Does Twilight Send Teen Girls a Bad Message?

Even being a grown woman with a husband and child...and a pretty independent woman at that. One who has done her share of university, the workplace, motherhood and has got around her whole life so far without much help from anyone much less a man. I pride myself in that, really, but I still feel that this story digs deep into the soul of many women (many, not all) the fantasy that we want to be watched over. It's just a fantasy after all, not like a lot of us actually want that in our everyday lives so much, but the idea of it isn't so bad. Everyone needs saving once in a while, even men, and we all desire that one companion who will be with us through thick and thin. As far as falling in love quickly, my own story pans out like that and i've been married now nearly four years and together with my husband as a couple for nearly seven. It can happen.

Some people need to stop looking at silly things and begin to ENJOY STORIES! Enjoy the fantasy, enjoy dreams....gosh, we've become such an uptight people. Books were made for the enjoyment of people, so that we could live other lives in other times and other worlds just for a while.......that's why we have movies too and video games. These type of people, it seems silly to say this, but seriously...they need to grow up and remember that dreams and fantasies are good for the soul and stop reading into things so much as if it will destroy a whole generation, there are more important things to worry over in the world.

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I enjoyed the Twilight saga, but I was put off by Bella's weaknesses, in the last book she did stand up and become the hero but still she should of been alittle stronger, rather than relying on Edward and Jacob to keep her happy, running off from her friends and family.

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Its a Book people! that all! (oh and a movie too). Its for entertainment purposes only. Quit reading so much into everything! This is why everyone has high blood pressure! No one can just sit back and enjoy anything any more without picking it about and complaining about how "bad" for you it is. LIVE A LITTLE!!!

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People keep saying this series is the next Harry Potter. I'm not seeing it. It seems more to me like "Bridges of Madison County" for the tween set. There is this "I knew I loved you when I met you" mindset that allows a perfect romance to flourish without all the awkward bits like dating and fear of rejection, and there is a male who is so perfect he's a little sickening and a little boring. In Bridges he was a sensitive lover and a vegetarian. In this series he's a sensitive lover and a vampire. But this one is also a magical being. That age group is so filled with angst and self-doubt, that the premise - being special enough to be loved by a beautiful, dangerous, exotic creature instead of being eaten like everyone else, and being willing to love someone regardless of what everyone else thinks of him, is a powerful fantasy.

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As an adult, single (and very independant) woman, I have read all four Twilight books. I also teach middle school language, and I have encouraged all of my girls to read the books. Why? Well, I find it refreshing that an author chose to have the romance remain pure until the couple were married. It didn't push sex and all the other things teens have to deal with constantly. I feel that Bella maintained her individuality. If you haven't read the books, you won't understand all of the underlining issues. And, to be honest, what girl hasn't obsessed over some guy at some point in her life (putting him above friends, family, etc. and wanting to be with him every minute of every day). Isn't that what true love is supposed to be all about?

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pshh. what a load of crap.
twilight is an amazing love story, both on the page & the big screen. the whole point is that these two young people are meant to be together, and their love is so strong that it crosses all boundaries and overcomes all obstacles. it's not trying to send out any messages to teen girls about neediness or dependence.
someone had way too much time on their hands, seriously.

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I am in my mid-twenties and married if that matters, and I was completely enchanted by these books. I think the movie over-exaggerates some of Bella's characteristics a little bit - specifically her neediness. But, as shown over and over again, I also think that it is exceedingly difficult to cram a several hundred page book into a less than two hour movie without contorting some of the plot. All in all I really hope that when my daughter is older that she does read these books and she strives for a partner who treats her with as much love, respect, and care as Edward treats Bella. And while I certainly hope that she becomes her own woman - not needing a man to save her from anything - it certainly would be nice to know that if she ever needed it, he'd be ready and willing.

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Don't waste your money,Vampire movies SUCK!!!

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That is one of the reasons why I thought the book was so bad -- not so much because I felt that Bella was a bad "role model," but because she's was such an unbelievable wimp that she was boring. He was too perfect, she was all "OOooo, I'm such a misfit, I hate my life, blah blah blah" while at the same time fending off all of these boys and settling in with a little clique of friends within a day of arriving at a new school.
We got 400 pages of Edward & Bella settling happily into their little romance, with absolutely no tension, and entirely too much "He's so cold, but so beautiful," and much glaring and nostril flaring and scenting and staring...and then the last 100 pages actually had a little action.
Yes, it's just a book...but it is really not a very well-written one. I fear more for our daughters' minds if they think THAT is deathless literature, than for the role model portrayed by the wimpish heroine.

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Trust me when I say that reading the books is not 'A Pleasure'. It's more like four books full of Edward and Bella, or Bella and Jacob, fawning over one another. With a *tiny* sprinkling of plot here and there. Kind of like a bad fanfiction that happened to get published by some streak of insane luck.

Bella was weak, but all the characters were quite dull, flat, and uninteresting, so I didn't take it too seriously. I hated Edward and his sparkly awesomeness with a passion, and Jacob did nothing for me. The style was choppy, dialogue was terrible, and most of the book consisted of purple prose focusing on Edward's nauseatingly good looks. The standards for literature have been bumped down to a ridiculously low level. I weep for my generation.

And this all comes from a fifteen-year-old girl. So it's not like I'm out of the age range. On the bright side, I'm also a writer, and Stephanie Meyer has shown me precisely how *not* to write.

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c_rousseau (05 11-25-2008 @ 4:16PM) writes:
"Even being a grown woman [...] pretty independent [...] I still feel that this story digs deep into the soul of many women (many, not all) the fantasy that we want to be watched over. It's just a fantasy after all [...]"
However, if you look at society, I think you'll find that these fantasies "dig [VERY] deep into the soul of many women" ...AND men. Much as we'd like to think otherwise, dreams of "happily ever after" lure many women into relationship that can turn bad, even nasty ... even abusive. It some cases (of domestic violence) it leads to death. How many times have I heard abused women saying "But he loves me, I KNOW he does!"? There's a saying in Spanish: "I killed her because she was mine."

I haven't read the Twilight books. But as an adult keenly interested in children's and young people's literature, I find it sad that - years after the hard-won gains of the Feminist Movement - role models of helpless, love-blinded "heroines" are still being offered. Heroines? More like dishrags! I don't mind if they're like that to start with, as long as they're allowed to grow and develop. [Wolfy (11-25-2008 @ 4:20PM) points out that "in the last book [of FOUR] she did stand up and become the hero". I'm sorry, but if it takes that long, I've already given up on her - and the books.]

And yet there ARE positive strong girls in literature. Alice In Wonderland (NEVER dated!) although not Superwoman, and sometimes cowed and uncertain, still manages to stand up to Kings and Queens. Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry (in Philip Pullman's soon-to-be quadrilogy "His Dark Materials") are constantly getting EACH OTHER out of danger - and growing in respect and love for each other.

I came across an interesting website "Jimm's Fairy Tales" ( http:/jimmsfairytales.com ) that contains (free to download and print out) feminist versions of standard fairy tales. In each case, the story is told from a different point of view (e.g. Hansel and Gretel's Witch [Johanna] is the misunderstood and prejudice-maligned heroine of this version) that encourages young people to realise that there are (at least) two sides to every story, and that you can't believe EVERYTHING that you hear. Of course, to really appreciate these stories, readers should be conversant with the traditional versions. I think that "The Hand Of The Princess", in particular, would make a great movie - as long as Hollywood doesn't twist it out of shape.

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come on people - it's a fantasy & is not supposed to be realistic. I loved the series and the movie, even tho all the negative comments about Edward, Bella and the quality of the writing are basically correct. It's a FANTASY. Besides, I've never read anything so sexually HOT that didn't have actual sex.

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