Exploring the Allure of Toxic Relationships in YA Fiction
Written on
Chapter 1: The Rise of YA Romance
The early 2000s and 2010s marked a significant era in Young Adult (YA) literature. This period saw an explosion of popular fantasy and dystopian narratives, including notable series like Twilight, The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and Percy Jackson. During my socially awkward middle and high school years, I often turned to the library in search of my next read. Engaging with fandoms on platforms like Tumblr and Wattpad became an integral part of my life. I immersed myself in online roleplaying forums and created content centered around my favorite books, movies, TV shows, and even music.
In this tumultuous phase of my life, literature offered me an escape from my challenging home environment. The fantastical and sci-fi realms provided a refuge where I could envision myself battling imaginary foes rather than grappling with real-life issues. While I found it hard to connect with those around me, I discovered solace and camaraderie within the characters of my beloved stories. Fandoms created a space for shared interests, helping me bond with peers and navigate the complexities of friendship amidst personal dramas.
Reflecting on these YA series, it’s apparent that most featured romantic subplots, frequently employing the love triangle trope. Twilight became particularly infamous for this, with fans passionately divided into Team Edward and Team Jacob. Likewise, The Hunger Games also embraced this concept, albeit more pronounced in the films than in the books, leading to the emergence of Team Peeta and Team Gale.
The love triangle dynamics were crafted to resonate with the target demographic of teenage girls. The central female character often served as a relatable figure, caught between a brooding, enigmatic male and a sensitive, nurturing counterpart. During my younger years, The Hunger Games was a personal favorite. I admired Katniss's strength and resolve, often wishing for her to choose Gale, the cooler and more rebellious option in my twelve-year-old eyes, while I found Peeta less appealing.
When it came to Twilight, it seemed everyone I knew leaned towards Team Jacob—perhaps due to Taylor Lautner's status as a heartthrob in the 2000s. While Jacob appeared less toxic than Edward, who notoriously stalked Bella, the narrative still contained its share of troubling elements.
Currently, the trend of "dark romance" has gained traction on platforms like BookTok, captivating a new generation of readers.
Description: This video delves into the psychology behind why individuals are drawn to toxic relationships, featuring insights from experts in the field.
Where Things Took a Turn
Twilight is often highlighted for its depiction of an unhealthy romance characterized by possessiveness and manipulation. While it garnered immense popularity, it also faced criticism from various corners, particularly among those who favored series like Harry Potter. Upon reflection, the romances in those narratives also bore their own oddities, such as the use of love spells that paralleled date-rape scenarios involving characters meant to garner sympathy.
A series that I devoured in my youth, The Mortal Instruments (known from its TV adaptation, Shadowhunters), presented a particularly bizarre plotline. The protagonist, Clary, discovers her identity as a Shadowhunter—guardians against demonic forces. In her journey, she falls for Jace, only to discover they are siblings. Despite this revelation, their romantic entanglement continues, raising eyebrows.
Clary's eventual relationship with Sebastian also unfolds in a problematic context, culminating in a revelation of their shared bloodline. This narrative choice, while convenient for the author, trivializes the implications of incest, framing it as romantic and desirable. Throughout the series, both Jace and Sebastian exhibit controlling and aggressive behaviors, yet they are romanticized by the young audience.
On platforms like Wattpad, I encountered a plethora of boy band fanfiction, often featuring absurd tropes, including narratives where young women were sold into servitude to fictional characters. This oddity became a meme, yet many writers took it seriously, depicting male celebrities as aggressive figures with blurred lines of power dynamics.
The mainstream emergence of such themes hit a peak with the 2019 film adaptation of After, which originated from a One Direction fanfiction. Despite its critiques for glamorizing abusive relationships, it struck a chord with audiences.
Description: This video explores the reasons behind people's attraction to toxic partners and the psychological implications of such relationships.
A Broader Reflection
There’s an observable trend of normalizing certain behaviors, including choking, that were once confined to BDSM contexts. The "dark romance" narratives prevalent on BookTok resonate with some of the tropes I encountered in my youth, but they seem to have a wider appeal now, often revolving around themes of romanticized violence and power imbalances.
The earlier portrayals of celebrity relationships have shifted to mafia-themed romances. While I doubt anyone genuinely desires a relationship with a mafioso or a vampire, the allure of these narratives continues to captivate.
Why this fascination? One theory suggests that the rise of Fifty Shades of Grey popularized BDSM, often misinterpreted by younger audiences. Critics from the BDSM community pointed out the book's failure to accurately depict consent, with Anastasia portrayed as naïve and coerced into situations she was ill-equipped to handle.
As the lines between fantasy and reality blur, it's crucial to recognize that many of these stories fail to illustrate healthy relationships built on mutual consent. They often depict women as passive participants, overshadowed by male dominance.
This trend raises questions about societal influences on young women, who may grapple with feelings of shame regarding their sexuality. The allure of relinquishing control, even in fictional scenarios, could provide an escape from societal pressures.
Reflecting on my own experiences, I realize that I lacked the maturity to distinguish these fantasies from reality. Revisiting The Hunger Games now, I find myself aligning more with Peeta, appreciating his nurturing qualities.
As Katniss herself poignantly states, "What I need to survive is not Gale's fire, kindled with rage and hatred. I have plenty of fire myself. What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again. And only Peeta can give me that."