The Romance/Tragedy Theory
In defense of romance type of post has rarely happened on my blog, because other people have always said it better. Really what can you say to arguments that romance novels today will never be an Austen or Bronte? They won’t be for another 100 years at the very least. Plus, those authors are dead and the work they created has stood the test of time. Scrunity and praise has been given by both scholars and laymen.
Yes, in every romance novel today there’s a moment, maybe more than necessary, of those feel good emotions that make you blush, giggle, or sigh. *get your tomatoes ready* The very idea of romance is supposed to be the fluff of life. There’s nothing wrong with that. Have you met people who didn’t enjoy the fluff? I have. Not pretty and makes me want to have a shot of whiskey after dealing with him/her for five minutes. So, yes, I believe romance is fluff. I also believe fluff is necessary to stay sane.
Where I truly start to break from naysayers of the genre (even some who love romance) is that’s ALL romance novels are. The romance, the fluff, that makes it truly resonate is the conterpart that’s often ignored or not given enough due for the role it plays in a romance novel. Even with Disney’s spin on fairy tales the heroine’s come from dark places–broken homes, deceased parents, evil relatives. I find it baffling that in our society it’s more accepted to laugh in the face of tradegy than instead to learn to love, to let yourself be vulnerable, to share those dark places with someone else in the face of tradegy. Between laughing and loving unconditionally, I find the latter takes more cajones. (Note: this genre is filled to the brim with women.)
A genre that deals with rape, abuse (verbal, emotional, physcial) from a signficant other and/or parent, weight/skewed self-image on and on. Not to mention the themes of redemption, forgiveness, acceptance…again on and on. Yet in some circles it’ll never be more than a bodice ripper. Only the lightness, the fluff of romance is considered and dismissed. What makes that necessary component of living in this world so worthy of disdain?
For me when it’s put in those terms I’ll take fluff any day.
