If you have a teenage daughter (and likely even if you don’t), you’ve probably been exposed to the craze that is Twilight. This series of books by Stephenie Meyer has eclipsed (no pun intended) the previous JK Rowling phenomenon of Harry Potter, and the Summit film release just blew the latest James Bond installment out of the water at the box office.
So you may be asking yourself… What is it about this book/movie that makes it so popular? Why is it so appealing to teens? Does it send a positive or negative message? And should I allow my son or daughter to read/see it?
Only you can answer that last question, but I’d like to offer my thoughts on the others. First, let me direct you to reviews from Wisdom Works Ministries, the folks behind the Planet Wisdom conference we attend each spring.
www.planetwisdom.com/movies/twilight
www.planetwisdom.com/books/reviews/twilight
I agree wholeheartedly with the perspective of the movie reviewer. Christopher Lyon does a great job of summarizing the appeal of the movie along with its strengths and weaknesses. His conclusions about how it can fit into the Christian worldview are well thought out, and his list of questions at the end could be a great tool to start a discussion with your teen.
Josh Meares’ review of the book starts out equally strong, but I don’t agree with all of his conclusions. He does an excellent job summarizing why the book simultaneously captures your attention with its uniqueness while annoying you with its purple prose. However, I’m not sure I agree as much with his worldview section. He makes a good point that Bella seems helpless in her attraction to Edward, but I don’t agree that it is just simple lust at work. I think she sees how much Edward is sacrificing for her and is drawn to protect her. I don’t think she is merely gaga for his sparkling eyes.
One area where I think the naysayers are missing Meyer’s point is in what attracts the unlikely couple to each other. I’ve seen many reviewers (quite a few of which have not even read the book) criticize Edward for his infatuation with this awkward, clumsy girl, saying it’s not at all realistic that he would fall in love with her. I think they’re forgetting that his attraction to her builds because she never reacts the way he would expect. She’s the only person whose thoughts he can’t read, and she never does the predictable thing. Bella gets chosen because of her independence and lack of fear, not just because her blood smells particularly yummy. I think too many critics miss that and cast her as this weak-willed girl who just falls for the handsome guy and starts to revolve her life around his.
I personally enjoyed both the book and the movie. You certainly have to suspend your disbelief a lot with both, but then that’s what the fantasy genre is about. The fantastical elements are designed to remove you from reality while teaching you something about human nature at the same time. I think the story succeeds at that, even in the midst of its sometimes cheesy dialogue and occasional plot contrivances. It captures well the blush of first romance, and it does so in an unusually chaste way, since the tension revolves around life and death decisions and personal sacrifice rather than sex. I feel that the supernatural elements add a unique twist to the story but are in no way dark or dangerous. I don’t think the vampires or werewolves are presented in a way that would prompt teens to become obsessed with other tales of the same. In fact, Meyers goes to great lengths to convince her readers that the legends and lore they’ve always heard about those creatures is entirely wrong. She creates a whole new universe under an entirely different premise, which I think is quite safe for all but the most easily swayed.
I would like to close by mentioning that the books do get more grown up as the series goes on. I personally feel that Twilight is suitable for all ages, and probably New Moon is as well, but by the time you get to Eclipse and especially Breaking Dawn, the topics are definitely getting more adult. That is not at all to say they get explicit. Myers is a Mormon, and it’s evident in all of her writing that her beliefs are conservative. Edward wants his relationship with Bella to remain chaste, not only because he doesn’t want to get to close and eat her but also because he wants to protect Bella’s virtue. And this doesn’t go unnoticed by Bella, because by the third book when Edward is considering giving in to Bella’s wishes so she doesn’t feel manipulated into marrying him, the roles reverse and she is the one who wants to protect Edward by doing things the right way. I think they are still appropriate for the average high school student, but I would not recommend them for middle school or even early teens. Certainly the best thing would be for you to read them yourself and decide, but if you don’t want to, please feel free to come to me with any questions. As far as I know, I’m the only person on youth staff who has read the books or seen the movie, and I’m happy to discuss them with you and answer any questions I can.
~Susannah
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