The Test of Twilight

I've chosen to break my three-month-long blogging fast with a meta-summary of the recent conversations I've had regarding the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. After a few years of not really caring to read the books, my decision to give them a chance was inspired by three factors. First, I got three out of the four books for $1 each at the public library book sale. Second, a number of fellow English teachers and writers recommended the books, even noting that they should be taught in the classroom. And third, I ordered the first two movies on Netflix, and I wanted to test the theory that the books were, indeed, better than the movies, which I considered horrible. 

After deciding to read the books, I wanted to be as neutral as possible, and to consider my reading an experiment or test. I read all four Twilight books in succession. The first three books took me 2-4 days each to read, while the fourth book took me all of a week, maybe longer. The time it took me to read the books was a result not only of length, but also of the fact that I was teaching three and taking two classes while reading. 

I read the books through the eyes of a concerned parent, as well as through the eyes of a writer and teacher of literature. However, I also tried to put myself in the place of the teenage, preteen, and college age girl who swears loyalty to the story. I wanted to determine what the draw was, and this is what I found.

There are some aspects of the novels that are very good. I kept reading, didn't I?

Pros

• The books are suspenseful. They keep you turning the page. You want to find out what happens to the characters, and each book includes the first chapter of the next at its conclusion. These first chapters are very effective marketing techniques. They always allude to some catastrophic event which does not end up occurring because of the last-minute, "happily ever after" rescues.
• There are a number of allusions to classic works.

My list of cons was so long that I decided it would be more practical to divide it into subheadings.

Literary Cons

• The book is poorly written. There are a number of serious word choice issues, and an even greater number of contradictions. The allusions to classic works are sometimes so obvious as to make them more statements than allusions. 
• The characters are unbelievable. This is especially problematic considering that the books are written in first-person from the point of Bella, until the final book, at which point the story is told from the perspectives of both Bella and Jacob.
• Much of the "mythology" is incredibly contrived and unbelievable. 
• The characters assume that only three options exist to resolve their conflict. To readers who tend to see many solutions to a problem, this behavior is unbelievable and frustrating, and when alternate options are discussed toward the end of the novel, readers don't feel relieved and hopeful but rather intensify their negative opinions of the main characters. 

Parent Cons

• The book is one of the most anti-feminist texts that I've ever read. Bella cannot exist on her own. She does not derive her own happiness, and goes into a stupor when the two men are not around. 
• Bella's family life is a mess, and for most of the novel she appears to be the caretaker of her parents, which might intensify teens' delusions of grandeur.
• There are a number of very dark scenes that made me uncomfortable.
• I could see this book very quickly leading to teens spending time with people who are bad influences or taking infatuation to a new level. 

Although I can see why people enjoy the Twilight books, I think they are, for the most part, a marketing ploy to sell movies, dolls, clothes, etc. I give Meyer the credit; the story is captivating, but these books don't have the merits to be taught in high schools. Why? The literary and moral objections certainly play a role, but in reality what should be the test of Twilight is the thinking test. Why do we ask students to read literature? Because through it they learn to analyze, to question, to criticize, to think, to apply, and to consider. In other words, they learn to Think About It! And to think about it meaningfully. The true test of Twilight should whether or not it is remembered. I read this one-act play yesterday; it means something, and I keep dwelling on it to think about it, to figure it out, to apply it. I read this short story over 10 years ago, and I couldn't get it out of my head. (Neither, apparently, could Fleetwood Mac.) But the only time I think about the Twilight books is when someone else asks me my opinion. Next time, I'll just send them to this post!