54 pages • 1 hour read
E. L. JamesFifty Shades Darker
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2012A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Binding
A common component of the BDSM lifestyle is the use of bindings to restrict movement. The author uses binding throughout the novel to illustrate Ana’s submission to Christian. Christian straps Ana into a harness almost immediately after reuniting with her on the way to Portland. The harness illustrates Christian’s desire to control and possess Ana. The next use of binding is a spreader bar. Christian then ties Ana up with her robe sash, uses a spreader bar with cuffs, binds her with a tie, and uses handcuffs over the course of the novel. Christian initially shies from using binding after the couple’s breakup. He does not see how his kinks have any place in the relationship.
James uses the image of Christian restraining Ana as a symbol of her submission to his desire. They represent Christian’s control over her body. Ana, conversely, finds comfort in the binding. She does not worry about what she should be doing but gives in to Christian’s desire. The author underscores that the binding represents freedom from worry for both Ana and Christian. The bindings allow Christian to ease in Ana’s inability to touch him, and they allow Ana to feel confident in her submission and body.
Binding supports the novel’s theme of Power Dynamics and Control. Christian feels most comfortable when he commands control of Ana’s body. Ana finds comfort in submitting to Christian sexually. The continued use of bindings as their relationship progresses highlights Christian’s growing integration of his sexual desires as a natural part of his relationship with Ana.
The House
The house that Christian and Ana buy acts as a symbol of Christian and Ana’s differing views about Christian. Christian wants to completely let his past go and rebuild his future with Ana. Ana, however, sees the potential in the existing house, and in Christian’s integration of his past, as a better way to build a future. The house as a symbol supports the relationship dynamic between Christian and Ana. Christian wants to control every aspect from the ground up. Ana wants to fix the house and Christian.
Christian tells Ana he wants to buy the house, “demolish it, and build a new house for us” (425). James uses Christian’s plans for the house to underscore his desire to separate himself from the past. His trauma leads him to think of past-Christian as unworthy. He thinks that demolishing his mother will give him freedom. He echoes this desire by wanting his future to be built completely new from the ground up.
Ana wants Christian to reckon with his past to build a better future that is more honest and loving. The house is a symbol of Ana’s desire to fix Christian. She sees a rich but neglected estate that could return to excellence with tender loving care. She thinks, “basically the house is beautiful and was obviously at one time a happy family home. It’s a little shabby now, but nothing that some TLC couldn’t cure” (426). Ana’s view of the house mirrors her view of Christian. He has some issues, but nothing that she cannot fix with love and affection.
Money
Christian’s extreme wealth symbolizes his ability to control and have power over every circumstance. Ana’s reaction to Christian’s money demonstrates her independence and need for autonomy. By the end of the novel, however, Ana submits to Christian’s money and his possession of her.
The first conflict over money comes when Ana receives the money for her car. She rips up the check Christian gives her in defiance of his control. James uses this image to show that Ana still harbors her own autonomy in financial matters. Ana then uses the money Christian forces her to take to buy a vacation in his house in Aspen. She yet again undermines his control, as symbolized by her rejection of his money.
Yet, Ana comes to accept Christian’s money as she accepts Christian’s continued control over many aspects of her life. Christian’s money embodies his control. Ana agrees to the new car, begrudgingly, but she takes it so as not to upset him. After the car, Ana discovers she has $50,000 more in her bank account than expected. Christian tells Ana she must adapt to it. By the time the novel ends, Christian proposes with a massive diamond ring. Ana fully submits to Christian as a partner and financial dependent, mirroring her sexual submission.
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By E. L. James
