This was a
difficult Theme Spotlight to name. Originally the working title
for this column was "impersonating" a spouse or lover, and in
some cases the characters do actually impersonate another
specific character in the novel. But fiancé or lover. And
although these books may involve assumed identities or marriages
of convenience, they primarily focus on a "pretend" relationship.
Why would anyone "pretend" a relationship? Maybe if you
were due to inherit something, but needed to be married to be
eligible. Or what about those harried heroines whose parents are
so anxious for them to marry that they are always foisting
prospective beaus on them? Creating a "pretend" beau buys the
heroine time to find a "real" one. Of course you'll find plenty
of serious stories here too, including the "Sommersby" theme,
where neither the wife nor the reader knows whether the hero is
really her husband...
What's The Appeal?
The
question of identity is fascinating. There are those of us who
can constantly reinvent ourselves in every area of our lives. But
for the most part we accept specific roles for ourselves and
carry them through our entire lifetimes: good girl, mother,
care-taker, etc.
When a character has an opportunity to
play-act a relationship, it gives them a chance to adopt a
personality they may not ever experience otherwise. Much like
learning another language, once you are fluent, you have a chance
to become a "different" person.
Most of us don't have an
opportunity to "act" in our lives, but we love the chance to wear
a mask, take on a new identity for a costume ball, or dress-up
for one of our favorite holidays: Halloween. This plot features a
character like us who is forced to play a role. What fun to
disguise ourselves and add vitality and excitement to what
otherwise might be a bland life!
Not only does the
heroine have the chance to pretend something she secretly desires
is true, but the "Cinderellesque" aspect to a story, a duckling
metamorphosing into a swan, offers the ultimate satisfaction. The
heroine is able to transform herself and her fantasy lover into
the real thing by sheer desire!
When you pretend a
relationship exists that doesn't there is great opportunity for
humor. The pretense can be fun-especially as the reader may be
one of the few privy to the secret. The joke is usually on the
'fake' couple, for it is inevitable that they fall in love and
must keep their attraction a secret from each other.
-Kate Ryan
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