“Twilight”: Both sides weigh in
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Laura Carroll
December 18, 2009
Filed under Commentary, Entertainment
“Twilight”, rightly interpreted, is message of true love
He was the love of your life, your destiny. The two of you shared a relationship straight out of the mind of Jane Austen. But, because of situations directly related to the type of person you loved, there was no other choice, he had to leave. And so you were left on the ground feeling lifeless and hollow.
New Moon, the next installment of the Twilight Saga, shows us the harsh reality of how it feels to lose your soulmate. This book is fundamentally about the ability to love no matter what you are, vampire, werewolf, or human, a theme that unites readers world-wide.
Many find Bella to be an anti-feminist heroine because she can’t seem to function without a man, or that she marries to young or falls in love to soon; but, I feel the opposite is true. The basis of feminism is choice. A woman can choose any path that she wants regardless of her gender. Those who believe that Bella’s choices are anti-feminist are anti-feminists themselves. Bella chooses to love Edward of her own volition. She could have chosen Jacob, maybe even Mike Newton, but Bella chooses Edward. This confirms that Bella is a feminist character, because despite of the loss of her true love, she lives her life and fights to become close to the one she loves. Plus, Edward is not only cute, but he also practices chivalry, good manners, and abstinence. At last: a man who wants more than to get in a girl’s pants!
There is much controversy surrounding New Moon, and the Twilight Saga itself. Twilight vampires are a target for insults because of the way Stephenie Meyer wrote them. These sparkly vamps are not like the others, many people are upset about this. They picture vampires in the image of the traditional Nosferatu, a creepy guy with pale skin, a shrunken face, and a black cape, saying things like, “I want to suck your blood.”
Each Twi-hater has their own version of Martin Luther’s Ninety-five Theses, with complaints ranging from “Stephenie Meyer’s vampires should just crawl back into their coffins” to “But wait, vampires have fangs and they don’t sparkle.” Unfortunately, none of these comments have any merit because those who say them are either stuck in their Nosferatic ideas of vampires or lack the maturity and capability to grasp the concept of true love. Hey, it’s fiction, people! How can you “ruin vampire mythology forever” when it is simply that—mythology? There is no right or wrong way to write about a vampire because they don’t exist. Twilight vamps just do it better.
In the New Moon movie, vampirism is taken to new heights with quick-paced action scenes and creative insights. Images exhibiting the immense speed and strength of vampires or Jacob’s ability to change into a werewolf in mid-leap create an alternative universe and visually dynamic film. Speaking of great visuals, take a look at Jacob’s biceps. They literally have created new fans of the series!
Twilight is a story that everyone can understand if only they would abandon their anti-Twilight biases. Taking a bite out of Twilight changed my life for the better. Love knows no bounds and surely Twilight proves that.
Why the “Twilight” Saga sends the wrong message to girls
Let’s get one thing straight. There is an astronomical difference between popularity and quality. The Twilight saga manages to cross this defined line and create a scary, sexist message for any girl with her guard down.
The New Moon trailer opens with a dramatic Bella Swan, played by Kristen Stewart, curled into the fetal position because her beloved Edward Cullen, played by Robert Pattinson, has left her. It takes Bella five months to recover from this catatonic state.
The book is a literary disgrace, as are all of Meyer’s books, full of dead metaphors and the overuse of adjectives. In Twilight, Bella says, “For an instant, I felt a thrill of genuine fear, raising the hair on my arms. The look only lasted a second, but it chilled me more than the freezing wind.” Seriously, who talks like that? Meyer’s love of commas and her dramatic style just comes off silly and unrealistic.
Her callow writing is also displayed in her dialogue. For example, Edward says in one heart wrenching scene, “I don’t have the strength to stay away from you anymore.” Bella eats this up, responding, “Then don’t.” It’s sickening. Oh, and the scene in the movie when Edward says, “Hold on tight, spider monkey,” and then jumps out of the window with aid from special effects that were used in the 70’s. Sadly, the Razzie-deserving movie wasn’t a wrong interpretation of Twilight-the saga really is that awful.
However, the real problem with Twilight lies not in those issues, but in the general message Stephanie Meyer sends to her readers, who age anywhere between ten and fifty. Meyer’s main character, Bella, is unable to function without a man by her side. A woman’s self worth should not come from the attention of men or any other person. Unfortunately, once Edward rejects her, she sinks into a suicidal depression until she moves on to Jacob Black, who she flirts with and gets her attention fix from. And people consider Bella a heroine?
Furthermore, Bella gives up her dreams of college and is willing to ditch her family for a guy. Oh, but it’s true love! Right? Not exactly. Edward has no personality. But he is attractive. Bella isn’t funny or smart. But she does smell good! Their relationship is based on superficial characteristics.
On a more serious note, New Moon glamorizes suicide and depression. Bella attempts suicide several times in New Moon. But her depression is considered ‘romantic,’ because it’s about a handsome vampire.
Now, I don’t have anything against a good love story. But I definitely have a problem with a controlling jerk and an immature girl being made into 21st century romance icons. If you’re in love with the romantic genre, read Pride and Prejudice or any book by Sarah Dessen. Follow Ron and Hermione’s journey towards love. Watch The Notebook, for crying out loud. There is a reason Twilight was rejected by fourteen different agents before being published. Twilight has dangerous ideals, and is simply a waste of 2,444 pages.
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