This quarter, it is time once again for the annual torture session in futility and laziness to teach the standard MLA style critical analysis and research paper. For a few years now, I have longed to bring popular interest literature into the classroom, thereby increasing both my students' pleasure in reading and writing their papers, and decreasing my frustration in grading their work. In that regard, this year, I toyed once again with the idea of allowing students to write their papers on the work of Stephenie Myer and my personal all time favorite, Stephen King. (And yes, the idea of allowing Zane, while insane, has crossed my mind; it is ludicrous, but if it were possible, I'll bet I would have 100% participation from all girls at my school lmao!)
Anywho, so I'm looking for sources online because, well, if I can't find literary criticism of Twilight outside of the blog-o-verse, I can't very well send them on the search for the proverbial needle in a haystack....and lo and behold, there is a veritable anti-Twilight circus going on in the world of feminist bloggers! I suppose I should have foreseen this; Twilight positively reeks of sappy, overly-sentimental dependency and fictionalized over the top romantic idealism, but DAMN!
These folks are really going for it!
And I have to admit that some of the things they take issue with are damn good points, that is, until you factor in a healthy understanding of what happens in the overall saga, instead of using PARTS of individual novels to prove points and nitpick:
For example,
- Edward DOES control Bella...he damn near turns over-bearing parent to Bella's rebellious teen...(which is resolved when Bella stands up for herself, Edward apologizes, and they create the most UNREALISTIC entanglement of relationships I have ever seen...)
- Edward sneaking into her bedroom unannounced and uninvited is...well...pretty damn creepy...(no excuse on that one, Stephanie; you dropped the ball there)
- Bella DOES lean on, and even USE Jacob to get over the break up with Edward, and her catatonic state is ridiculous, yet no more ridiculous than the sentiments expressed in W. H. Auden's "Stop All the Clocks" (yet it what I WISHED I could do as a teenager, getting over a first love...and how many girls have never done that? Really? Some poor guy is in the friend zone with you who would be perfect for you, but you are too messed up over what's-his-name to take the chance at love again. Right or wrong, it is realistic, and promotes discussion and reflection...and one reason why there is a whole team Edward/Jacob phenomenon going on)
- Bella DOES take care of her father, spending time cooking and cleaning while he "drinks beer and cleans his guns", which is INFURIATING...(until you realize that Bella took care of her mother the same way...by doing those things for her which she did not do well for herself....kinda paints her as a responsible teen, and sets up the necessary perception of her maturity and abnormality enough to believe that a 100 year old vamp could fall for her in the first place...she is an "old soul".)
- And finally, Bella is pretty freaking helpless...she is ALWAYS getting hurt...always stumbling and falling on something...ALWAYS in need of rescuing, as a result of her humanity, they are foils....she is weak and frail compared to Edward's strength in all matters but her. (until of course, you get to the end of the saga...something that those people who are carping on Twilight never seem to do or to factor into their arguments WHEN they do...and don't worry, I won't spoil things for you, my non-reading little movie-holics!!!)
So why do I, little feminist troll that I am and can be, love this series soooooooo much?
BECAUSE SOMETIMES, EVEN I WANT THINGS TO BE SIMPLE.
And it is really as simple as that.
Look Feminists...you are my brothers and sisters in the fight...but let me give you a reality check:
IN REAL LIFE...
1. CAN women have sex with a guy because we have sexual needs, just as he does? YES.
Do we get TIRED of every guy wanting to get into our pants at first opportunity without knowing or caring to know anything about us? YES!!!
2. CAN women go out and do or be anything we want to be, INCLUDING caregivers to our families? YES
Even when we work, do we end up with most of the household and child care duties anyway when we get married? YES...stop fronting...you KNOW we do!
Is being a caregiver to a family, wife to a husband, mother to a child enough for SOME WOMEN? YES...now get the hell OVER that shit! Too many of us preach to girls that they can be all they want to be without remembering that some of them may simply WANT TO BE domestic...and Myers is right....feminism is about giving them the CHOICE to do so.
3. AM I badass enough to deal with any situation that comes my way? YES.
Should I HAVE to if I have a man...AN ADMITTEDLY STRONGER PARTNER around? HELL NO.
Feminism preaches self-sufficiency for women so hard that men have forgotten that they have a role in things too...you don't believe me? Ask a room full of male teens what would happen if they heard a sound downstairs in the middle of the night while sleeping next to their wives...and SEE how many of them WOULDN'T go check on that shit. In all your feminism, is that REALLY the kind of guy you want for your daughter? I think not.
I won't even ADDRESS some of the other ridiculous BS I read (okay, just this one...stuff like Myers being racist because the vampires call the WEREWOLF Quileutes "mongrels"...ummm in damn near vamp story written, werewolves are the natural enemies of vampires, and need I remind you, they DO turn into wolves???)
So come now feminist, BE REAL....
1. Actually thinking about the things you read and watch is wonderful...over analyzing it to support or find hidden enemies to your own ideology is....a waste of time for all involved.
2. If you are going to analyze the series, a better place for your energy would be to analyze two things: 1. Bella's overall change as a character, AND 2. the SERIOUS changes in Bella that are taking place as the saga moves from book to movie....(something I hope Dr. Aragon addresses in the book I hear she will be writing on the subject of Twilight.)
3. There are repercussions in the world as a result of feminism, and the popularity of the old stereotypes and roles are a direct reflection of what is happening...you should take heed as you go forward in the future....
- Women and men NEED EACH OTHER.
- Girls WANT love, as much as they want independence, and they should be able to have BOTH.
- Women don't want to get so strong that we become "the man" in the relationship, instead of individuals finding a set of roles and responsibilities in a partnership that WORKS FOR THEM.
- And women want masculine love and affection, the same way that men want feminine love and affection...and realizing that is what equality is all about...so don't trip!
So relax, use Twilight to begin meaningful discussions with your daughters about these issues, and leave the drama and romance filled, yet chaste teen angst alone...
Look on the bright side: the girls are reading, JOIN ALONG, ACTUALLY FINISH THE DAMN SAGA AND THEN talk to them about it, and stop the hate.
