Posted on Thu, Nov. 19, 2009

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Some find disturbing elements in 'Twilight'

By Kathleen Megan

The Hartford Courant

What would you say about a teen relationship in which the guy is so obsessed and protective he sneaks into his loved one's bedroom to watch her sleep; seems to stalk her every move; tries to control whom she sees; and even disables her truck engine so she can't go out?

Or how about a girl who is equally obsessed with this guy even though he continually tells her he's dangerous, could inadvertently kill her and treats her as if she were a child? This same girl becomes so depressed when her boyfriends breaks up with her that she begins to take risks, some seemingly suicidal, because such behavior summons visions of him.

Reduce Stephenie Meyer's mega hit "Twilight" book series to its bare-bones plot lines about the romance of Edward and Bella and many critics say it's difficult to understand exactly why it is so overwhelmingly popular and why millions of tweens and teens will be delivered — by their parents — this week to see the second in the series, "New Moon," on film.

Devotees of the series (including 20-somethings and older) argue that reducing the sprawling novels to plot lines loses the all-important context of the story, which of course is that this is fantasy. Edward is, after all, a vampire; part of the series' attractiveness is to depart this land for an exotic one.

Gina Barreca, an author and English professor at the University of Connecticut, is a vehement critic: "The big thing that really makes 'Twilight' a really bad book is that fear should never be an aphrodisiac. The idea that you fear your lover should not make him sexier, and that is a big part of these books. ... It distresses me to see that in any form, whether or not it's supernatural."

Dina Anselmi, a psychology professor at Trinity College, said books with the kinds of messages found in the "Twilight" series are "ubiquitous in our culture, so I'm not sure that this is any better or worse than anything else." But, she said, "It's kind of surprising that parents of young girls might not see this as something bad for them. ... There is a lot of sexualization. I'm not surprised that girls find this interesting and tantalizing in a way."

Of course, not everyone is so critical, most especially many of the girls and young women who are devotees.

Isabel Bart, a sophomore at Quinnipiac University, said, "I really liked the series. I got obsessed like everyone else." But, Bart said, "I think when I was first reading the book, it didn't jump out at me that the relationship wasn't a great role model, because it was so romantic. All the girls got into it because it was forbidden love."

It wasn't until the second book, when Bella virtually collapses after Edward breaks up with her, that she began to see the relationship as "probably not the healthiest thing in the world."

Lisa Burns, an associate professor of media studies at Quinnipiac, pointed out that while much in the books offends feminist sensibilities, Bella gets what she wants.

"You can argue that if feminism is all about choices, that she is given the ability to make the choice. ... It might not be one that most feminists would agree with. It might be putting us back to the 1950s standard, but it is her choice."

Still, there are moments in the books that are troubling even to those who enjoyed the series.

One is about a character named Sam who, when he is turning into a werewolf, loses control and hurts Emily, the young woman he desires. Later, he apologizes profusely. She forgives him because he was out of control and didn't mean to hurt her.

If you subtract the werewolf element, such scenarios sound all too familiar to experts such as Mitru Ciarlante, the youth initiative director for the National Center for Victims of Crimes in Washington, D.C.

"This pattern of 'the werewolf' losing control sounds like a dynamic we've heard in abusive relationships," Ciarlante said. Stalking and obsessive love are "age-old" themes, Ciarlante said, and young people are often unclear what the boundaries should be.

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