We’ve all heard the stories before, about how brave knights save princesses, how superheroes save damsels in distresses. We’ve seen young women fall in love with dark, troubled men and, through the power of love, change them for the better. We’ve heard the manufactured romances of women who go for these macho men, who are protected and loved by them. Sure, we might get a strong woman who can protect herself, but in the end, she’ll fall in love with her designated love interest, like every other woman before her. 

That, unfortunately, is the reality in a lot of romance stories.

Traditionally, there were two characters central to the story, two characters that lay the foundation for the rest of the plot. Somehow, someway, the man and woman would get together, despite the odds, despite the drama, and celebrate one another as any other happy couple would. No matter how incompatible they are they’ll still get together. Even when readers don’t think it’s a good idea. Even when the characters themselves question why that is. 

I’ve read my share. Oftentimes, paranormal romances are guilty of this. Typically, the woman is expected to let the man protect her. She’s expected to become pregnant and give birth to her love interest’s children. She’s expected to exude femininity and depend on the man, not necessarily because he’s more skilled than her, but because she was meant to.

As for the man, it’s a different story. The man is supposed to protect his girl. He’s supposed to make the decisions for her, to discipline her when necessary, to ensure her safety at all costs. He’s supposed to be the handsome devil in the backs of our minds, even when we know that isn’t always realistic, or relatable, unfortunately. The man is supposed to be a fantasy that every woman drools over.

And believe me, it gets tiring. 

For instance, in a lot of romance movies, we see the woman give up her dreams in order to be with her man. In Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, we see this happen to Belle, who decides not to travel the world in order to be with a man who literally imprisoned her in his castle. In Gaston Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera and its sequel, the titular Phantom kidnaps his love interest in the hopes that she’ll fall in love with him, showcasing a sort of dark masculinity that twists the stereotypes. The same can be said for traditional fairytales we’ve read, and many of the young adult novels we all used to cherish (yes, I'm looking at you, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer). 

Of course, things have gotten better. LGBT literature is growing, as are books involved with gender equality and feminism. Many movies are now featuring women on equal grounds to their male counterparts, all the while giving them a reason to fall in love. And though it may take millions of books to replace the trillions that have graced our shelves with gender stereotypes, it still reflects a crucial change of attitudes between this century and the last. Is it a good thing? Probably. At the very least, the characters have become less predictable and the plots have gotten more interesting. 

But will this last?

I’ve absolutely no idea.