As an employer, his social class is shown through his office building, hobbies, and things he can afford.
It‘s a huge twenty-story office building, all curved glass and steel, an architect‘s utilitarian fantasy, with Grey House written discreetly in steel
over the glass front doors…. I walk into the enormous-and frankly intimidating-glass, steel, and white sandstone lobby. James, 2011: 8
The description about Grey‘s office building shows how wealthy he is. In the description about his building, the mentioned characteristics show the luxury
of the building. It is not just an ordinary office building, but it is well-designed using certain architectural style. The fact that the building has the words Grey
House written also implies his success. Grey‘s social class is also declared through his expensive hobbies. He
states, ―Yes. Gliding to the layperson. Gliders and helicopters – I fly them both‖
James, 2011: 67. By telling his hobbies, he shows that he has money to afford such things and it emphasizes his social status. Therefore, from his job and his
lifestyle, it is clear that he is politically, economically, and socially powerful.
3. Christian Grey as A Lover in Relationship with Steele
This sub-part focuses on how Grey is presented as a lover in relationship with Steele, especially in the way he treats her as his ―girlfriend‖. Grey is
presented as a manipulative man. Being a manipulative man means that he uses tricks to trap Steele in his game. He uses his changing mood and his opinion to
influence her thought and perspective. It is used to make her agree to sign the contract.
I know I have given you a great deal to contemplate, and I fervently hope that you will give my proposal your serious consideration. I really want to
make this work. We will take it slow. Trust me. James, 2011: 161 By turning tenderer and not so forcing Steele, as his written massage to
Steele above, he wants to gain her sympathy. He also promises her to take and make everything work slowly, implying that he will let Steele learn his wants ans.
Therefore, she can change her mind and begin to rethink about the contract because what he says to her sounds promising.
On the other hand, there is a fact that Steele wants to have relationship with him. However, she wants a romantic relationship with a man of flowers and
hearts. Grey is not the type of the man she wants, yet he knows he can use it as his power to get her attention. By his tricky and manipulative ways, Steele is finally
trapped into his game. He makes himself look kind and love Steele. He makes her see that he can be the man of flower and hearts just as what she wants.
―How was that?‖ he asks, and his eyes are a shining, dazzling silver gray. He leans down to unbuckle me.
―That was extraordinary. Thank you,‖ I whisper. ―Was it more?‖ he asks, his voice tinged with hope.
―Much more,‖ I breathe, and he grins. ―Come.‖ He holds out his hand for me, and I clamber out of the cockpit.
As soon as I‘m out, he grabs me and holds me flush against his body. James, 2011: 316
The next evidence presents the manipulative way Grey puts to Steele by
being disagreed with her opinion. He tries to clear her mind and make her think the way he think of herself.
―I will buy you lots of things, Anastasia. Get used to it. I can afford it. I‘m a very wealthy man.‖ He leans down and plants a swift, chaste kiss on my
lips. ―Please.‖ He releases me. ‗
Ho
‘ my subconscious mouths at me. ―It makes me feel cheap,‖ I murmur.
Christian runs his hand through his hair, exasperated. ―It shouldn‘t. You‘re over-thinking it, Anastasia. Don‘t place some vague
moral judgment on yourself based on what others might think. Don‘t waste your energy. It‘s only because you have reservations about our
arrangement, that ‘s perfectly natural. You don‘t know what you‘re getting
yourself into.‖ James, 2011: 177 It is clearly seen that Grey tries to change Steele‘s perspective of what he
has done to her. It is done because he knows she can be easily influenced. He is manipulative because he does this to make her have the same perspective with
him, thus she will not refuse or disagree with him. When she has the same perspective with him, he can control her easily. Besides, Grey is also presented as
the Dominant and is interested in sexual relationship. ―Okay, this evening,‖ he acquiesces. ―Now eat your breakfast.‖
My thoughts and my stomach are in turmoil. My appetite has vanished. I stare at my half-
eaten breakfast. I‘m just not hungry. ―Eat, Anastasia. You didn‘t eat last night.‖
―I‘m really not hungry,‖ I whisper. His eyes narrow.
―I would really like you to finish your breakfast.‖ James, 2011: 94 To be dominant, Grey has to control people, including his woman and he
really does that in reality. The dialog above gives a clear picture of his characteristic in his relation with Steele. He starts controlling her with simple
thing, like eating. He does not give a choice to her to decide whether she will finish her meal or not. Instead, he insists on her to finish her meal, whether or not
she is really hungry. All he wants is that she finishes her meal and she must do what he wants right that time and in front of him.
His control-freak characteristic is also admitted by he himself to Steele. ―I like the control it brings me, Anastasia. I want you to behave in a
particular way, and if you don‘t, I shall punish you, and you will learn to
behave the way I desire. I enjoy punishing you. I‘ve wanted to spank you since you asked me if
I was gay.‖ James, 2011: 201 He likes to dominate and he wants to emphasize his point that in the
relationship, it will be he who dominates a lot. He wants her to know that he will control her and punishes her when it is needed. He shows to her that it is his duty
as a man who has money to control her as a woman who does not have much money like him. His control has also psychological effect on Steele. As presented
in the quotation below, he can control Steele‘s mind. He can change her perspective of what she should do and who she should look up in relationship.
T his is so… I want to think
wrong
, but somehow it‘s not. It‘s right for
Christian. It‘s what he wants – and after the last few days… after all he‘s done, I have to man up and take whatever he decides he wants, whatever
he thinks he needs. James, 2011: 336
In addition to control her, Grey employs rules to her so that she will be submissive. One of his rules is not allowing Steele to roll her eyes in front of him.
If Steele violates his rules, she will get punishment from him. ―I think you did. What did I say I‘d do to you if you rolled your eyes at me
again?‖
Shit.
He sits down on the edge of the bed. ―Come here,‖ he says softly.
I blanch. Jeez… he‘s serious. I sit staring at him completely immobile. ―I haven‘t signed,‖ I whisper.
―I told you what I‘d do. I‘m a man of my word. I‘m going to spank you, and then I‘m going to fuck you very quick and very hard. Looks like we‘ll
need that condom after all.‖ James, 2011: 192 In the relationship, Grey considers Steele as his property and he will do
anything to her without hesitation. Setting rules in the relationship is a way to dominate Steele. However, the rules are on his side. It is allowed for him to
