This article is in response to the posts about how romance doesn’t reflect true life.
Movies like “The Notebook” and books like Twilight however they may be mocked add a beneficial romantic fantasy that may not fully reflect life, but should they?
No matter how much I love my husband, he will always annoy me. It’s just one layer of what makes us a couple. I annoy him. He annoys me and often this annoyance turns into humor in which we die laughing at one another. But at the end of the day it’s a choice one has to make to continue loving the guy we are committed to.
In books this form of commitment would not be exciting or dramatic. They would be boring.
Plus, romance usually goes to the point where this level of commitment is established, but doesn’t go further.
So can these idealistic relationships where everything is new and adventurous be harmful? Yes, of course. Media, through television and books, often portrays societies misguided sense of what life should be. "Women should want and need men and this love should go smoothly at all times."
If though, this is read with a level of maturity it can be beneficial to fall for the guy alongside the main character. Not to mention entertaining.
So no, romance doesn’t reflect real life most of the time, but I think it’s beneficial to most readers, not harmful.
Categories: s, Saturday Discussion
Haha I have to say my husband and I are the same we love to annoy each other :) Greta post and I agree tomance doesnt reflect real life but its a great read non the less.
ReplyDeleteI think it is beneficial to most people but the harm to some is very harmful. People who know the difference face no harm. Young teens who think that love at first sight is realistic base their actions of this. I taught high school English and often had young girls explain to me that they HAD to put up with certain things because they were soul mates and they felt it when they first met and so on. I never even considered the question until I was teaching. Do I think books should change because of this? I'm not sure. I don't think so. I think this lesson on life must come from the parents.
ReplyDeleteIf only we could all have our perfect dream guy ;) Unfortunately, the world is filled with insensitive and complete unaware men. YA books do mislead a lot of teens, but for everyone else, romance in fiction is a wonderful escape into another world where all guys are a catch.
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