Patriarchy and Representation of BDSM Culture: 'Fifty Shades of Grey' and Critical Commentary Anonymous College

The popularity of the Fifty Shades trilogy has positioned it under analysis on whether it fosters the feminist discourse and BDSM culture, or not. In E.L James’ Fifty Shades of Grey, the developing relationship between Ana Steele, a university graduate, and Grey a business mogul is explored in the realm of BDSM. Ana is depicted as a juvenile and timid female who is sexually awoken to the sexual universe of dominance and submission by the sexually experienced Grey (James). Though sexually prude, Ana dives impetuously into the dominance relationship, gradually uncovering Christian sexual tendencies that push the limits of pleasure and pain. The subsequent books also progressively explore the complexity of the relationship while exposing the motivations and the pasts of the characters, especially Grey. The book is inclined towards exploring the sexual identities of both genders paving way for postfeminist themes and discourse of equality between the sexes. However, deep analysis showcase inclination towards conservative constructs and stigmatization of the BDSM culture sparking discourses on feminism, patriarchal ideologies, and rape culture. I will demonstrate analysis of scholarly articles that emphasize that despite being...