50 Shades of Grey: Chapter 10 and 11
I don't even know what to say, you guys. I guess we just have to power through. Nothing super explicit in this post, but sexual themes.
“I’ll just make a call,” I murmur. I just want to hear Kate’s voice. He frowns.
“The photographer?” His jaw clenches, and his eyes burn. I blink at him. “I don’t like to share, Miss Steele. Remember that.” His quiet, chilling tone is a warning, and with one long, cold look at me, he heads back to the bedroom.
Maya: So Christian and Ana are interrupted post-sexy times by his mother. And they have an extremely boring and pointless conversation, half of which Ana misses because Josacob calls and Christian is busy being a jealous jackass for no good reason. Ana also magically knew she was a doctor without anyone telling her.
Ing: I don't even understand the point of this. It's literally like HEY MEET MY MOTHER. *PHONECALL* BYE, CHRISTIAN'S MOTHER and then he's like "she liked you." .... She saw her for 2 seconds and she was dressed in his clothes and looked like death cause they'd been shagging. What mother wouldn't be impressed, really
Maya: Christian then sends Ana home to do ~research~ and read their contract, but there's a little problem. You see, Ana has managed to make it through college....without a laptop. Or a computer of any kind. THIS IS LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE IN COLLEGE IN AMERICA IN 2011
Ing: Honestly, I think this author is like 50 and she hasn't been to college in like 20-30 years and she thinks people can actually get through college without having touched a computer. Fuck that shit, I couldn't even register for my class without a computer and I couldn't have done a single assignment
Maya: HOW WOULD ANA GET IN TOUCH WITH HER TEACHERS? HOW WOULD SHE WRITE HER PAPERS? THEY DON'T ACCEPT HANDWRITTEN ESSAYS ANYMORE. HOW WOULD SHE DO RESEARCH FOR PAPERS OR GET A HOLD OF SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS? BOGGLES. MY. FUCKING. MIND.
Ing: How would she do anything, tbqh. Even just researching papers. You can hardly do that at the library anymore cause all the periodicals and journals are in online databases. It's just not realistic
Maya: And printing in the library is EXPENSIVE. I know. I did it for a year when my printer broke. Anyway, Ana and Kate then discuss their sexual experiences, which is....not how I discuss sex with my girlfriends. They're very formal about it. My friends are like "GIRL, HE WAS THE WORST LAY I EVER HAD. HE FLOPPED AROUND LIKE A DEAD FISH"
Ing: It's a fucking weird conversation
Maya: And they're like "Did he bring you to orgasm? Brava and tally-ho!"
“Did he make you come?”
Holy crap. She’s so blunt. I go scarlet.
“Yes,” I mumble, exasperated.
Kate pulls me to the couch and we sit. She clasps my hands.
“That is good.” Kate looks at me in disbelief. “It was your first time. Wow, Christian must really know what he’s doing.”
Ing: That part. Omg it's like, Kate is all in aaawe that Ana orgasmed and it's like, fine it's not that common for virgins to do that necessarily, but of course the book twists this into this whole bit about CHRISTIAN REALLY KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOOOINGGG. and it's all glorified how amazing their sex was and it's all congratulatory about how she ~ORGASMED~
Kate looks wistful.
“Yeah, took almost a year to have my first orgasm through penetrative sex and here you are… first time?”
I nod shyly. My inner goddess sits in the lotus position looking serene except for the sly, self-congratulatory smile on her face.
Maya: And then after the orgasm conversation we get....the contract. Which...I can't. I JUST HAVE TO SAY- I WAS IN THE BATHROOM READING THE CONTRACT AND HAD TO LOOK AROUND FOR SOMETHING TO BEAT MY HEAD AGAINST. I CHOSE THE TOILET PAPER DISPENSER. IT WAS THAT BAD
Ing: I don't even know what to think about this. like...I've been researching online a bit today and it doesn't seem to be entirely uncommon to have contracts like the one outlined in the book, BUT. the one in th ebook strikes me as very extreme and from what I can understand it's less of a D/s contract than it is a Master/slave contract. And just the fact that he's throwing it on her when she has NO IDEA. What the fuck is going on.
Maya: OH, WE FORGOT ABOUT CHRISTIAN'S INTRODUCTION TO SEXYTIMES
He frowns for a moment and seems to be engaged in some kind of internal struggle. Then he glances up, a decision made. “One of my mother’s friends seduced me when I was fifteen.”
“Oh.” Holy shit that’s young!
“She had very particular tastes. I was her submissive for six years.” He shrugs.
Ing: OH MY GOD. I can't. I hate this angle. How it's like, he's so tormented and damaged and that's why he's ~LIKE THIS~ as if being into BDSM is some kind of trauma
Maya: AND HIS FIRST PARTNER WAS A FRIEND OF HIS MOTHER'S...WHEN HE WAS FIFTEEN
Ing: YEAH. She luuuured him into a Master/slave relationship so he's never known ~vanilla~ sex before and Ana keeps going on about how it was abuse and no wonder he's so damaged and I can't
Maya: Oh, we need to discuss Josacob's weirdly stereotyped Spanish
Ing: Oh god. I know I'm just a white girl and what the fuck do I actually know about racism, but that shit is uncomfortable, yo. José Rodriguez keep saying these random Spanish phrases like it's some sort of catchphrase. It's so awkward. He's just like DIOS MIOO all the damn time.
“Dios mio! Ana!” Holy crap, it’s José. He sounds desperate. “Where are you? I’ve been trying to contact you. I need to see you, to apologize for my behavior on Friday. Why haven’t you returned my calls?”
Maya: I have family who speak Spanish. I have friends who speak Spanish. Never have I heard them say "Dios mio" as much as Josacob does
Ing: And the fact that it's the only thing he says. It's like the author went HE'S HISPANIC-AMERICAN SO HIS NAME IS JOSÉ AND HE NEEDS TO SPEAK A BIT OF SPANISH SO HERE'S THIS ONE PHRASE OVER AND OVER AGAIN. Aaah it just feels so weird. I was worried it was just me for a while there when he popped out going DIOS MIO, ANA
Maya: Yeah, it's really weird and awkward. Also, I want to punch Ana's "inner goddess" in the face. She's always dancing and doing yoga and not wearing clothing and shit. It's exhausting and stupid. And her subconscious aka her conscience is like BITCH, NO
Ing: Yeah and she keeps preening and grinning all proudly regarding sexual things and her 'inner goddess' is apparently sex-crazed and only wants all the seeexxx. I feel like this whole...visualising parts of yourself could've been done a loot better than this
Maya: Yeah, I don't get it
Ing: AHHAH can we discuss how Christian buys her a macbook and Ana braves the world of ~email~ for the first time in her life apparently and they send oddly stilted emails back and forth where Christian sounds like he's talking to a client and not his...whatever she is
From: Christian Grey
Subject: Your New Computer
Date: May 22 2011 23:15
To: Anastasia Steele
Dear Miss Steele
I trust you slept well. I hope that you put this laptop to good use, as discussed.
I look forward to dinner, Wednesday.
Happy to answer any questions before then, via email, should you so desire.
Christian Grey
CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.
Maya: And she DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO USE A SEARCH ENGINE
Ing: Hahahahaa and I love how the author goes 'she goes to fire up google.' Fire up google? I think google is already pre-fired up on your behalf
Maya: At least she wasn't wading through pop-ups
Christian Grey just sent me a winking smiley… Oh my. I fire up Google.
[...]
From: Anastasia Steele
Subject: Internet Research
Date: May 23 2011 17:59
To: Christian Grey
Mr. Grey
What would you suggest I put into a search engine?
Ana
Ing: But yeah, the contract takes up better part of chapter ... 11. And we get the whole thing in its entirety for some ridic reason. Like, why do I need to read this entire thing
What is the Submissive’s general attitude about receiving pain? Where 1 is likes intensely and 5 is dislikes intensely: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5
How much pain does the submissive want to receive? Where 1 is none and 5 is severe: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5
(I love that bit especially because it reminds me of those phone surveys and that scenario makes me LOL XD)
Maya: I was relieved to see there are safe words...except the words are "yellow" and "red" Also, the things they are going to discuss....really?
Ing: it's all just so oddly specific and really ....weird. Like... what I don't understand is how..this is pretty serious 24/7 slave stuff. and as I was reading in my ~research~ these things should be entirely consensual and a slave should want to do this because it is what they are/like to do, it's not something one becomes because someone else wants you to and that's exactly what happens here. She doesn't want the situation, she wants him
Maya: And he's really pressuring her into it
“The sooner I have your submission the better, and we can stop all this,” he murmurs.
“Stop all what?”
“You, defying me.” He reaches down and cups my chin and plants a swift, sweet kiss on my lips as the doors to the elevator open.
Ing: He kind of is. But she's being really naive too. Like, she's old enough to see that she doesn't really want to be his slave 24/7. If that was what she wanted, she wouldn't have such a strong reaction to the things the contract said
Maya: She keeps thinking about how she hates that he'll be making all these decisions for her and how much she resents it
Ing: And I mean, maybe that could even be an interesting angle but I really doubt the author will turn this into something meaningful or intelligent surrounding this tension between wanting to be with him and not wanting the situation, soooo not holding my breath
Maya: I'm both bored and horrified by this book. I didn't even know that was possible
If anyone wants to read the entire contract (it's long and tedious, though) I can post it in a separate entry, but I thought I'd ask cause there's no point in posting the entire thing unless people are interested ^^