Freud
confidently stated rather unorthodoxly his understanding of the human nature as
basically sexual, that every human activity is propelled by an underlying
sexual predilection. His conclusion is a sifted medical finding grown out of
years of practice and experiment in the field of Psychology. Unconventional as
it may sound, probably under-tested compared to Aristotle’s zoon politikon (political being), nevertheless it is neither a sweeping
nor precipitous one. Its immediate non-acceptance is a result of the prevailing
themes at that time and considering the rootedness of such in the then
circumstance, hitherto, it would demand a revolution to command social
recognition. His point is shared by the more controversial figure of Foucault
who championed that in the dynamics of power play, effective control over
coital activities becomes necessary “to ensure action, prevent over-action… and
obtain efficiency” industrially. By this token, the erotic book authored by E L
James belies the same – challenging the most conventional, conservative views
or should-be manifestations of human conduct.
Indeed,
in its depthless albeit picturesque nature, the book might be construed to be
ludicrously pornographic, that the material is principally aimed to incite a
sexual revolution. No, at least not yet. Neither Freud nor Foucault would nod
in agreement to such an over-the-top phenomenon. In the slow unfolding pace of
history, the last thing to be considered is an irrevocable rupture. After all,
what lies behind the mainstream is a series of sluggish introduction of ideas
that get tested time and again. This way no stone is left unturned.
For too long has
sex been subjected to a rule that dictates what is and what not. It is
high-time, as the contemporary Foucault prescribed years ago, that sex must be
let out from hiding or being hidden, for it is both its elusiveness and
concealment by the dominating from the general public that all kinds of
discrimination arising from the different sexual orientations are engendered. The
proverbial air exuded by the union of man and woman has now been contaminated
with the entry of different homosexual relations and its subsequent forms. This
is not a new phenomenon, in fact, subject to much contention is the Platonic
love between a master and disciple. The question remains regarding its interculture-wide
non-acceptance. To satisfy at this instance, it is well to note that the
anatomical feature of the human body is designed for procreation, a trait
shared with the rest of sentient beings. However, the faculty to transcend a
biological activity for sublime purposes is what further classifies the human
race at the forefront of the hierarchy of creation. Such is manifested in the
aftermath of intellectual activity. Man arrives at knowledge and the
application of the latter opens new terrains of consideration. It is against
this background that the opus of James must be construed. Its crying out for
attention is a mere manifestation of what she wants her readers to be aware of –
a reality that is almost always precluded in human affairs and dialogue. In her
rather lewd depiction of love in the form of sadomasochistic tendencies, James
endeavors to stage one of the most misunderstood inclinations of man. The purpose
of such can be gleaned from the foregoing, i.e., to take into consideration
such appalling matters with open mind. Any other shades of construction of
socio-political origins would produce otherwise, rendering the book futile in
its attempt to display a world not even fathomable and accessible to the hoi
polloi’s imagination. With such vividness, it is prudent to reserve a verdict
whether the contents are experiential or meticulously researched. Nonetheless, Fifty
Shades of Grey is not a perversion but an artistic exploration of sexuality via
the instrumentality of literature.
No comments:
Post a Comment