Unrealistic Expectations

Did you not dream of being a princess who was rescued by her knight in shining armor? I did, I realize how ridiculous it was to just sit there and wait for someone who may never show up. If he did show up, I would know he was the one because there would be sparks when we touched, my heart would rate would pick up, my stomach would be doing flips like a gymnast, fireworks would explode throughout my body as we kissed, and our hands would fit perfectly together when we intertwined our fingers. I had all these expectations for my future boyfriend, and if none of that happened then he wasn’t the man for me. I got all these ideas from romance novels. How silly of a girl to believe fiction. I had nothing to go on for what relationships should be

Even though they were fiction, I still believed that the books had some truth. I clung so hard to those expectations, that when I would hold a guy’s hand, I would analyze how our hands fit. I often became disappointed with my relationships because I had such unrealistic expectations. I wanted to learn how romantic stories give girls unrealistic expectations for future relationships? Firstly, at such a young age, we are exposed to the prince rescuing the princess, whether it be from a tower or a deep sleep. Theresa Tonn, a graduate student of the University Wisconsin-Stout, stated in her research that Lois Fowler, English professor at Carnegie Mellon University, and Kathleen McCormick, Literature and Writing professor at SUNY, “argue[d] that the introduction of fairy tales at an age when the distinction between ‘fantasy and reality is blurry leads readers to accept the stereotypical conventions of fairy tales’: princesses are mistreated, women in power are evil, and everyone lives happily ever after” (1). Our imagination is unrestrained at such a young age that many of the stories read to us become a big part of that imagination. When we recall back to those memories we have a hard time distinguishing the difference between reality and a silly story. Without

Each adolescent is certain that his/her love is true and will result in a lifelong commitment. Each one dreaming of the emotional fireworks, picnics on the beach, a honeymoon in Paris, and the names of his/her first-born...I then realize how disappointing it can be when their dreams of romance and love are crushed. I question who gives them the impression that love is always fireworks and roses