Carmen Wise
Professor Nancy Knowles
English 104
How are condoms, popularity and romance novels connected? In the following entry you will read my blog party assignment involving emotional connections that readers have with the romance novels that they read. What does this have to do with condoms you ask, read on and it will all make sense.
My inquiry question is “Are romantic novels, true or fiction, more popular with readers because they affect us emotionally?” Doing most of my research proved that romance novels are the most popular by the proof of highest profit genre. I did not find direct answers to my question. However, from my research I can assume that the popularity of romance novels is because of the emotional connection the reader gets from novel.
My first research was done on Business of Consumer Book Publishing 2009 showing the profit that romance novels have made this year. Everything that was shown about romance novels they were above every other genre. The following is the numbers I found on this website:
--Romance fiction generated $1.37 billion in sales in 2008.
-- 7,311 new romance titles were released in 2008.
--In 2008, romance was the top performing category on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly best-seller lists.
--Romance fiction sales are estimated at $1.36 billion for 2009.
--74.8 million people read at least one romance novel in 2008.
(Source: RWA Reader Survey)
I also found the following information on Writers Digest “Studying the Romance Novel” by Leigh Michaels. “Why are romances so popular? There are as many answers as there are readers. And there are a lot of readers—RWA’s 2005 study showed that 64.6 million Americans read at least one romance in the previous year. Half the readers are married; almost half are college graduates, and 15 percent hold graduate degrees. Women between the ages of twenty-five and fifty-four make up more than half the romance-reading audience, but readers range in age from their preteens to over age seventy-five. A fair number of men read romances, too—22 percent of all romance readers are male, according to RWA—but not many are willing to talk about it. (Some even subscribe to by-mail book clubs in their wives’ names to keep their secret from the mailman.)” Based on the above information I concluded that romance novels are popular due to the emotional connection they have with their readers. All the other genres (fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, cooking, etc.) don’t use emotional connections nearly as much as romantic novels do. Anyone who had read the average romance novel remembers wishing that things had worked as easily as they do in the book for them in their own lives.
Making crucial decisions in our lives are sometimes persuaded by the books that you read. When I discussed my question with our instructor for this class she told me that she had some papers on my topic she thought that I would enjoy. In reading one of the articles called Love Means Having to be Careful by Amanda Diekman, Mary McDonald, and Wendi Gardner. These three ladies decide to do a survey of student who read romance novels. They explain that the main concept of being “swept away” in a romance novel doesn’t always paint the right picture in the readers mind. By this they broke it down to explain that a lot of romance novels out there don’t promote the use of sexual protection (condoms). Diekman/McDonald/Gardner argues that romance novels that hint that condoms will affect being “swept away” actually will affect its reader’s ideas of using condoms in their own lives. They suggest that if romance novels showed how using condoms as a good thing its readers would be more likely to do the same in their own lives. They shows evidence of this by doing surveys of college students after they have read romance novels without promoting sexual protection and romance novels with sexual protection. They found that when surveyed the students who read the romance novels that promoted sexual protection said that they were more likely to use it themselves. They discovered that some novels made the readers afraid of the negative interpersonal consequences they would receive if they tried to use sexual protection. Diekman/McDonald/Gardner is trying to get the idea across that what we read even if it is purely for entertainment still affects us and our lives. The readers of romance novels have a connection with the characters so they will in some ways try to mold their lives into the way the novel went. (Psychology of Women Quarterly 2000) I found this article long but very interesting. I had a hard time following the mathematics of the survey papers but the main area of the paper was very interesting. I didn’t really think of this article having a connection to my question until reading this article over again. Diekman is showing the emotional connection the these people had to the romance novels and how that connection affect how they made choices in their own lives because of it. It really was a very moving paper that made me think back to my condom use and the choices that I have made in the past. I wonder now if the romance novels I was reading at those times affected the decisions that I made.
What really makes a romance novel a romance novel? While doing the research for this blog party I found out this distinction between a general novel and romance novels. I would have thought that any novel with a romance in it would be considered a romance novel, this is incorrect. It all depends on which elements of the story are emphasized. If there is a story with elements of a romance but it is not the main focus of the novel it is not considered a romance novel. It the main focus of the book is the romance then it would go into the romance genre. Just because the novel has a couple that fall in love does not make it a romance novel. Here is a quote from Leigh’s paper again “So let’s say you’re writing a story about a woman who’s being chased by the bad guys, and she falls in love with the bodyguard who’s protecting her. Is this a romance novel? Or is it general fiction? That depends on which elements of the story are emphasized. If the main focus of the story is the chase, what the bad guys are actually up to, and why they’re after the main character, the novel is general fiction. If the main focus of the story is the couple falling in love while they’re hiding out, it’s a romance novel.” I found all of this interesting; I wouldn’t have thought that there were such strict standards to qualify as a romance novel. Knowing what the definition of making a romance novel entails I can only conclude that a true romance novel connects emotionally with its reader.
In conclusion I have found sufficient evidence that the answer to my question is yes. When asking the question at first I thought that the answer would be yes. However, I am glad that I did the research that I did because I learned a lot about romance novels that I otherwise would not have learned. There is no way that I would have thought that the use of condoms could have any connection to a romance novel until I read their article. It was very much worth the read. I will be very interested to get feedback from all of you on your feelings on this subject. I hope you all enjoyed it, thanks for reading.
Works Cited:
Diekman, Amanda B.; McDonald, Mary; Gardner L.. “Love Means Never Having To Be Careful” Psychology of Women Quarterly, 24 (2000), 179-188. Cambridge University Press
Business of Consumer Book Publishing 2009. Romance Writers of America: http://www.rwanational.org/cs/the_romance_genre/romance_literature_statistics
Michaels, Leigh. “Studying the Romance Novel” Writers' Digest: http://www.writersdigest.com/article/on-writing-romance-excerpt/
Monday, November 23, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Blog Entry 22: Freestyle
I have been having a lot of issues with connections with friends and family lately. After reading Othello and watching the movies O I noticed a lot about their connections with others. It is really hard to stand up for yourself alone. I have been having the world record for bad luck lately and it seems like I am all alone with this issue. I have looked to my significant other for comfort and have came up empty handed. I turned to my mother and when she was confronted with her opportunity to help me and stand up for me she buckled. Not only did she buckle but she even talked badly about me with this person. I have found it really hard to fight all these battles alone. The only thing that keeps my faith is that I have two little babies that depend on me and my sanity. I am not going to let the crap that is thrown at me effect my children’s lives. This has become a much harder task that I could have ever expected. When you feel so broken inside it is very hard to control how you are on the outside. I have a young son who feels everything that I am feeling. When I pick him up he begins to cry, which is what I am doing on the inside, it breaks my heart. I have gotten so that I can master deep breathing so that I am calm and he has no idea. There is nothing in this world that is more rewarding than seeing your child smile or does something amazing for their age. My daughter has turned into a little person and she amazes me daily. It is these little moments and things that help me make it through the day.
I started out this term with school as my sole focus. I was running myself ragged talking the kids to the babysitters and my parents house. I was stressed out to the point where I was losing my hair. I put a goal on myself that I had to have straight A’s in all my classes. I was able to do this for the last 2 terms why would this one be different? It is different because I am a mother of two small babies now. I have to put them first. 3 weeks ago I started focusing on them and my work has slacked a little but what does come out is so much better. Come to find out when I don’t focus so much my work is much better. Who would have figured that! So I guess the point is when life gives you lemons throw them away and get a large piece of chocolate cake out of the frig and enjoy every bite of it.
I started out this term with school as my sole focus. I was running myself ragged talking the kids to the babysitters and my parents house. I was stressed out to the point where I was losing my hair. I put a goal on myself that I had to have straight A’s in all my classes. I was able to do this for the last 2 terms why would this one be different? It is different because I am a mother of two small babies now. I have to put them first. 3 weeks ago I started focusing on them and my work has slacked a little but what does come out is so much better. Come to find out when I don’t focus so much my work is much better. Who would have figured that! So I guess the point is when life gives you lemons throw them away and get a large piece of chocolate cake out of the frig and enjoy every bite of it.
Blog Entry 21: Scene Response
Scene Response to Othello
I watched quite a few little clips from Othello movie made in 1995. I found that even though I recognized some of the actors they did a very good job making it seem old. The story is hard to understand due to the dialect but after reading it, then watching the movie clips it all comes together. After watching these clips I wish that I had not seen the movie O. It is a “bad” version of this play I think. It was changed to match this day and age but in doing so they lost very important parts of the story line. You would very rarely see the same happen today as it did in the slap scene. I found that having their old dialect and costumes made it much easier to understand and find entertaining than O. It was easier to connect with these film clips than O even though I feel like I should connect with the new age film easier. It is built on raw emotion, before any of our technology that changes our way of felling, pure raw emotions. I am going to have to go rent this movie now, it is not so hard to follow when you can see what they are doing. Viewing the video and following their dialect was not as hard as it was just reading the play. It is a very emotional and interesting play/movie. William Shakespeare was way ahead of his time, he is an amazing writer.
I watched quite a few little clips from Othello movie made in 1995. I found that even though I recognized some of the actors they did a very good job making it seem old. The story is hard to understand due to the dialect but after reading it, then watching the movie clips it all comes together. After watching these clips I wish that I had not seen the movie O. It is a “bad” version of this play I think. It was changed to match this day and age but in doing so they lost very important parts of the story line. You would very rarely see the same happen today as it did in the slap scene. I found that having their old dialect and costumes made it much easier to understand and find entertaining than O. It was easier to connect with these film clips than O even though I feel like I should connect with the new age film easier. It is built on raw emotion, before any of our technology that changes our way of felling, pure raw emotions. I am going to have to go rent this movie now, it is not so hard to follow when you can see what they are doing. Viewing the video and following their dialect was not as hard as it was just reading the play. It is a very emotional and interesting play/movie. William Shakespeare was way ahead of his time, he is an amazing writer.
Blog Entry 20: Quote-Response
Quote:
Othello: “Went he hence now?”
Desdemona: “Yes, faith, so humbled
That he hath left part of his grief with me
To suffer with him. Good love, call him back.”
Othello: “Not now, sweet Desdemon. Some other time.”
Desdemona: “But shall ‘t be shortly?”
Othello: “The sooner, sweet, for you.”
Desdemona: “Shall ‘t be tonight at supper?”
Othello: “No, not tonight.”
Desdemona: “Tomorrow dinner, then?”
Othello: “I shall not dine at home.
I meet the captains at the citadel.”
Desdemona: “Why, then, tomorrow night, or Tuesday morn,
On Tuesday noon, or night, on Wednesday morn.
I prithee, name the time, but let it not
Exceed three days. In faith, he’s penitent;
And yet his trespass, in our common reason—
Save that, they say, the wars must make example
Out of her best—is not almost a fault
T’ incur a private check. When shall he come?
Tell me Othello. I wonder in my soul
What you would ask me that I should deny,
Or stand so mammering on. What? Michael Cassio,
That came a-wooing with you, and so many a time,
When I have spoke of you dispraisingly,
Hath ta’en your part—to have so much to do
To bring him in. By’r Lady I could do much—
Othello: “Prithee, no more. Let him come when he will,
I will deny thee nothing.”
(Othello by: William Shakespeare Edited by: David Bevington, Pgs. 983-4)
Response:
This is where the manipulation where Iago’s plan goes into full effect. He is doing what he thinks that he need to do to get revenge on Cassio. I cannot even imagine being in Desdemona’s position here. In the time that this is based out of things were handled so differently. Due to the difference in their demeanor in this time it is hard for me not to feel really emotional about this story. I believe in women’s rights and that they should have a say in what happens to them. However, back when this was written women had nothing, she was to be seen and not heard. Othello’s commitment to her is also something that amazes me. Not that it is ok that he kills her over her supposed betray but the love that he has to have for her to do something of this nature. It is twisted I know but after watching the movie O I got a bigger perspective on how much he really did love her. It is a little construed in the movie however due to their young age (high school) but I cannot imagine the strength that it took Othello to kill her. It is one thing to kill an intruder entering your home, you know nothing about them. But, to love someone so much you kill them has to take a lot of strength. I think this is why in the movie he kills himself, he could never live with what he had done. To me this is an epic love story with a horrible ending…which is true to most of Shakespeare’s work.
Othello: “Went he hence now?”
Desdemona: “Yes, faith, so humbled
That he hath left part of his grief with me
To suffer with him. Good love, call him back.”
Othello: “Not now, sweet Desdemon. Some other time.”
Desdemona: “But shall ‘t be shortly?”
Othello: “The sooner, sweet, for you.”
Desdemona: “Shall ‘t be tonight at supper?”
Othello: “No, not tonight.”
Desdemona: “Tomorrow dinner, then?”
Othello: “I shall not dine at home.
I meet the captains at the citadel.”
Desdemona: “Why, then, tomorrow night, or Tuesday morn,
On Tuesday noon, or night, on Wednesday morn.
I prithee, name the time, but let it not
Exceed three days. In faith, he’s penitent;
And yet his trespass, in our common reason—
Save that, they say, the wars must make example
Out of her best—is not almost a fault
T’ incur a private check. When shall he come?
Tell me Othello. I wonder in my soul
What you would ask me that I should deny,
Or stand so mammering on. What? Michael Cassio,
That came a-wooing with you, and so many a time,
When I have spoke of you dispraisingly,
Hath ta’en your part—to have so much to do
To bring him in. By’r Lady I could do much—
Othello: “Prithee, no more. Let him come when he will,
I will deny thee nothing.”
(Othello by: William Shakespeare Edited by: David Bevington, Pgs. 983-4)
Response:
This is where the manipulation where Iago’s plan goes into full effect. He is doing what he thinks that he need to do to get revenge on Cassio. I cannot even imagine being in Desdemona’s position here. In the time that this is based out of things were handled so differently. Due to the difference in their demeanor in this time it is hard for me not to feel really emotional about this story. I believe in women’s rights and that they should have a say in what happens to them. However, back when this was written women had nothing, she was to be seen and not heard. Othello’s commitment to her is also something that amazes me. Not that it is ok that he kills her over her supposed betray but the love that he has to have for her to do something of this nature. It is twisted I know but after watching the movie O I got a bigger perspective on how much he really did love her. It is a little construed in the movie however due to their young age (high school) but I cannot imagine the strength that it took Othello to kill her. It is one thing to kill an intruder entering your home, you know nothing about them. But, to love someone so much you kill them has to take a lot of strength. I think this is why in the movie he kills himself, he could never live with what he had done. To me this is an epic love story with a horrible ending…which is true to most of Shakespeare’s work.
Blog Entry 19: Freestyle
In another class that I am taking we did a discussion board on Internet Dating. I thought that I would continue my thoughts and get the thoughts from this class on this matter. It is of no importance for the other class, that discussion is done and over with it, as you will read, is a touchy subject for me.
I believe that there is both good and bad that can come out of meeting someone off of the internet. The person you are talking to is a complete stranger and there is no way to protect yourself because there can be no research on them done if you don’t know who they really are. I don’t know from experience if those dating websites like eHarmony really work but if the commercials are true I am happy for those couples. I do know about meeting someone online and it ending badly.
I met my EX-husband online at a communications website. I did not talk to him with the intention on dating him but after meeting in person it seemed to be love at first sight. After 6 months of bliss we were wed. From the day after our wedding he went coo coo for cocoa cocoa puffs. He was abusive, rude and openly cheated on me. This was a big deal because we were both in the military at the time and that is a MAJOR problem. So not only did I have a really bad home life but because of the obvious abuse showing on my face at work, my chief got involved. To save from the lengthy version he left for Iraq 4 months after our wedding and I divorced his ass as fast as I could. A lot of judgment was put on me for my actions from my family and friends but I stuck to my guns because I knew the real information.
At the same time as I was dealing with my ex my best friend had met a guy on myspace and got married right after I did. She moved into his house with him after talking to him online for 3 days which scared me to death. Amazingly they are still married and completely happy to this day. So, I know that it is possible.
Anything any of you would like to share or comment would be great…if not that is fine too. I said what I wanted to say so thanks for reading.
I believe that there is both good and bad that can come out of meeting someone off of the internet. The person you are talking to is a complete stranger and there is no way to protect yourself because there can be no research on them done if you don’t know who they really are. I don’t know from experience if those dating websites like eHarmony really work but if the commercials are true I am happy for those couples. I do know about meeting someone online and it ending badly.
I met my EX-husband online at a communications website. I did not talk to him with the intention on dating him but after meeting in person it seemed to be love at first sight. After 6 months of bliss we were wed. From the day after our wedding he went coo coo for cocoa cocoa puffs. He was abusive, rude and openly cheated on me. This was a big deal because we were both in the military at the time and that is a MAJOR problem. So not only did I have a really bad home life but because of the obvious abuse showing on my face at work, my chief got involved. To save from the lengthy version he left for Iraq 4 months after our wedding and I divorced his ass as fast as I could. A lot of judgment was put on me for my actions from my family and friends but I stuck to my guns because I knew the real information.
At the same time as I was dealing with my ex my best friend had met a guy on myspace and got married right after I did. She moved into his house with him after talking to him online for 3 days which scared me to death. Amazingly they are still married and completely happy to this day. So, I know that it is possible.
Anything any of you would like to share or comment would be great…if not that is fine too. I said what I wanted to say so thanks for reading.
Blog Entry 18: Quote-Response
Quote:
Roderigo: “What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe
If he can carry ‘t this!”
Iago: “Call up her father.
Rouse him, make after him, poison his delight,
Proclaim him in the streets; incense her kinsmen,
And, though he in a fertile climate dwell,
Plague him with flies. Though that his joy be joy,
Yet throw such changes of vexation on ‘t
As it may lose some color.”
Roderigo: “Here is her father’s house. I’ll call aloud.”
Iago: “Do, with like timorous accent and dire yell
As when, by night and negligence, the fire
Is spied in populous cities.”
Roderigo: “What ho, Brabantio! Signor Brabantio, ho!”
(Othello By: William Shakespeare Edited by: David Bevington, Pg. 941)
Response:
Um…yeah! Well as we have all discussed on the DB this is a very hard play to read. I liked this little quote though because it has a certain cruelty in it that was amusing to me. I found this play to me a lot more cruel than I expected. I think that is just seems harsher though because they are back in “the old days” where there really wasn’t such a thing as “sugar coating.” Even their candor in how they handle situations is different. When I first started reading this play I had a really hard time getting into the reading at all. I also noticed a closeness between these two characters that is different than it would be if it was based out of today. People are close today but due to their domineer there is a true closeness and connection between these character’s that you don’t really see today. I think it is the lack of manipulation in that time as there is a lot in our time today. I didn't think that I would enjoy this reading as much as I did. It was difficult at first but after just letting it flow it was actually enjoyable.
Roderigo: “What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe
If he can carry ‘t this!”
Iago: “Call up her father.
Rouse him, make after him, poison his delight,
Proclaim him in the streets; incense her kinsmen,
And, though he in a fertile climate dwell,
Plague him with flies. Though that his joy be joy,
Yet throw such changes of vexation on ‘t
As it may lose some color.”
Roderigo: “Here is her father’s house. I’ll call aloud.”
Iago: “Do, with like timorous accent and dire yell
As when, by night and negligence, the fire
Is spied in populous cities.”
Roderigo: “What ho, Brabantio! Signor Brabantio, ho!”
(Othello By: William Shakespeare Edited by: David Bevington, Pg. 941)
Response:
Um…yeah! Well as we have all discussed on the DB this is a very hard play to read. I liked this little quote though because it has a certain cruelty in it that was amusing to me. I found this play to me a lot more cruel than I expected. I think that is just seems harsher though because they are back in “the old days” where there really wasn’t such a thing as “sugar coating.” Even their candor in how they handle situations is different. When I first started reading this play I had a really hard time getting into the reading at all. I also noticed a closeness between these two characters that is different than it would be if it was based out of today. People are close today but due to their domineer there is a true closeness and connection between these character’s that you don’t really see today. I think it is the lack of manipulation in that time as there is a lot in our time today. I didn't think that I would enjoy this reading as much as I did. It was difficult at first but after just letting it flow it was actually enjoyable.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Blog Entry 17: Quote-Response
Trifles by: Susan Glaspell
“
Country Attorney: Here’s a nice mess.
[The women draw nearer]
Mrs. Peters: [To the other women.] Oh, her fruit; it did freeze. [To the County Attorney] She worried about that when it turned cold. She said the fire’d go out and her jars would break.
Sheriff: Well, can you beat the women! Held for murder and worryin’ about her preserves.
County Attorney: I guess before we’re through she may have something more serious than preserves to worry about.
Hale: Well, women are used to worrying over trifles.
[The two women move a little closer together.]” (Gaspell Pg.840)
It is not only the words that stand out to me in the section of the play but also the mannerisms that the author portrays with the actions of the women. It is pointed out that the wife was more worried about her preserves freezing and breaking rather than the fact that she was just arrested for her husband’s murder. To me that shows that she knows that she is innocent and is worried about her lifestyle and her things that she will need to survive now that her husband is gone. Obviously the word trifles stands out a lot in this section but also preserves and nice mess. The attorney says it is a nice mess, I assume with sarcasm, and the ladies respond by moving closer. I didn’t find there to be any fear from the women just that they were uncomfortable in this house. It is a house where someone they knew had just been found dead the day before so a little discomfort is understandable I think. The men seem to have the demeanor of guilt for the wife and the women seem more worried about her than anything else. Just by typing only the section of the play the reader is still able to get the feeling of the time period that this play is based in and that says a lot about how well the play was written. I found this reading very interesting.
“
Country Attorney: Here’s a nice mess.
[The women draw nearer]
Mrs. Peters: [To the other women.] Oh, her fruit; it did freeze. [To the County Attorney] She worried about that when it turned cold. She said the fire’d go out and her jars would break.
Sheriff: Well, can you beat the women! Held for murder and worryin’ about her preserves.
County Attorney: I guess before we’re through she may have something more serious than preserves to worry about.
Hale: Well, women are used to worrying over trifles.
[The two women move a little closer together.]” (Gaspell Pg.840)
It is not only the words that stand out to me in the section of the play but also the mannerisms that the author portrays with the actions of the women. It is pointed out that the wife was more worried about her preserves freezing and breaking rather than the fact that she was just arrested for her husband’s murder. To me that shows that she knows that she is innocent and is worried about her lifestyle and her things that she will need to survive now that her husband is gone. Obviously the word trifles stands out a lot in this section but also preserves and nice mess. The attorney says it is a nice mess, I assume with sarcasm, and the ladies respond by moving closer. I didn’t find there to be any fear from the women just that they were uncomfortable in this house. It is a house where someone they knew had just been found dead the day before so a little discomfort is understandable I think. The men seem to have the demeanor of guilt for the wife and the women seem more worried about her than anything else. Just by typing only the section of the play the reader is still able to get the feeling of the time period that this play is based in and that says a lot about how well the play was written. I found this reading very interesting.
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