Brittany Juarez
D. Standard
8/22/2013
Character Analysis of Christian Grey
The Truth behind his Fifty Shades
E. L. James, author of the Fifty Shades Trilogy, created an incredibly, emotionally torn character in Christian Grey. In this paper, I will discuss the truth behind his need for control, his guarded emotions, and his lack of self-worth. I will delve into his past and link his childhood demons to his personality as an adult. Also, I will show how he reverts back to adolescence in a way that would make Freud smirk, See I told you. It all comes back to sex in the end. I will discuss the myriad of social and environmental factors in his adult life which take him from a life of debasement and depravity into the light.
The major questions addressed are:
1. What archetype(s) is Christian Grey classified as?
2. What are the main influences on Christian Grey’s personality?
3. What are the main conflicts with which the character struggles and how do they affect his thoughts and actions?
4. What are the motivating factors behind Grey’s behavior, thoughts and changes?
Through analysis, the layers of Christian Grey’s aloof demeanor and public Persona will be peeled away, revealing his true demons and his struggle to control and come to grips with them. His Shadow that has kept him so closed off all his life, until the chance meeting of a beautiful college student, forces him to make some changes . The factors behind his change from an Alec D’Urberville to an Angel Clare will be evident. At the conclusion of the paper, you will be able to see how a few select social and environmental factors have a large impact on this character.
Identifying the archetypes of Christian Grey
Christian Grey has three identifiable archetypes. The first one would be the Ruler . He lives his life in control. As a powerful CEO of his large holdings