Fifty Shades of Grey

Christian Grey, the 27-year-old CEO of Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc., is the romantic interest and tragic hero in Fifty Shades of Grey. From the moment Ana meets him in the first scene, Christian establishes himself as confident, controlling, and powerful. He says of himself, “I’m very good at judging people. I know how they tick, what makes them flourish, what doesn’t, what inspires them, and how to incentivize them” (8), signifying he is good at getting people to do what he wants. He adds, “I exercise control in all things, Miss Steele” (8). His words are portentous regarding their imminent relationship. Ana immediately identifies him as “arrogant” and a “control freak,” but his character deepens over the course of the book. He tells Ana, “You should steer clear of me. I’m not the man for you” (47), suggesting he’s aware of how complicated and flawed he is.

Christian’s signature quality is his sexual kink. He asserts that “[t]his is the only sort of relationship I’m interested in” (101), referring to the dominant/submissive relationship defined in the contract he gives Ana. He is a dominant, which means he wants complete control over Ana, both in terms of their sexual relationship and her lifestyle. He says, “You are mine” many times. As he elaborates to Ana, “It’s the fact that you are mine to do with as I see fit—ultimate control over someone else. And it turns me on. Big time, Anastasia” (286). Christian’s attempts to control Ana, and the tension this causes between them, composes much of the plot.

Christian brings Ana into the world of BDSM. He has a BDSM playroom dubbed the “Red Room of Pain” where he stores floggers, paddles, whips, suspensions from the ceiling, and more. His entire sexual history consists only of BDSM, beginning at age 15, when his adoptive mother’s friend made him her submissive. Since then, he has been solely dominant. Ana believes this woman, whom she names “Mrs. Robinson,” sexually abused him when he was an adolescent, even though he denies the relationship was negative in any way. Christian was born to a woman he describes as a “crack whore” who died before he was adopted into a loving family at age four. Of Mrs. Robinson, he says, “She loved me in a way I found…acceptable […]. She distracted me from the destructive path I found myself following. It’s very hard to grow up in a perfect family when you’re not perfect” (430).

Christian experiences the dominant/submissive relationship as “love.” It is how he gives and receives intimacy, but he also uses this relationship dynamic to avoid genuine vulnerability and emotional intimacy. By maintaining control and establishing rules that disallow Ana from touching or even looking at him during sex, Christian feels he can keep his own emotions in check. He says, “I don’t make love. I fuck…hard” (94). When Ana asks why he doesn’t like to be touched, he says, “Because I’m fifty shades of fucked up, Anastasia” (267). His character is not black and white, he means. He’s complicated, enigmatic, and difficult to know.

Much of Christian’s behavior as a dominant is playful and healthy, such as when he “punishes” Ana for rolling her eyes or directs her to call him “Sir” or “Mr. Grey.” He speaks mostly in declarative statements, telling her what to do during sex. Christian’s need for control in all areas of her life, though, becomes emotionally abusive. He tracks Ana’s phone and shows up without warning. He even flies to Georgia, where Ana stays with her mother to think about her relationship with Christian. If she talks to other men, he grows cold and possessive. When Ana hugs a friend at her graduation, for example, Christian pulls her away to stand by his side. When Ana speaks with Kate alone, Kate notes, “He’s been watching you like a hawk” (241). Ana is frightened of him at times. When he shows up in her bedroom, Ana looks around, “plotting an escape route” (187), suggesting she feels threatened. He decides what she eats, what she wears, and with whom she can spend time, all tell-tale signs of a potentially abusive relationship.

Kate, Ana’s roommate and friend, is powerful and confident. She pushes to get what she wants, and Ana admires her, but she also gets frustrated with Kate’s bossiness. Kate senses that Christian is dangerous early on. She challenges him by referring to him as Ana’s boyfriend in front of Ana’s stepfather and by mentioning Ana’s evening with José to make him jealous. She makes it clear she thinks Christian is no good. Kate is Ana’s voice of reason.

Kate asks Ana about Christian often, but Ana only shares so much. After Christian shows up unannounced at their apartment the first time, Kate knocks on Ana’s door to see if she’s okay, and when Ana cries, Kate brushes her hair and reassures her that Christian seems to like her a lot. When Christian shows up unannounced the second time, though, Kate has grown tired of seeing her friend cry about him all the time. She yells at him: “What the fuck have you done to her now? […] Since she’s met you, she cries all the time. […] You can’t come in here!” (283). She also asks Ana, “Do you want me to throw this asshole out?” (283).

Kate serves as Ana’s confidante, but her character is static in that she experiences no transformation or change in the novel. And while Kate’s role as an outside observer grants her a clearer view of Christian’s problematic behaviors, Ana doesn’t heed her concerns.