English IV-4

32 Madge Genele A. Resurreccion Mrs. Noreen Ocampo

The Aspects of Immorality in the Fifty Shades Trilogy

I. Introduction

Fifty Shades is getting a lot of people thinking and talking more openly about sex,
sexuality, desire and interest. said Debby Herbenick, the author of Sex made easy and a
research scientist in Indiana University (Butter, 2012). Since the release of the Fifty Shades
Trilogy, the books have gone phenomenal. Average people and celebrities of all ages - from
Selena Gomez to Kim Kardashian have read it. What made the book so famous? Aside from its
sexual content, women who have read it were immediately smitten by the rich CEO, Christian
Grey, the protagonists lover. In addition to the trilogys popularity, it is a well-known fact that it
is just a product of a Twilight Saga fan fiction. The trilogy has been controversial for its lack of
originality. Moreover, it was criticized for its sexual content and use of BDSM (Bondage and
Discipline/Dominance and Submission), a type of a sexual relationship that involves the use of
handcuffs, bondage and other things that would restrain ones sexual partner. The books were
said to be crude, immoral and a downgrade of literature. The Fifty Shades Trilogy is a
controversial novel that gained popularity worldwide and has also gained good and bad reviews
from the critics and readers which has led people to believe that the novel is generally immoral
and downgrades literature with its lack of originality.

It is not really a secret regarding where the Fifty Shades Trilogy came from. For avid
readers, especially the fans of the best seller The Twilight Saga, the fact that Fifty Shades Trilogy
is a product of a fan fiction just piqued their interest more. Fans started to be curious about the
controversial trilogy. Some readers are disgusted with the book while some are self-admitted fans
of it. So how did it all start? Where did Fifty Shades come from? The Fifty Shades Trilogy was
developed from a multi-part series of a Twilight fan fiction (Morrison, 2011). It was first entitled
Master of the Universe.
 The Twilight Sagas main characters, Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, are called as
Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey in this fan fiction. E.L. James, the author of the
controversial trilogy, used the name, Snowqueens Icedragon, as she published the fan fiction
online. Due to the fan fictions strong sexual content, it was taken down on the site. E.L. James
later re-published her work in her own website, FiftyShades.com. After a while, she rewrote the
fan fiction and changed the title to Fifty Shades. The Master of the Universe was separated into
three parts and is now called Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed.
The first book was published as an e-book. In May 2011, it became a print-on-demand
paperback. It was published by The Writers Coffee Shop, a virtual publisher in Australia. The
second book was published in September 2011 and the third one followed in January 2012.
Because of The Writers Coffee Shops limited marketing budget, they relied on online publicity.

Fifty Shades of Grey is the first installment in the erotic trilogy. It talks about the
deepening relationship of the college student, Anastasia Steele and multibillionaire CEO of Grey
Enterprises, Christian Grey. It shows their journey as Christian introduced the virginal Anastasia
into the world of BDSM. The second book, Fifty Shades Darker revealed the mystery behind
Christian as he learned to love Anastasia. The third and final installment, Fifty Shades Freed,
shows the lovers journey as a married couple while Christian struggles with his issues.

E.L. James who was first known as Snowqueens Icedragon is a mother of two. She
used to be the writer in the TV crime dramas called Silent Witness and Wire in the Blood. She
hardly lets reporters interview her. She said that the success of the books is completely and
utterly overwhelming. The trilogy is her first ever published work. She continuously thanked
her husband, Niall, as he supports her writing career. E.L. James is described as a private person
by reporters. The most personal thing she shared about herself is that she likes to eat Nutella
straight from the jar.

This paper aims to help the people who are studying literature and those who want to read
a review of the trilogy. This paper also aims to show how fan fiction stories dominate the world
of literature nowadays.

II. Significance
 The significance of this study is to analyze the book which has been phenomenal since its
release. It is to help the readers decide whether its a good book to read or not. It will also serve
as a guide to the readers before they read the book. Many are curious about the best-selling
trilogy. This study will tackle the reviews and criticisms about the book. This will benefit the
people who are into the study of literature. This will also benefit the people who want to see
reviews of the trilogy. This implies the need to review the copyright laws because fan fiction
stories are starting to rule over the world of literature.

III. Statement of the Problem

This study will answer the following questions:

1. What are the reasons why the novel is considered immoral?

2. What made the book a low novel form of literature?

3. What is the content of the book that showed immorality?

IV. Discussion of the Data/Body

Since the release of the Fifty Shades trilogy, the books have gained different reviews
from the critics and readers. It was described as a badly written work by some critics. According
to Debby Herbenick, Fifty Shades trilogy has helped women in being more expressive when it
comes to sex. It has also helped women to feel more at ease in having sexual fantasies. Now,
women dont feel guilty when they think of sex, readers who are women have come to realize
that sex is a normal thing and theres no need to feel immoral if they get aroused as they read. A
research showed that men get aroused by watching while women get aroused by reading erotic
stories. 26% of men said that their partners who have read the trilogy became more intimate with
them after reading the books. Dr. Michael Krychman, a gynecologist and a specialist in sexual
health, said that Fifty Shades has also given ideas to couples to prevent sexual boredom. He said
that sex is an issue for long-term relationships. Krychman has also said that the trilogy would
definitely help readers get their mind off things and forget about the pressure. Herbenick
mentioned that with women, erotic literature is the solution for them to focus on sex because
women are more prone to distractions than men are.

Although Dr. Krychman has said good words about the trilogy, he mentioned a detriment
of reading the series. It increased womens expectation in sex. In reality, sex isnt always as good
as it was described in the books (Butler, 2012). A survey has shown that 55% of men who have
partners that read the book feel more pressured in their performance in bedroom now while 34%
of men encouraged their partners to read the trilogy. 19% stated that the trilogy didnt affect them
at all. 43% of women said that the trilogy has made them feel their sex lives are boring as
compared to the book (London, 2012). Even though the trilogy is strictly for adults, worried
voices stated that there are many ways for teenagers to read the books. For young people, theyd
do anything to have the forbidden fruit which in this case is the trilogy.

An expert panel had a meeting in New York to discuss E.L. James Fifty Shades trilogy.
The panel includes Fear of Flying author Erica Jong, Whip Smart author Melissa Febos, sex
counselor Ian Kerner, Roxane gay who appeared via Skype and Daniel Bergner, the author of
The Other Side of Desire: Four Journeys Into the Far Realms of Lust and Longing. Theyre all
experts when it comes to erotic literature. So whats the verdict? Basically, the trilogy hasnt
reached their standards. Erica Jong said that she couldnt find a part of the book that aroused her.
Jong also criticized the lack of editing in the whole book. Melissa Febos commented that she was
both disgusted and turned on at the same time. Roxane Gay described the trilogy as a fun
travesty while Ian Kerner, who hasnt read the whole book yet said that its great for erotic
stimulation (Kellogg, 2012). Sheila Wray Gregoire, a columnist and an author, posted the reasons
why the trilogy is bad for marriage on her website. She compared reading erotic books to
watching porn. She said that erotic stories make married women detach themselves during sex.
She mentioned that reading the trilogy isnt needed to feel intimacy with ones husband.

Beth Kerry, author of the erotic romance Because You Are Mine, says that the trilogy is
beyond a book, its a sensation. She stated that the trilogy is a gateway piece of literature.
Kerry explained that, decades before the trilogy, erotic stories are considered as a taboo. People
read it but for some reason, they dont talk openly about it. Its considered immoral to talk openly
about sex. Then the trilogy was published and changed peoples perception. The society doesnt
get embarrassed by erotica anymore. Theyve embraced the trilogy and accepted the world of
erotica. She says that in a check-out line in Cotsco, women in thirties to fifties have the book in
their baskets. She read the first book of and thought that E.L. James did a great job in writing the
undeniable chemistry between Christian and Ana while exciting the readers about whats going
to happen next. Although she was impressed, she wondered what made the book a sensation. She
has read more impressive works from erotic authors but they never made it as big as E.L. James
book did (Lamb, 2012). The society was able to accept erotic romance because of Fifty Shades.
The books made people read. It has become so phenomenal that people even discuss it on social
networking sites, adding more to its popularity.

Because of the trilogy, an issue about fan fictions came up. Its a matter of copying ones
work. But whats a fan fiction? Basically, a fan fiction is adapting a plot or/and characters from a
story then creating a story of their own. Its defined as a retelling of ones work. Fan fiction is
considered as the lowest form of literature. And because Fifty Shades is a fan fiction, many are
worried that fan fictions might rule the world of literature. Fan fiction has existed since Jane
Austens time. But Jane Austen wasnt really bothered by it. A group of Austens fans called the
Janeites wrote the novel Old Friends and New Fancies, an imaginary sequel to Novels of Jane
Austen by Sybil Brinton, and got it published on 1913. From 1930s to 50s, fan fictions were very
much present in sci-fi communities like Futurians (1937-1945), a group obsessed with
communism. Isaac Asimov who was part of a group like the Futurians later became a
professional author. Slash fiction is where the buddies from a show or book become lovers. Anne
Rice, author of the Interview with the Vampire was against fan fictions. She defended her
copyright and said that fan fictions go against her characters and stories integrity. She was upset
with fan fictions. Fan fiction authors stated that Rice threatened them through e-mails. She
demanded that FanFic.net should remove fan fictions of her works. Authors like Andre Norton,
Mercedes Lackey and David Weber followed Rices lead. JK Rowling allowed her fans to do fan
fiction of her works on the condition that they wouldnt make money out of her works. This
condition was not followed by a fan/author named George Lippert who commercially released
James Potter and the Hall of Elders Crossing. Rowling threatened that shed make a legal action
for infringement. But she later allowed the publication. Rowling also said that shes fine with fan
fictions as long as they didnt contain racism or pornography. Twilight has also made it big in the
fan fiction community. Lots of fan fictions of the saga have become popular, especially Master of
the Universe also known as Fifty Shades of Grey. Since then, it was dubbed as Mommy porn
(Morrison, 2012). So why are readers bothered by fan fictions? Fan fiction is considered as a
sign of downfall in the world of literature. Its the lowest point in literature. It bothers the readers
how the trilogy made it big when it lacks originality. Stephenie Meyer has given her approval on
E.L. James fan fiction of her work. She said that shes happy for James but she never read the
trilogy. Copyright is the main problem in fan fictions. For critics, a fan fiction is a badly written
work that shows obsession over celebrities.

V. Conclusion

As a reader, one has to be open-minded before reading a book. In literature, one has to be
open in a lot of things to fully appreciate and understand the book hes reading. The same logic
may apply to the Fifty Shades trilogy. Theres no assurance that the erotica would be kept away
from everyone under 18. Some youth would be able to get the forbidden fruit in one way or
another. But one has to be responsible and mature enough as he reads the book.

The research helped in learning some facts about the controversy of fan fiction stories. It
has also helped stating facts, reviews and criticisms that would definitely help people who are
interested in the trilogy. The research added some information on the trilogys background and
content.

The trilogy may be considered immoral by some, but the fact remains that the novel is
still a sensation in the world of literature. It may have strong sexual content and language but it
opened minds and became a gateway for women to openly talk about sex. Though the trilogy is
loathed by some, it became a way for people to openly discuss what was once considered a taboo
topic, sex. This research only serves as a guide to those who are planning to grab the book. But
one has to read it and judge it himself. Fifty Shades may have gained good and bad reviews but
in the end, its still the explicit novel that opened minds and changed perceptions.
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