Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

from the pages of these otherworldly tomes? Stephanie Meyers, the author of the series, makes it clear that
these books are merely ‘fantasy’ and should be read as such. But that trivializing and dismissive explanation
only serves to bypass readers’ critical thinking, making it easier to let themes and beliefs about a subject go
unquestioned and sometimes even unacknowledged. I will argue that it is not so much the ‘messages’ that
this series delivers, but how this series fits into the larger cultural systems that perpetrate passivity and
innocence as the only form of appropriate sexual expression for women. In the following pages, I will
examine key scenes from the Twilight series to show the reactionary and contradictory views presented as
‘normal’ female sexuality to girls as they are developing their sexual identity. From the title book of the
series, I will look at the infamous scene in the clearing where I will make the argument that this is where
Bella swan’s sexuality is first awakened by Edward’s kiss. I will argue that this is actually the primary scene
of the series because it begins the exchange that is central to the ‘romantic’ aspects of Bella and Edward’s
relationship, which in turn fetishizes the act of self-denial and innocence. In the second book of the series, I
will focus on the cessation of Bella’s story that ultimately culminates in her and Edward’s suicide attempts.
There will only be brief reference to Jacob Black here because Meyer uses him mainly as a plot device and
his character is not as full developed as the main characters. Eclipse, the third book, is primarily used to set
up Breaking Dawn, but contains important interactions and dialogue between the couple that demonstrate
the ‘proper’ give-and-take of a heterosexual relationship. Breaking Dawn’s focus is mainly the marriagehoneymoon-pregnancy
triumvirate that culminates in Bella’s transformation to superhuman. This
combination of events normalizes and ennobles the act of female sacrifice, as well as glorifies the
transformative powers of that sacrifice. These scenes, as they make up the series, centralize the ideal of
romantic relationships as paramount to creating one’s identity in a girl’s mind and offers marriage as the
logical and liberating end to this search.
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