Facets of the Feminine Psyche: The Romance's Psychological Landscapes, PART 1 - Page 3
© Suzette L. Mako
The Romance heroine who glories in her feminine power, holding prominent social position and/or unashamedly using her skills, fills the archetypal role of Priestess or Sorceress. She allows the reader to explore her inner power, to roleplay at the skillful use of innate gifts and intelligence.
These are but a few of the ways that Romance heroines place themselves within the readers' psychological landscapes. One might gather much about the inner workings of any Romance reader - her unconscious needs and desires - by making a careful study of the sorts of Romances she preferred. Though usually on an unconscious level, she will choose the archetypal heroines with whom she most readily identifies or whose traits she seeks in herself. Is she exploring the female Warrior within? Or reaching for a better understanding of her inner skills or her capacity to be nurturing?
Romance novels have proven to be a useful tool in relationship therapy. In this form of bibliotherapy, couples read a novel and share their responses to it. Much can be learned about a relationship's dynamics by considering these responses, the characters with whom the partners identified, and so on. As well, the subtle, positive lessons contained within Romances can be useful in establishing a communal basis for communication in a counselling setting. Developing and maintaining intimacy or calling upon inner strengths and skills in dealing with conflicts are dealt with frequently and prominently in Romance.
The (admittedly rare) male reader of Romance can gain a deeper understanding of those women who favor the genre: what moves their emotions, what they value and seek in relationships. Partners who, with knowledge of the genre, cast themselves in the roles of Romance heroes and heroines may find new ways to cope with inevitable conflicts, keeping the "happy ending" firmly in mind and heart as their shared goal.
One interesting aspect of the hero and heroine roles in Romance is that, for the female reader at least, they are in a sense interchangeable. Through the heroine, the reader can experience heroic challenges; through the hero, she can identify and learn to integrate the qualities within her that are culturally ascribed as masculine. There is great potential for empowerment through such identification and internal growth.
The fact that the Romance hero's character represents both hero and villain also allows for some psyche-stretching. The hero is, to both the heroine and the reader, the subject of both desire and distress. Between conflict and consummation, there is much to learn from his impact on the reader...
