Romantic Novels & Friends with Benefits

While reading Radway's analysis of romance novels I couldn't help but focus on the word demoralizing. In her analysis Radway examines the way in which the Smithton women cling to these novels of exploited love and lust. these romantic fairytales that keep readers begging for more passion. these women largely consist of middle aged and middle class woman who are identify themselves as wives and mothers. By saying that the woman who avidly read these books are being demoralized I do not mean to judge or con strew their intellect, but rather point out that they deserve something better than escaping from patriarchal reality they are living as house wives and stay at home mothers. However I am at a crossroads as to what I find more troubling. Is it more scary to see these habits of emotionally escaping their real relationship, or the fact that their position as woman has left them emotionally hurt in the belief that the husband is the bread winner.

I believe that these novels are above all written from an economic incentive. By targeting an audience that is emotionally invested in such a product, these books will continue to be written, as well as purchased. the social problem I see at hand however is the way in which these women understand the "perfect" marriage. it would be wrong and immoral of her to emotionally stray from her husband, however if she could live vicariously through a fictional character, its fair game. I believe this is why these woman are turned off by the explicit sexual references, as opposed to a male hero falling in love for the heroine.

I do not believe that these types of stories will change since that are so profitable, however over time such romantic fiction will reach a new demographic. now that young women have more job opportunities, and there is more equality forming between men and women, such story lines will change to the roles woman take part in. I believe such upcoming stories will have more female lead roles and show the progress women have been pushing for. I believe the new romantic novels will consist more of strong self assurance and less on the dependance of a male.