Film Clips: Is 'Twilight' Anti-Feminist?
Filed under: Fandom, Movie Marketing, Politics, Columns, Film Clips
NOTE: This post discusses Twilight, the movie, and the Twilight book series (particularly the latest book, Breaking Dawn), and is SPOILER HEAVY. If you've not read the books and don't want to read spoilers, do NOT read this post until you've read them. It's also longer than my usual column, as I had a lot of ground to cover, so if you hate reading long pieces, skip it. Thanks.
You're probably aware, even if you're not into books about vampires and clumsy, average teenage girls falling in love with one, that there's a popular book series called the Twilight Saga, and the first book in the series, Twilight, is being adapted for the big screen by director Catherine Hardwicke. What you may not be aware of is the little undercurrent of female writers decrying the series as inherently anti-feminist.
The Twilight series grew in popularity, mostly off the radar of the feminist set, until it got so popular that the feminists started to take notice -- and offense. I first became aware of this anti-feminist backlash when Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries (among other girly books) responded on her blog to readers writing her to ask what she thought of the series, thusly: " I didn't take my husband's last NAME when we got married. Do you honestly think I'd like a story about a girl considering changing SPECIES for a guy? No offense to any of you, but as a feminist, I just can't go there... "
I found Cabot's take interesting because I'm a feminist myself, who also didn't take my husband's last name when we got married, but I don't happen to find the series inherently anti-feminist. Nonetheless, since the release of the fourth book in the series, Breaking Dawn, on August 2, the feminist mutterings have started to escalate to a dull roar.
Over on Jezebel.com, in a spoiler-laden piece titled "What to Expect When You're Expecting a Vampire," they jump all over the book for having a "creepy anti-abortion allegory," promoting teen motherhood ("In the Breaking Dawn universe, teen motherhood just makes your life rad."), idealized relationships, the heroine's dominant personality trait being low self-esteem, and the books in general promoting "a fundamentally conservative ideology."
I've seen the books flamed in a various places, being called "a how-to manual for an abusive relationship," derided for the character of Bella having low self-esteem and obsessing over a control-freak vampire, and more. I just finished reading Breaking Dawn, which has, interestingly, proved to be very divisive even among hard-core fans of the series; in fact, I can't recall when I've seen any book that's a continuation of a popular series generate such ire among its fan base. (For the record, I fall pretty squarely in the camp of not being crazy about Breaking Dawn, but not for the reasons most of the feminists seem to have with it.) I want to discuss here the main beefs the feminist camp seems to have with the series in general and with Breaking Dawn in particular:
1) The Twilight series is inherently anti-feminist, because Bella is willing to become a vampire to stay with Edward forever.
One of the key things that the critics of the series seem to be overlooking is that series author Stephenie Meyer is a devout Mormon. While it's certainly possible for authors to attempt to leave their religious views out of their writing, I would submit that Meyer's Mormonism has shaped her world-view, and that influence has, necessarily, framed the male-female relationships in the series, particularly the Bella-Edward relationship.
Bella repeatedly describes herself throughout the series as plain, fragile, boring, and imperfect, while she idealizes Edward as "dazzling," perfect, eternal, and God-like. While Meyers has not, to my knowledge, ever explicitly stated that her books are intended to embody her Mormon faith, I think that looking at the series without that context is to ignore a big piece of the ideas underlying the entire series.
I am not a Mormon, so my understanding of the Mormon belief system is derived largely from my own informal study of the religion and conversations with Mormon friends. Generally, what I've gleaned is that Mormonism teaches that its doctrine is the only path to eternal salvation, and that marriages "sealed" in a Mormon temple are believed to unite a couple (and children born of that union) not just "until death do us part," but for all eternity. This understanding becomes particularly important in the Twilight series in the fourth book, where Bella and Edward's marriage vows very closely mirror Mormon marriage vows.
Looked at from the context of Meyer's faith, one could, perhaps, conclude that Bella's relationship with Edward is a metaphor for the relationship between an individual and her (or his) faith: Edward -- and by extension, Bella's desire to become a vampire herself -- represents physical perfection, a healing of all bodily human "flaws," and eternal life. Bella wants to become a vampire to stay with Edward forever, yes, but her desire really runs deeper than that; she idolizes not just Edward, but the entire Cullen family and their vampire way of life.
2) The Bella-Edward relationship is abusive and controlling.
Quite a few of the critics of the series have derided Bella's willingness to forever give up her relationships with her parents and friends in order to be with Edward, but if you read the books closely, Bella says often that she believes she'll be able to control the "newborn vampire" killing urge over time and be able to find a way to sustain those relationships while also having her vampire dreams come true.
Bella never believes that she'll be giving up her parents, or even her friends, forever. She wants to have it both ways, and her strength of will is strong enough that in the fourth book, when she does become a vampire, the Cullens are amazed at her ability to control the newborn blood-lust. This doesn't speak to me of a female character who's inherently weak and controlled by others -- she's not even controlled by her new nature, as the rest of them were; rather, she controls it, through the force of her will to make it so.
Further, throughout the series, Bella pursues Edward as much as he pursues her. It's Bella who repeatedly makes the sexual advances, and Edward who restrains himself out of fear that he'll hurt her in her fragile human state. Edward doesn't force or coerce Bella into becoming a vampire; quite the contrary -- he resists making her a vampire repeatedly, because he thinks she'll lose her soul, and it's Bella who finally coerces Edward into agreeing to her plan to join him in eternal life. She may have self-esteem issues, but she's hardly weak.
3) The fourth book in the series, Breaking Dawn, is particularly anti-feminist because Bella gets pregnant with a half-vampire child that nearly kills her during the pregnancy, but she refuses to have an abortion.
Now this one really gets my ire up, but before we delve into these murky waters, a little defining of concepts is in order. For me, a big part of my feminist beliefs have to do with the concept of choice; that is to say, I believe that feminism is about being pro-choice, which is not the same as being pro-abortion. The idea of pro-choice means supporting women in making the choice that's right for them around a pregnancy -- not proselytizing abortion as the only "right" choice.
In Breaking Dawn, Bella refuses to have her pregnancy aborted, even though the pregnancy and birth may kill her; she believes that even if she comes close to dying, the Cullens will "save" her by making her a vampire before it's too late. As many mothers can attest, the maternal drive of a woman to protect her unborn child can be very strong, even to the extent that a woman would sacrifice herself to protect her child.
Since when is motherhood and maternal impulse inherently anti-feminist? Some women choose to be mothers, some do not, and that's part of the feminist ideology of freedom of choice. But freedom of choice has to work both ways, not just your way; the right of women to choose to abort a pregnancy has to, on its other face, include the right of a woman to carry a pregnancy to term, even if it endangers her life. Flip it around -- what would these feminists say to a male doctor forcing an abortion on a pregnant woman who didn't want one? You can't have your freedom of choice one way.
4) The fourth book promotes and idealizes teen pregnancy.
I find it insulting to the many excellent, nurturing younger mothers I know to imply that a pregnancy when you're an older teen (or even in your early 20s) is the End of the World. I had my oldest daughter when I was 17, and I survived and thrived. Is it the easiest path, or one that I would choose or recommend to my own daughters? No, not necessarily, but then again, my life today wouldn't be what it is without my oldest daughter as a part of my life-path, so neither would I consider it a ruination of their lives.
And frankly, I know some women in their 30s and 40s who are far worse moms than some of the younger moms I've crossed paths with. The ability to be a good mother and grow as a person from the life-changes that motherhood inevitably brings has far more to do with a woman's character and support system than the number of years she's lived on this planet.
So no, I don't believe the Twilight series is inherently anti-feminist. I also don't expect the feminist backlash to negatively impact the box office returns of the first film. I expect the series' fan base will support the movie; even those fans who didn't like the fourth book aren't going to stay away from the film version of the first. As to whether Breaking Dawn, with its gory birth scene and overall lack of action, could ever be made into a movie? Well, that's a question for another day.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 9)
8-11-2008 @ 10:59PM
Sara Awesome said...
Although your points are important ones, not to mention the biggest ones, they're really plot points. The storyline needs to progress somehow, and it revolves around a Romeo and Juliet romance. Here's the real reason it's anti-feminist: Bella constantly endangers herself and can't save herself on her own (she has multiple men/vampires/werewolves helping her), and -- my biggest problem -- when Edward's not around, she wants to die. I understand that young women may feel that way when the boy they're obsessing over has gone away... but the fact of the matter is, Bella does not exist unless Edward is around. She has low self-esteem and she's completely non-descript. She's boring and immature and needs a man in every aspect of her life. THAT is anti-feminist. And the fact that the target audience is young women is... well, it's unacceptable, not to mention the writing is lazy and unlayered.
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8-12-2008 @ 12:01AM
gy said...
Are you serious? Bella feels plain but every male in the story is drawn to her.And really if you don't think men obsess over women that they fall in love with the same way, you should get out in the real world more. Or better yet look at suicide statistics, males commit suicide over women far more than women do over men.
Probably you feel it would be a far better story if it was about a 98lb boy in a relationship with an overbearing domineering goth amazon who cries when he's not being spit on, ease up its just a story.
8-12-2008 @ 7:47AM
Seven said...
not to mention the writing is lazy and unlayered.
Agreed, the books just are not well written. I couldn't make it through the first chapter.
8-12-2008 @ 2:16AM
Kim Voynar said...
"Bella constantly endangers herself and can't save herself on her own (she has multiple men/vampires/werewolves helping her), and -- my biggest problem -- when Edward's not around, she wants to die."
Well, yes, but then Bella's problems tend to involve bad-ass vampires wanting to kill her because of her relationship with the Cullens, so it makes sense that, at least while she's human, she'd need to be protected by those with powers equal to those who are trying to kill her.
And yeah, her constant moaning and wailing over Edward, especially during the time he breaks up with her and tries to commit suicide by pissing of the Volturi, is nerve-grating in the extreme, but you leave out the context that Edward is just as bad as Bella is in that regard. Meyer at least swings both ways on the melodramatic love thing.
8-15-2008 @ 1:24PM
Callie said...
I am a feminist, and a very strong, independent woman. And I'm saying right now Sara Awesome that if a indesrucable, super fast, super strong vampire was hunting me down, I sure as heck would want someone protecting me.
8-15-2008 @ 2:02PM
Samira said...
I agree with you, Sara...
Bella's problem is NOT about the changing species issues or the pregnancy itself... but, specially in New Moon, she let herself down and depressed because Edward had left her...
Com'on! This is against everything we, XXI century girls, live and believe!! I do want a boyfriend/hunsband, but I do NOT need one to exist!!
Her parents and friends were totally neglected. School, job, social life... Nothing else matter to her. And she refused to move from Forks because she wanted to keep the memories!! ¬¬
She deliberately chose to be sad and to suffer that way, avoiding everyone that tried to help her and becoming a big and disgusting pond of self commiseration...
This, and other points, are really anti-feminist! Give up from everything and everyone in your life just to gravitate around Edward is not just anti-feminist, but also... (I just can't find a good denomination, but, wahtever...) "anti-human"!
Nobody - girl or boy, woman or man - should live like that, like the other person is ALL and EVERYTHING! it's not healthy! Ans Bella's attitude just got worse in BD!
8-16-2008 @ 12:18PM
Sami said...
Your views over the book series make a valid statement as I, a Twilight fan, have noticed a few bits here and there that make Bella seem... a little stuid to say the least. But can't we just look at them at trying to be cute? I think they have a cute relationship even though it has its flaws. But every relationship has its issues.The family ties in this series is strong which should be good, right?
It is just a book, so really, if there is such a problem with it in your views, why not just avoid reading it then? Makes perfect sense to me. Others enjoy the book. Some go a little too far... like the Edward fangirls out there...*girls, he's an imaginary character, please let it go.* But other than that, it has brought some entertainment to peoples' lives if only for a few hundred pages.
Breaking Dawn was a little crazy.. okay, a lot... i felt exhausted after reading it, seriously. But hey, all those people who don't like he series can relax as it's all over... minus Midnight Sun which should be coming out sometime ^_^.
Anyways, my points is that everyone has diifernet views on books and their contents. In my opinion, I thought it was just supposed to be a cute story about falling in loveand trying to stay together in an impossible situtaion. Both Edward and Bella had their stupid moments thruough out the seris, but hey, noboy's perfect no matter how much Bella may say edward is. ^_^
8-16-2008 @ 12:18PM
bonnie said...
needing the love of your life in your life is not anti-feminist. it is LOVE. and there is all the difference in the world between the two. trust me; i know. and so does anyone else (male or female) who has ever felt the all consuming pull of finding one's soulmate. and no, having one's soulmate does not make one anti-feminist, either. whether it is in a book written for teenage girls or in real life, having that kind of love is actually empowering. or at least it has been for me for the last 25 years. and, yes, i took his name. my choice.
8-18-2008 @ 1:06PM
Marie G. said...
If Stephenie Meyer's writing is so bad, why have so many people bought all four of her books, and, why is hollywood making the movie "Twilight" from her books? Additionally, why are there so many mothers of teenagers (40+ women) enjoying the books as much as Meyer's young adult readers?
As one who attended college, I've read the classics and everything else (aced my Shakespeare final also) and I find nothing wrong with Meyer's writing. Could it be that you just don't like the storyline of her books? It's okay to not like the books, but to put down an author/writer who has achieved so much is not fair. Stephenie Meyer is a good writer and she deserves everything good that comes from the "Twilight Saga." My 14-year-old daughter introduced me to the world of "Twilight" and our relationship is better than ever. My daughter even managed to get her friend (who hasn't read a book in years) to read the "Twilight Saga." Stephenie Meyer does have talent and she has brought about good things by sharing her talent in addition to sharing her "dream" with us. We all should "take a page out of one of her books" and use her as a catalyst to further the educational and emotional advancement of people. Thank you Stephenie Meyer for a great journey!
10-10-2008 @ 9:00AM
FindabhairO'Brien said...
Well of course she is! She's a character in a book! I find it insulting that you would degrade young woman by thinking that we are so easily led! From a writers point of view, Bella is meant to be a 'shapeless' character. Your reading too far into it. Every girl who reads that book is supposed to picture themselves as better than Bella, able to make better choices! By no way are the fans of Twilight at all weak! It's also been pointed out numerous times that Bella has inner strength. She is in no way immature, in fact, she handles things with the kind of maturity that makes it obvious she is simply a character in a book, because an immature teen would never put the life of her child before her own. Just because her personality is selfless does not mean that she doesn't value herself! Besides, Edward worships Bella. Looking at it from his point of view, she's like a goddess. He puts her on the highest pedestal. She's his shining star, more significant and more unique than any other girl he's ever met.
How is love anti-feminist? The essentials of feminism I've always believed are to value yourself as a woman, and every facet of your womanhood. Which is to not only value yourself, but your partner. Trust me when I say I support feminism, it's important to be a strong woman. But to attack Twilight like this is ridiculous! I would think that a feminist worth her salt would have something better to do!
8-11-2008 @ 11:12PM
Joe said...
You didn't take your husband's last name? Very feminist of you. That'll help prevent abuse and secure equal rights for men and women everywhere.
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8-12-2008 @ 12:03AM
gy said...
I read Twilight a couple of weeks ago and had no idea how popular it was. I bought the book for my wife when she was in the hospital, and while I'm not a big fan of female authors (not because I don't think they are good but because I don't relate to them as well....to much romance) I found the book pretty interesting.
I was surprised to read in your story that Stephenie Meyer is a devout mormon, good for her I am not a mormon but my my wife has been most of her life, and so I know a little bit about their faith.
Now I don't mean to dis feminists but in a very real way mormons are the original feminists, for example mormons treated their women as equals before christians did, catholics still don't treat women as equals in my opinion and I don't think anyone would argue that Islamics do.
Mormons I think see men and women different yet equal, they each have different roles to play in a relationship but they are very much equal, morman men revere their wives and consult them on nearly everything. none of the mormon husbands I know would dream of doing something whithout their wife's o.k.
As I said my wife is mormon and I am not, that means she was willing to give up eternal life for this short life with me, and no member of her branch has treated her or me any less because of our "free choice". The mormons I know treat non-mormons kindly no matter what " choices" they might make, they love all people.they don't just say it they they show it
Enough on that I'm not trying to defend or offend anyone, just saying feminists wouldn't be hurt by learning more about mormons.
I just started reading 'THE HOST' by Stephenie Meyer and so far it's a more adult non-vampire science fiction story that shows great promise, she is rapidly becoming my favorite female author.
I'm not a feminist or a maleist I love and respect everyone, until they give me reason not to. And some do.
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8-12-2008 @ 1:29AM
Rachel said...
LDS Doctrine would not exclude your wife from an eternal life nor yourself based on marriage to a person of a different faith.
I'm not sure where you heard that but you can always ask someone who really knows the religous doctrine and that isn't always apparent.. Good question to refer to LDS.com or a Bishop. if you want the TRUTH.. Otherwise, I thought your comments were excellent.. Go Stephenie Meyer. . but I thought the book a bit mature for anyone not married.
8-13-2008 @ 11:49AM
Jerry said...
OK, First it's http://www.lds.org not .com.
Second as a Mormon, thank you, I find the whole She must be projecting her Mormon values onto vampires theory a bit bizarre, Mormons theology not only does not include vampires, but would specifically exclude them.
As for eternal life, does the fact that you and your wife were not sealed in the temple mean you will not be resurrected? Absolutely not. It does mean that you will not live as a married couple in the hereafter, and all this is of course assuming that Mormons are right in the first place.
I commend you for your love of your wife, stick with it and her, God bless.
8-15-2008 @ 9:59AM
Rayah said...
Now I don't mean to dis feminists but in a very real way mormons are the original feminists, for example mormons treated their women as equals before christians did, catholics still don't treat women as equals in my opinion and I don't think anyone would argue that Islamics do.
I'm a muslim and I don't agree with this comment. One of the major parts of our faith is respect for parents, especially your mother. Muslim men respect women by giving them space, not oggling them, in my opinion muslim men who do not respect women aren't very strong in faith.
Anyways, about the article. I loved this book, and never once did I think it was promoting an anti-feminist message. The whole series is about choice, Bella chooses for her life to be with Edward, and if you think about it, if you love someone as much as Bella loves Edward, and spend just about everyday with them your going to be crushed when they leave you. Older women die from broken heart syndrome if their husband dies, are you going to argue that that is anti-feminist? Because they should have been stronger and not make this man so much a part of their life? Love is an incredibly strong emotion, and it's not one we can control.
8-15-2008 @ 12:59PM
L. M. Wilson said...
Now, I'm a Catholic woman, and I would have to dsiagree with this; the bible tells men to "love your wife as Christ loved the church" thats lot of love. No where in my faith dose anyone tell me that a mn is better or more worthy than me, quite the contrary. Women are revered for being women, not for being people.
Also- my parents do consult each other before they make big moves, and a fail to see (in refrence to the article) how being willing to take a man's last name is somehow bad... I feel that it unifys the family.
And besides that- most Catholic women nowadays tend to ignore the rules we don't like. :] Christ was very feminist in his vews, so when all else fails, turn to the bible. =D
8-12-2008 @ 12:04AM
Jen said...
i thought one of the qualifications for being a trashy romance novel heroine was being a lousy role model.
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8-12-2008 @ 7:38PM
shel said...
"I don't think anyone would argue that Islamics do."
I'm an "Islamic." Usually we prefer to be called Muslims if you haven't heard the term. I feel like I can be Muslim and feminist at the same time. My husband would probably agree.
"Bella feels plain but every male in the story is drawn to her."
That's a characteristic of a Mary Sue. A Sue usually doesn't think of herself as beautiful, but is chased by every boy who sees her. That means the narrator is lying to us, and she's not plain. Why else would high school boys chase after a girl they didn't even know?
Why I think the books are antifeminist: In Twilight, after Bella and Edward fall in love (which takes all of two conversations featuring witty dialogue like, "What's your favorite jewel?" In another corner, Joss Whedon wept), Bella exists only to tell us how beautiful and perfect Edward is. That's it. He leaves in New Moon and she falls apart -- to the point where three whole months go by with blank pages. In other words, Bella is so insignificant without Edward she can't even bother telling us about what happens without him.
Bella rarely makes any decisions for herself. She doesn't care about college or a possible career. She barely has any hobbies except for reading -- which again, she's lying about as she cracks a book about twice in the series. Her only interest is Edward, who carries her, guides her, makes decisions for her ("You're going to Dartmouth whether you like it or not"), controls when she'll see her friends (he BROKE HER CAR when she wanted to visit Jacob). Her entire existence depends on Edward.
I dunno much about the Mormon faith, but I don't think any of this antifeminist stuff has anything to do with Mormonism. I think it's more like Stephenie Meyer wrote a teen girl's fantasy fanfiction -- seriously, isn't that what we wanted when we were 13? A big, tall, dark handsome guy to come and rescue us. And she had the good luck to get it published.
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8-12-2008 @ 10:02PM
Jen said...
Bravo. It would make sense that a stalker's obsessive devotion would be considered a plus to attention-starved adolescents - which also seems to be the root of the glamorized pregnancy trend.
8-13-2008 @ 1:39PM
Jennifer said...
Hear, hear.
I don't have an issue with Bella wanting to be a vampire. Or to have a kid (though it sounds like the LEAST glamorous pregnancy ever...enough to make a lot of people not want to do it!). I do, however, think the whole "I don't exist without Edward" thing is quite disturbing.
And the broken car thing is such a horrible Red Flag of Bad Sign. THAT is controlling above all else.