And they all lived happily ever after… This is the typical ending of a romance novel. Why does it always have to be a happy end? What happens to the story if it does not end this way and how does the reader react? These are central questions I want to examine in this paper. Therefore I will look at Maeve Binchy’s Circle of Friends and the film version of the novel. My first step is to investigate the general structure of typical romances and the special meaning of the ending for a novel. Afterwards, with focus on the ending, I want to show how Circle of Friends deviates from these conventions. For this purpose I will also look in greater detail at the heroine in the novel. Another central question of my paper is why women read romance novels and how readers are influenced by an unusual ending of a book. In my last point I want to compare the ending of the novel Circle of Friends with the one of the film. All in all, this paper should illustrate that Circle of Friends is a special kind of romance which influences our reception of the story.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 How does it all end? – Circle of Friends as novel and film version
2.1 The typical structure of romance novels
2.2 The general meaning of the ending in a novel
2.3 The ending of Maeve Binchy’s Circle of Friends
2.4 Analysis of the special ending in Circle of Friends
2.4.1 The traditional female main character in romance novels
2.4.2 The male hero in the romance novel
2.4.3 Benny – the unconventional heroine
2.5 Why do we read stereotypical romance novels?
2.6 Does a happy end really make the reader happy?
2.7 The film version of Circle of Friends
2.8 Personal opinion about the film version of Circle of Friends
3 Conclusion
Objectives and Research Themes
This paper examines how the romance genre uses conventions, specifically the "happy ending," and investigates how deviations from these norms influence reader reception. Focusing on Maeve Binchy’s Circle of Friends and its film adaptation, the study analyzes the role of the unconventional heroine and the impact of non-traditional conclusions on the narrative's realism and audience perception.
- The formulaic structure of traditional romance novels.
- The character development of the unconventional heroine, Benny Hogan.
- Psychological and social motives for reading stereotypical romance literature.
- Comparative analysis of the novel’s open ending versus the film’s conventional happy ending.
- The impact of narrative techniques and medium-specific constraints on story reception.
Excerpt from the Book
Benny - the unconventional heroine
Benny Hogan is no real stereotypical romance heroine. This is the most important reason why the novel Circle of Friends ends in a rather surprising way. First of all, Benny does not look like the conventional heroine. Already at the beginning of the book she is described as a rather big and clumsy girl: “Benny was large and square, but she wouldn’t look like that in the pink velvet dress. She would be just like the fairy dancers they had seen on the stage, and her feet wouldn’t look big and flat in those shoes […].” A bit later in the novel Benny needs to buy some new clothes in Dublin. Here her outer appearance is mentioned again. “But buying was no use. Not for Benny. They simply didn’t have the clothes in her size.” (285) Hence, Benny does not look very feminine, thin and soft. She does not represent the ideal of beauty usually expected in a romance novel. Furthermore, her behaviour is quite modern and she does not stick to traditional values. For example, she does not want to be involved in her father’s business, although her parents always wanted her to take over their menswear shop. One important reason for this is Sean Walsh who works in her father’s shop. Benny’s parents would like her to marry him, because it would have lots of advantages for the business. However, Benny refuses this marriage, because she does not love him at all. She rather despises Jean, because he is such a smarmy guy. One scene in the novel clearly shows how Benny thinks about her father’s shop and Sean Walsh. It is the part after her father’s death.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter outlines the research questions regarding romance conventions, the significance of endings, and the comparative focus on Maeve Binchy’s work.
2 How does it all end? – Circle of Friends as novel and film version: This central section defines the structural "formula" of the romance genre and introduces the specific narrative divergence in Circle of Friends.
2.1 The typical structure of romance novels: Explores the narrative stages and the "formulaic" nature of romance stories as defined by scholars like Cawelti and Zimmermann.
2.2 The general meaning of the ending in a novel: Discusses the psychological and aesthetic importance of the final chapter and how it influences the reader's judgment of a narrative.
2.3 The ending of Maeve Binchy’s Circle of Friends: Examines the plot of the novel and identifies why the lack of a traditional union between the protagonist and the hero creates a surprising effect.
2.4 Analysis of the special ending in Circle of Friends: Analyzes the open nature of the ending and its contribution to the sense of a "new beginning" rather than a definitive closure.
2.4.1 The traditional female main character in romance novels: Defines the stereotypical standards of beauty, passivity, and social role expected of heroines in conventional romance literature.
2.4.2 The male hero in the romance novel: Characterizes the "ideal" romance hero, constructed from the roles of the playboy and the mythopoetic man, focusing on emotional capacity and masculinity.
2.4.3 Benny – the unconventional heroine: Contrasts the protagonist Benny Hogan with standard romance stereotypes to show her realistic development and modern agency.
2.5 Why do we read stereotypical romance novels?: Draws on Radway’s study of the "Smithton women" to explain the escapist functions and social necessity of reading popular romance.
2.6 Does a happy end really make the reader happy?: Questions the universal desire for happy endings and explores how stereotypical conclusions can ironically create dissatisfaction.
2.7 The film version of Circle of Friends: Compares the cinematic adaptation’s narrative techniques and altered conclusion with the original text.
2.8 Personal opinion about the film version of Circle of Friends: Critiques the film's tendency toward predictability and its decision to force a conventional happy ending, arguing that it diminishes the power of the original story.
3 Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, asserting that deviating from traditional romance stereotypes makes light fiction more engaging and qualitatively superior.
Keywords
Romance novels, Maeve Binchy, Circle of Friends, Happy Ending, Literary Conventions, Narrative Structure, Unconventional Heroine, Reader Reception, Escapism, Film Adaptation, Gender Roles, Stereotypes, Open Ending, Literary Criticism, Genre Fiction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary objective of this paper?
The paper aims to investigate the formulaic structure of romance novels, specifically focusing on the convention of the "happy ending" and how deviating from this norm affects the reader's perception and the overall narrative impact.
What central themes are explored in this work?
Key themes include the comparison between literary and filmic narratives, the construction of gender roles in romance, the psychological reasons for reading popular fiction, and the significance of character development in unconventional protagonists.
Which specific romance novel is analyzed?
The study primarily focuses on Maeve Binchy’s novel Circle of Friends and its 1995 film adaptation.
What methodology does the author use?
The author employs a comparative literary analysis, utilizing concepts from romance genre theorists such as John G. Cawelti, Pamela Regis, and Janice A. Radway, while also applying film analysis techniques to assess the adaptation.
What is the focus of the main body of the work?
The main body examines the specific "formula" of the romance genre, the deviation of Benny Hogan from the stereotypical heroine, the functions of escapist reading, and a detailed critique of the differences between the book's open ending and the film's traditional conclusion.
Which keywords characterize this research?
The research is characterized by terms such as romance novel, narrative structure, literary conventions, unconventional heroine, reader reception, and film adaptation.
How does the protagonist, Benny Hogan, differ from traditional romance heroines?
Benny is presented as "large and square," lacking the typical thin and fragile appearance of romance heroines. She exhibits modern agency, refuses to be confined to traditional domestic roles, and eventually chooses personal independence over a conventional marriage.
Why does the author prefer the novel’s ending over the film’s?
The author argues that the novel's open ending is more realistic and satisfying, as it depicts a strong woman gaining her freedom. Conversely, the film's forced happy ending is seen as predictable, kitschy, and less representative of the character's growth.
- Quote paper
- Michaela Kertesz (Author), 2007, "Circle of Friends" as novel and film version, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/161423
