Normal People: Consent, Family Dynamics and How Love is Unconventional
The Television Show Creating a New Genre of Psychological Romance
Romance genre television and films never appeal to me. I believe that romantic television shows and films are unrealistic, overdramatic and always cliche. When we are graced with a television adaption of a novel, we are quick to decide which is better: the book or the show/film. Which version created a better character, which version was more accurate and had better representation? In my case I always choose the book, however, I’ve never read Sally Rooney’s infamous Normal People despite the hype it’s received on Elle, Vogue, BuzzFeed and Apollo Magazine. When watching the television show I was shocked to realise the accuracy of the characterisation and circumstance in this Irish-European Psychological-Romance.
The television centralises around two main characters, Marianne Sheridan (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell Waldron (Paul Mescal) who are complex, difficult and argumentative characters as we watch them grow from indecisive teenagers into the multiplex and problematic adults they become. Marianne was a quiet intelligent loner as a teenage girl living with her mother and emotionally abusive brother in a mansion in the countryside of Sligo. Connell is a popular, confident and happy teenage boy who plays rugby and lives with his single and supportive mother. Their story begins all with a long stretched narrative filled with sexual tension in the first episode. The tension is finally broken when they have a secret affair with each other, hiding it from all their friends, peers and family. Despite the joy and connection, they feel together they are torn apart by social and peer pressures and expectations as well as the futures that navigate them into different paths.
Lenny Abrahamson and Hettie Macdonald, the producers of the show, have created a consensual relationship with these two characters. Especially with the element of consent being an essential and strong factor in their relationship. Where both characters are putting each other’s needs before their own and ensuring they are safe and loved when having sex. Despite the sex scenes being highly graphic and fully nude, we, as audiences, are exposed to the raw and purity of sex and relationships along with the tangled and simultaneous issues and solutions that come later. Sex and intimacy are depicted as an expression of emotions and love for that person, not simply an activity to do when you’re simply horny and in need of a good orgasm.
Marianne, although depicted as an innocent protagonist and modern heroine, is seen to be almost weakened by the men in her life and often finds herself in abusive and manipulative relationships. Often leaving them just as damaged, yet her intelligence and self-determination is what keeps her going. When Marianne graduates school and go onto college in Dublin, she is suddenly confident, popular and happy. She has many friends in her life that adore her and she has a somewhat privileged boyfriend who admires her and himself. When Connell ends up at the same college, they are forced to reckon with their past connection and realise that their feelings for each other are still there. When they try for a relationship the second time, its apparent that they make each other better people.
Both producers do a wonderful job of creating Connell and Marianne’s relationship to be centred around consent and communication. As the series progresses with Marianne’s relationships changing, it's clear that the relationships Marianne gets into aren’t communicative and do not value safety, emotions and maturity. We see Marianne often manipulated by her love interests into doing hardcore bondage and submission, to the point that their sadist sex egos often leave the bedroom and quite literally enter Marianne’s Italian villa and her Swedish apartment. Ultimately being the downfall to her romantic life as she often seeks validation by “doing whatever you {he} wanted” if it makes him happy.
Emotional resilience and power are often imbalanced in this psychological romance, as identity and love are both key and essential character development tools set by both Sally Rooney and the producers, Abrahamson and Macdonald. When Marianne confides in Connell about her abusive brother, Alan, it seems to be something that further develops their characters. The dynamics of families play a strong undertone theme in the television series as time passes and the characters progress. It's clear that Marianne is emotionally abused and how this abuse impacts her view and stance on relationships and sex. When she visits her family once again for her mother’s birthday, her brother once again verbally abuses her. That night when taking a nude photo for Connell she is seen crying whilst trying to look appealing. As the show continues on Connell’s protectiveness of her strengthens even when they are no longer together.
“I didn’t want you to think I was damaged”- Marianne.
Towards the end of the series, the vulnerability of these two characters is put to light. Connell deals with severe anxiety and depression after the suicide of a friend. Marianne deals with the same notion, including her feelings towards Connell. When they are brought back together in Sligo it's apparent that Rooney’s perfect heroine is damaged. Her emotional resilience is what keeps her strong.
Eventually, Marianne and Connell go their separate ways as Connell publishes a short story, leading him to choose to go to New York. Marianne, on the other hand, urges him to leave and follow his dreams. Leaving audiences wondering what could ever happen to this couple.
