Topic > Reflecting on sexual addiction in Shainberg's film...

Shainberg's film Secretary (2002) depicts Lee Holloway being taken to a mental hospital for self-harm, then released back into the real world. Here she finds a job advert for a secretary where she meets Mr. Grey, the firm's lead lawyer. During his time in the office, Lee submits to many tasks for Mr. Grey, including sexual acts. Schneider (1991), Buss, Larsen & Semmelroth (1992) and Hyde, DeLamater & Byers (2012), reflect on how jealousy, sexual addictions and the four-phase cycle play a role in proving Lee Holloway to be an addict sexual. Schneider (1991), presented five case studies in which he looked at many aspects of sexual addiction through family history, child abuse, age, other addictions, and co-dependencies. As well as treatment options for those who are sexual addicts. He found that many addicts responded well to treatment options and could continue a healthy lifestyle. Buss et al. (1992), studied jealousy in males and females and found that females respond to emotional infidelity, while males are jealous of sexual infidelity. In conclusion, both genders were jealous, which had a negative impact on their mental states. Lee Holloway is a paralegal, assigned a female occupation. In Lee's case, it is a subordinate position in the office, as Mr. Gray gives her tedious tasks. A clear example of a menial task results in Lee rummaging through the dumpster. Grey: I think I accidentally threw away my notes on the Feldman case. Maybe you could... Lee Holloway: Go through the garbage? While retrieving the paper, Mr. Gray quickly announces that he has already found another copy of the case and quickly sends her back to work. This shows the beginning... middle of the paper... she immediately knees him in the balls and sits back down. Three days later Mr. Gray arrives and takes her away, where they later marry and continue their submissive/dominant roles as husband and wife. Schneider states that a sex addict has an “obsession with activity” (Schneider., 1991, p.1). It's clear that Lee still continues to do things wrong to get punished, as the last scene shows her placing a cockroach on the bed they built together. She has an obsession with being corrected for her wrong actions, which results in sexual gratification. It is evident that Lee seeks satisfaction from Mr. Grey, as she attempts to be pleased by Peter and fails, consequently allowing her to leave him for Mr. Grey. With her devious tricks and sexual thoughts, it is her compulsive behavior that she attributes to a sexual addiction.