Domestic Violence and the Rise of the Novel

From an early age, we are taught that reading is good. But what happens when the stories that we read reinforce dangerous ideas? This talk will explore the similarities between novels of courtship and marriage and the horrific dynamics of domestic violence. With reference to popular texts, such as Disney animations, the speaker identifies how narrative patterns of sacrifice, loss, and redemption not only shape the way we understand experience, but can also blind us the dangers of abusive relationships.