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Edward's Dangerous and I Don't Mind
I want to make something clear before I go on with Twilight, because this comes up over and over again. People yell about Bella being "stupid" for wanting Edward, since he is deadly dangerous and has to fight down the urge to kill her. The fact that Edward is deadly and has cravings to kill Bella does not bother me, nor do I think she is stupid for wanting to be with him. In fact, if this book were well-written, I would enjoy this relationship dynamic.
Twilight is a romantic fantasy. Many women, self included, like to fantasize about dangerous men. I don't worry that girls are going to read Twilight and think they should seek out men who want to harm them. I'm someone who likes dangerous men in fantasy and I have never been drawn to abusive men in real life.
When critics rail about Edward being dangerous because he thirsts for Bella's blood, they're missing the point. The entire reason for this fantasy is that Edward is dangerous to Bella. Critics who freak out like this also usually seem to think that girls are going to follow in Bella's footsteps. Those critics are basically saying that girls can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality, and that's pretty insulting.
These critics are also missing something that I think might be one reason the books are so popular. I've seen a lot of criticism of the fact that Edward could easily harm and even kill Bella. Most teenage boys could easily harm and even kill most teenage girls, if they wanted to. Edward is like an assault rifle where most boys are revolvers, but once you get to "strong enough to completely incapacitate me easily," extra strength doesn't matter all that much. Heroines who kick ass are nice, but a book that acknowledges the reality of male vs. female physical strength and tells girls that they don't have to be ashamed for being physically weaker than boys is also nice. Or would be, if it were written well, which Twilight isn't.
Much of speculative fiction has heroines who are basically men with boobs, and who can do everything any man can do physically. The heroine often legitimizes herself through beating men at a physical game. These works often say in so many words that a woman who cannot or does not want to do this is weak, stupid, and utterly worthless. More stuff is being written now that does not do that, but it's still common.
So along comes Twilight. It lavishes attention on Edward's looks. Edward's dangerous. And Bella isn't some Action Girl: she's the opposite, in fact! Twilight is one of those strange books that, if I only look at the plot outline and certain important themes, I think I would like; then I open the book and start ranting about subject-verb agreement. I truly can see why so many girls and women like Twilight, though -- their imaginations are doing the book's work for it. Most bestsellers are just plain terrible, and I have no desire to analyze them. Twilight is more interesting than those.
I only wish Meyer could write with a minimal level of competence. And that she'd get rid of the misogyny, racism, and classism.
Twilight is a romantic fantasy. Many women, self included, like to fantasize about dangerous men. I don't worry that girls are going to read Twilight and think they should seek out men who want to harm them. I'm someone who likes dangerous men in fantasy and I have never been drawn to abusive men in real life.
When critics rail about Edward being dangerous because he thirsts for Bella's blood, they're missing the point. The entire reason for this fantasy is that Edward is dangerous to Bella. Critics who freak out like this also usually seem to think that girls are going to follow in Bella's footsteps. Those critics are basically saying that girls can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality, and that's pretty insulting.
These critics are also missing something that I think might be one reason the books are so popular. I've seen a lot of criticism of the fact that Edward could easily harm and even kill Bella. Most teenage boys could easily harm and even kill most teenage girls, if they wanted to. Edward is like an assault rifle where most boys are revolvers, but once you get to "strong enough to completely incapacitate me easily," extra strength doesn't matter all that much. Heroines who kick ass are nice, but a book that acknowledges the reality of male vs. female physical strength and tells girls that they don't have to be ashamed for being physically weaker than boys is also nice. Or would be, if it were written well, which Twilight isn't.
Much of speculative fiction has heroines who are basically men with boobs, and who can do everything any man can do physically. The heroine often legitimizes herself through beating men at a physical game. These works often say in so many words that a woman who cannot or does not want to do this is weak, stupid, and utterly worthless. More stuff is being written now that does not do that, but it's still common.
So along comes Twilight. It lavishes attention on Edward's looks. Edward's dangerous. And Bella isn't some Action Girl: she's the opposite, in fact! Twilight is one of those strange books that, if I only look at the plot outline and certain important themes, I think I would like; then I open the book and start ranting about subject-verb agreement. I truly can see why so many girls and women like Twilight, though -- their imaginations are doing the book's work for it. Most bestsellers are just plain terrible, and I have no desire to analyze them. Twilight is more interesting than those.
I only wish Meyer could write with a minimal level of competence. And that she'd get rid of the misogyny, racism, and classism.