Whether you're a Twi-tard, or annoyed by the vamp craze, or don't really care either way, I suggest you give the book Twilight and Philosophy: Vampires, Vegetarians, and the Pursuit of Immortality a shot. It analyzes the books, the movies, the vampire fascination, and morality through -- in case you haven't already guessed it -- the lens of philosophical questions. The essays are written by a variety of college professors and philosophy scholars/students, so there's a whole variety of opinions and attitudes, all putting forth to the table a mix of arguments that you can either take or leave as food for thought.
So to give you a snapshot of some of the topics explored in this book, here's a list of questions:
- What can vampires tell us about the meaning of life?
(This one's pretty cool. Immortality can get boring.)
- Is Edward a romantic hero or a dangerous stalker?
(Romantic... sure. But Ed becomes a bit of a control freak, wouldn't you say so? Maybe even borderline psychotic at times? Enter the classic line from Buffy: "You know, being stalked isn't really a big turn on for girls.")
- Is Bella a feminist? Is Stephenie Meyer?
(Um... do vampires ever stop drinking blood? Thought so.)
- How does Stephenie Meyer's Mormonism fit into the fantastical world of Twilight?
(Bits and pieces of it do... Our attitudes and beliefs help shape our writing, after all.)
- Is Jacob "better" for Bella than Edward?
(Personally, I'd say YES. He's loyal, dependable... everything I'd want in a boyfriend. Oh, wait... I'm describing a dog, aren't I? Sorry, Jake. No pun intended, considering the whole werewolf thing. But I'd still LOVE it if you stopped mooning over Bella and Renesmee and went out with me instead!)
So... my personal reactions in parentheses aside, I assure you that you will enjoy reading the essays in this book. I won't lie to you -- some of them are actually quite boring, especially when it comes to explaining really abstract terms. A whole bunch of "yadda, yadda, blah blah" paragraphs. BUT, there are others that were cleverly written and are very enjoyable and thought-tickling. Like these chapters, for instance:
- "Dying to Eat: The Vegetarian Ethics of Twilight" by Jean Kazez
- "To Bite or Not to Bite: Twilight, Immortality, and the Meaning of Life" by Brendan Shea
- "Bella Swan and Sarah Palin: All the Old Myths Are Not True" by Naomi Zack
- "Vampire Love: The Second Sex Negotiates the Twenty-first Century" by Bonnie Mann
- "Edward Cullen and Bella Swan: Byronic and Feminist Heroes... or Not" by Abigail E. Myers
- "The Tao of Jacob" by Rebecca Housel
The ones in boldface are my personal faves -- they all deal with feminism, a topic I find so completely fascinating and engaging. I guess it comes out of my own horror at actually wanting to be Bella at sixteen years old, when I first read Twilight (which was 4 years ago, mind you). And then when you think about the kind of girl Bella is, and more importantly, the choices she freely chooses to make... it's kind of disconcerting.
The girl gave up EVERYTHING to be with her stalker sparkly boyfriend -- friends, family, education. And what? To go through a fatal pregnancy and become a blood-sucking corpse? Sure, she becomes more powerful and faster and stronger than Edward... but all of that was attained because she GAVE UP her sense of SELF. Some people call Bella selfish, but I think she wasn't self-ish enough, if you get what I mean. I think Bella was immature and all-too-willing to define herself as Edward's beloved. Like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White (I call it the "Some day my prince will come!" fallacy).
Let's face it, girls. Twilight is a remarkable and dazzling read to fill in the void of life's stresses and monotony. Sure, it's rich in symbolism and major themes (immortality, vegetarianism, morality, feminism, just to name a few). But in the end, by the time you close Breaking Dawn, you have to remember that all of it is simply a fairy tale. Just because Bella gets her happy ending (or happy eternity, if you will), doesn't mean that you willl, too, if you make the same exact choices as Miss Swan.
So, to all the Twi-tards out there, EARTH to your brain...
Always keep yourself grounded in who you are as an individual. And if you happen to actually meet your own twinkle-toed "cradle-robbing creature of the night boyfriend" (quote from Buffy), then good for you. Just don't lose complete hold of your senses -- or your fabulous individuality -- over a guy.
Because, girlfriend... trust me. You seriously DON'T want to end up like this:
(Image: Kitty from ImpishIdea)
Here's an article you might be interested in, from the same website where I found the delightful comic depicted above: click! While I don't necessarily think that Twilight has an agenda, there are certain points that the author brings up that definitely warrant intelligent discussion over a cup of coffee.
And in case you guys still haven't seen this... Check this video out!!!!
I thought this video was cleverly made. And that's just an understatement. Whoever was behind this, YOU ARE A GENIUS! Here's the website where you can find out more on this kick-ass spin-off: Rebellious Pixels.
Hope you enjoyed reading and watching these as much as I had fun writing this post. ;)
It is posts like these that makes me sad you aren't double majoring in English. I think I've said that multiple times on this blog. Anyway, I love your little feminist analysis on Bella, especially since you are such a fan of the series. You had me at this sentence:
ReplyDelete"I think Bella was immature and all-too-willing to define herself as Edward's beloved."
Granted, we need to realize that this is piece of fiction. Still, the mass following it has generated needs to be taken into consideration. As sad as it is, there are girls out there that want to be Bella, that want these men to sweep up off our feet and compel us to dedicate our lives to them. That mentality is a huge step backwards. Not only does it set unhealthy standards, it also perpetuates the false idea that real people are going to be that perfect.
On that note, I wouldn't go as far as bashing Stephanie Meyers for writing a character that very much is a feminist's worst nightmare. She just wanted to tell a unique and captivating love story, which she pretty much nailed. But maybe she could have written a stronger female character for the incredibly impressionable demographic the series is targeted to?
As you know, I haven't read the series or seen the movies. Just isn't my cup of tea. So perhaps I am completely coming out of left field with my two cents up there.
We need to have a feminist discussion over coffee sometime in the near future!
"On that note, I wouldn't go as far as bashing Stephanie Meyers for writing a character that very much is a feminist's worst nightmare. She just wanted to tell a unique and captivating love story, which she pretty much nailed. But maybe she could have written a stronger female character for the incredibly impressionable demographic the series is targeted to?"
ReplyDelete^ I also wish Meyer wrote a stronger female lead character!
I'm not trying to bash Meyer's writing style, despite other writers' accusations that she uses too much 'Purple Prose.' She writes poetically, almost leaving her readers in a dreamlike state -- which is probably fitting for this particular love story she's trying to tell. I just wish she gave Bella a bit more of a personality outside of Edward.
We should definitely meet up! I'm free after next week! Shakespeare in the Park?! ;)
Indeed. And yes Shakespeare in the Park! I really want to see "Merchant of Venice." I think it starts next month =]
ReplyDeleteAwesome! :D
ReplyDelete