Monogamy in Fiction
I've been reading The Administration for the past few days and I just finished. Finishing books always leaves me with a unique depression. The only cure is to start a new book, but I'm usually so attached to what I've just finished that I can't conceive of picking up something that might not be as good.
What I'm trying to say is, any book recs? Or better yet any good original fic or novels that I can find online since it costs far too much to get books sent to Japan.
The administration made me think a lot about monogamy. I won't go into details for those who haven't read it, but essentially I've found that I'm really invested in monogamy in fictional narratives, where as I really, REALLY don't feel that way in RL. I was questioning myself over the issue through the entire story, which I think added another layer of enjoyment.
Monogamous pairings are so ubiquitous in the fiction that I consume that I never question their place within the narrative: the "rightness" of a sustained, monogamous relationship as a sort of goal. Wherever characters start, it seems natural that they are and should be aiming for this sort of relationship by the end of the story.
Of course, there is nothing in fact "right" or "natural" about a monogamy as opposed to other forms of sexual relationships. In fact, the presumption of the "rightness" of monogamous relationships obscures representations of other types of relationships.
I have strong, if not fully explored, feeling about these issues.
However in fictional narratives I prefer any romance to eventually lead to a monogamous relationship.
Narratives that do not follow this model make me, not uncomfortable, but make me really really wish that that they did. I end up feeling as if the narrative is not finished until it ends in a monogamous relationship.
This is, I realize, absurd.
In theory, I appreciate narratives that represent non-monomamous models.
Furthermore, to take a non-monogamous relationship and then try to fit it back into a monogamous model would be likely be OOC, and ruin the narrative.
Let me try and talk more concretely:
In The Administration Toreth and Warrick that begins as a sexual relationship, of the BDSM variety. Warrick has monogamous tendencies, while Toreth is decidedly non-monogamous and is rarely with the same person twice. Warrick becomes a "regular fuck" to Toreth, and as time goes on their different stances conflict. Warrick would prefer Toreth's undivided sexual attention, but accepts that it's "who he is" or something. Toreth remains non-monogamous but similtanously intensely possessive and jealous in Warricks few instances of sexual contact with others. This is all complicated by a whole slew of Toreth's other personal issues, but essentially the series finishes with Warrick and Toreth in a reasonably committed relationship of 5+ years, Warrick with no other sexual contact and Toreth less frequent but somewhat regular sexual contact with others.
In retrospect, this is probably a good ending for these characters. But as I finished my reaction was more along the lines up "But, but!" I needed a declaration of monogamy for the story to feel resolved. Of course, that would have probably been OOC because Toreth, you know, is a sociopath, but the need was there.
In short, why am I so attached to monogamy in fiction if I don't feel that way IRL?
What I'm trying to say is, any book recs? Or better yet any good original fic or novels that I can find online since it costs far too much to get books sent to Japan.
The administration made me think a lot about monogamy. I won't go into details for those who haven't read it, but essentially I've found that I'm really invested in monogamy in fictional narratives, where as I really, REALLY don't feel that way in RL. I was questioning myself over the issue through the entire story, which I think added another layer of enjoyment.
Monogamous pairings are so ubiquitous in the fiction that I consume that I never question their place within the narrative: the "rightness" of a sustained, monogamous relationship as a sort of goal. Wherever characters start, it seems natural that they are and should be aiming for this sort of relationship by the end of the story.
Of course, there is nothing in fact "right" or "natural" about a monogamy as opposed to other forms of sexual relationships. In fact, the presumption of the "rightness" of monogamous relationships obscures representations of other types of relationships.
I have strong, if not fully explored, feeling about these issues.
However in fictional narratives I prefer any romance to eventually lead to a monogamous relationship.
Narratives that do not follow this model make me, not uncomfortable, but make me really really wish that that they did. I end up feeling as if the narrative is not finished until it ends in a monogamous relationship.
This is, I realize, absurd.
In theory, I appreciate narratives that represent non-monomamous models.
Furthermore, to take a non-monogamous relationship and then try to fit it back into a monogamous model would be likely be OOC, and ruin the narrative.
Let me try and talk more concretely:
In The Administration Toreth and Warrick that begins as a sexual relationship, of the BDSM variety. Warrick has monogamous tendencies, while Toreth is decidedly non-monogamous and is rarely with the same person twice. Warrick becomes a "regular fuck" to Toreth, and as time goes on their different stances conflict. Warrick would prefer Toreth's undivided sexual attention, but accepts that it's "who he is" or something. Toreth remains non-monogamous but similtanously intensely possessive and jealous in Warricks few instances of sexual contact with others. This is all complicated by a whole slew of Toreth's other personal issues, but essentially the series finishes with Warrick and Toreth in a reasonably committed relationship of 5+ years, Warrick with no other sexual contact and Toreth less frequent but somewhat regular sexual contact with others.
In retrospect, this is probably a good ending for these characters. But as I finished my reaction was more along the lines up "But, but!" I needed a declaration of monogamy for the story to feel resolved. Of course, that would have probably been OOC because Toreth, you know, is a sociopath, but the need was there.
In short, why am I so attached to monogamy in fiction if I don't feel that way IRL?