Romance and the Female Gaze Obscuring Gendered Violence inThe Twilight Saga

Still reading the romance: gothic sexuality and the remembrance of feminism throughTwilightandFifty Shades of Grey

“…The reception of Twilight and Fifty Shades bears the marks of this history, with commentary tending to position the texts against these approaches. on the one hand, they are characterized as 'regressive' (Platt 2010, 72) or as 'misogynistic crap' (Flood 2012); as texts which romanticize behaviours that legitimize male domination of women and the attendant problems of domestic violence and rape culture (Durham 2011;Taylor 2014). Along related lines, they are constructed as shameful and embarrassing; as 'female masochism' (gold 2012) for 'Twi-hards' or 'desperate housewives' .…”

Vampire Darcy: The Impossible Romantic Hero

“…As a form of feminist practice, these vampiric retellings of Pride and Prejudice reaffirm and refashion Austen's female perspective for more overtly sexualized purposes, but in doing so, they also concede the symbolic potency of the vampire as a coercive hypermasculine force hungry for sexual agency, no matter the cost. The vampiric otherworldliness of Krinard's and Saucier's Darcy offers an imaginative space “for behaviour that is not only unacceptable for human males to exhibit, but also unacceptable for women to desire” (J. Taylor 393).…”

Men Are Stronger; Women Endure: A Critical Analysis of the Throne of Glass and The Mortal Instruments YA Fantasy Series

“…But all too often in YA, "I love you," is used as a justification for female characters being subjected to physical and emotional violence. In YA, the romantic relationships are often endgame, meaning permanent, but very rarely are healthy (Taylor, 2012).…”

“…It's normal and expected that female characters will find their soul mates before the age of 18. In fantasy in particular the relationships are written as being "fated" (Taylor, 2012). As Kristina Deffenbacher (2014) noted, the prominence of soul bonds in these books complicates narratives surrounding dating.…”

“…Jordan due to his guilt over injuring Maia, Maia not loving him back, and his murder. Even when they cause their significant others pain, the pain of the male characters is more important (Taylor, 2012).…”