There are many possible reasons to keep a couple from finding happiness together, but this time it’s personal.
Majanka Verstraete considers why audiences enjoy stories about forbidden love, and how those stories act as a way to safely entertain their own impossible desires. Dr. Colleen Sinclair looks at the effects of social networks and familial disapproval on romantic relationships. Drawing on the signifiers of Romeo and Juliet, she offers context to the psychological research.
The cast of the Guildford Shakespeare Company’s production of Romeo and Juliet discuss the web of causality that pushes the titular star-crossed lovers to an early grave:
Stories about overcoming the barriers to love often require a transformation (sometimes a very dramatic one). avivasokolow digs in to Hans Christian Andersen’s original The Little Mermaid and how beyond trading a tail for legs, there are a number of sacrifices made by the mermaid to fulfill her quest to earn an immortal soul. Moving to the Disney adaptation, the-blue-fairie discusses the overlooked complexity of Ariel’s forbidden love, and how it extends beyond one prince to all of humanity:
Why don’t we talk more about Ariel, the young woman who always challenged her father’s prejudice? Why don’t we talk more about Ariel, who actively spoke out about the flaws she saw in her society? Why don’t we talk more about Ariel, whose actions helped change that society for the better? Why don’t we talk more about Ariel, who formed a bridge between two worlds and enacted positive change?
The Studio Ghibli reinterpretation Ponyo ups the stakes. Juliet Mazer-Schmidt Jr. compares King Triton’s anti-human bias with Ponyo’s father’s desire to keep Ponyo under the sea so that she doesn’t disrupt the magical balance of the tides and moon (and because he’s planning to wipe out all of humanity for their crimes against the ocean). Anthony Gramuglia and Jenny Melzer focus on how Ponyo’s story of parental disapproval was influenced by a real-life strained relationship between Hayao Miyazaki and his son Goro.
Crazy Rich Asians features layers of generational and cultural differences that cause Eleanor to see Rachel as an unsuitable match for her son. Siyu An, Yushu Dong, and Yexuan Xing write on the relationship between Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law conflicts,1 and the tension added in this story by Western and Eastern cultural beliefs and stereotypes. Jeff Yang analyzes the climactic mahjong scene between Rachel and Eleanor, showing how Rachel’s willingness to sacrifice her love wins her Eleanor’s approval.
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🤳 Get more star-crossed lovers in Weekend Read
This week’s newsletter is another collaboration with Weekend Read, giving you a stack of scripts featuring couples fighting for recognition and acceptance with their family. You’ll see:
10 Things I Hate About You
Badlands
Coming to America
Crazy Rich Asians
and more!
Every week, new scripts are posted in Weekend Read 2 for you to add to your personal library.
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Previously on Inneresting…
In case you missed it, in last issue’s most clicked link Brendan Morrow lists George R.R. Martin’s predictions of when The Winds of Winter will be complete.
What else is inneresting?
Matthew Olzmann’s absolutely gutting poem: Letter to the Person Who Carved His Initials into the Oldest Living Longleaf Pine in North America
Wendy Xu illustrates the experience of seeing a former fellow artist become a mouthpiece for cutting corners with AI:
Also, for further reading on star-crossed lovers (along with artificial intelligence, androids, and less-than-ethical scientists), check out Wendy Xu’s The Infinity Particle.
And that’s what’s inneresting this week!
Inneresting is edited by Chris Csont, with contributions from readers like you and the entire Quote-Unquote team.
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