Fifty Shades Darker

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of sexual assault, abuse of a minor, coercive control, and grooming.

Christian Grey’s history with sexuality creates a complicated and problematic view of consent. He and Ana struggle with the implications of consent in their relationship as it moves from a contractual dominant-submissive relationship into a romantic partnership and eventual marriage. Christian’s childhood and teenage experiences create a difficult background for adult Christian’s understanding of consent. The author shows Christian’s growth with his changing understanding of consent.

In the Prologue, Christian’s mother’s pimp abuses her. This first impression of sexuality haunts Christian’s nightmares and complicates his understanding of sex. His mother cannot consent to sexual relations with her pimp due to her intoxication and the power differential between herself and the pimp. Their relationship has a profound impact on Christian. He cannot endure physical affection from his adoptive family or his lovers. He lets Elena touch him because there are clear rules in their relationship. Christian conflates rules with consent. He does not know how to operate without them due to his grooming by Mrs. Lincoln.

In Chapter 12, Elena approaches Christian for help with a problem. Ana eavesdrops on the conversation and hears Christian say, “[W]hy would I want to taint her with our fucked-up relationship?” (279). Elena Lincoln entered a sexual relationship with Christian when he was just 15 years old. Christian’s first and primary sexual relationship began when he was too young to understand consent. This experience colors his entire perspective on sexual relationships and his understanding of consent. After the interaction with Elena, Christian rapes Ana. She clearly tells him no when he moves to have sex with her, but he continues, saying, “This is my revenge Ana […] argue with me and I am going to take it out on your body somehow” (289). Christian does not stop when Ana tells him to, and while the encounter is clearly rape, Christian has been portrayed as a tragic hero with whom the audience is designed to sympathize and desire. Ana’s lack of consent stalls their growth in intimacy.

Christian begins to understand consent as his relationship with Ana progresses. In Chapter 15, Christian and Ana are being intimate, and Ana says no again. She tells him to stop. Christian still does not cease his pressure, but he asks Ana if she wants to stop after more foreplay. He “removes his boxer briefs and leans over to the bedside table to grab a foil packet. His eyes are blazing gray as he passes me the condom. ‘You want to do this? You can still say no. You can always say no’” (343). Christian allows Ana to fully consent before penetrating her, but there is a lot of action between this moment and when Ana says stop. Christian continues to pressure Ana with his actions while telling her she had the ability to say no, which is the definition of coercive control. Christian’s manipulation of Ana in this instance could be seen as metaphorical for their entire relationship, where Ana feels she is consenting even though her actions are all within the confines of what Christian desires.

Not until the conclusion of the novel does Christian fully appear to understand consent and its importance in a trusting and mature relationship. After the confrontation between Ana, Elena, Christian, and Grace, he and Ana talk in his childhood bedroom. Christian tells Ana that his mom is upset at him, and he admits that Grace has a reason to be angry. He then tells Ana that he feels liberated now that Elena is no longer a part of his life.

Christian’s complicated relationship with consent stems from years of abuse as a child and teen. Ana helps Christian to understand consent and its ability to support loving and trusting relationships, but at a cost to her control over herself.