Another Thought on Twilight on Equality | Teen Ink

Another Thought on Twilight on Equality

April 12, 2009
By wondering GOLD, Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts
wondering GOLD, Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts
10 articles 0 photos 23 comments

I write this in response to last month’s solely opinionated article, Twilight on Equality. When I read it I was enraged that Catherine Stafford had written this article about Twilight, and that it only showed half of the story. She had forgotten the multiple times when Edward had tried to tempt Bella into evil. Like in book three, Eclipse towards the end when he sees that he was hurting her with the idea of marriage and that she was only doing it to make everyone else happy. He ended his part of the deal and right then and there, he tried to throw away their virtues. She fought his attempts, said no, and kept their virtues intact. The idea that Twilight implies that men are superior to women is preposterous. I would say that these books are in favor of women because of how much control the female characters hold and the willingness for the men to throw away their lives for them. Bella is not depicted as an evil temptress trying to persuade an honorable man into evil, but rather a klutzy, individual with no sense of self preservation, caught between her two loves in and endless fight to save her family and keep from hurting anyone else. She does not have trouble making decisions for herself, she just has trouble deciding which choice will keep her friends and family painless and happy. Every time she has to make a decision, Edward does not swoop in and save her, and she can and does decide things without him. In the second book New Moon Edward had to leave because it set the stage for Jacob to take up such a big part of Bella’s life. Bella had to let Edward back into her life and justify it with love because that's who she is as a person and if she hadn’t, then the Twilight saga wouldn’t be as dramatic and “dazzling” as it was. Perhaps many female readers look up to Bella, not because she is protected and taken care of by Edward, but because she found someone she loves and is loved by. When she found Edward not only was she only happy with him, but he was also only happy with her safe in his arms. If Bella’s mother had not been the type of women who needs someone to keep her sane and strong, then Bella wouldn’t have been the strong individual that she was. She wouldn’t have become someone who can take care of herself, and she wouldn’t have been the person that Edward fell in love with. Without the events and characters in the Twilight saga acting the way they did, this story would have simply been another four books that we teenagers read without a second look.


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This article has 3 comments.


lajecel31 said...
on Jun. 23 2009 at 2:25 pm
lajecel31, Detroit, Michigan
0 articles 0 photos 6 comments
the book has nothing to do about sexism or whether it favors men or women...

its about a love story

what does edward being stronger or more bossy

or bella being independednt have to do with their

love?

noht

nothing...he loves her, and she loves him

that the whole concept of the series...their love

buggy BRONZE said...
on Jun. 1 2009 at 4:18 am
buggy BRONZE, Glendale, Arizona
4 articles 1 photo 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
if you were sensible, when I told you that the stars flash signals, each one dreadful. you would not turn to me and say "the night is wonderful"

okay

when will people stop trying to decide if twilight is about a abusive relationship or not. I mean seriously. this book was based on a dream all that stephine myer did was write it down. the book is not sexist. If you read it you will notice that the main characters are strong women. also.Edward is only protective because he loves bella and to him she is very breakable along with being a clutz. why don't you do us a favor and stop the debate.

Gossamer said...
on Apr. 18 2009 at 12:41 am
Gossamer, North Hill, Other
0 articles 0 photos 30 comments

Favorite Quote:
Love. I don't care what happened or who did it to you. Love anyway.

I think you're totally right. Edward is bossy, but the books just aren't sexist. I mean, look at Alice, and Rosalie, and Leah, and Kate, and Bella as a vampire. They aren't dependent or submissive- in fact, they are really powerful. Catherine also said something about how Renee's relationship to Phil was sexist, simply because it reassured Bella about leaving her mother. But Phil's being a man had nothing to do with it! She was just glad her mom was being looked after.

Annyway, I'm sure Meyer wasn't trying to portray the perfect relationship, simply the one that fit her characters' personalities. So people should stop acting like she wrote 'Twilight' in order to brainwash the population.