By John M. Guilfoil at Blast Magazine
The Twilight Saga is an important part of Blast’s coverage. We have a page dedicated to it. We cover every rumor, news item, do every interview and promote discussion of every aspect of the universe. It is, indeed, the 21st century female Star Wars.
But counter to all that giggling and squealing comes a certain amount of disdain.
“The books present a female heroine who can hardly take a step without needing some boy to rescue her,” Rice wrote. “In fact, the books represent sexist views in almost every way, from the fact that Bella gives up her ambitions and plans for college to get married to Edward, the fact that she is portrayed as a modern Eve, begging the noble, moral gentleman for sex while he desires to preserve their virtue, the fact that their relationship is dangerously unhealthy, and finally to the fact that nearly every single female character in the book is a hopelessly negative caricature.”
Kellen got a lot of responses. More than 3,600 comments as of Sunday night have come in the past 13 months, (its follow-up article has more than 1,000). These comments included women saying to her: “All of your opinions are completely FALSE!” and “YOU JUST THINK TOO MUCH JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE !”
This back and forth argument is nothing new.
Northwestern University communications professor Janice Radway 1984 book “Reading the Romance” is one of the seminal looks at how women are affected by romantic literature.
Read More here
Just a heads up, there’s some language in the article when they quote “comments”. But the argument is sound, and I felt the same way reading Twilight. On the one hand, it’s a beautiful love story, on the other, the relationship is a little unhealthy, and I thought at times borderline controlling and manipulative. Until Breaking Dawn, neither Edward or Jacob really see Bella as Bella; they see her as the object of their affection and treat her as such. She finally comes into her on in the fourth book, and I could finally see her as strong.
How did you feel when you were reading Twilight? Do you think Bella is strong or passive?
I would love to, but I am really not much of a writer unless it is about something I am really passionate about and even then I tend to babble, lol.
Very good points! I'd love to have you write for OBS Speaks Out!
This article is exactly why I can't stand extreme feminists. Twilight is just a good book/movie and anyone with common sense would know not to take everything in it so literally and compare it to real life relationships.
I don't think Bella is an antifeminist. I believe that feminism is letting a woman have the CHOICE to either stay at home and take care of her family and/or go out and get a career, go to school, whatever. I worked for quite a few years, did the military thing and had other jobs, but what I love even more is staying at home and taking care of my family. I am a homemaker/stay-at-home mom. I love doing it and I love having the choice to be able to do it. If Bella doesn't feel the need to go out and get a hobby, other than reading, go to college, and stop taking care of her father and doting over Edward, let her do her thing and stop thinking she is mentally damaged for wanting something completely different than what is considered the norm these days. I hate that over feministic people think that everyone should be in the “want to have it all” frame of mind where they have to juggle everything like career and family because other people think that is what will bring them happiness.
I'm sure Bella had other interests and did other things (she may have done them all with Edward, but so what?), but just because Stephenie Meyer didn't narrate every single minute detail of Bella's daily life like she described Edward's God-like body, doesn't mean she didn't do anything else to keep her life interesting.
I think that people need to discuss this stuff with their kids to make sure they know that it is just a story (I personally thought it was chivalrous of Edward trying to protect Bella because Bella is a magnet for all things dangerous, but that kind of stuff doesn't always fly in real life and the youngins need to know the difference between chivalrous and DANGEROUSLY overly protective), they have a choice in how they want to live their lives, and not all guys are like Edward or Jacob (and mention at the same time that they shouldn't settle for just anyone just because those two characters don't exist in real life).
Plus, who wants to read books about the guys in real life? IDK about you guys, but the guys in real life lack the chivalry that I miss seeing in guys. I partly blame feminism for there not being many real life Edward's because women felt the need to prove they can do anything a man can do, it seems like that is the reason a lot of men don't feel the need (or are too scared they will be attacked by over feministic types and be blamed for insinuating that women can't do things on their own) to be gentlemen anymore and do gentlemanly things like open doors for us, etc. Of course, I could be wrong on that part (you'd really have to ask the guys, but that is just my opinion/theory on the matter.
I don't believe Bella and Edward's relationship was abusive or unhealthy. I don't see anything wrong with seeing the good in people and believing in people. Now, if Edward was physically or verbally abusive to her, then I agree that she is in an abusive/unhealthy relationship, but that wasn't the case. It makes me think of this quote from Kristin Kreuk “just because I don't do bad things, doesn't mean I don't have bad thoughts”. Everyone has a dark side, but not everyone gives in to it. I believe that Bella knew that Edward was strong enough to not give in to his dark side and do the bad things because he didn't want to do them.
Edward may have been acting like an over protective mother hen, but considering the trouble she usually got herself into weren't really small incidents, I could understand that. I, myself, am that way with my husband and kids and would annihilate anyone who hurt my family.
I think Bella is a very strong minded young woman who knows who she is and doesn't feel the need to conform to society by doing all of the things the other kids in school did just to fit in. She knows what she likes and doesn't like and isn't afraid to speak her mind.
Not every one has the same interpretation about a book but to me the article cheapens the book it's about passion and a love so deep that nothing else matters.
You can keep your version of feminism. I'll take Edward and Bella's life any day.
I have to agree with some of it. I can see how it could be a negative example to young people, but I also feel it's a parent's responsibility to talk with their child about the books (if they are allowing them to read twilight).
While I love the series, I too can see how damaging it could be to a young adult trying to form their ideas and views on the world.
I actually enjoyed the series very much, but have felt strongly that Bella is NOT a good role model for young women. She allows Edward to walk all over her and make all of her decisions, not to mention seems to think it sweet when he stalks her! These in a real life relationship would all be looked at as unhealthy and negative signs in a relationship, however, Edward and Bella have become so romanticized that most young girls and women refuse to see it that way. Bella is strong only in the sense of a strong example of what a BAD relationship looks like.
I would love to, but I am really not much of a writer unless it is about something I am really passionate about.
Very good points! I'd love to have you write for OBS Speaks Out!
This article is exactly why I can't stand extreme feminists. Twilight is just a good book/movie and anyone with common sense would know not to take everything in it so literally and compare it to real life relationships.
I don't think Bella is an antifeminist. I believe that feminism is letting a woman have the CHOICE to either stay at home and take care of her family and/or go out and get a career, go to school, whatever. I worked for quite a few years, did the military thing and had other jobs, but what I love even more is staying at home and taking care of my family. I am a homemaker/stay-at-home mom. I love doing it and I love having the choice to be able to do it. If Bella doesn't feel the need to go out and get a hobby, other than reading, go to college, and stop taking care of her father and doting over Edward, let her do her thing and stop thinking she is mentally damaged for wanting something completely different than what is considered the norm these days. I hate that over feministic people think that everyone should be in the “want to have it all” frame of mind where they have to juggle everything like career and family because other people think that is what will bring them happiness.
I'm sure Bella had other interests and did other things (she may have done them all with Edward, but so what?), but just because Stephenie Meyer didn't narrate every single minute detail of Bella's daily life like she described Edward's God-like body, doesn't mean she didn't do anything else to keep her life interesting.
I think that people need to discuss this stuff with their kids to make sure they know that it is just a story (I personally thought it was chivalrous of Edward trying to protect Bella because Bella is a magnet for all things dangerous, but that kind of stuff doesn't always fly in real life and the youngins need to know the difference between chivalrous and DANGEROUSLY overly protective), they have a choice in how they want to live their lives, and not all guys are like Edward or Jacob (and mention at the same time that they shouldn't settle for just anyone just because those two characters don't exist in real life).
Plus, who wants to read books about the guys in real life? IDK about you guys, but the guys in real life lack the chivalry that I miss seeing in guys. I partly blame feminism for there not being many real life Edward's because women felt the need to prove they can do anything a man can do, it seems like that is the reason a lot of men don't feel the need (or are too scared they will be attacked by over feministic types and be blamed for insinuating that women can't do things on their own) to be gentlemen anymore and do gentlemanly things like open doors for us, etc. Of course, I could be wrong on that part (you'd really have to ask the guys, but that is just my opinion/theory on the matter.
I don't believe Bella and Edward's relationship was abusive or unhealthy. I don't see anything wrong with seeing the good in people and believing in people. Now, if Edward was physically or verbally abusive to her, then I agree that she is in an abusive/unhealthy relationship, but that wasn't the case. It makes me think of this quote from Kristin Kreuk “just because I don't do bad things, doesn't mean I don't have bad thoughts”. Everyone has a dark side, but not everyone gives in to it. I believe that Bella knew that Edward was strong enough to not give in to his dark side and do the bad things because he didn't want to do them.
Edward may have been acting like an over protective mother hen, but considering the trouble she usually got herself into weren't really small incidents, I could understand that. I, myself, am that way with my husband and kids and would annihilate anyone who hurt my family.
I think Bella is a very strong minded young woman who knows who she is and doesn't feel the need to conform to society by doing all of the things the other kids in school did just to fit in. She knows what she likes and doesn't like and isn't afraid to speak her mind.
Not every one has the same interpretation about a book but to me the article cheapens the book it's about passion and a love so deep that nothing else matters.
You can keep your version of feminism. I'll take Edward and Bella's life any day.
I have to agree with some of it. I can see how it could be a negative example to young people, but I also feel it's a parent's responsibility to talk with their child about the books (if they are allowing them to read twilight).
While I love the series, I too can see how damaging it could be to a young adult trying to form their ideas and views on the world.
I actually enjoyed the series very much, but have felt strongly that Bella is NOT a good role model for young women. She allows Edward to walk all over her and make all of her decisions, not to mention seems to think it sweet when he stalks her! These in a real life relationship would all be looked at as unhealthy and negative signs in a relationship, however, Edward and Bella have become so romanticized that most young girls and women refuse to see it that way. Bella is strong only in the sense of a strong example of what a BAD relationship looks like.