaintance with Ana where we can possibly believe her when she says, “I’d never do anything I didn’t want to do.” In fact, this entire story stems directly from an incident where she did something despite not wanting to do it.

Christian opens the helicopter door for her (why doesn’t my husband open the helicopter door for me? Waaaaah!)  and they get into another elevator, one that’s mirrored so she she can see that Christian is “holding me to infinity too”. Christian lives in a super modern, super white apartment with a possibly platinum fireplace and a giant sofa. Ana gives us a brief tour of the place, including how many guests the furniture can seat (I shit you not), from kitchen to piano. Of course he plays the piano, silly goose, he’s Edward Cullen! He wrote Bella a lullaby! He’ll probably write Ana a lullaby, before this book is over. Even after viewing her spectacular throw up the night before, he offers her a glass of wine, and, even though she does not want it, she accepts it. She’d never do something she didn’t want to do, remember.
The dialogue in this section is exceptional. Here’s an example:

“It’s a very big place you have here.”
“Big?”
“Big.”
“It’s big,” he agrees, and his eyes glow with amusement. I take another sip of wine.
“Do you play?” I point my chin at the piano.
“Yes.”
“Well?”
“Yes.”
“Of course you do. Is there anything you can’t do well?”

Not stalk people.” That’s just, off the top of my head, that’s something Christian Grey can’t do well. They sit on the couch and Ana makes a reference to Tess of The D’Urbervilles, because if she made a reference to Wuthering Heights we’d have plagiarism on our hands. Ana asks him why he gave her those books, specifically, and then says she’d like him to completely debase her the way Alec does Tess. Christian argues that she couldn’t possibly know what she’s talking about, while simultaneously telling her that the way she bites her lip is distracting.

When he gets the jist, that Ana is down to get down, he runs and fetches a non-disclosure agreement for her to sign. She can’t tell anything about them, to anyone. The non-disclosure agreement seems to be a lot like the end-user license agreement when you buy a video game. See, Christian has this dark secret he thinks is going to scare Ana away. But before she knows what it is, she has to sign this paper. Just like, once you bought the game, you can’t return if it you open it, but you can’t read the user agreement unless you open the game, but you can’t use the game until you agree with the agreement. Oy. She doesn’t read it, even though Christian warns her to never sign anything she hasn’t read, but she argues with him and signs it anyway, then asks, “Does this mean you’re going to make love to me tonight, Christian?” His response:

“No, Anastasia, it doesn’t. Firstly, I don’t make love. I fuck… hard. Secondly, there’s a lot more paperwork to do, and thirdly, you don’t yet know what you’re in for. You could still run for the hills.[…]”

I’ve bought cars where I’ve filled out less paperwork than it takes to fuck Christian Grey. He offers to show Ana his playroom, and she interprets this as wanting to play Xbox. Before he opens the door to the “playroom”, he reminds her that they can leave at absolutely any time, he’s totally cool with it if she’s not down with what’s behind door #1. Ana insists he open the door.

And it feels like I’ve time-traveled back to the sixteenth century and the Spanish Inquisition.

Are you sure it’s the Spanish Inquisition? Not the Katherine Kavanagh Inquisition or the Christian Grey Inquisition? Ana sure thinks about the Inquisition a lot. I’m adding that to the drinking game.

That’s all for chapter six, I’m afraid. I very much appreciate the chatter this recap is drumming up. If you want to talk about 50 Shades or Twilight or helicopters or Top Gear or what I had for breakfast, hit me up on my twitter, @Jenny_Trout. I’m the friendliest misanthrope you’ll ever meet. Until tomorrow, good night and good luck.

Did you enjoy this post?

Trout Nation content is always free, but you can help keep things going by making a small donation via Ko-fi!

Or, consider becoming a Patreon patron!

Here for the first time because you’re in quarantine and someone on Reddit recommended my Fifty Shades of Grey recaps? Welcome! Consider checking out my own take on the Billionaire BDSM genre, The Boss. Find it on AmazonB&NSmashwords, iBooks, and Radish!

22 Comments

  1. I'm wearing black jeans as I read this… gasp, and biting my lip 🙂

    March 19, 2013
    |Reply
  2. Famini
    Famini

    I was drinking water while I was reading your James May comment. The results were not pretty.

    March 31, 2013
    |Reply
  3. she'd like him to completely debase her the way Alec does Tess.
    Oh god.
    What??
    Alec raped Tess.
    That was why she was in hysterics asking her mother why she hadn't been warned against men after the baby she has from Alex, her rapist, dies.
    I feel a bit sick.
    Going to read Tess and purify it in my mind from this filth. Tess was all about societies oppression of women anyway. Funny how Hardy got that centuries before and this woman still can't get a clue.

    April 22, 2013
    |Reply
    • Deb
      Deb

      Thank you SO MUCH for your comments! Tess is my favorite novel of all time and I had no idea it had been referenced 50 Shades, and I’m appalled! You’re absolutely right about the book and this is just so unacceptable! I think you’re right, I need to re-read Tess RIGHT NOW.

      October 19, 2016
      |Reply
  4. she'd like him to completely debase her the way Alec does Tess.
    Oh god.
    What??
    Alec raped Tess.
    That was why she was in hysterics asking her mother why she hadn't been warned against men after the baby she has from Alex, her rapist, dies.
    I feel a bit sick.
    Going to read Tess and purify it in my mind from this filth. Tess was all about societies oppression of women anyway. Funny how Hardy got that centuries before and this woman still can't get a clue.

    April 22, 2013
    |Reply
  5. Anonymous
    Anonymous

    I get this sickening feeling that hoards of 50 shades fans are reading Tess and thinking its a romance. But really, apropos choice for literary reference, unintentional as it was. The 'christian didn't rape me while I was unconscious, he must not want me' thing reminded me that Tess was in a sort of sleep-deprived semi-conscious state when she was raped so……… creepy parallel there. Really how are people not getting how messed up this whole series is? Its baffling.

    May 17, 2013
    |Reply
  6. I’m so glad I’m not the only one with a crush on James May. I just feel like after a couple of pints he’s a total scream to hang out with.

    October 17, 2013
    |Reply
  7. … [Trackback]

    […] Read More: jennytrout.com/?p=3159 […]

    February 5, 2014
    |Reply
  8. Silver
    Silver

    He puts on Kings of Leon, “Sex on Fire,” and Ana feels this is “appropriate”. Why is it appropriate? Did he give her herpes?
    I laughed. A lot. Then I imagined Ana having herpes and singing ‘This Girl Is On Fire’ and I laughed even more.

    June 16, 2014
    |Reply
  9. Tracy
    Tracy

    I read these horrible books when they came out and yes, I’m deeply ashamed. It was like a car accident…I couldn’t look away. I wish I would have found this recap sooner.

    Anyway…my main reason for commenting is the link to the twitter at the bottom of this post is very much not you. o_O

    January 31, 2015
    |Reply
  10. CrazyGoatLady
    CrazyGoatLady

    Okay…. okay…
    I need to calm down for a moment.

    Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.
    That’s better.

    You mentioned Top Gear.
    You are officially my best friend.

    Don’t worry, there are no contracts involved. I swear. Just a brief “terms of service” agreement. It’s no big deal. Just agree to it and we can go ahead and get on with this.

    February 5, 2015
    |Reply
  11. Microraptor
    Microraptor

    So, she compared the stuff behind the door to the Spanish Inquisition because she wasn’t expecting it, right?

    February 14, 2015
    |Reply
  12. disasterjunkiea
    disasterjunkiea

    These recaps have me laughing out loud, although I don’t get why there’s anything wrong with wearing jeans with heels or black jeans for that matter. It’s completely normal.

    May 23, 2015
    |Reply
  13. Yvonne
    Yvonne

    I read an excerpt of that scene once, where he said he wanted to show her his playroom, and the first thing she says is “You want to play on your Xbox?” That annoyed the ever-loving shit out of me for three reasons:

    1. The guy is giving you a tour of his place, dumb shit. Where on earth did you get the idea that he only wants to show you the playroom so that he can now have an excuse to scratch his gaming itch? Did he give you a demo of everything else in his fucking apartment? When he showed you the kitchen, did he puree and julienne a bunch of fancy food for you? When he showed you his piano, did he play a single note for you? Why the hell do you think he’s going to start playing games the instant he shows you his playroom?

    2. Why did you automatically assume he has video games? A rich, “classy” guy like him, I’d assume he’s got a pool table, air hockey, pinball machines (hey, they’re a collector item, after all), maybe his own private bowling lane. How often does one need an entire fucking room dedicated to just video games?

    3. Why, of all things, did you assume he has an Xbox? There’s a hundred other gaming consoles he could have, if he has any at all. Wii, Playstation, Nintendo, Sega, Gamecube (if any of these are outdated, forgive me, but I haven’t played ANY video games since the early 90’s, and that was the original Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, Pitfall and Pac-Man). You are making far too many assumptions, Ana, and quite frankly, I don’t see why he hasn’t tossed you out on your ass yet. Oh yeah, that ass is hot. That’s why.

    July 5, 2015
    |Reply
  14. Parquette
    Parquette

    In the UK and the rest of Europe, any SUV is huge compared to the small cars most people drive. Big American style SUVs/jeeps/trucks/people carriers are seen as luxury vehicles and can cost double what they do in the US. The Audi Q7 starts at USD63,000 looking at the Audi UK website. $63k is still not that fancy for a billionaire I fully agree. But I can see how it would pop into Ms James’ head as an example of a big expensive car.

    August 9, 2016
    |Reply
  15. Meghan
    Meghan

    LOL. I love your recaps! But seriously, just type ‘black jeans and heels’ or jeans and heels’ into Google. Hundreds of fashionable people wearing this combo. Celebrities even. All the time. Unless your picturing them with bell bottoms…that doesn’t always look great.

    January 12, 2017
    |Reply
  16. Susan
    Susan

    Just for clarification (and spoilers), in Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Alec rapes Tess and destroys her life. She gets pregnant and gives birth; the baby dies and she is not even allowed to give him a Christian burial because of his illegitimacy, which is deeply traumatic for her. She runs away to find a fresh start and marries someone she loves, but he rejects her when, on their wedding night, she confesses to being raped and bearing a child; Angel, her husband, acknowledges that she was raped, but blames her for her “want of firmness” in resisting the attack and leaves her. Eventually, she kills Alec and is hanged for his murder. The End.

    IN WHAT FUCKING UNIVERSE COULD ALEC BE CONSIDERED A ROMANTIC HERO??? Did E.L.James actually read this book all the way through?

    Also, thank you for these hilarious recaps – I’ve been curious about how bad these books are, but never quite curious enough to suffer through them myself.

    February 9, 2017
    |Reply
    • Microraptor
      Microraptor

      To be perfectly honest, I’m not convinced that E.L. James actually reads.

      February 9, 2017
      |Reply
  17. Gina
    Gina

    If you search on the net, there is a school of thought that 50 shades is about a pedophilia abusive relationship “hiding in plain sight.” Interesting thought when you consider, as you have pointed out, being child-like is referenced with sentences about sex. Also her language, double crap, her clumsiness, and apparent innocence all lend to the theory. Creepy.

    February 10, 2017
    |Reply
  18. WanderingUndine
    WanderingUndine

    “I can’t contain my envy. Kate always manages to ensnare men. She is irresistible, beautiful, sexy, funny, forward… all the things that I’m not.”

    How is that slut-shaming? Ana does slut-shame Kate a lot, but that particular passage sounds to me like pure, envious admiration — the way I feel about many people who have sexual and/or romantic partners.

    “Ana does not strike me as someone, inner goddess or no, who is ready for a sexual relationship with anyone. She’s entirely intimidated by Christian Grey and unable to say no to him. She has no self-esteem and what appears to be a very negative view of sex altogether, considering her scathing attitude toward Kate’s night with Elliot. She has all the maturity of a under-ripe banana.”

    These are awful books about a horrible man, and I always enjoy seeing them torn apart online. But I identify with *beginning*-of-series Ana in many ways — including the virginity, unhappily — despite being nine years older, and get personally discouraged by these condemnations of her. I have low self-esteem. I’m easily intimidated. I’ve rebuffed the advances of an absolute asshat in a safe place and a gentle guy-friend who I didn’t fear, but don’t know how I would react in a situation with a major power imbalance and/or mutual desire — it’s hard to imagine saying no and harder to imagine saying yes. I resent other peoples’ sex lives out of envy, but have internalized some societal messages about sex being dirty, shameful etc. I might be more mature, but don’t know how you measure that. I’m clueless about the processes of relationship development, and know that fiction lacks realistic examples to learn from. Am I forever unfit to have romance or sex with anyone, unless I find a way to magically change those aspects of who I am? Sometimes it seems that way, supported by commentary like this.

    April 20, 2018
    |Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *