Irish Youth, Materialism and Postfeminism: The Critique behind the Romance in "Normal People"

Normal People, the TV series, aired in Ireland during pandemic lockdown spring 2020 and became an instant hit. This romantic drama, based on Sally Rooney’s acclaimed novel, offers updated representation of tensions inherent process growing up for Irish youth, a context extensive to other Western countries. The aim this article is explore critique behind romance through in-depth interpretation protagonists’ problematic coming-of-age. For purpose, dramatic aspects cinematic narrative are explored terms composition, narration focalization. Under critical lens postfeminism, analyses how psychological violence explicit rough sex used series as forms (mis)communication, with particular interest combination camera work, dialogues silences. Finally, assesses what extent People naturalizes mundane life succeeds adhering plot within frame neoliberal postfeminist values.