Blurred Lines: Sexual Abuse (or not) in ‘Big Little Lies’

Big Little Lies, a television show, has been applauded for its deft depiction of domestic violenceDomestic violence, infidelity, and childrearing, which helps the viewers in obtaining an insight into the societal conception of gender rolesGender roles vis a vis the familial structure. However, it was reported that many viewers perceived the sexSex scenes between the two characters of the show, Celeste and Perry Wright, as sexy rather than as abusive, demonstrating a lack of clarity as to which sexual encounters constitute consensual sexConsensual sex and which, if at all, constitute sexual abuseSexual abuse. This chapter explores the blurred lines between consensual sexConsensual sex and sexual abuseSexual abuse in the abusive marriageMarriage of Celeste and Perry Wright. Additionally, this chapter demonstrates the intricate relationshipRelationships between cinemaSociety and cinema, lawLaw, society, and domestic violenceDomestic violence. I draw upon feministFeminist and post-structuralist scholarship on the construction of familial structures, patriarchyPatriarchy, consentConsent, domesticityDomesticity, and sexual violenceSexual violence. This enables me to propose three distinct interpretations of the sexual relationshipRelationships between Celeste and Perry Wright.