Contemporary Representations of Marriage in Literature and Pop Culture

Muller, Taylor

Publication

Contemporary Representations of Marriage in Literature and Pop Culture

Muller, Taylor

Date

2014

Additional date(s)

2014-05-01

Abstract

This research examines the representations of marriage in the novels The Marriage Plot and Gone Girl, reality television shows including Say Yes to the Dress, Four Weddings, and The Bachelor, and social media websites such as Pinterest. The analysis focuses on how these contemporary representations demonstrate normative gender roles, and what claims they make about marriage today. Several patterns emerged when using in particular the theories of Judith Butler and Frances Dolan as a framework for understanding the portrayals of marriage. The depictions of marriage included individuals adopting some sort of role-performance, often gender specific, and reiterated the conflict for power in marriage between the two parties. These were magnified in the dramatization of real life, such as reality television shows, and frequently reiterated traditional understandings of marriage within a modern context.