LaGamba, JoNette Lauren. "Shaping Identity: Male And Female Interactions In Cinema." Dissertation Abstracts International 73.

8 (2013): MLA International Bibliography. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.

This text goes into the portrayal of men and women within cinema. This article analyzes the early portrayals of women as weaker both physically and emotionally from their male counterparts. This lead to their dependence on men, and showcased a mentality that men defined what women lacked and women needed their relationships with men. This look at the relationships in cinema between men and women really looks into my view of what defines a protagonist's character. She shows how women have been defined not by character or virtue but by their male counterparts and how they "complete them". How does this affect women who are not just a supporting character but they themselves the protagonist. does the carrying on of this portrayal weaken a story overall.

______________________________________________________________________________ Hobbs, Alex. "Masculinity Studies And Literature." Literature Compass10.4 (2013): 383-395. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.

This text is contrasting the view of women studies with masculinity studies within literature. It shows the relationship between this and feminism and whats to show how patriarchy hurts not only women but men as well. It showcases alternatives from the hegemonic frame of mind through the analysis of protagonists. It overviews how men are already represented in literature and how masculinity can be broken down in to classes or viewed as a whole. This view contrasts the view of feminism and female roles and takes it from the perspective of the men. How do certain ideals about masculinity effect the way a protagonist is portrayed within their role. Contrasting this with feminist theory will give a rounder view of contemporary masculinity and how it fits into romance in popular culture.

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Alberti, John. "'I Love You, Man': Bromances, The Construction Of Masculinity, And The Continuing Evolution Of The Romantic Comedy." Quarterly Review Of Film And Video 30.2 (2013): 159-172.MLA International Bibliography. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.

In this article the author explores non-conventional relationships between characters in romantic comedies, most importantly the "bro-mance". He defines this as a "homosexual/homoerotic relationships between putatively straight male characters". This deviation from the usual male/female relationships within the genre of romantic comedies may be because of the change in social climate. The author explores this deviation and how it may be beneficial relating to the evolution of gender. This view of the evolving climate of gender equality and what it means for the portrayals of these views within our culture. This will also show how certain genres may become obsolete or change dramatically due to social changes.

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Lee, Linda J. "Guilty Pleasures: Reading Romance Novels As Reworked Fairy Tales." Marvels & Tales: Journal Of Fairy-Tale Studies 22.1 (2008): 52-66. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.

This article highlights why romance novels are so popular. They compare romantic novels to fairy tales and show their multitude of similarities. The author suggests that a romance novel is a "Folkloristic inquiry into popular culture". They the examine how the eroticism within these works invert traditional fairy-tale structure. This comparison of child's tales and adult literature shows how at the base many of our stories may be just alike. The formulaic way in which these tales can be created, and how popular they may be shows a reflection in the human outlook on our stories.

______________________________________________________________________________ Parrish, Paul A. "The Loss Of Eden: Four Novels Of Elizabeth Bowen."Critique: Studies In Modern Fiction 15.1 (1973): 86-100. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.

The idealism of a romantic relationship often overshadows any threats that may be perceived by the protagonists. This article views how this idealism may doom them to anguish. The author compares this to Eden and truths that must be realized. Often trying to keep lovers in this different idealistic world will only lead to heartbreak and from the perspective of the reader, knowing that a relationship will not last. This view that romantic notions not only interfere with some plots but are the basis for anguish to the protagonist goes to reinforce the notion of real love vs. romantic idealism. Anguish and loss are two emotions that are opposite to love, but the amount of times they coincide is innumerable. Many romantic comedies highlight on these facts by having he protagonist go through a break up before the movie can progress. Is this real love and how is this effecting our view of love?

______________________________________________________________________________ Jackson, Sandra. "Terrans, Extraterrestrials, Warriors And The Last (Wo)Man Standing." African Identities 7.2 (2009): 237-253. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.

Based on he analyzation of two movie franchised Alien and Predator this article views the idea of the last woman standing. This passage examines females and femininity within these narratives and how they relate to the situations they are in and their role. This passage also analyzes this on the basis of race,gender, power and heroism within stories. The conflict of their struggle for survival shows that non-stereotypical heroes offer possibilities for other factions within thriller and action franchises. This analyzation of an example of non-stereotypical protagonists within cinema presents a view of feminine identity that is not commonly seen within pop culture. Getting out of archetypal action heroes brings a new dynamic to these movies and may shape how women

are perceived as heroes.

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"Rooting for Affairs: The Blurry Lines of Pop Culture Romance." Mockingbird. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. <http://www.mbird.com/2013/05/pop-culture-affairs-and-thesearch-forlove/>.

This blog entry gives examples and challenges our culture's open support of affairs within literature, cinema, and television. As a whole our society has a completely negative outlook on affairs, they are seen as immoral and distrustful things to do, yet in these stories we root for them. We find justification for it by using the excuse of romance, or love yet if any of this happened to real people we might think different. This creates view of what is acceptable within the realms of fiction and the realms of reality.

______________________________________________________________________________ Baelo Allu, Sonia. "The Aesthetics Of Serial Killing: Working Against Ethics In The Silence Of The Lambs (1988) And American Psycho."Atlantis: Revista De La Asociacin Espaola De Estudios Anglo-Norteamericanos 24.2 (2002): 7-24. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.

This analysis of serial killers and murder mysteries in pop culture shows how we suspend of disbelief and forget the serious implication of murder. This turns serial killing into entertainment. The author explores the thought of ethics overriding the aesthetics of serial killer fiction. He analyzes The Silence of the Lambs and American Psycho. Both of these films are cult classics but each of them has different serial killers and different ways of dealing with said killer. This analysis goes along with the argument of ethics. When we start reading a book or watching a movie we suspend our disbelief but how does this suspension carry over back to reality. What do we take away from the sprees of serial killers and how does this affect the protagonist, or are they the protagonist?

______________________________________________________________________________ Eagleton, Terry. "Class, Power And Charlotte Bronte." Critical Quarterly 14.(1972): 225235. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.

This passage is about the concept of balancing both love and social propriety within the scope of Charlotte Brote's novels. The internal conflict of a outward private life versus a private outward life is a struggle against the confines of victorian society. These novels focus on allowing romantic satisfaction while not disrupting social convention. This struggle between society and instinct in the span of a protagonist goes beyond just romance though. The debate between what we what we want, what is expected and how those two may be reconciled is is a basis of many conflicts.

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Hogan, Patrick Colm. "The Brain In Love: A Case Study In Cognitive Neuroscience And Literary Theory." Journal Of Literary Theory 1.2 (2007): 339-355. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.

This passage gives a neurocognitive account of romantic love within literature. Romantic love being not only sex with a lover but being close to them and being in pain when they are separated. Why does romantic love so idealized that is is the way to gain happiness. The prevalence of romantic tragedies and comedies give truth to this testament. Fairy tales

give way to this mind set swell with their "Happily Ever After". How can we rectify this view with real life? The example of Hamlet is used in how he deals with his plot for revenge and his love for Ophelia.