A Jungian psychoanalytic approach, using the unconscious animus/anima archetype, can explain the appeal of the romance novel to women readers through an understanding of how the romance formula fulfills the psychological needs of contemporary women as the struggle for identity in a patriarchal society. The heroine of the romance is attracted to the hero because he is a projection of her animus spirit. The heroine's character remains stable throughout the plot; she is strong and resourceful. The hero, however, is initially cruel and abusive, but is later transformed into a caring individual. This characterization satisfies women readers' need to face their masculine side, or animus. The narrative structure of romance novels almost always includes an angry initial encounter between the hero and the heroine, a series of misunderstandings that comprise the bulk of the plot, and a happy ending. Throughout the misunderstandings, the psychological merging of the animus/hero to the ideal woman figure is accomplished, and with the transformation of the hero, the reader completes another step in her self-actualization. The happy ending constitutes the merger of the unconscious contra-sexual tendency, bringing the reader to a full understanding of her self-identity. (SRT)