Twilight’s Bella Swan is a Feminist’s Nightmare
By Krystal Clark
***Update: Check out our Eclipse Video Interviews with Pattinson, Lautner, Stewart, Fanning, the writer of the films and MANY more, our Eclipse review, vote for your favorite trailer and as many Twilight videos of fans, the film, the cast, and more!”
Plenty of vampire-werewolf angst will be hitting the big screen later this month when The Twilight Saga: New Moon debuts in theaters across the country. The stories, penned by author Stephenie Meyer, have resonated with teen girls everywhere who affectionately call themselves, Twihards. This article is written from the perspective of someone who wasn’t familiar with the books, but decided to give the film a chance, and was thoroughly turned off by everything it had to offer.
The protagonist Bella Swan, isn’t a positive representation of what any young girl should aspire to be. She has no identity of her own and is under the constant influence of the male figures in her life. That type of nonchalant attitude towards her manipulation isn’t something that should be projected, especially to women in her age group who are starting to date for the first time.
Here’s the problem with Twilight…
Bella Constantly Needs a Male Figure in Her Life.
First Bella lives with her dad, then she becomes immediately infatuated with Edward and from then on, the vampire occupies her thoughts. In New Moon when he takes a leave of absence what’s a girl to do? Find something in them self? NO! Find another man! Enter Jacob, another troubled male figure who helps her cope with her loss and then leaves her hanging. Whatever happened to sitting down and having some me time?
Bella and Edward’s Double Standard
In Twilight, Edward is pretty much a stalker. He lurks in the shadows and follows Bella’s every move and even goes as far as watching her sleep. For some odd reason that’s considered sexy and dangerous, but in a good way. If the roles were reversed and a woman did that, she would immediately be labeled as a psycho, and the men in the white coats would come after her, but for some odd reason when Edward does it, it’s “romantic.”
Bella is a Shell of a Human Being.
She has no identity of her own, and literally loses her mind without the constant influence of vampire boy. At the end of Twilight, when Edward attempts to leave her in the hospital, she almost gives herself a stroke. Again in New Moon, when he tells her he has to go (because he’s a danger to her), she’s shown on the ground in the fetal position, looking a junkie whose about to kill herself. I get that they have a chemical bond, but they both exhibit actions towards one another that looks more like a drug addiction not a relationship. Hell, they can’t even have sex because of it, it sounds like they truly just need a fix. What kind of role model is that for 13-year-old girls who think that their crush on Johnny is exactly the same? It’s not okay!
Twilight Objectifies Women
Typically when you think of women being objectified in film it has to do with sex or nudity. In this case it has to do with both Edward and Jacob’s constant coddling of Bella. It’s as if she’s a fragile flower who always has to be protected. Both men make it their life’s work to keep her safe, even more than her own father does. Where’s her brain? Where’s her own sense of self?
This is Not a Healthy Relationship
Edward gets Bella to leave her family and friends to appease him, which eventually leads to marriage and a half vampire baby (which shouldn’t be possible since he’s dead)! It’s not OK for anyone, let alone a teenage girl to toss everything to the wind at a boyfriend’s request. It’s also not healthy for you to be drawn to someone who constantly reminds you that he wants to eat you for dinner. Bella really only connects with Edward on a chemical level, and their connection causes her to nearly kill herself multiple times over – that sounds more like meth than love to me.
Overall…
These are just a few of the major feminist issues with Stephenie Meyer’s leading lady. For something created by a woman directed at young women it’s sad to see so many negative characteristics in a female driven story. Bella isn’t a strong character and shouldn’t be revered for her behavior in these films. She’s nothing more than a shadow for a man rather than a pillar for herself and not only is that dangerous but it’s a discouraging message to send to girls.
Do you think Bella Swan is a bad influence for young women?
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 8:35PM
Wow. You have no clue what you are talking about. Trying reading the books instead of taking the film at face value. You're wrong on so many levels.
Jacob only ever tries to protect Bella when she is in imminent danger. The rest of the time, he wants her to have fun and be, not necessarily dangerous, but he wants her to live. Granted, Edward is definitely overprotective, but as a character, he is immortal – virtually indestructible – and Bella is a soap bubble to him. She is so very breakable. Any rational person would want to protect the one he loves as best he can. It's called a, "character flaw."
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 8:35PM
Edward never MAKES Bella do anything. As a matter of fact, he begs her to stay the way she is, and he tries to leave her in an attempt to keep her life going the way it would have been had he never entered the picture. She makes her own decisions and does what she wants. In this case, she just happens to want to be with the man she loves. What a CRAZY idea! And in the end, she doesn't have to abandon her family anyway.
And she is most certainly NOT dependent on men, least of all her father. She lives with him more out of necessity than choice. And if you read the books, you'd know SHE takes care of HIM. She's the strong one.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 8:36PM
And Jacob is neither troubled, nor her crutch to be used as a male replacement. Their relationship is about friendship. Yea. You know, like, you're a nice person, you make me happy, we have fun together, we're friends – FRIENDSHIP. That could easily happen with a girl. But truth be told, some girls get along better with guys, who can be easier to get along with, because girls can be nosy and petty and all the things guys aren't. Only later does it turn into any kind of affection. Why does a female that has a male friend immediately become this helpless, dependent sap?
I love how feminists try to twist everything so anything remotely beautiful turns into some sort of male conspiracy meant to demean women and render us forever damsels in distress. Give me a break, lady.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 1:53PM
Bella Swan is not a bad influence on girls. However "writers" like you are a bad influence on society.
Do you think every woman needs to be some raging feminist?? Women have emotions and are free to act on them. The character is of a typical teenage girl. She is a very strong character with passion.
Women putting down other women for who they are- that is a feminist's nightmare. This is why I am embarrassed of todays feminists. They spew nonsense.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 8:54PM
Bella is a highschool-age girl that is so confused. Do you know any girl at such age already aware what to do or what to pursue in life? I don't think it is fair to expect Bella to be young women's role model. Why should a book, especially one coming out of fantasy genre, to "teach" the readers what to do, what to want, how to act? You choose the wrong genre. You should read the Bible instead. No offense. Just saying… er, typing.
Oh yeah. In case you forget, Twilight is kinda Disney-like fairy tale. Girls at such young age love to dream. About romantic guys, who treat them like princess. I loved doing it at nights, and reading the books kinda send me back to that exciting feeling I once had. I guess Twilight (books and movies) are just not for grown-up women, who have lived long enough to find that such guy does not exist. LOL.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 9:33PM
I completely agree with the article! I was thinking those things and MORE as I read Twilight and New Moon.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 2:35PM
Ummm…I have to agree to an extent. The movie–at least the 1st one, as the 2nd doesn't come out for another week–depicts Bella as this shell of a girl with no real opinions/thoughts/strength/ANYTHING of her own. *Maybe that has more to do with Kristen Stewart's terrible acting than anything really wrong with the movie itself…but I digress…* The books–which are always better than the movies–give you a little more insight as to why she acts like she does and actually depict Bella as a more independent young woman with strong emotions/opinions and with actual motivations for the way she behaves.
I don't think that any of the characters in the books, nor the movies, are intended as a means for a "role model"…more mindless entertainment which, I don't care who you are, everyone has their guilty pleasures…and "Twilight" is definitely one of mine. Now, whether or not they inspire young girls to have some kind of false hope for that "perfect romance" is a different thing altogether.
Anyway…that's my 2 cents.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 2:53PM
"Whatever happened to sitting down and having some me time?" Would you want to read a book or watch a movie about someone's "me" time….BORING.
"He lurks in the shadows and follows Bella’s every move and even goes as far as watching her sleep. For some odd reason that’s considered sexy and dangerous, but in a good way."
I don't know if it's considered sext and dangerous, atleast that's not how it is portrayed in the book, but the only reason we know it's not creepy is because we know Edward, we know his character and his reasonings behind those actions. We know he is not some creeper trying to get in her window at night, he just wants to make sure she is ok. You would know that if you read the book.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 9:53PM
"It’s as if she’s a fragile flower who always has to be protected."
In their world of vampires and werewolves, she basically is.
"Edward gets Bella to leave her family and friends to appease him, which eventually leads to marriage and a half vampire baby (which shouldn’t be possible since he’s dead)!"
Edward NEVER forces Bella to do anything. If anything, he is the one trying to keep her human and wants her to live her life as normal as possible. But BELLA is stubborn and won't hear it. Vampire's aren't real, werewolves aren't real, it is a FANTASY/SCI FI book…anything can happen, half vampire babies included.
Overall, read the book that you are accusing these things of, until then you can't be taken seriously.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:01PM
its a book and a movie its not real you forgot that it may make girls wont to date 108 year old vampires to this writer is a retard
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:02PM
You're an idiot… you should have read the books.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:05PM
Defensive Twihards come out of the shadows. Screencrave is right on many levels. What has Bella done for herself? Does she have a great education? A great hobby that could lead to opportunities later in life? Is she a teen bride who is knocked up? yes. Stephenie Meyer is of the Mormon faith. There may be many of its values wrapped up in this fantasy tale.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:10PM
I'm not a feminist in any sense of the word, but I agree with this article. I think the romance is ridiculous and that Bella is a shallow, weak character with little ambition or goals. (I read Twilight, by the way.) I don't think characters or actresses/musicians should be role models, but (for whatever it's worth) the book sends a pretty crappy message to girls. Even if Bella is independent in certain respects, she has no desire to pursue an education or achieve anything for herself outside of marrying Edward, which is very backwards.
Not to mention, love shouldn't always be rational, but it shouldn't be this obsessive either. She's obsessed with him because he's beautiful and sexy and a vampire, and he's obsessed with her because… well, I never understood why he liked her. (Note: I read Midnight Sun, too.) It's dangerous to associate yourself so completely with your lover that you lose any sense of self, and this book basically paints that as "romantic" and a sign of "true love."
By the way, there are plenty of high school-aged girls who know what they want to do with their lives, or at the very least have an idea.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:49PM
Why the hell would anyone want to read the books after seeing the movies and hating them? Knowing that fans of the book are also fans of the movie only reinforces the fact that one should NOT read the books if they hate the movie.
Thursday, November 12, 2009 12:17AM
Wow people really take these Twilight books seriously. Criticize that empty vessel known as Bella and the whiny goth tears start a-flowin'.
Interesting article, right on many levels.
Even more interesting is the people who seem to be personally offended by this article (calling you an idiot, etc.) They know you're allowed to have an opinion, right? Films and novels are supposed to be analyzed and interpreted in different ways. Criticizing a film doesn't make you an idiot. Especially if you're criticizing a godawful piece of trash like Twilight. See, that right there, that was an opinion.
Girl power.
Thursday, November 12, 2009 1:26AM
I agree with you on so many levels. All I have to add — at least if the films were good then we would gain a good watching experience, but the films are terrible.
Well said
Thursday, November 12, 2009 3:43AM
The films ARE terrible. The only reason I picked up Twilight in the first place was to see whether the book was as terrible as the movie.
Thursday, November 12, 2009 4:15AM
Meh. I could take it or leave it.
I love the story. For some reason it grabbed me and whisked me away. I enjoyed it thoroughly, but I do have to say, Bella is someone who is a little too obsessed with Edward.
I understand being a teenager and being in love. I was there. I felt like I could connect to the Bella character on that level. When I was young like that, Iw anted everything to be about love and happiness and the guy. I'm woman enough to admit that. However, with Bella, she does seem to lose herself in the former part of the story. She cracks when Edward leaves her. I understand that she would be heartbroken, but because she engulfed herself so much into Edward, when he left, she basically became nothing. That IS unhealthy, whether it be a man or a woman.
As for Edward, he was a little bit overbearing for me. I would not like for a guy to treat my like a delicate flower or a bubble. However, in this context, Bella was most certainly a delicate flower in his world. Once she decided to be with Edward, she did need that protection, even though I think he was not very open in letting her decide how to handle the situation.
Outside of Edward, Bella does display great independence in her life. From her backstory on, she has been making difficult decisions throughout her life. With the exception of most of the 2nd book, she stands up for herself with all the decisions she makes. She WILL stay behind. She WILL save Edward from making a fool of himself. She WILL stay with him even though she is in danger. She WILL conquer evil with her wits and her heart. She takes care of her father, cares for Jacob, and helps her mother.
And I'll give you that Edward is kind of creepy, watching her every move and staying with her at night. I wouldn't like that. But then again, this is fantasy. Everything is dreamy and romantic. It's also about vampires, so any creepy thing they do is portrayed as sexy. That is just how vampire fantasies are.
But in regards to feminism, for me, it is about letting women choose what they want to do with their lives. If they want to work, let them work. And let them be successful at it. If they want to stay at home and love their kids, let them stay at home with the kids. And let them be successful at it. If they want to dance in the street all day, let them dance in the street all day. And let them be successful at it. Just make sure you do it so that you are proud of yourself and are happy at the end of the day. To me, that is what feminism is about.
So if Bella wants to be a married vampire teenager with a baby, then let her be that. The story shows in the end that she had a happily ever after, and in the end, that is all that matters, isn't it?
And hopefully, when young girls read this, someone wiser can discuss the story with them, because while this is just a story, it does have both positive and negative influence over young girls' minds.
Thursday, November 12, 2009 8:51AM
Your all stupid, i hate u all> U need to get lives!
Thursday, November 12, 2009 11:44AM
Feminism is the conviction that men and women should have equal rights. You're not a feminist in any sense of the word? I don't believe you're even aware of what the implications of that are. Most probably you weren't even aware of what the word meant before using it.
Thursday, November 12, 2009 1:11PM
why is there always someone moaning on and on!! Get a life if you have no intrest in twilight then dont read the book or see the films. stop ruining it for the fans. Edward left Bella she is heartbroken and are you stupid ? he was her first love she doesnt know how to deal with it. jacob is a friend who falls for her. To me it makes sense. theres no need to be a ass about it.
Thursday, November 12, 2009 6:29PM
I'd agree to a point with this. The films definitely make Bella's character worse than she actually is, but most of what you've mentioned is true and I've said the exact same thing – the stalking, the overprotectiveness, etc… For me, Bella is okay – a moaner, sure – but I'm just irritated by Edwards behaviour. I will say that before watching the films I was obsessed with the series but since the movie ended up being quite bad I've really seen the flaws of the book too. Oh well…
Thursday, November 12, 2009 1:16PM
[...] More here. [...]
Friday, November 13, 2009 3:21AM
I agree with all of the problems the author mentioned, but the thing that I really got caught up on is the fact that Meyer has this teenage girl get married, have sex and have a baby, in that order. I do not feel that teenagers are mature enough to marry OR raise a child. But all teenagers want to have sex, and for a Mormon writer the three are inseparable.
And if being a teenager isn't enough of a reason for this character not to have a child, she is told that carrying to term would mean certain death. I would never, ever tell a woman that going through with such a pregnancy was a good idea, but that is exactly the message Meyer conveys: abortion is unacceptable under ANY circumstances, even when your own life is forfeit. Of course things works out for Bella, but in real life this teen girl would die and leave her child motherless… but abortion is *far* worse?
And yes, Edward's stalking of Bella is nothing but creepy. The fact that "he just wants to watch over her" is moot. He does not own her, is not responsible for her, and he has no right to violate her privacy in such a way.
There's this joke: "it's only sexual harassment when the guy isn't hot." So let's change the scenario a little. We'll still say that Edward "wants to protect" Bella, but instead of superhot vampire, he's the nerdy kid with pimples who smells like chicken noodle soup. And he climbs to her window every night and watches her sleep. Most girls' gut reaction to this is "eww! what a creeper!" and their argument of using Edward's intentions to justify his actions completely fall apart.
I could go on, but I've already wasted too much time on this. The article was great, and those trying to put down the author as some cold, rigid feminazi really need to open their minds. You can still enjoy the book as a leisure read, but try to examine it critically enough that you can still protect yourself from the more harmful messages it conveys.
Peace
Thursday, November 12, 2009 7:21PM
i love robert pattison
Friday, November 13, 2009 6:58AM
i agree with you and this article 100%. i love your comment. i read all the books and saw the movie and after analyzing it for myself I came up with the same conclusion. you took the words right out of my mouth!
did you notice that one of the main reasons why Bella wanted to become a vampire was to be beautiful like him? all i had to say was 'wow. really?'
Friday, November 13, 2009 9:03PM
I LOVE Twilight and I think Bella and Edward'srelationship is soromantic. I guess Bella' a little fragile sometimes, but you would be upset if the love of your life left you, wouldn't you? And remember, she's not just dealing with everyday problems, she's dealing with suernatural ones, so in that respect she's incredibly brave and is entitled to being a little dependant on the only people she can talk to about it all. I think it's dead sweet that Edward is so dedicated to looking out for her, and that Jacob is too. After all, they love her and she loves them. But then, you could never convince me that Twilight is bad…
Friday, November 13, 2009 10:35PM
completely and totally agree 110% percent. Bella Swan is not a role model for young girls in any sense.
Saturday, November 14, 2009 3:07AM
Here's a good question that is seemingly ignored in this entire discussion … Is it the role of movies and novels to instruct young people and provide them with good role models?
Personally, I don't think so.
The Twilight series is entertaining. I love it. While I recognize the validity of many of the points put forth by the article's author, I have a fundamental problem with the way in which the discussion is framed. It is assumed that the books and movies should educate young women. It is also assumed that they should educate young women according to a particular ideology. I disagree with both assumptions.
For me, art is about beauty, passion, and meaningful subjective responses. I happen to think the the Twilight series of novels, and the first movie to a certain extent, are beautiful and moving. I think the books in particular are extraordinary works of art.
Saturday, November 14, 2009 7:48AM
who cares
feminists are retarded as well as women
this is a very ridiculous article
Saturday, November 14, 2009 7:49AM
Dear God, people. For the love of GOD. The baby almost rips her body in half. How the hell is that a good, romantic novel? You're all sick. At least feminists choose not to be with men many times because they know most men are disgusting, but at least they don't portray men to be godly creatures that need to do everything right. Plus, you're all fat.
Saturday, November 14, 2009 7:57AM
I love how defensive people are getting over this. Seriously guys? It's just a web article. Relax.
Saturday, November 14, 2009 8:06AM
Not particularly insightful or original, but thanks for sharing. This was just your excuse for being indignant.
Saturday, November 14, 2009 9:07AM
I have a bird named Bella, she says TWEET!!!
Saturday, November 14, 2009 2:10PM
I like the article and agree with the author. I read the books and watched the movie and I am appalled at the portrayal of the female lead character. She is constantly treated as a child by everybody around her, people grab her and carry her around, her boyfriend is constantly telling her what to do (in her best interest of course) and she is so dependent on him, that she falls into a deep depression when he leaves her in the second book. What surprises me most is the fact, that not only teenage girls seem to feel this is romantic but also grown up women. The Suffragette Movement and female liberation obviously didn't change as much as I always thought.
Saturday, November 14, 2009 11:57PM
neither are the guys in this movie.
Monday, November 16, 2009 5:04PM
[...] Twilight’s Bella Swan is a Feminist’s Nightmare [...]
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 9:46AM
It's fiction, you psychos. Who gives a sh*t what a vampire does to a high school girl? They're not effing real! In a world where vampires existed, -this- could qualify as an issue. But since it's not, you all need a serious reality check; all comments, and the author, check into serious psychiatric care if you feel you've been slighted emotionally by a male vampire dominated media, or by women who need vampires in their lives.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 1:26AM
She's still dependent on men seeing as that she goes suicidal in the second book just to hear Edward's voice inside her head. It is NOT love it is an obsession. There is a difference.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 1:46AM
She is a bit of a bad influence though since she always seems to be trying to jump into Edward's pants whenever they kiss. This is supposed to be a "Tween" book which means that girls as young as 11(maybe even younger) could be reading this. Usually, sexual situations are reserved for actual teen novels aimed a high school girls girls anywhere from 11-wherever. Every other tween/pre-teen book I've read has managed to have romance without the sex and with the girl not going suicidal the minute things don't work out with her significant other. If she was a stronger character then she wouldn't curl up to die when her boyfriend leaves her for her own good. She is willing to give up right then and then instead of getting up and trying to DO something about the situation like, oh, I don't know, maybe finding that boyfriend to kick his butt for dumping? Just about every girl I know would go crying to their friends and have a mob after their boyfriend if they were dumped like that. Bella is not typical she's stereotypical. The new girl who's so shy but just so happens to be soooo gorgeous, everyone loves her and she gets the perfect boyfriend with the perfect relationship. Yeah. Because that totally happens every day to nearly every teenage girl.
Honestly, I'm glad SOMEONE can see the mistakes in Twilight and can see that its NOT the greatest thing since…well…ever…as some people are inclined to believe.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 5:56PM
It's obvious you have not read the books. If you did, then you would see that the Twilight Saga is a beautiful love story. Edward and Bella can not live without each other. Edward is a vampire and Bella is a human. It's not supposed to realistic. How many vampires do you meet in your day to day life? Not many.
I don't believe Stephanie Meyer wrote these books with the intent to make Bella a role model. Young girls should know the difference between reality and fantasy anyway. Young girls are faced with the everyday struggle of being expected to look like the girls in magazines. Perfect bodies that are airbrushed so they appear to have no flaws and eating disorders.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I respect that. Regardless if you like Twilight or not, the movie is going to make millions of dollars this weekend.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 3:55PM
You have pretty much hit the nail on the head. I applaud you, and only wish more people saw through the wish fulfillment and horrible ideals the novel portrays. As for those who complain about feminists twisting things up an what not? Maybe it's because you are too scared to admit to the fact that your own lives lack so much satisfaction that you have to rely on the result of a broken condom of the literature family. Why is it that a story about the an abusive relationship is glorifed? And why is it that the only descent character in the series (and even then SMeyers screwed him over), probably the only character in the series who you can see some sort of character development- will forever be known as a pedowolf? Jacob Black stood out as real, and probably the only evidense that Meyers might have some slight chance that she could redeem her self from such a degrading literary beginning. If you can consider this series as literature.
Yes, of course feminism is about choice, and sometimes the choice you make isn't going to be the most beneficial- but the choice to use the one person who was patient enough to pull you out of your own little world of heart ache and gloom and put the light back into that world of yours? To reject them and play around with them? To use the "Oh, he's just a friend, so that totally justifies my reason for messing with his emotions" excuse? To ditch that one person and run off to find the loser who made you depressed in the first place? So the message of the story is, stick with the guy who treated you like crap- because he sparkles.
Please, Twilight is an offence to romance. Twilight is an offence to all who believe that love is not about the aroma of someones blood, or the looks of some mysterious lurker (which is what this so called epic romance started on, and distgustingly continued with. That's right, their relationship did not develop beyond that point.)- that love runs deeper than that. Everything about the romance in the world of Twilight is very materialistic and very shallow.
Maybe, just maybe- Twilight could have been a respcted peice of literature, with a far more respectable fanbase had it not have portrayed this shallow and materialistic "romance" as something cute and ideal. Something so virtuous- when clearly, it is none of that.
There are many famous peices of literature that have had similar relationships like Bella and Edwards- and the reasons behind their acclaim was that they were all honest about the types of romance portrayed and very well aware of how twisted it was.- they turned into psychological rollercoaster rides in the world of obsession and pain and anguish. They brought a reality to it.
There is a lot more I could say about Twilight- though I believe that everyone has the right to reading it I still want to know- if we are all so damn happy with our lives, why do we still seek solace and comfort and enjoyment in shallow texts such as these?
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 7:26PM
It really does look like a drug addiction than a proper relationship. But then again, a human's teen period is sort of like that… with crazy hormones.
In response to Demelza Requiem: Whether it is the role or not, it unfortunately has the effect of setting up "role models" for young people, who may perceive certain characters as "cool." This is especially true during teenage years as evidenced by "high school cliques" and what is considered cool and therefore should be followed opposed to those that are uncool and therefore should be shunned.
If entertainment = pedophile stalking vampires who sparkle under the Sun, I think I'll just stick to the un-entertainig classics like Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen for my romance fix.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 12:19PM
No one seems to have brought up the inescapable fact that the young are easily influenced by what ever they are exposed to. They seek to imitate what they see. Bella’s way of coping of lack there of shows girls that it’s ok to completely focus your life on one person despite the fact that doing so can be highly detrimental to living a productive life. Treating life like it is meaningless after someone breaks up with you is not going to help anyone. Promotes negative lifestyle with adverse psychological effects, bravo Bella
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 9:51PM
Please imagine a Bella, clumsy, self-depreciating, complaining about the rain, with no interest in life, not very athletic, quite a depressing character, no friends, condescending to others, parents included; a Bella who never ever meets anyone more interesting than the Mike of the shop and ends up dating him. A Bella without werewolf or vampire. Would you still be interested to be in her shoes? I don't think so somehow. A good character is a character that can stand by itslef. A character you should be able to love and would want to meet. I wouldn't want to be friends with Bella, I would rather be friends with Anne Eliott in Persuasion, who broke up with her lover too, but fought in a more quiet and noble way towards true independance, equality and complementarity.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 4:12PM
[...] Twilight’s Bella Swan is a Feminist’s Nightmare [...]
Thursday, November 19, 2009 1:11AM
I think you need to justify your comment before you go off and make yourself look like a real idiot
Thursday, November 19, 2009 3:44AM
I hate Twilight, but that's it. If you ask for a reason, I'll give you one, but other than that, I just live my life as is. People need to stop taking Twilight so seriously. It's JUST A BOOK.
Thursday, November 19, 2009 9:23AM
Obviously most people don't get that the discussion is on two levels. OF COURSE IT'S AN EFFING BOOK/MOVIE. We all know, that vampires don't run around the country and maybe the way the characters behave in the novel is logical and stringent in their fictional world. IN the fiction it makes sense, that Bella is protected by everybody else, because in comparison she is too vulnerable.
But on the non-fictional level this is the story about two people who are addicted to one another in a not so healthy way and it portrayes women as helpless and childish. Of course you have to be careful with interpretations but lets face it, this book is not "Ulysses" and it is not too hard to see the worldview behing it.
Literature and movies do influence people and to say they don't is to underestimate the power the imagination has over the mind, especially in the case of young people. I'm not propagating bans or anything, but I think a discussion can and has to take place. That doesn't mean that you can't enjoy reading the book. I enjoy reading Jane Austen but that doesn't mean I can't think about it and also be critical about certain points.
Thursday, November 19, 2009 2:19PM
why do people smiley face insults? I think that's the stupid thing.
By the way, i just saw New Moon about a half hour ago, compared to Twilight it's really quite shait! Way to much soppy romance. I wasn't expecting great as it's the worst book of the series but it really was just annoying. One of the best things about Twilight was the great soundtrack. New Moon has some of that but is mostly symphonies. That new director should realize his main audience will not be pleased with symphonies.
Oh and with all this feminist crap… well i think Bella is a bit over the top (no-one falls in love in a week honey) and Edward does come across a bit stalkerish, not to forget Jacob who in Eclipse becomes the worlds biggest asshole. But it's a story, and as much as i think Bella is whinny and way too attached, it also has some very real feelings about love that anyone who has been in love can relate to. I'm sure anyone would do as much as they can for someone whom they loved. Which is what all the characters do. Do as much as they possibly can to stop there loves from feeling pain. Bella to Edward, Edward to Bella, Jacob to Bella, and at a time Bella to Jacob.
Oh an i don't think that id it were real that many people would pass up becoming a vampire. Photographic memory, stupidly fast and strong, not to mention its an easy way to make ugly people pretty. Oh sorry was that not feminist enough. Sorry all women are beautiful. just some are beautifully ugly.
Please excuse my bad grammar, it's 2am and i can't sleep.
Thursday, November 19, 2009 8:09PM
i agree with everything you said and started laughing at the end where u were talking about feminists. its all true. twilight is a beautiful story and this lady has completely got it all wrong…
Thursday, November 19, 2009 8:12PM
i agree with everything u said except about her reading the bible… that book is riddled with nonsence…
Saturday, November 21, 2009 3:09PM
[...] college co-eds on a high-horse, or literary buffs citing misogynist undertones to the text and backwards female thinking (read: Bella is willing to give up everything for Edward). Listen, I study Creative Writing in [...]
Sunday, November 22, 2009 2:16PM
Twihards need to grow up. I get it, you're a bunch of whiny teeny boppers that want a sparkling boyfriend but it's not gonna happen. You're going to wind up with a stalker that wants to dominate you. So listen to this article. It has some valid points. Give it a rest. Meyer is a mediocre author and the influence on young women is disgusting. I don't give a shit about what you think of feminism but this novel is patriarchal. Want to resort back to being objects rather than people? Didn't think so.
Monday, November 23, 2009 4:37PM
I completely agree. This is a very dangerous message and I hope parents of these young fans can explain the difference btw fiction and reality. This relationship is not romantic or one to be desired, it is simply entertainment. She is a very weak protagonist from a storyline point of view.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 7:30AM
I have to say that what did anybody expect, since Mormons themselves are very sexist towards women. Do a little research. Twilight appeals to the Pilgrim culture that is still lingering in American culture, and is the jumpstart of the regression of everything women fought for in the 60s.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 7:36AM
When I was referring to Mormons, I'm sure you know, but Stephanie Meyers the author is Mormon. Mormon women are inferior to Mormon men, period. Mormonism itself is very cultish, and it's debatable whether it's a religion based on a lie, I mean come on, their beliefs that the Native Americans used to be white but their skins were darkened as punishment for their sins. YES THAT'S A TRUE BELIEF, I AM NOT MAKING THAT UP. That is the reason black people were not allowed to become Mormons for years.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009 8:05PM
I also have to say that when you see women talking about "feminism" as if it's something to be shameful about as seen in the comments, you can assume that that's internalized sexism in itself and could possibly be coming from a Mormon woman herself who has unconsciously internalized those sexist beliefs, or just a woman of any religion who has unconsciously internalized those sexist beliefs, and that is just sad. Maybe Twilight is a beautiful love story that could stand on it's own, but it's quite another to not realize why it would be a bad role model for teenage girls. What part of "weak emotionally abused woman dependant on a man" part of the Twilight story do you think is justifiable? I don't, since I grew up as that until horrible things happened to me, and then I realized how horrible the life I was living was, having no identity without having a man there in my life.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009 10:13PM
Even if they don't INTEND to instruct young people and provide good role models, the fact remains that teenagers always look up to book characters, TV/Movie characters, actors, singers, etc and want do be like them. We teenagers are at a time when we are easily influenced and some of the girls reading it are very young and aren't even teenagers yet. They can start to think that some of the stuff in the books is OK and normal or that they can have the exact same type of romance as Bella and want to have that romance- marriage and all. So while it may not be the role of movies and novels to teach young people, that doesn't mean that they don't.
Thursday, November 26, 2009 7:51PM
Extremely funny to see some of the comments people posted here. Not because of their opinions, but the way they expressed them. You make yourself sound like the "idiots" here instead. Anyhow, the article is fairly correct in my opinion. This is coming from someone who has read all four books, and will see all four movies. I am a fan, I think it's a cute story, this does not, however, stop it from being a wrong portrayal of female-male relationships. Bella possess all the characteristics of your "perfect housewife". She is docile, self-sacrificing, patient, and "flimsy" (the fainting at the sight of blood, the clumsiness,etc, etc). Men at school chase her instead of her intellectually driven friend Angela, and sexually strong friend Jessica (I think is the name). Both are also unsurprisingly played by less attractive female actresses. Both friend's male-interests also peruse Bella and then settle for the other girls once she becomes unavailable. Bella sacrifices herself, and her life, and her everything in order to be with Edward. True, that is her decision… but when does Edward to that for her? He leaves when he pleases, comes when he pleases, makes all the plans, asks her to do what he wants (even if it is right for her, aka saying in school, not being a vampire, etc). Edward makes all the logical decisions, and is self-restrained, strong, not prey to strong emotions. Bella is the complete opposite and throws her life away for the man she loves. Instead of him meeting her half way in the situation, Bella has to be in danger of dying to get what she wants out of the relationship (not to mention the baby).
I would also have to agree that her character is practically always defined by the man she is with. What did happen to the me time?
And the sexual consequence? Bella finally get's what she wants from Edward, not to mention, only after she gives into what he demands (marriage), and becomes pregnant. Her sexual desire has now been repaid with a child who threatens her very existence. The article A vampire love (or something or other) makes a good point about how when Bella finally does become a vampire, she becomes Edwards equal. She is no longer defined by him but stands at the same ground. She is no longer flimsy and holds her own physic power which "saves the day" in the last book.
It does not change the fact that Bella becomes this way by finding a man, and self-sacrificing. Isn't this what feminism has been trying to prove wrong? Women can find themselves, and become strong, independent and self-sufficient simply by themselves. They don't need men to achieve their highest goals. Twilight is the exact opposite.
Monday, November 30, 2009 2:57PM
I have yet to read the book and was actually anti twillight for the longest time due to all the hype. But then my boyfriend and I paperviewed the first movie for kicks and giggles and I was captivated by the storyline of true love. I think the empty shell your talking about ins't a girl who is despreate for male attention, but a young girl who is truly in love. Like the kind of love most people only ever dream about. Have you ever had your heart broken?? I know I would act the same way. I went out and bought the first two books. I love to read and yes I'm a Harry Potter fan but I aways prided myself on the fact that I read the books since they first came out. Waited in line at midnight. Dissapointed by the movies. I was in it before the hype. That's why I refused twilight. But I plan to read the books and decide from there. But As much as I hate to admit it. I think I'm in love already…..
Thursday, December 3, 2009 3:19AM
I have never read anything as terrible as these books, and I can't wait for the obsession to end. Trust me, nobody will remember it in a few years.
Thank god we have some good fantasy left in this world – Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, anyone?
Saturday, December 5, 2009 8:41PM
[...] an awesome link that you should read; Bella Swan is a feminist nightmare. Posted by nutd Filed in Reviews Leave a Comment [...]
Tuesday, December 15, 2009 12:19AM
You're absolutely right! I loved reading this! It makes so many great points. Twilight and Bella are both stupid. Enough said.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009 5:00PM
It was a terrible movie and a mediocre book at best.
Stop talking up this shitty book series like it actually worth its weight in paper.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 2:52AM
That's why some retards should actually read the book instead of judging the joke of a movie. Twilight was horrible if you've ever read the book, but you have to give New Moon credit with the new director. Anyways, everything you've said in this, is countered in the books. It's all considered and thought about in detail. For example, you talk about how Bella would be considered a psycho if it was the reverse, but when Edward does it it's attractive. In the book, Bella is surprised that she felt like that, but she couldn't help herself. The rest is to show how deep the love is in this. So haters, keep your mouths shut.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 3:44AM
All of you who beat down the writer of this article are pathetic. You really care that much about these books to defend them so harshly? It's called the free speech you morons.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009 9:47PM
i love this article, i agree with it completely. If these nut job girls need a fictional female character from some fantasy novel (which young women should never idolize fiction anyway) let it be Hermoine Granger. She is smart, independent and brave. But like i said, young girls should be looking at REAL young women, not a scared , hollow finational character like Bella. And a man watching you sleep, is NOT okay. Where's my holy water and a stick.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009 10:32PM
I read all the books. They’re complete trash. Smeyer is a sexist. Edward is creepy. Bella has no personality and can’t survive without a man. She’s incapable of even understanding mechanics because she’s a woman – she admits this to herself in the first chapters of New Moon.
Also, let’s not forget, Bella wanting to have sex before marriage, as a human, in Eclipse, and Edward calling the shots on that. On HER virginity!!! This couple doesn’t have a healthy relationship. If I ever saw someone act like that as a couple, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them split a month into it.
It’s a good thing these are fictional characters and can be forced to work. IN real life, they wouldn’t.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 10:50AM
its funny how everyone is saying "You should have read the books. Bella's not like that." when its a review of the movie and everybody should know that the Book is not the Movie.
Saturday, December 19, 2009 5:31AM
Fuck you feminist pieces of shit.
Saturday, December 19, 2009 2:58PM
It's bloody fiction, do you actually know the difference between fiction and non-fiction…. God I hate all the rants about this movie. Granted i do not like it myself (Vampires should burn in the sun not bloody sparkle) but I'm not going to go worrying myself over it. Wah wah wah thats all you get from both haters and lover of this show. Ok lets take a harry potter movie. The little b'tard made his aunt blow up and float away surely she could have died (lack of oxygen at such a height) did the little tool even try to set it right no he ran away and why because some evil twat kill his parents oh woe is he. Do you think maybe he should be locked up? Surely that falls into one of the attempted homicide categories…
Teenage girls are not interested in any random boy watching them sleep, they want Robert Paterson to watch them sleep 2 years ago they wanted Zach Efron to watch them sleep next year it'll be some other clown Wise up and get a life the lot of ya. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh rant over
Monday, December 21, 2009 7:35PM
Okay, I am a guy and I did read the books. It was all my girlfriend would talk about so I checked them out. There is absolutely nothing healthy about that relationship. And there is most definitely nothing healthy about a bunch of 30-50 year old women screaming for a 22 and 17 year old kid. Get out of the cradle and sleep with men your own age. This book was written so that every die hard romantic on the face of the planet would swoon and fall in love with Edward the vampire. As for Bella being a bad influence on girls, no way. As much as young women, and even some middle aged ones, love these books they can't take them seriously. It is up to the parents, or in the middle-aged cases, themselves to separate fiction from reality. This is a skill most people are seriously lacking and if you spend one second comparing real people to any of the characters in those books, you are going to have a sad, disappointing life. Just appreciate the books and movies for what they are, a teenager's temporary escape from reality. A poorly written escape from reality at that!
Saturday, December 26, 2009 4:19AM
Bella is a whiney, self-centered, one-sided character who does nothing but b**** and complain. Edward is abusive emotionally and verbally. He gets SO MAD AT HER and always plays up the SAD, HEARTBROKEN VAMPIRE WHO WILL DIE WITHOUT BELLA'S LOVE. So, Bella returns to him. When she should get a restraining order or whatever.
Yes, I read the books, I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!!
Twilight was addictive. Yet I hated it. My friend let me borrow New Moon to let me read beach side on a camping trip. I was hooked on the first bit, and thought it was good Jacob was turning up decent when Edward was such a LOSER. I read to the end to see what happened. Turns out, Bella leaves the guy who was nice and went to Edward, who LEFT HER. Anyway, I was SO MAD. My friend had to have our other two guy friends plus her restraining me from throwing it into the lake……ahhhhh…… good times.
Anyway, Bella is b*****, Eddy's a LOSER, and Jacob was decent, and deserved MUCH BETTER THAN A NEGATIVE, (see 1st pharagraph), INSECURE, CLINGY, TEENAGER WITH SO MUCH GROWING UP TO DO.
Saturday, December 26, 2009 1:16PM
"Me Time" isn't necessarily about sitting around watching TV. It can be about self-discovery. Imagine a book about a teenage girl who moves to a new town and then has to face ALL the challenges of life (not just romantic ones). She's got to make friends, she maybe has family issues to deal with since her parents are divorced, then maybe something can happen at school, etc. It can still have a romantic story arc, with a vampire if need be, but if Bella is the main character, then the story should be about her. All of her. Not just her opinion on Mr. Topaz-eyed Glitter-skinned Miracle Boy.
("Little Women," "Anne of Green Gables," and if we're talking about someone older, then "Out Of Africa" might be better examples to contrast.)
I think THAT is why Bella comes across as a flat character. She spends way too much time thinking about Edward, and not enough time doing anything else that would make her look like a realistic person. And if Edward is so concerned about her all the time (he wouldn't keep putting her in danger, for one thing), then he doesn't really have a life beyond her either. Therefore, they come across as codependent, not in love.
Love is about two people coming together to share a part of their lives, not about two notions of people who are designed to be in love and do nothing else.
And about Edward only wanting to make sure Bella is okay? I think he does WAY too many things that put her in danger for that to be believable. (The piggy-back ride that reads like she's afraid, breaking her car, leaving her with his family when he knows they attacked her, getting her pregnant even though having a vampire baby involves her getting her guts ripped open, etc). Edward is not in love; he's just playing with his food.
Saturday, December 26, 2009 1:26PM
Vampires are not real, but control freaks are. Edward is a control freak. That's the problem.
Monday, December 28, 2009 12:06PM
Ahhhhh! I haven’t read the fourth book I could kill you for ruining the part with the baby!
Monday, December 28, 2009 8:43PM
You guys are ridiculous – standing up for a movie because you probably more into the loks of the male character. A lot of films that have been coming out recently, that has suited to this demographic, has digressed the female heroine completely. So instead of bashing people who agree, maybe it's you who needs to have an open mind and be more aware of what is being marketed to you. It is your responsibility to be educated, and be aware of character typecasting. Hey if you like to watch these movies for entertainment, totally cool. But there has been an unhealthy obsession over this film, and the characters in it. Wake up people, its a cheesy teen romance book.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009 5:45PM
First of all, anyone who believes that women should be equal to men is a feminist. That is pretty much every woman out there. The image of feminists being ugly, hairy lesbian hippies was created by men and the media to try to discredit the excellent points women were making.
As for Bella, I agree with a lot of what the writier says but there were a number of things about Bella's character that I disliked. The way she treats her friends for example. She regularly ditches her group of human friends at school as soon as something more interesting comes her way. In 'New Moon' Bella puts herself and Jessica in danger, and Jessica, quite rightly, stops trying to be friends with Bella and is quite annoyed at her. I would feel the same way if a friend repeatedly ditched me for guys and didn't listen when I spoke to them.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009 12:46AM
Also, Bella's weaknesses are celebrated in the book. She doesn't have cerebral palsy, so why the hell can't she go for a walk or hit a ball without some kind of major catastrophe? I am not very co-ordinated by I can walk without falling down! Her physical fragility is grossly exaggerated which is what some women find annoying. On top of the fact that she constantly relies heavily on her supernatural men to help her.
Bella is a hypocrite. She is not strong enough to stay away from temptation, then she constantly worries about how her family is in danger. She creates that danger with the associations she chooses. In Twilight, Edward tries repeatedly to warn her away from him and his family but she ignores him. Plenty of nice, normal guys want to go out with Bella but she chooses the dangerous one.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009 12:46AM
The thing that annoys me the most about Bella her lack of autonomy. She simply can't cope with being alone or find strength within herself. Other people, including myself, have been heartbroken, but instead of sinking into dispair for months or seeking danger most people put more effort into work.study/friendship and family to recover. Bella becomes delusional, and what's worse, she encourages these delusions.
Overall, I am enjoying reading the Twilight series, however I do feel that Bella is a disappointing main character and she is a bad role model for young girls. If you want a great love story try 'Pride and Predjudice', Elizabeth is a fantasitc role model and an excellent character to boot, she's a million miles ahead of Bella and has been a favourite with women for around 300 years.
Sunday, January 3, 2010 12:51PM
Bella Swan, though she is rationally a fictional character is alive. You say that Bella is using men as crutch, and that she is just a shell of an actual human being. What is wrong with that? I am sure there are plenty of people out there that fit that standard. i know I do. yes, other role models could be perused and set on a mannequine to be admired, but Bella is almost real. You can pick her out of the crowd in new york, or look in the mirror and see her. She gives us all hope that even though we are selfless and love more than ever, and are complete nobodies, we can still go out as plain as a sheet and be something for someone. Don’t disregard Bella as a bad role model just becasue you hate the books, think she is a selfless being, dislike her for bigger reasons, reasons that I can’t possibly see.
Sunday, January 10, 2010 10:44AM
bella doesn`t have to have a guy with her all the time.she is FRIENDS with jacob and she hangs out with him because she barely has any friends with edward gone,because she was also friends with the cullens.and all the people she used to hang out with at school don`t talk to her because she quit hanging out with them when she became so close to the cullens.and i have to admit it is weird for a guy to watch you sleep,but this isn`t a normal movie,VAMPIRES,hello?it`s going to be weird.it isn`t even real so i don`t know why everyone is making such a big deal about it.everyone has their opinions.if your not going to say something good,don`t say ANYTHING.or your going to have everyone comment on it and be all mad…
Saturday, January 30, 2010 2:11PM
Lady, I'M a..well, not a TYPICAL teenage girl, since I'm not as stupid as Bella, but I am a teenage girl, and even I think Bella is a weak, whiny little bitch.
Now, I have no problem with a woman choosing the way to live her life, if a woman wants to have a career, she can. If a woman wants to be a mother, she can. But when a woman, no, a GIRL, decides that her entire LIFE revolves around her 'true love', I have a problem.
Bella is not strong. She is weak and teaches girls that relying on a man is the only way to be happy. When Edward leaves her, she basically decides her life is over. She'll do anything, even JUMP OFF A CLIFF, to hear his voice, in her HEAD.
That is not love, it's OBSESSION, and it's NOT healthy. Now, imagine young girls, young IMPRESSIONABLE girls, reading this and wanting to BE LIKE BELLA.
NOW tell me she's not a bad influence.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010 1:54PM
There is nothing romantic about this relationship. It promotes all the wrong things to teenage girls. Look at it this: if it was your daughter would you want her to be a shell of a person without a boyfriend in her life? There are many good things about this series, but it had a chance to be so much better. Bella could have been a wonderful role model for girls everywhere but in the end she is a disappointment. No matter what why you look at it, Edward displays stalker like qualities, watching her sleep, breaking into her house. He is also controlling, wanting her to stay away from her best friend that helped her through a difficult time. Edward and Bella's relationship is not a realistic one at all.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010 1:58PM
Twilight is nothing like the Disney fairy tales. Where in Disney does the prince climb into the princess' castle without her permission and watch her sleep? High school girls are confused but how does giving up your future and family help with that?
Tuesday, February 9, 2010 2:02PM
i have read the books and the writer is completely right about all her opinions. If this was some normal guy and not some "hot" vampire, bella would be calling the police.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 9:21AM
the writer of this article may be thinks Twilight is real.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010 11:15AM
the movies do slighty show bella as someone who needs men However, she moves in with her dad to allow her mother and stepdad to travel and ends up liking it in forks and doesnt want to move back, not just that but she takes care of her dad and spend alot of time home alone when he is at work. The books inform us that Edward has never loved anyone or been in a relationship before which suggest that his love for bella is very deep. Edward fears for bella and you have to keep in mind that to edward bella is very fragile and he wants to protect the person that he loves. Edward whatches bella sleep partly because he is curious. He has been around vampires who dont sleep for so long that the thought of someone sleeping intrests him. In past vampire stories and tales vampires connections with people are much stronger than normal which is why he is so protective and why they struggle to be without each other. Bella turns to Jacob because they have a special friendship -They were childhood friends-. I also turned to someone who was a boy when i broke up with my first love not because i needed a male in my life but because my best friend happend to be male.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010 11:15AM
The history between The vampires and the wolves isnt good and they believe that each other are dangerous. To Edward and jacob letting bella be friends with the other person would be like you letting your daughter be with a murderer. Bella does stand up to edward and jacob alot telling htem what she is doing and telling them to acept it so she has some personality. Lastly it is a fictional story so everything is out of proportion so that it is clear what is happening and to grab attention. what about snow white, why does she need a man to revive her. Repunsil need to be saved by a man. Cinderella another childhood character that is saved by a man. The thing is young girls dream that they will find their perfect prince charming and Edward is just another example of one. My opinion is that you should just whatch/read it to enjoy it dont nit-pick. If you dont enjoy it then thats fine but dont judge it.
Friday, February 19, 2010 1:00PM
I am a fan of twilight movie and book and I was watching it the other day and wondered, how and why are they in love? She first sees him he freaks out and she gets pissed and maybe its from him saving her, but he tells her he wanted to kill her and he has before but, she is okay with it. why is edward to in love with a girl and he wants to drink her blood. I just dont understand what makes them so intrested in eachother a girl who fell in love with a vampire that wanted to kill her after a few months and a vampire who wanted a girls blood so bad and cant read her mind. Im not finding any chemistry to overprotective stubborn people do not make a happy couple. It does sound a bit creepy when you think about it lol. But its fiction, but i am looking forward to eclipse im just starting looking at it in a different way.
Friday, March 5, 2010 9:22PM
I agree with you, but hang on:
"Where in Disney does the prince climb into the princess' castle without her permission and watch her sleep?"
Answer – Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, etc.
It's pretty common.
Monday, March 15, 2010 2:14PM
Half the reason why we like to berate Twilight is because you Twihards are so easy to piss off. You guys don't get it, do you? We live on your tears
Wednesday, March 17, 2010 1:19AM
My problem with Bella is that she doesn't seem to have much of a personality. Why does Edward love her? In the beginning of New Moon, she complains that he's not going to love her when she's old and ugly, which in itself is a troubling statement on Bella's part. However, Edward asks her if she understands how much he loves her, and much like Bella, I'm baffled about what the attraction to Bella is. She seems mousey and weak-willed. Unfortunately, girls like Bella are far too common, so I'm left scratching my head wondering what a hundred year old vampire sees in a completely average eighteen year old. If she was outstandingly mature or sophisticated, I'd understand, but her only virtue seems to be that she isn't as materialistic and vapid as her highschool counterparts. Is that a big accomplishment?
Thursday, March 18, 2010 8:14AM
@Alicia.
You're retarded. The author of this is absolutely right, and having read all of the books I can confidently say that Bella is an awful influence for young girls. Because of characters like her young woman will grow up under the assumption to be this sort of damsel in distress type of person.
@the Author,
Well done. I agree completely.
Sunday, April 4, 2010 6:17AM
i think twilight is terrible in both movie and book form. As a teen girl and also an avid Buffy supporter it saddens me that tween girls look up to a weak, whiny and obsessive girl who depends on others, not just men, to do everything for her. I would hope that parents whose children read these books explain to them why Bella's choices in live are at best ill-advised and at worst psychotic.
Monday, April 5, 2010 12:14AM
Ok, so I really don't like twilight.
But I have a few things I like to mention. First: The stereotypical stalker is a male. In most of the cases it is the other way round: Woman follows her crush everywhere; thats cute. Male follows her crush, thats creepy. Twilight just happens to be an exception.
Second: Edward and Jacop are described as being much stronger than regular humans and both love Bella. Of course they want to protect her. But its not because they are male and she is female but because they simply are much stronger than any mere mortal.
So please: Dear femenists: Stop seeing sexism everywhere and the world will start supporting you more.
Monday, April 12, 2010 2:24PM
i indeed do agree with this article. Now I’m no crazy feminist but i do agree with the fact that Bella’s life revolves around Edward. I don’t know about you but I think that’s a pretty unhealthy relationship right there. Not only does it poison a relationship but it also poisons the mind of women and especially young girls! We shouldn’t be teaching our young girls to give up everything for a guy and rely on them and make their lives revolve around them! we should be teaching our girls how to have a healthy relationship with a guy and to have hopes and dreams too. and he watches her sleep at night? ya hes not a stalker or thing………
Friday, April 16, 2010 2:16AM
Hey hey heyyyy that was rough. We are talking about a book, not bashing religion here.
Friday, April 16, 2010 10:45AM
The marriage was the condition before she could be made immortal. The sex was something she wanted to experience before being made a vampire. The child was accidental, in that they didn't even know it could happen.
The child could also project feelings and she sensed them and chose to keep it.
It IS fantasy, you know. Not real? So to try to compare vampires having babies with a religion's beliefs is way off base.
As for the intent. I imagine if the girl loves the nerd who smells like soup and doesn't mind what he's doing, that's her call. Regardless of what YOU think about the given scenario, the book wasn't written just for your opinion. It was written between the characters actually involved, one who did it and one who didn't care. But to try to make a world of immortal beings non-fiction enough to say what's wrong with vampires having babies is a bit of a stretch.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 12:06AM
Anyone that says that this article is wrong is a nut job.
Friday, May 7, 2010 11:45AM
I completely agree with your article. Coming from somone who has read the saga, regardless of whether you have read the books, you have absolutely pinpointed the anti-feminist faults of the book. If one thing is for certain, you are not a bad influence on society. I have read other articles where women speaking out absolutely rip into the twilight series. It is good that there exists a few of the intended fan base (females) examining and challenging the content of these books.
Also I do not believe, as does another commenter, that every female must be a 'raging feminist', however, I do believe all women should feel equal to men and the issues in this article should not be dismissed. I have seen circumstances of girls at the age of 10 or possibly younger absorbed by the saga. I read these books at the age of 16 (I am now closer to 18) and what I at first considered to be an appealing story line, I soon began to feel uncomfortable about. Now, if I was slow at 16 to read between the lines, how can girls at the age of 10 possibly be able to question the actual content of these books? And before people start to crticise my comment with the usual but Edward and Bella are so very in love, and I must not like it because I cannot comprehend it, lets not forget in the second instalment of the series Meyers actually goes as far as saying Bella ceases to exist without her man in her life.
I by no means think that Meyers has intentionally tried to create an anti-feminist protagonist, however, the damage is done and some very anti-feminist concepts are presented. I believe that it is in the right of every person, boy or girl, to read the books but don't simply follow the opinions of friends, judge them for yourselves, exercise the right, or better yet privilege we are offered in the west, to be an individual. For those of you who have actually read my whole comment, thank you
Friday, May 7, 2010 11:58AM
Yes, but if you talk to some fans they follow twilight as if it is REAL. They have trouble discerning fiction and fantasy from reality. Girls have actually dumped boyfriends for not being enough like Edward Cullen. That is why having these anti-feminist presented in the novel is truly concerning.
Sunday, May 30, 2010 3:15AM
I disagree with you author. She is not a feminist's nightmare, if anything she should be a flag-bearer. If more women would just calm the fuck down and not have an opinion of their own life would be easier for us men.
And women do need to be protected, I mean some women are strong (Emotionally or physically), but they are freaks and losers. Real women just follow around their big, strong man all day.
I'm glad some biased, self-righteous, sheep were able to get to these comments to explain just how wrong you are.
Monday, May 31, 2010 12:06PM
I read the first book and I have seen the first movie, and I agree with this article in some aspects. The issue is not so much how Edward and Jacob treat Bella, but how she acts in respect to them. No person should ever feel that they need another person in order to feel whole. The way that she treats her relationships with the men in her life is not healthy. If anything, she shows signs of battered woman's syndrome, i.e. she continuously goes back to a man who does not treat her well, blaming all his actions on herself.
I think it is important to take these novels and these movies for what they are supposed to be: entertainment. Read the books, see the movies, but do not go overboard with the whole "Where's my Edward?" nonsense. This story is not meant to mirror real life, nor should people take it that way. Girls need to realize that Bella's relationship is not an ideal one; it is, in fact, an emotionally abusive one.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 9:12AM
at one time women were romanced by men. Now if men want to show they love a woman, you think the woman is crazy. teenage girls do get crushes and fall in "love" with boys at school. Do you want all teenage girls to never fall in love? your attitude that she has to never have a man in her life is what leads to divorce and lesbianism
Thursday, June 17, 2010 2:01PM
Let me just put this up first, I'm not a Twilight fan, … but this also needs a bit of back-up. Yeah yeah, I've heard that "it's a teenager" book and blah blah blah, but there are some things people really forget. I think the author did a great job to really describe that depression, how if felt and how it makes you feel. So, when you're a teen and going through such a stage, it leads you through it (the breakup, the grief, the healing process… I'll stop there. The rest sucked), It's worth to take into account that (Bella) experiences everything 'presently'. She does have a character of her own, but her thoughts are really obsessive and really irratic… but if you literally just read what HAPPENS her true self shows. Discounting all the blood-obsession between them: this is how many teens are during their first relationship. "I can't think, I can't eat, I can't breathe when you aren't around" and that's perfectly captured in this book. Oh well… rant's done *bows*
Thursday, July 1, 2010 12:54AM
Honestly, Twilight makes me want to kill myself. To all the people who say 'if you don't like Twilight, just leave it alone,' shut up. I would LOVE to ignore Twilight but everywhere I go I have to hear a bunch of screechy girls (ranging from age 5 to 50) screeching about how much they love Edward. To everyone who says 'the book is better,' shut up. The book is written like a bad fanfiction; the word sparkling (or at least a synonym) is on every freakin page. If this is the future of literature, shoot me now.
As for Bella, I completely agree with this article. She's the worst role model I've ever seen. I'm seeing people comparing her to Disney princesses which just isn't quite right. Every Disney princess tries in some way to be self-sufficient. Snow White works, Cinderella works, Mulan puts on armor and kills people, Belle takes care of her sick father, etc… What does Bella do? She falls a lot. I cannot accept her as a main character in a novel, much less a role model. Every hero/heroine must have a major flaw that they overcome to perform a task. Bella has none. In fact, she doesn't even overcome a task; don't tell me that romances don't need that because I've read my fair share of romance novels and each one has had a competent heroine. God, I usually hate feminist nonsense. I've had to deal with an active feminist family my entire life and I just want to end up in the kitchen. I relish the idea. But Bella Swan is turning my entire generation into a bunch of babbling morons who'll grow up throwing themselves at sparkling men.
Plus, if I EVER caught a guy watching me while I slept, I'd shoot him through the face. That's just creepy.
Thursday, July 1, 2010 4:50AM
its called fiction, get over yourself
Saturday, July 3, 2010 3:54AM
Um, you do understand that this is a story about vampires and werewolves right?? It's fantasy fiction. The writer of this article seems to have studied the story very intently. Why?? These constant types of articles , whether they are favourable or not, are promoting these books and movies. If you really want young girls to think about feminism or relationships why not write about more intelligent literature? Instead of movies and books that are incredibly easy to bash. Any moron can pick apart these stories, it's not hard. Try introducing young readers to something else that will make them think. Come on, pick up your game.
Sunday, July 4, 2010 5:18PM
I’m so sick of twilight.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010 10:12AM
I agree with everything, but the statement under "This is Not a Healthy Relationship" is wrong. Edward didn't force her to become a vampire. In fact, he desperately wanted her to stay with her family and remain human. Bella is the one who insisted on being turned. I like your article, but you ought to be better acquainted with your material before you start criticizing it.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010 5:40PM
I definitely agree with a lot of things this article has to say, however, these are Stephenie Meyer's books. She probably didn't write them thinking they would hit this big and have such an influence on the world. It was her choice to make Bella Swan a more vulerable girl. If her character was any other way and not her own, that would be like Sesame Street turning Cookie Monster into Veggie Monster just to conform to today's society. It's stupid. I'm a feminist, but I also believe that it is a writer's choice on their character's personality and instead of criticizing the Twilight series, teach our girls to be strong women and to realize that they are just movies. There are many characters in movies that have personality flaws, that's what makes the story.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 10:53AM
i think it's more than a girl throwing her life away for a boyfriend, they end up married and for anyone who has found the person they are meant to be with, it does change everything and you would be willing to make changes for them. She was also the one who wanted to make the changes, not Edward. Jacob was not just another "man" either, he was a friend. How many of us have run to a friend when things were tough? Jacob liked her but she did not just fall into his arms when Edward left, she needed a friend and he was there for her.
Thursday, July 8, 2010 10:54AM
I also disagree that she was helpless. I mean, yes compared to the supernatural beings she hung out with, but she does help Edward defeat Victoria and once she is a vampire she is very powerful.
I also can't understand why her virtue is considered a bad thing. She would have slept with Edward but HE was saving HIMSELF for marriage, which should be a good thing.
We also forget that Bella was a very good student and intelligent. She is the one who figured out Victoria was behind the vampire army. She was also not meant to be a hero, just a character in an entertaining book. I don't think anyone in this book is really meant to be a hero, just different complex characters
Thursday, July 8, 2010 10:54AM
also, to the person who glorified Anne Eliott in Persuasion, it should be noted that it took her years of misery to become a strong and independent person, when she was young she was so weak she threw away the love of her life over bad advice.
You can criticize the author all you want too, but it is great when people are debating an actual book and not just talking about Jersey Shore.
Thursday, July 15, 2010 3:36PM
Amen.
Sunday, July 18, 2010 9:53AM
.arg, sh*t up! whats peoples problem with twilight. its the exact same thing as, for example Harry Potter.
harry potter goes to kill the man he was told, killed his parrents .. and his TRYING to do it.
you dont think that is bad influense? .. here the athour J.K. Rowling invite's children to kill the man, if the man has killed there parrents.. ,oh. the world would fast be a better place without the bad murders.
a little boy at 11 goes with a complete stranger, who's breaking in,in his house. thats even worse.
is'nt it what parrents are trying to learn there children? not to go with strangers?
twilight tells a story about love. where the girl cant live with out the boy … AND THE BOY CANT LIVE WITHOUT THE GIRL!
continue:
Sunday, July 18, 2010 9:54AM
so many people are saying it puts women in bad light. but why? the boys shut being put in the exact same light, couse the guy cant (like the girl) not live without the girl.
try to concider how many movies, series, and animated tv, that have's bad influence on children and teens:
in an animated movie, like tom and jerry, they are using eachother like a boxing-pillow. here, they are telling kids that its okey to hid eachother, starting fights. is that okay?
and this:
She has no identity of her own, and literally loses her mind without the constant influence of vampire boy. At the end of Twilight, when Edward attempts to leave her in the hospital, she almost gives herself a stroke
how would you react if youre boyfrind or house bond, told you that he would leave you?
well, i'm sure you would do the same like bella in the end of twilight.
continue:
Sunday, July 18, 2010 9:55AM
and this:
Edward gets Bella to leave her family and friends to appease him, which eventually leads to marriage and a half vampire baby (which shouldn’t be possible since he’s dead)! It’s not OK for anyone, let alone a teenage girl to toss everything to the wind at a boyfriend’s request.
try read the books and you're discover, that edward trying to do evrything he can to make bella change her mind. it's BELLA who wants the baby thats almost killing her, its BELLA who wants to be turned into a vampire, its BELLA who wants the enternity with edward. its NOT EDWARD whos telling bella to get the baby, no his trying to convince her thats its not good, that it can kill her. its NOT EDWARD whos tells her : "now youre going to leave you family, and youre frinds couse its only legal for you to be with ME!"
so, dont blame edward, it's bella who's making the choice about her own life.
Sunday, July 18, 2010 9:55AM
oh,and YES she needs her boyfrind/Edward to protect her. she's a human, and a human cant fight against a vampire, they are so mutch stronger then she is, they are so fast that, if the vampire wanted, the vampire cut kill her without she would notice.. so yes, she needs the protection, to survive. in the moment bella is turned into a vampire, edwards not so protective about her any more.
so come on, an love story, where they cant live with out eachother..
it's nothing! get over it!
so no, Bella have no bad influence!
THE END!
Sunday, July 18, 2010 11:02AM
ppl speak their thoughts, feelings and opinions based on their stations in life and states of being (mentally, emotionally, physically or spiritually) at the time. everyone needs to keep that in mind before they bash at others self-righteously.
those of you who are mature enough to see through the veils and extract the meaning behind the meanings from the Twilight series, should keep in mind that once upon a time you were unable to see clearly as well (albeit not regarding Twilight but x, y, z) and you too may have taken fantasy to be reality at the time and perhaps have now forgotten those days. now that you have learned well and developed, give some time for the others to do the same. keep in mind that the next paradigm shift, that seemed to begin a decade ago and will probably last into another few decades is one of intelligence and fast-paced insight. Translation: young people are becoming smarter a hell of a lot faster and despite the distractions and dilemnas, they usually wake up to reality and/or move on and don’t obsess over such characters and fictional role models. altho one can argue that only time will tell, yet never say never and have hope in the future. in today’s world, we need advice coupled with hope and encouragement more than anything else.
and as for the youngeons and those a bit older for the genre or series as well as all the Twilight fanatics: try not to take these movies/books seriously as with anything else in life. balance the equation and see these as outlets for trivial entertainment at the least or a means to an end at most. a means being something that moves you upwards in which case you learn what there is to be learned, experience it, develop yourself internally and externally and MOVE ON. there are too many dramas/romances out there that are from the subconscious of OTHER ppl. instead, why not create your own life in a way that’s perfect for YOU, instead of attaching your self to fiction or reality show specials that are just depictions of other ppl’s lives. and if you are watching them for the sake of “listening and learning,” then take the positive and beneficial points and apply it to life and leave out all the unnecessary baggage. there is enough troubles and dramas in our lives. why add more? especially when they are artificially made for the purpose of re-creating a fantasy novel? EVERYONE has a story to tell.
write your own and follow it up with action instead of daydreaming…….
peace
Thursday, August 19, 2010 7:32PM
I agree that women should have equal rights as men, but dear lord it’s just a story. and edward doesn’t force her to change. she’s the one who wants to.
Sunday, August 29, 2010 11:45AM
25 y/o male speaking:
After watching 2/3 twilights with my gf, I found this site googling for “Twilight Bella is a loser.”
Let’s put this in context:
Let’s say you had a sister, who became suicidally desperate in the absence of her high-school “true love;” Let’s say this “true love” represents a very serious danger to her life, expresses he has a subconscious drive to wolf her down like a steak and consistently introduces her to life threatening situations; let’s say that no matter how fickle he is, she clings so desperately to him that she is willing to permanently sacrifice her other friendships, family, career – her life as she knows it – to be with this fellow she’s known for like a year.
If my sister did that, I’d slap her upside the head and tell her to come to her senses and ditch the jackass.
How can anyone idolize or even respect this character? I hope none of the 13 y/o girls in the theatre thinks that this is how REAL relationships are supposed to go down lol. May the ghost of Susan B. Anthony haunt the script writers forever! ^^
Thursday, October 14, 2010 11:07PM
Its a book people. We read books to escape our reality for a while. We don't believe that Bella, Edward and all the others are somehow real life characters and that their tragic relationship would work in real life. We fans get lost in the magic of the story, we don't apply it to our own lives. We don't expect a man to be like Edward, that would be creepy and depressing. His character can be such a downer at times, it would not be fun. Point is, the story is fiction. We read fiction to escape into another world unlike our own. Seems as if too many people have taken this story too seriously. Give it a rest already. Move on.
Monday, November 22, 2010 4:58PM
Amen to that
Tuesday, November 23, 2010 12:32PM
… I'm sorry, helene, but that whole comment was an absolute joke.
Harry spent 7 years of his life knowing that Voldemort MURDERED his parents, developing bonds with people (real-type bonds that far surpass Bella's obssession with Edward), protecting them, making sure no innocent person dies on his watch. That is why he is sacrificing himself. Don't even talk about JK Rowing compared to SMeyer, there's no comparison. Even Steven King knows that JK Rowling is 10x the writer SMeyer will ever be. At leat the female characters like Hermione have personalities, interesting traits, are strong, and don't rely on a man. You can relate to them too. Bella? Nothing. She is the most boring, lifeless, weak girl I have ever read about. She relys on a man for everything. She goes from living with her Dad, to becoming obssessed with Edward, and when Edward leaves, of course she must find another man: Jacob. Then she runs back to Edward. TO MAKE HALF VAMPIRE BABIES AND SPEND ETERNITY TOGETHER.
Jesus, kill me now -___-' .
Wednesday, November 24, 2010 7:48AM
I second that motion, Jenny. Harry Potter is light years ahead of Stephenie Meyer's innappropriate Twilight series. Harry Potter is so much better for kids. It teaches that good always triumphs evil, to love your family and friends, and to fight for what's right. I mean, seriously, what's Twilight about? Lust and sex. That's it. And the sad thing is, that people love that. Our society's really going down to the dogs…
Wednesday, November 24, 2010 7:59PM
i really love bella , i think ur misconseptionalizing her , she is smart , and bright ,but perhaps not bookishy , she follows her intuition , which is smth all girls should do , and she stands up for wat she feels she isnt ashamed of her emotions , i totally get ur pt abt her fascination with edward , but u have to consider edward isnt a normal boyfriend model , u cant relate to him like other boys , or react . bella is swept up in smth bigger than her . and imagine urself alive for 100 miserable self loathing yrs , and wen U find the love of ur life , see how u react , he is over protective and slightly over bearing , but u must put into consideration his background , he doesnt sleep or eat , his whole world suddenly goes haywire, and revolves around this tiny extremely fragile girl , soo if he watches her sleep or tries to protect her over bearingly from things HE considers a threat , then i think he has an excuse.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010 11:09PM
I've read the first book to see what all the commotion was about, and frankly, I did not find aspect of the book to be appealing. In addition to what you've written about in your article, the way it was written was atrocious; there was no plotline until the 400th page, there were many, many grammatical errors, and Meyer could not stop mentioning the words "rock hard" or "pale" on every single page. In addition, I found the characters to be very poorly developed as both Bella and Edward were complete Mary/Gary Sues. I found Bella to be very annoying and quite bitchy to her friends. There was one particular instance that really annoyed me – when Bella calls Mike a "dog" because he liked her and would follow her around and be nice to her. A DOG.
I remember growing up in the 90s and early 2000s, I watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel (spin-off of BtVS). Having just finished watching all 7 seasons of Buffy again, I realized how much I adore Joss Whedon for creating female characters who are strong and independent. Buffy also had a relationship a vampire (with a soul), but (SPOILER ALERT) she also ends it by sending him to hell in order to save the world. When Angel comes back to earth but leaves her again because he knows the relationship isn't healthy for them, Buffy does not curl up in the fetal position to die or jump off a cliff. She dealt with the pain of losing him and she goes on to save the world a few more times. Even after her second boyfriend, whom she also loved very dearly, left her, she moved on. In one episode, where her sister almost kills herself for a boy, she says, "No guy is ever worth your life." That is the kind of person I look up to, and that is exactly the type of person who young girls should look up to. Not this Bella Swan character, who has no brain of her own.
Sunday, January 2, 2011 9:42PM
Hey people! Chill out. It is just a romance fantasy.
Monday, January 17, 2011 6:24PM
Um, if a guy watch you slepp Toni, maybe he feels more at peace. Bella is a good role model, she represents bracery and courage, something you obviously dont' have. Bella…. you are great.
Saturday, January 22, 2011 1:31PM
edward does not take bella away from her family she chooses this and they just need to protect her because victoria is after her. Would your boyfriend or husband leave you alone if a crazy pshycho stalker out to kill was following you. I BET NOT HUH!
Monday, February 21, 2011 1:15PM
My issue isn’t with Edward being a stalker or Bella being weak, its Bella’s constant belief that Edward is better than her, that he is doing her a favour by being with her. I just dont think the emphasis on beauty is right…like she doesnt deserve to be with him because he’s so beautiful. Plus the general way women here fold themselves to accomodate men and their issues. Sam doesnt want people to stare at Emily after he rips half her face off? And Emily stays as the docile obedient fiancee cooking truckloads of food whiile Sam tells people not to look at her? I just don’t like the way women in the series are portrayed as making themselves smaller to accomodate the men.
Friday, February 25, 2011 8:10PM
I completely agree with you about Bella Swan. At the end of "Twilight", which I finished reading before 2006 came to an end, I really didn't like Bella's character, and I hated her more throughout the rest of series. In "New Moon", at the end I slammed the book down. The reason why is how she treated Jacob Black (the true love she abandoned), she knew he would do anything for her, so she took advantage of his feelings for her, to get what she wanted, be reckless so she could have hallucinations of Edwards, I was pissed, because in my book, you don't treat people like that, and then have no intentions of returning their feelings and hurt them. The second reason I hate that bitch, you couldn't pay me to give up my humanity for anything or for anyone. Bella says she cares about her family, she don't give a shit about her family, because if she truly cared, she never would've considered on becoming a vampire, knowing that after a few years, she would never be able to see them anymore, because they will see that she's not aging. I would've told her this:
"Before you think about abandoning your own flesh & blood, you might want to think about who kept you alive for 18 years and who loved you first. Charlie & Renee Swan loved you before you could live in this world. They wasn't out of high school for 2 years when you was born. They could have threw your ass out onto the streets or sent you to an orphanage. But because they cared, they gave up their lives and busted their ass to provide you with food, shelter, and clothing. And this is how you repay them, by abandoning them, laymen terms, if it wasn't for them, you wouldn't exist."
That would've brought her back down to planet Earth.
Monday, February 28, 2011 1:33PM
Finally,an intelligent person who agrees with my thoughts! I am constantly surrounded by Twihards, and I can't even say anything other than agree with them about how "hot and amazing" Edward is, lest the rabid Twilight fans try to axe murder me.
Friday, April 8, 2011 8:28AM
ahem, attn: WannabeBella (i'm pretty sure Bella's not your real name, but nice try). How old are you, 11??? If you want to raise an objection, make sure you actually have a sound argument to back it up. Comments like that make you sound like a thoughtlessly loyal fan who's disputes can be summed up as "nuh uh". Bella is a horrible role model because (try to pay attention here):
a) she has no interests outside of keeping a boyfriend
b) she's critical of everyone who's kind to her (you'd think she'd at least learn how to say 'thank you')
c) for someone who is as smart as Stephanie Meyers wants us to believe she is, she seems to get herself into a lot of avoidable trouble.
d) she's EXTREMELY selfish and plays two guys at the same time –> she's a complete c*ck tease toward Jacob b/c she can't make up her damn mind, and then she breaks his heart. If you didn't love Twilight so friggin' much, you'd agree that this girl's a greedy b*tch!
e) she ALWAYS needs to be rescued!
f) she's whiny and has no self-esteem. The only time she ever feels validated as a person is when Edward is doting on her. Yeah, great role model indeed *sarcasm*
I could go on, but if your IQ surpasses my bra size, then you'll get my point. Bella was just a projection of the author's personal fantasy. Unfortunately, that person is pretty spineless, masochistic, and stupid (not exhibiting "bracery" as you say). Case closed, now go read some REAL literature.
Monday, April 18, 2011 1:13PM
Three words: Read Terry Pratchett. His books are the PERFECT antedote to Twilight. There are plenty of brilliant female characters in his books who aren't total drips.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011 1:20AM
The attack of the retarded fangirls. Don't you see that your Bella is nothing but a whiny, dumb animal? Sorry for the statement, but that's how I describe her.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011 3:57PM
I've read the books,Bella is even worse in them,as a woman I am offended by her complete lack of respect for self. I wish Sidney Sheldon had written these books.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 12:33AM
Don't you think that Bella could have at least thought of saving Charlie too? I don't think she cared very much for her father at all because by going away, she left her scent, leaving Charlie there as BAIT to Victoria. If anything, I don't even think that she would go to her own father's funeral if he had died because of her. She probably wouldn't even shed a tear.
Saturday, September 17, 2011 10:49AM
Saw your frustration with the message board…sometimes it happens. Somehow this morning I managed to hit 100points on Intense Debate. Not sure what that means, although I wish it meant I'd won a new car!! Have a good night…..now we'll see if this posts!
convert celsius to farenheit|centimeters to inches|technique de drague|fausse couche |farenheit to celsius
Thursday, September 22, 2011 8:58PM
yes edward alive for 100 miserable years during which he hasn't fallen for a single girl? given that edward does fall in love with bella, we know that he *is* attracted to girls. so why hasn't he ever loved a girl? because bella and only bella was his true love? that just does not happen. the only reason it happened in this book was because the author made it so.
no matter what you say, edward is a creepy stalker. now, this is normal for vampires. vampires are *supposed to be* creepy stalkers. but then again, this is meant to be creepy, not romantic. smeyer is sharing with little girls a completely twisted conception of love, which i find very disturbing.
yes bella follows her intuition and stands up for what she believes in and pursues her dreams. that does not necessarily mean her intuitions, beliefs and dreams are sound or responsible. what kind of a children's book features a heroine who willingly gives up her mortality just to be with a guy?
Thursday, September 22, 2011 9:07PM
Frankly, Bella is worse in the book. In the 'Eclipse' movie I think she says that she's choosing to be a vampire because she feels that she belongs in the vampire world or something. Or perhaps it was that she felt she could be more herself as a vampire. In the books, the only reason she wanted to be a vampire was to be with Edward.
There was this scene in the books that absolutely pissed me off – Bella and Edward have a fight because he is being a controlling boyfriend. So she storms into her rooms and slams the windows shut, so he can't come in. After a while, she sighs and flings them wide open. WTF??? I heard that in the movie, she actually leaves them shut. I wouldn't know, I never watched the movies save a few scenes because they were dull and boring. One improvement I think there was from the books though was that in the movies you don't have to hear her *think*. God, Bella's thoughts made me want to rip stuff up.
Thursday, September 22, 2011 9:15PM
Those motivations being that she wanted to give up her mortality to spend eternity with some guy.
The Twilight books were bad, but I don't see why they can't be a guilty pleasure. The reason people feel concern is because it is a) so wildly popular, b) heralded as a benchmark in YA literature. That is just wrong.
Thursday, September 22, 2011 9:17PM
I wish that were the case. Sadly, I have heard of women who have dumped their boyfriends because they couldn't be more like Edward.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011 12:46PM
Great article, but I'd like to say I'm a 13 year old who HATES Twilight.
My guy friends where listening to me talk to the Twi-Hards, and they agree.
I told them a ton of stuff wrong with Twilight, than I said:
"So why do girls like Twilight? Simple. Bella has no personality, so it's easy for them to, sometimes unconsciously, take out Bella and add themselves in."
Then I said some other stuff. The girls where just like: O.O.
Great article, agreed with everything!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 7:08PM
There's something that should be kept in mind while dissecting the Twilight Saga (although I don't think it would blunt the effect that much). Bella is supposed to be a hollow placeholder for other teenage girls to insert their own personalities into.
Monday, October 24, 2011 8:14AM
These Movies are great <3!
Salt Free Water Softeners
Saturday, November 5, 2011 10:24PM
Haven't read the books or seen the film & never will. What a pile of tosh, Meyer obviously is exploiting or actually is one of those type of women who are totally dependent on men – emotionally, literally, figuratively. Bella & probably Kristen too is a quivering jelly mess of completely useless estrogen, a Narcissistic homage to young male wank fantasies & young pubescent female self obsession syndrome idolatry, no wonder the feminist brigade is up in arms. Bella is nothing more than a stampeding clitoris on legs & pouting lips. Young girls who like this crap will hopefully grow out of this hormone charged emo phase & become self assured young women who are dependent on themselves & will hopefully only choose a male partner who has the same self assuredness. Unfortunately, the women who worship this twisted dependence psychology are often the ones who choose misogynist male sociopaths as partners, who allow themselves & their offspring to be beaten to a pulp, brutalized, raped & psychologically tormented but will not leave because they are besotted & masochistic, they have to have 'that man'. This kind of woman is a feeble entity that should be bred out of existence & the men that prey on them are the real vampires
Sunday, November 6, 2011 5:35PM
Bella isn't friends with Jacob. If she were, she wouldn't have done what she did. She takes advantage of the romantic feelings he overtly displays toward her on a regular basis to manipulate him into being her male caretaker after her vampire boyfriend runs off.
As for vampires… vampires in a book may be cool. However, the sorts of real life people they represent are unhealthy, and if you think young girls won't search out these unhealthy, vampire-esque individuals you are mistaken.
It wouldn't be a big deal if it weren't so popular. It's everywhere, though. Young girls (not to mention grown women) everywhere are idolizing these characters. These characters are unhealthy, disfunctional individuals who really shouldn't be idolized by anyone, let alone thousands of anyones.
Thursday, November 17, 2011 12:10PM
I think people are forgetting it is only a book and film, I have never watched or read it but if people enjoy it let them enjoy it. I understand everyone is entitled to their opinions but at the end of the day its just a film and if you dont like it or agree with its messages simply don't watch it.
Saturday, November 19, 2011 3:21PM
BEST COMMENT EVER
Friday, November 25, 2011 10:25AM
feminists are better off unnattractive, that way they dont get hit on as much
Friday, November 25, 2011 10:33AM
i never watched or read twilight. but i realize how much most of you hate it. sometimes it can be fun to watch trashy movies or read trashy books just to marvel at how trashy it is.
Monday, November 28, 2011 12:16PM
I think Bella's somewhat "weak and submissive" character is a direct result of todays women being a little sick of feminism. Just like the mass exidus of women from the workplace which has been happening in the last few years, women returning home to be stay at home moms and homemakers. Not because of some bar set by society, but by choice. We know we can do anything a man can do and maybe alot more, we just realize now that we don't have to keep proving it. Feminism prevailed, and now we have stepped beyond it. Now we can stop trying to do everything, and do what we really want. For some of us, that means being nurturers to our children and good wives to our husbands. Both jobs that require alot of strength.
Many of us are tired of taking the lead and being the strong one, the protector and provider. A man like Edward, to some degree, would a welcome change to the weak men feminism has created (sons of hardworking single moms who without a male role model where coddled too much and expect their women to do the same). Many of us would love for a guy to open the door for us once in a while, pick up the check, take our coat, protect us from harm. Its not because we cant do it ourselves.
Friday, December 2, 2011 8:48AM
Exactly! But Bella is the textbook definition of a Mary-Sue, so we're supposed to believe that everything she does is perfect.
I can't believe that a woman would write this sexist crap. Heck, all Bella does is cook and clean. Yeah, totally not sexist at all.
Thursday, December 8, 2011 5:20PM
First, I read all the books before the movies ever came out. Second, I'm a girl-geek tomboy from hell, and have always understood girlie-girls much better than I ever have backstabbing, self-important snot-bitches. Third, I watched in utter disgust as women killed the Equal Rights Amendment because they did not want truly equal rights with men, and the attendant equal responsibilities.
That said, Bella is a girlie-girl. She's also the type of uncoordinated klutz who can trip on a nickel and break her wrist. In the books, she always has some minor injury from this. As she tells someone, it does her no good to run, since a 5yo could catch her and beat her up. This informs her entire personality. She is utterly fearless, because being afraid is a waste of time. None of this is very well portrayed in the movies.
Yes, she uses and abuses Jacob's affections and ditches her friends for a boy. So do most teenage girls. They're teenagers and thus self-absorbed. Yes, she at first knows nothing about mechanics. Then she rebuilt those bikes with Jacob's coaching and learned to ride them. Again, the movies screwed this up, because in the books, she continued to ride them after her accident.
Is Bella admirable in all ways? Hell, no. But then, who is? Is she a character that I can see as a person doing things that she wants to do? Yes. Not the decisions I'd have made (Team Jacob!), but right for her.
The "anti-feminism" rantings I've seen here deny the aspect of feminism that says that a woman should be WHATEVER SHE WANTS TO BE. Whether that be a physicist, a neurosurgeon, a fighter pilot, a martial arts competitor, a business mogul, a cop, a nurse, a therapist, a "human resources" sneering snip, or a housewife. All of you demanding that every woman MUST fit inside your restrictive little pigeon-hole of "proper feminist" are as bad as the patriarchal jerks who caused the invention of feminism.
Thursday, December 8, 2011 6:33PM
I'll agree with you on that, but…. The story also shows that being a selfish git hurts those around you as well as yourself.
Thursday, December 8, 2011 6:45PM
Getting her pregnant was a surprise to both of them, and getting her guts ripped out carrying the baby to term was Bella's decision, backed up by Rosalie, and to a smaller extent, Alice and Esme. As for Edward's family, he trusted Carlisle to keep the others in line.
IRT _Little Women_, I could not read that flock of fluttering twits without gagging and throwing the book across the room. My mother handed me her Nancy Drews after that, and basically gave up on breaking me of being a tomboy.