50 Shades of Domineering Men
By JOSHUWA DEAL
Staff Writer
Christian Grey, the infamous fictional character, is known to be dominant, tortured, successful and alluringly sensual.
However, through the history of literature there have been many characters that have fit this archetype, who are arguably even more charismatically captivating and brooding.
Rhett Butler from “Gone with the Wind,” has his own ship smuggling business and is a dishonorable man who only cares for money and Scarlett. He fought for the South during the Civil War when he knew it was a dying cause.
Butler is a man who knows how to dance, shoot and gamble his way into infamy during a time of confederate sensibilities. Unlike Christian Grey, when his relationship was over he kept composure and stated, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
The next literary tortured soul is Dorian Gray from “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” He is a scandalous character from a controversial writer, Oscar Wilde, who was even inspired by a scandalous poet, Lord Byron. Gray lives in the literary world as one of the greatest and tragic hedonists, a man who was so beautiful that men and women throughout the story swoon over his façade.
He partakes in sinful pleasures of lust and seduction, but later realizes how empty all the physical desires makes him internally.
Finally, Jay Gatsby is the epitome of a wealthy, tragic and romantic. Gatsby uses his wealth to bestow lavish parties for those he cares about, while not allowing his past to hinder his dream of romance. Although he is foolish and navïe, he never truly lets his passions and past hinder the lives of those around him intentionally. Ba- sically, Gatsby is a playboy who likes to play nice.
All of these male figures are hedonists set on pleasure and self-destruction. Wealthy men who realize wealth does not sustain the soul and tragic figures that let themselves collapse the joys around them. Com- pared to these literary figures, Christian Grey is the submissive in his own red room.
