FROM THE HOOD: 'Twilight' offers some life lessons

Like it or not, the craze over the “Twilight” series isn’t going to die anytime soon. The books, movies and merchandise have created a multi-million dollar industry almost overnight. However, the true effect of the “Twilight” series shouldn’t be measured economically, but by the number of people it has inspired to pick up a book and read.

In the age of iPods, video games and the Internet, getting a young adult to read is a difficult task for most parents. It was easier when we were younger because Harry Potter was sweeping the world and we all had something to get behind. After that series advanced to the last few books, the original readers had grown up and young adults didn’t really have a series of their own.

That’s where “Twilight” stepped in.

“Twilight” is a series that fits the mold of today’s young adults more than Harry Potter did for us. Sure, we could all love the boy wizard because he was the good guy fighting off evil, but “Twilight” presents a much more realistic view of young adult life than Harry Potter did and has role models that can be related to more easily.

In the series, the protagonist Bella resembles a typical teenager. She doesn’t know what she wants in life, she has an awkward relationship with her parents who are divorced, she has a group of friends who like to gossip and she lives in a small town. The same can’t be said about Edward or the majority of the other characters though, who are far from realistic.

However, both characters can be called on as role models for “Twilight” readers. Bella wants to succeed in school, she doesn’t cheat on her significant other and she abstains from sex until she’s married. Edward does everything in his power to defend others from harm, has a respect for human life and isn’t physically abusive in his relationship with Bella.

In a time where physical abuse in teenage relationships is at an all time high and fewer young adults are abstaining from sex until marriage, some story lines in “Twilight” contain lessons that today’s youth need to learn.

Although not every storyline in “Twilight” should be emulated. There are some that are extremely unhealthy, yet paint a perfect picture of current life among young adults.

In the series, the obsession with each other cause both Edward and Bella to nearly commit suicide, in a Romeo-and-Juliet-esque hope that they will be brought together in the afterlife. Also, throughout the series, Bella obsesses with the appearance of the vampires, especially Edward, and labels that as one of the main reasons she’s so attracted to him.

The love-conquers-all notion is fantasy and causes more depression than happiness. In a time where teen suicide rates are on the rise and girls are more concerned than ever about self-image, incorporating these kinds of storylines can promote ideas that only cause harm.

But, one of the great things about both the “Twilight” series and the “Harry Potter” series is that they have crossover appeal. Despite being geared toward a younger audience, adults and seniors have also picked up the books. President Obama has even said that he and his younger daughters bond over discussions about the “Twilight” books.

And just like the “Harry Potter” series, some have criticized “Twilight” author Stephanie Meyer’s writing style. Some have said they thought it was too detailed, laying out everything in the scene and not leaving much to the imagination. Others have said it reads like internet fan fiction.

Regardless of any criticisms it might receive, the “Twilight” series is still being read by millions of people worldwide while raking in untold amounts of money.

Today’s youth, as well as college students, can benefit from taking time away from the computer screen to read a book. Whether you enjoy “Twilight” or not, it provides that service and offers several valuable life lessons in the process.

6 comments

TwilightFan88

Sun Nov 22 2009 22:23

Can't we all settle this over a game of Scene It New Moon Edition? Come on, people. If that's too much we can always settle for the Twilight Board Game.

Frank- Thanks for writing this. It takes an awesome man to appreciate Twilight.

Lora

Fri Nov 20 2009 17:21

I certainly hope that I didn't make it seem like I was condoning censorship. Supposing that you got that impression from my last line, all I meant was that, if one enjoys books, they can find better uses for their reading time.

Sam

Thu Nov 19 2009 22:58

Oh, I forgot to mention that it would be more accurate to call Meyer's "vampires" fairies. They don't drink human blood, they don't have any of the traditional weaknesses, they aren't evil, and most notably they sparkle in the sunlight.

Case closed.

Sam

Thu Nov 19 2009 22:52

It's nice that kids are reading. However, Twilight is every bit as shallow as the "computer screen" from which they are escaping.
Yes, I have read all four books. They were entertaining, but only as a teenage fantasy. Anyone expecting literary value or originality should look elsewhere.
Also, the idea that Twilight holds "life lessons" is laughable. I've learned more from the hairs in my shower drain.
I couldn't end this without commenting on Meyer's concept of a vampire. The idea of "vegetarian" vampires is borrowed from "Interview with the Vampire," and the idea of a mere mortal falling in love with a vampire is particularly unoriginal, as the original "Dracula" can be interpreted as an allegory against sexual promiscuity.
Lastly, Jora, I wouldn't advise censorship. Better to understand and condemn then to blindly call the firemen of Fahrenheit 451.

Madi

Thu Nov 19 2009 21:56

Thank you Lora. You voiced every argument I formed while reading this article. Amen.

Lora

Thu Nov 19 2009 18:15

I really don't care if "Twilight" is getting kids to read. It romanticizes this awful relationship and makes a "heroine" out of a helpless girl whose life has no real purpose until she "falls in love." She constantly needs saving by a man, she has little personality (being clumsy is not a personality trait), she has no real ambition other than to marry a creepy stalker who literally wants to eat her and to allow him to completely transform not only her life, but her biology. That's not the kind of role model I want for my little sister (or any girls out there, honestly). If your only criteria for "good female role models" is that she's not a slut, she gets good grades and she's monogamous, I'm sure you can find better examples than this. I just hope that kids who crack open these ridiculous books will be encouraged to read more positive, encouraging, and empowering books with impressive heroines, like Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" series or the "Harry Potter" series, or perhaps they'll even journey into the classic literary canon. Other than that, the atrocious writing (which really should have been further expounded upon in this column), bland over-blown plot, and many of the themes should keep these books on any self-respecting reader, feminist, or feminist reader's "Books to NOT Read" list.

Add comment


I am not posting spam. I understand posting spam or other comments that are unrelated to this article will cause my comment to be flagged for deletion and possibly cause my IP address to be permanently banned from this server.

Enter the characters in the image above:

log out