The "Great Lie"

The "Great Lie" that romance novels and films present to women, as discussed by Manatu on page 57 when referring to Haskell, is "women's inferiority status" as reinforced by film "through the dialectic of gender differences." It has to do with the suppression of a female's individuality, all of her different facets, ideas, and dreams are thrown to the side, while the male is encouraged to explore and pursue whatever he may wish. For an example, a female's sexuality is suppressed, while the male's is promoted. This whole notion is perpetuated in popular cinema without enough critical attention by viewers. The "Happily Ever After" narrative is the final carrying through of this lie. Once the female submits to the male, is feminine, but not oversexed, and is domesticated, she can be supported by the male. Again, it's a silly thing that is certainly troublesome in terms of gender relations, but it has made money at the box office and often goes unchallenged, thus keeping it alive.