On 7/16/2012 20:44 PM, Dr. Jai Maharaj wrote:
I have not read the trilogy or even the first book of it
(Fifty Shades of Grey). The fact that it deals with BDSM
does not alone disqualify it as good literature. de Sade's
Justine and Juliette contain probably as much if not more of
that than this trilogy. And they are read and studied in
feminist courses around America (and I would certainly
imagine in France, too). The sting comes at the end of
Justine, when having survived her ordeals, she comes in rags
to the home of her well-to-do sister, who explains to
Justine that she has allowed herself to play the role of the
victim, while she, Juliette, has taken advantage of her
feminine powers and wiles and has had a life of luxury.
Empowerment, not submissiveness, is the message.
Anne Rice, famous for her vampire novels, also wrote a BDSM
trilogy, based on what happens after Sleeping Beauty is
awakened. Indeed, many modern feminist writers have drawn
on such tales to make their points, notably Luisa Valenzuela
of Argentina.
So, make an informed decision, but I would not rely on
Limbaugh as a literary critic, much less a political critic.
--
Francis A. Miniter
Mesure is Medicine şauh şou muche ȝeor[n]e.
Al nis not good to şe gost şat şe bodi lykeş,
Ne lyflode to şe licam şat leof is to şe soule.
William Langland, The Vision of Piers Plowman
Passus I, lines 33 - 35
