One of the biggest books and movies around right now is the Twilight franchise. Although, that same fame won’t protect it from many of it’s critics.
Many are furious with the books and movies due to some parts of it’s storyline. The critics range from upset over parts where the protagonist fails to be a role model, to outright accusations of misogyny.
Yet, while it’s a multi-billion dollar seller, is there anything to what the critics say? The protagonist is far from what most would want their own children imitating, even aside from that vampire aspect, it really is just a story.
Throughout the books the main character is outright obsessed with the love interest Edward. While alone this just makes the books a ‘typical’ romance novel, many argue that the unhealthy interest Bella shows in Edward’s (at one point being completely catatonic due to their breakup), is an unhealthy image for young kids to read,
It’s doubtful that the author, Stephanie Meyer, anticipated most of the backlash. While that alone (especially) doesn’t necessarily mean the critics are actually wrong.
I’ve just recently read the books myself, it’s nothing that I would want my own daughter to emulate (by far). Meyer did craft a fascinating tale, admittedly I did enjoy the series for the most part. While I do have to agree with the critics over a few things, at the same time it is ‘just a book’.
Recommended:
I’ve heard this sort of criticism before, and it makes no sense to me. Sure, Bella is deeply in love with Edward, and her life derails a bit when he leaves her. But Edward is just as obsessed by Bella–the feelings aren’t just one way. I’m pretty obsessed with my husband and we’ve managed to stay married for 16 years and raise 3 great kids, so I don’t necessarily find that unhealthy.
The other thing people fail to see in Bella is that she is in love with a man with a very strong personality, yet she never lets him dictate to her–even though he tries to do so. He wants to protect her, and with good reason, because she’s usually in real danger, but she won’t allow him to curtail her activities or tell her who she can see or what she can do.
Their relationship increases incrementally in trust and maturity throughout the course of the 4 books. Both Bella and Edward learn to negotiate, compromise, and trust themselves and each other. In the end, Bella’s the strongest of them all, and far from being saved by the men in her life, she herself saves everyone she loves.
Along the way, she and Edward wait for marriage to have sex, and she finds joy in her unplanned pregnancy. These are some excellent qualities, and ones I’d be proud for my daughters to emulate.
January 11th, 2010 at 4:15 pm