Fifty Shades of Grey

Ana meets Christian’s mother, Dr. Grace Trevelyan-Grey, who tells Ana to call her Grace. Her announced arrival stems from worry, as she hasn’t heard from Christian in weeks. She seems pleasantly surprised and relieved to meet Ana. José calls, and Christian becomes cold and aloof. He gives Ana the contract to review and suggests she do some research to understand what she’s getting herself into. He agrees she can discuss their sex with Kate if Kate says nothing to Elliot.

Christian drives Ana back to Portland, and on the way, they stop to eat in Olympia. Christian reveals that Grace’s friend seduced him when he was 15, and she made him her submissive for six years. The friend’s name is Elena, though Christian does not disclose this to Ana, who dubs the woman “Mrs. Robinson.” Christian drops off Ana at her apartment. She is sad to say goodbye, even with a date set for later that week. Her mood changes, though, when she surprises Christian by showing him she’s wearing his underwear.

Kate and Ana catch up, and Ana notices how relaxed she is away from Christian. She can eat without his nagging. She can talk to José on the phone without Christian becoming possessive. Kate is smitten with Elliot. She expresses concern about Christian.

Ana reads the contract, which lays out the parameters of the dominant/submissive relationship Christian wants with her. She is overwhelmed. Her subconscious and inner goddess wrestle with whether she should be in such a relationship with Christian. She doesn’t want to relinquish her power, but she also doesn’t want to be without Christian because she has “never felt as alive as” she does now (175).

The next day, a MacBook Pro arrives from Christian. He has it set up with an email account so they can communicate. They banter via email, and Ana researches submission.

Ana goes for a run to clear her mind. She can’t stop thinking about what to do regarding Christian. The run proves cathartic; it gives her the resolve to clarify what she’s willing and not willing to do. She jokingly emails, “Okay, I’ve seen enough. It was nice knowing you” (186). Christian shows up at her apartment soon after and says he thought he should come over to remind her how nice it was knowing him. He proceeds to train her. He blindfolds her and makes her wait, wondering what he’s doing. He pours wine into her naval and says if she spills it he’ll have to punish her by not letting her come. He teases and torments her, saying, “Is this nice?” and “How nice is this?” (191-93).

After a brief conversation about the contract and Christian’s previous relationship with Mrs. Robinson, Ana walks him out. She’s aware that her feelings have deepened and that this relationship won’t meet her emotional needs. She reflects, “I know that if I do this thing with him, I will get hurt. He’s not capable, interested, or willing to offer me any more…and I want more. Much more” (197-98). Ana knows the limits and boundaries of the relationship he desires will only leave her feeling unsatisfied.

When Kate asks why she’s crying, Ana reveals that Christian only wants to have sex with her and that “[h]e doesn’t do the love thing” (200). Kate says she knew something was off about him. She then explains that Ana’s mother can’t attend their graduation because Bob, her husband, sustained an injury, but Ray, Ana’s stepfather, will be there.

Ana sends Christian a detailed list of the parts of the contract she is uncertain about or outright rejects, and Christian tells her to go to bed.

Ana and Christian plan their meeting to discuss the contract. She asserts that she’d like to drive and meet him at his hotel instead of having him collect her. Once there, they go to a private dining room reserved by Christian and review each of Ana’s issues with the contract. He asks if she trusts him a few times, and Ana finally says she does. About BDSM, Christian explains, “There’s a fine line between pleasure and pain, Anastasia. They are two sides of the same coin, one not existing without the other” (219). He refers here to a core notion of BDSM, which is that pleasure can be intensified and experienced in new ways through pain. Ana argues against him controlling her eating or sleeping, and he agrees.

She asks if his aversion to touch stems from Mrs. Robinson. He’s surprised Ana thinks Mrs. Robinson traumatized him. When Ana suggests that Christian uses sex as a weapon, he agrees. She considers, “That’s what I’m hindered by in this game of seduction. He’s the only one who knows and understands the rules” (223). She feels she has no power at all in this arrangement. She leaves, aware they will have sex if she doesn’t. Christian tries to get her to stay, but she refuses. She needs to think about their conversation and whether she can have this kind of relationship. She cries at the thought that she may lose him.

Ray arrives for Ana’s graduation. Kate gives her valedictorian speech, and Christian gives his commencement speech. During his speech, he reveals he knows what it’s like to be hungry, which is why his company focuses on feeding those in need of food. Ana introduces Christian to Ray, and Kate outs Christian as Ana’s boyfriend. Christian is possessive with Ana, keeping an eye on her when she talks to others. Ana tells Christian she wants “more” with him but she agrees to try being his sub, subject to certain “soft limits.” She wraps the books he gave her, intending to return them when they meet to discuss said limits. She includes a quote from Tess of the d’Urbervilles that asks him not to hurt her too badly.

Christian goes to Ana’s apartment that evening, and they discuss more details of their arrangement. He invites her outside to show her the car he bought her for graduation. She says she’ll take it on loan only. When they go back inside the apartment, they have sex.

Christian reveals that he doesn’t want to be touched because he’s “fifty shades of fucked up” (267). He spanks Ana. While he spanks her, she experiences lots of pain, but afterward, she finds she feels sated. After Christian leaves, she calls her mother to say she’s confused about a man. Her mother invites her to visit Georgia to get away for a bit. Later, Ana lies to Kate about why she’s too sore to sit.

Ana emails back and forth with Christian, and she eventually says she doesn’t like him because he never stays with her. She cries, thinking about how Christian is emotionally unavailable and how this relationship will only hurt her. Christian shows up. He finds her upset and says he’ll stay the night. She asks why he likes hitting her. He says, “I like the control it gives me, Anastasia. I want you to behave in a particular way, and if you don’t, I shall punish you, and you will learn to behave the way I desire” (285). For him, spanking and hitting are about control. Ana says that when she’s with him, she feels like Icarus flying too close to the sun.