Since the release of the books and films, witty analyses of Twilight and its sequels have been dominant on the Internet. Most of the critique, or appraisal, centres around the reason for its success, how transparent it is, and the need for an explanation because, of course, how 'lame' it all is - it is as bizarre as that phase where year 11 kids started bringing their childhood lunchboxes back into school, claiming it as 'retro' or something (anyone else remember that?)
The explanation goes a little something like this: Girls like Twilight. Girls like Twilight because of the hero, Edward Cullen, who is immortal, and loves the awkward teenager Bella unconditionally. Edward is god-like, and as all girls are an awkward teenager inside, with a longing to be loved by an immortal being, Twilight fulfills their dreams of one day also being loved unconditonally by a god-like creature.
For me there are a million and one things wrong with this argument, but I'll just give you the 3 main issues I have with it.
1) The first premise is that girls like Twilight. I would like to deny this sweeping generalisation, which assumes that Twilight is liked only by girls. And I'm pretty sure there a few women who couldn't give a flying fig what happens in Forks. Additionally, I can name men who like Twilight. I have heard it said, in response to this, and also in anticipation to such a response to the above argument, that any men who like Twilight are gay. Well, firstly may I congratulate you on re-affirming a stereotype and secondly I might point out that the derrogatory way in which you use the word 'gay' is offensive. Thanks.
2) Edward Cullen is not god-like. I don't even know where to start with this, because there are so many reasons why, so let me just give you a taste of some of the reasons I have to counter this. 1) He's selfish - he freely admits in book 1 that he is and that he should stay away from Bella, as it is in her best interests, yet still he enters into a relationship with her 2) he attempts to kill himself in book 2, not in a self-sacrificial act for the good of man-kind - no- because he can't take living without Bella (again...selfish?) 3) he doesn't have unconditional love for everyone, just for Bella. He actively hates some people. Namely Jacob Black and certainly Mike Newton in book 1.
3) If Twilight is able to fulfil the needs of those girls who long for a god-like figure to love them the way Edward loves Bella, then how do we explain all those women who love Twilight yet are believers in a religion which has a God? If they believe in a Father-Creator, a Heavenly-Paternal being who loves them so unconditionally, or have a relationship with Him, then why would they crave this sort of re-affirmation? I don't think they would. However, assuming they do want some sort of secular, pop-cultural point of reference to solidify their beliefs or to re-affirm their own values, why choose a hero of a book who, at one point, abandons the awkward-teenage Bella and cuts her out of his life for months on end?
So, why am I annoyed enough to write this post? Well, mainly because I wanted somewhere to tell people why I like Twilight. It has nothing to do with Edward Cullen, his stinky breath (seriously Meyer you mention his breath too much, it makes me feel a little sick!) or my identification with Bella Swan (not that I particularly see myself in her. Rather she is way too cool and aloof compared to me as a teenager. And she does the washing up. A teenager who does her chores!)
The reason I like Twilight is probably the same reason everyone else loves Twilight: the love triangle. Simple as that.
Team Jacob BTW.
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