This paper analyzes and compares the relationship between Bella and Edward in Twilight/Midnight Sun with the relationship between Anastasia (Ana) and Christian in Fifty Shades of Grey/Grey to show that they can be interpreted as each other’s opposites.
The analysis has been conducted through a close reading of Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey, as well as a brief reading of their male point of view counterparts, Midnight Sun and Grey. The relationships have been analyzed through dialectical theory separately, and then they have been compared with each other. The results are thereafter discussed and compared to the studies mentioned in the background to highlight differences that go beyond the scope of the theory.
The analysis revealed that Bella and Edward’s relationship is dominated by openness and connection, while Ana and Christian’s relationship is dominated by closedness and autonomy.
Furthermore, the relationship between Bella and Edward is primarily romantic, while their possibilities for a physical relationship are limited by Edward's vampire nature. Ana and Christian’s relationship, on the other hand, is primarily sexual, and Ana continuously craves more emotional intimacy than Christian is willing to or capable of giving her.