Blurred lines: Sexual abuse (or not) in ‘Big little lies’

Tewari, Devyani (2024) Blurred lines: Sexual abuse (or not) in ‘Big little lies’. In: Violence in intimate spaces : Law and beyond. Springer, Singapore, pp. 43-57. ISBN 978-981-97-2657-8

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Abstract

Big Little Lies, a television show, has been applauded for its deft depiction of domestic violence, infidelity, and childrearing, which helps the viewers in obtaining an insight into the societal conception of gender roles vis a vis the familial structure. However, it was reported that many viewers perceived the sex scenes between the two characters of the show, Celeste and Perry Wright, as sexy rather than as abusive, demonstrating a lack of clarity as to which sexual encounters constitute consensual sex and which, if at all, constitute sexual abuse. This chapter explores the blurred lines between consensual sex and sexual abuse in the abusive marriage of Celeste and Perry Wright. Additionally, this chapter demonstrates the intricate relationship between cinema, law, society, and domestic violence. I draw upon feminist and post-structuralist scholarship on the construction of familial structures, patriarchy, consent, domesticity, and sexual violence. This enables me to propose three distinct interpretations of the sexual relationship between Celeste and Perry Wright.

Item Type: Book Section
Subjects: Social Sciences and humanities > Social Sciences > Social Sciences (General)
Social Sciences and humanities > Social Sciences > Human Rights
Social Sciences and humanities > Social Sciences > Law and Legal Studies
JGU School/Centre: Jindal Global Law School
Depositing User: Subhajit Bhattacharjee
Date Deposited: 31 Aug 2024 11:41
Last Modified: 02 Sep 2024 07:02
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-2657-8_4
URI: https://pure.jgu.edu.in/id/eprint/8387

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