My Theological Defense/Critique of theTwilight Saga

I've always wanted to write a post defending/critiquing the Twilight series. I feel that almost every good Catholic blogger I frequent seems to think this series is pure crap and anyone who reads it is the most unintelligent peon known to mankind.

But I never really cared enough to defend the series. People are entitled to their own opinions and I have other posts I'd rather write. Besides, I felt I had to write a weighty tome of my defense and I have been too lazy to dive deep into Twilight.

However, after reading some comments in the blogosphere regarding this series that were simply redonkulous, I feel the urge to add my 2 cents. Not that anybody cares, but I just want those faithful, orthodox Catholics who are afraid to come out of the woodwork for enjoying this series to know they are not alone.

NOTE:

1. If you haven't read the books, I don't even wanna debate this with you. Period.

2. There are spoiler alerts galore in here.

First of all, I can see what the uproar is about. This series appears to boil down to the fact that Edward is a psycho-vampire-stalker-possesive dude. Who sparkles. And Bella is this chick who falls instantly in love with said dude so much to the point that she basically has a manic depressive shutdown for several months after he breaks up with her. Not exactly the type of relationship you want your teenagers to model.

I watched the movie before I read the book. I thought the first movie sucked big time crap-bags. The storyline is basically Bella and Edward staring intensely at each other and rock music in the background. Lots and lots of staring and angst. And then there is Bella walking around with her mouth gaped open like some fish out of water. Feel free to disagree, but I believe Kristen Stewart does not do the character of Bella justice. Sure, Miss Stewart's real-life antics are similar to Bella's- the clumsiness (she dropped the statuette she won at the MTV Movie Awards a couple of years ago), the shyness, the outsider-going-against-the-grain persona, etc. but for goodness sake, Kristen Stewart- show some emotion in these movies and close your damn mouth!






Ahem.

*UPDATE* Part of this was written before I watched the latest film Breaking Dawn. Kristen Stewart does a MUCH MUCH MUCH better job of acting in this movie. I felt like it took three movies for her to finally get Bella. But her mouth still annoys me. ***

So after I watched the movie I decided to read the book. I wanted to see what the hype is about. The book is always better than the movie, right? This proved to be true with Twilight. The plot was pretty much the same as the movie, but of course there was so much more internal dialogue in the book. All the times where Bella was looking like a curious, confused puppy dog at Edward in the movie- well, now I knew what she was thinking. She isn't as dumb as she looks in the movies.

*TEENAGE RELATIONSHIPS*

When I read the book I was still hung up on the very intense feelings Bella and Edward had for each other. It seemed over the top. But then I looked back on my own relationships in high school and how over the moon I was for my boyfriend. I remember the thrill and excitement of holding hands, first kisses and simply being with each other. And I remember the times I was dumped and how heartbroken I was and how I felt life would never be the same.

I can see the concern for young women reading this. They can get a pretty messed up view of what relationships are supposed to be. But let's give our teenagers a little bit of credit. Surely they know that this is a work of FICTION since there's that whole vampire/werewolf thing going on in the story. I feel like it is similar to the fears of children reading Harry Potter. Does reading Harry Potter set up kids for curiosities about the occult? Maybe, but not so much. Does Twilight set up young women looking for brooding, mysterious men? Maybe, but isn't that in like every romance novel ever written? I feel that it comes down to the parents. Would I let my teenage daughter read this book? Yes, when she is older and when I can talk to her about the story. I think it is a great way to open up the dialogue between parents and teens about young romance and how not to be stupid and think you are going to get married at 15 because this guy is PERFECT and how he would never break your heart.

The whole Edward following Bella around before they start dating and how he gets really possessive with her when she is with her guy-pal-werewolf, Jacob, is a touch creepy. The way they show it in the movies is REALLY creepy. However, I remember that this is FICTION and the reason for Edward's intensity toward Bella is because he is drawn to her blood and how he can't read her mind when he can read everyone else around him. It makes her even more alluring. It isn't normal. Because it is MAKE BELIEVE.

The possessive thing... well, that's a slippery slope. The impression I got in the books was the reason Edward is so possessive is because he is honestly concerned for Bella's safety. She was going into a community where when people get ticked off they turn into behemoth sized wolves and would probably tear her to shreds. And he isn't allowed on their land to protect her. It's not because he views Bella as his property. I think that is pretty reasonable. But, in the movie Edward and Jacob practically pee all over Bella to mark their territory... not really in the books.

*CHASTITY*

Some people see the books as a good example of chastity. Bella practically begs to do the horizontal mambo and Edward says no. Why? Because he'd probably snap her in half because he's a vampire and very strong. But mostly it is because he is from the early 1900's era and believes sex is for marriage. He doesn't want to cause Bella to sin. He really does love her and cares about her eternal soul. In the book Eclipse there is a scene where Bella is convinced that this will be the night that she loses her virginity to Edward. When I was reading this I was saying to myself, "Stephenie Meyer- do not give into the bull-crap of modern day society and have them do it before they get married! It would be so frakking typical!" She didn't disappoint.

I would have pulled some quotes from the actual book, but my Twilight books are in storage. So you'll have to settle with a quote from the movie.

Bella and Edward and making out on a bed. Bella starts unbuttoning her blouse. Edward stops and says, "Bella, would you please stop trying to take your clothes off." Bella stops and is confused and hurt. She shakes her head and says to Edward that she feels like a villain trying to steal his virtue. Edward then says he wants to "do it right" and get married first even though he knows that isn't a modern day notion. Bella sticks it to him- "Yeah, that's not modern. It's ancient." Then Edward says,

"I'm from a different era. Things were a lot less complicated. And if I'd met you back then, I would have courted you... would have taken you to chaperoned strolls, ice tea on the porch. I may have stolen a kiss or two, but only after asking your father's permission. I would have got down on knee and I would've presented you with a ring."

At this point Edward officially proposes (he had done so many times through out the series and she said no) with his mother's ring. Bella says yes. Does she say yes just so she can do the naked shimmy shake with Edward later on? Ehh... hard to tell.

Buuuuuut.... it also says in the books that Edward stays practically every night with Bella in her room. That's not exactly practicing the virtue of chastity. That's inviting the temptation to sin. Sure, it says they "talk" and have all these deep discussions, but come on. Beautiful teenage girl- handsome teenage (kind of) guy who happens to be a vampire laying together on a bed- add in the teenage hormones and it's just a big mess. It's just a tad contradictory.

*THE ETERNAL SOUL*

So there's a problem when your boyfriend is a vampire who doesn't age and you are a mortal human. It just turns awkward when you are an 90 year old wrinkled old lady and your hubby is a hunky 17 year old.

So what do you do?

Become a vampire, of course!

Bella is all about it. She's like, "Soul? Who needs a soul? Soul schmoul!" It seems that every other chapter contains a conversation between Edward and Bella about him turning her. She begs for this more than for doing the freaky freak in the bedroom. Edward says no. He believes that since he is a vampire and immortal he has no soul and is therefore destined for hell if he were ever killed. He doesn't want to do that to Bella's soul. If she were to become a vampire she could never see her family or friends again because she'd want to kill them and suck their blood. He wants her to grow old and gray and live a full life with her own babies and grandchildren. He would sacrifice his own happiness if it meant Bella leading a normal happy life and getting to heaven.

But Bella doesn't listen to him and arranges for one of Edward's vampire family members to change her, even though it would be more special if he were the one. He finally agrees to change her. If she'll marry him. So she gets sex and a vampire change if she gets married. How... romantic?

In hindsight I do see Bella embracing the thought of marriage and knowing the consequence of becoming an immortal. And it seems she wants to be a vampire not just to be with Edward.

"This wasn't a choice between you and Jacob. It was between who I should be and who I am. I've always felt out of step. Like literally stumbling through my life. I've never felt normal, because I'm not normal, and I don't wanna be. I've had to face death and loss and pain in your world, but I've also never felt stronger, like more real, more myself, because it's my world too. It's where I belong."

Edward says, "So it's not just about me?"

"No, sorry."

*BELLA AND THE HARRY POTTER COMPARISON*

Feminist is a tricky term. So it is hard to really go much into this topic.

I never really agreed that Bella is anti-feminist. Bella saves Edwards life twice in the series. She's not always the damsel in distress.

Sure she has a nervous breakdown when Edward breaks up with her. Many like to compare her to the heroines in Harry Potter:


Of course Hermione and Ginny are much stronger characters than Bella. But they were facing domination of their world by the most evil, sinister wizard that ever walked the earth. Bella was dumped. She wasn't facing certain destruction so I think it was acceptable for her to be a typical teenage girl and mope. And she didn't jump off the cliff to kill herself- just to clear up that little misconception. There is a quote out there supposedly by Stephen King that says, "Harry Potter is about confronting fears, finding inner strength, and doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend."

These are two completely different stories. Yes, they are both fantasy. They are both fiction. But they aren't the same. They just aren't. Yes, the stories of Harry Potter are 90 gazillion times better than the Twilight series. JK Rowling's storytelling is borderline genius. I'm not that much of a Twihard. But I just find it hard to compare these books.

I don't believe that Twilight is just about the importance of finding a boyfriend. It is about true love, facing danger, friendship and much more.

*PRO-LIFE*

This was one thing that really made me respect the series. In the final book Edward and Bella get married. They go on a honeymoon and renew their marriage vows. A lot. Then, unexpectedly, impossibly- Bella gets pregnant. This half-human/half-vampire hybrid grows at an alarming rate and is literally sucking the life out of Bella. Bella wants to continue with the pregnancy even though she may die. And then Edward goes and knocks himself down a few pegs on my respect-o-meter and wants to kill the baby.

Edward seems like a pretty decent moral being. He cares about Bella's soul. He doesn't her want to fall into sin. He wants to save sex for marriage. In the beginning of the movie Breaking Dawn it seems that Edward does show a respect for life. He confesses to Bella that when he first became a vampire he killed humans. (The Cullen family don't feed off human blood. They feed off animal blood.) He always targeted men who were murders and rapists. Bella reassures him, "You probably saved more people than you killed." Edward says, "I used to tell myself that, but in the end- they are still human. I saw the look in their eyes when I killed them." So Edward sees that the ends don't justify the means! Huzzah! But later on he wants to kill what is growing inside Bella. D'oh!

Bella's maternal instinct kicks in early and she fights to maintain the pregnancy. Finally Edward can hear what the baby is thinking while still in utero and comes to realize that this isn't a monster- it his child and they will figure out a way to help Bella through this fatal pregnancy.

I was curious how the movie would portray this topic. I had read in an entertainment magazine a few months ago that the producers and director were going to stay away from a primary pro-life message. Even Kristen Stewart scoffed at the idea that this movie would be pro-life. I was worried that the movie would straight up piss me off by changing the plot of the book and showing Bella having second thoughts on keeping her child. Then I read this article on LifeSiteNews before I saw the movie. I thought the article was a little over the top, but I was still concerned. After seeing the movie tonight I have to respectfully disagree with the folks at LifeSiteNews (although I agree with pretty much everything else they write about.) I was pleasantly surprised at how strong the pro-life message was.

When Bella realizes she is pregnant she is very surprised. In the book she suddenly realizes just how badly she wants to be a mother. It was a deep, hidden, natural desire. This comes through in the movie. When she discovers she is pregnant Bella stands in front of a mirror caressing her belly. While Edward is running around freaking out she is standing there not in fear- but in joy. In amazement. She smiles. Edward comes to her and tells her, "I will get it out of you." Her smile fades away. "It?" she whispers. Suddenly she is afraid. Not for her well-being, but for the baby. Their miracle, as she calls her baby later in the movie.

All except one of her in-law's (Rosalie) insist she destroy the fetus. Even her best friend Jacob tries to convince her. In anger he tells Edward, "I knew you weren't good for her." Edward's sister comes to his defense and yells "The fetus isn't good for her!" Rosalie shouts back, "Fetus? Use the real word, Alice! It's a baby in there! Just a little baby!"

Later on Edward is arguing with Bella to save her own life because he doesn't want to lose her. Carlisle, her physician father in law tells her that she will indeed die. She assures Edward that this baby will be a part of her that lives on. She emphatically defends the life of their child. There are so many other great pro-life quotes and examples in this movie. I wished I had a notebook to write some of them down.

Yes, there are anti-life attitudes in the movie. The reason Edward and his family are so against having the baby is because they don't think the baby is human. That sounds awfully anti-life- you know the whole "A fetus isn't human. It's just a clump of cells." But that's not the deal with Edward's family. Remember they are vampires and they truly believe that what is inside her is a monster-literally. I think it is important to show the anti-life side because it shows the beauty and purity of Bella's choice. The audience roots for Bella. They are on her side. When the side of life prevails it makes the story so much richer.

*THE BOOKS VS. THE MOVIES*

I have read the series twice now. I think they are great stories. I love how Stephenie Meyer dives into the back story of how the Cullen's became vampires. She also weaves a beautiful story of Jacob's Native American tribe and how they became wolves. I will admit that the author isn't the greatest writer in the world. I've read much better, but I have also read worse. She could have taken this series to the next level and really showed another layer of morality. But she didn't write this as a series on chastity or the everlasting soul or to further the pro-life cause. She didn't even really intend to write this as a published novel. She had a dream about a girl and a vampire laying in a meadow and just built on that. She wrote is purely for her enjoyment. She wrote this as a simple love story.

There are many other great writers and stories out there. Much better than Twilight. But that doesn't make this a bad story. It is intriguing and interesting. I always get sucked into the story.

The movies suck me in as well. They are by no means cinematic masterpieces. But I feel that if you like the book you like the movies because you see what you've been reading. That's the beauty of books being made into movies. Each movie gets a little better. One thing I appreciate about the movies is that they don't deviate much from the storyline in the books. (Unlike the Harry Potter movies. Don't EVEN get me started on the whole Burrow getting destroyed in The Half-Blood Prince. ACK!!!) But of course the books are so much better. It's not just pretty people staring all googly-eyed at each other and making out. There is so much more.

One reason I think so many people despise the Twilight series is because how saturated it is in pop culture. The movies appear to be weak plots behind a pop music tapestry. They are very MTV-esque. The fan frenzy is pretty ridiculous sometimes. It just seems mainstream, corny and juvenile. And the vampires sparkle. People seem to have huge issues with that, but it's FICTION. Stephenie Meyer just wanted to put a different spin on the legends of vampires. If you want the hardcore burn-in-the-sun vampires watch True Blood on HBO. Then you will appreciate the unoffending sparkle.

I still hang onto the hope there is redemption for Eric Northman!

There are the corny publicity photos of Bella and Edward clinging to each other in rivers and there are the screaming fans. There are the teenagers who really seem to think that Edward and Jacob are for really real real. And then there are the 40 year old housewives... I don't want to say too much, because I personally know some of these women who are dedicated Twihards.. but.... ah.... it's just kind of weird.



I think some people take this series WAY too seriously. Some people are simply fanatic about the books and movies. Others are fanatic about bashing them. They are books. They are for fun. They are FICTION. I enjoy these books, but they aren't my Bible. Yes, they are very popular and thus can greatly influence people. My line of reasoning defending these books probably have a ton of holes. But I think with the help of parents, an open mind and just plain common sense these books can be greatly enjoyed and appreciated.