Teen Ink

MarinaOreo said...
Mar. 13 at 12:39 pm:

I just think that girls like it so much because it can be relate-able. A girl falls in love with a guy and he makes her so happy, that she becomes dependent on him and that "happiness." It's happened to me and I lost myself completely, losing my independence. I have read all the books and I love them, but I can see how you find it sexist. After reading the article, I can completely agree that it can be sexist. But I think you might be looking into it just a tad much. I think Meyer... (more »)

 

BasketballChick5 said...
Mar. 12 at 8:10 pm:

good....i dont like twilight and someone acually wrote one about why they don't like it!

 

X_Dysfuntional_Lyrics_X said...
Mar. 11 at 10:30 am:

First off Id like to say that I love the Twilight Saga, BUT I am not one of those OVERLY obsessed teens. I love the books more than the movies, but that doesnt mean Im not going to not see the movies. I am not saying I disagree with this article or anything. Actually your article made me think. It made me realize that maybe she was kind of dependent on Edward. I never really looked into the message(s) behind the book. As I said Im not one of those OVERLY obsessed fans. Ive always loved vampires ... (more »)

 

lovelauren3 said...
Mar. 7 at 8:06 pm:

Thank you! Finally, a well written article about how the Twilight saga DOESN'T totally rock.

 

ThisIsArwen replied...
Mar. 9 at 11:41 am :

Good article. I definitely agree. I'm really glad to see people understanding that Twilight isn't the best book out there. Ecspecially because a lot of girls that read the series are really young. So, the messages being sent in this book could really affect them. (The only thing I disagree with is that you compared Bella to Eve. I don't really see Eve as an evil temptress.)

 

Silevryn replied...
Mar. 10 at 12:42 pm :

i agree completely

 

Auren_Lumdrum said...
Mar. 3 at 2:23 pm:

Well said! I couldn't agree with you more. It makes me wonder about the author though... perhaps her views on men in her own life brought that into play? Or perhaps she wanted to create a cute love story where the main character is the damsel in distress? Anywho! Great work!

 

magic-esi said...
Feb. 27 at 8:16 am:

I agree with you entirely. I've written an article about this myself, but I wasn't able to make such a strong point in so little words. Not only do I agree with everything you say in this article, but your writing style is impeccable. Great job!

 

*Myrissa* replied...
Feb. 28 at 6:53 pm :

Your opinion is very strong and you back it up with plenty of evidence. only thats all it really is Opinions. theres no right and wrong. I enjoy reading everyones opinion in how they see things. i mean how someone can take something huge (ex. Twilight Saga) and disect it in their own manor. its amazing and interesting. i think in the end, it all comes down to what you believe, as an individual person. whether it be right or wrong its what you see as true and there is certainly nothing wrong with... (more »)

 

Pudinii said...
Feb. 25 at 8:35 pm:

Five stars! :) I agree with you on most of it, but I disagree completely that Bella is an evil temptress. I also agree with the person who said you--and a ton of others--read into it too much.

 

Ally25 said...
Feb. 21 at 12:32 pm:

I agree with this artical..alot. I think people get caught up in the "vampire" backround in the story. Also, Bella is soo.... dependent on Edward for what? I realy don't understand....But, anyways I realy liked the artical.

 

Gradschoolgrl said...
Feb. 18 at 9:42 am:

Wow! This is a really insightful response! I am a former English teacher, and I would be so excited to have read one of my own students taking up such important issues as how racism, sexism, and other forms of oppressive thought and behavior get perpetuated by the media and pop culture. Well written!

 

alex9426 said...
Feb. 17 at 10:17 pm:

your reasoning and arguments are very good and i commend you on those!! you proprose opinions backed with facts from the book (which any English teacher will LOVE!) but it's quite a feminist view. while feminism isn't bad in and of itself, i think you're reading way too into the book just to shout "SEXIST!!" good work on the mechanics and vocabulary, though.

 

agsmiley888 replied...
Feb. 20 at 11:02 pm :

i agree with you after all it is suppose to be int he point of view of a female, and int eh book she also tells how she wants to be a hero too and not just stand helpless, that she too wants to save him, which as we all know she does.

 

alex9426 replied...
Feb. 21 at 4:09 pm :

yay! someone agrees with me. that rarely happens

 

SlightlySarcastic said...
Feb. 17 at 10:02 pm:

I was obsessed with these books when I first read them, until I looked deeper and noticed the stuff you're talking about. Twilight definitely portrays Bella as helpless and weak, and Edward as a handsome Prince Charming swooping in to save her. Edward is overly controlling and has trust issues - in New Moon he goes as far as getting his entire family to essentially hold her against her will because he doesn't want her to see Jacob, on the grounds that he's dangerous, even though B... (more »)

 

NineMuses said...
Feb. 17 at 8:03 pm:

I do agree with this article. What many people commenting here do not seem to realize is that Bella is the person she is because Stephanie Meyer made her that way. I am skeptical about the "evil temptress" idea, and I do not think anyone will ever know what Meyer intended the message of the series to be. However, the fact that she left room for people to interpret it in the sexist manner your and many others have speaks volumes about the author, whether or not this was her intent.
more »)

 

While this article has some extreme statements (ex evil temptress, I'd hardly describe a girl as fragile/helpless as Bella to be evil) I generally agree with the author when she says Twilight has sexist undertones. The media has addressed but generally ignored this and I think it should be discussed more openly. Also, the fandom has gotten way out of hand, in extreme cases crazed fans are starting to harass, beat, and even injure non fans (my source, take a look, it's kind of funny at... (more »)

 

4Lindsey16 said...
Feb. 16 at 5:24 pm:

I completely agree. This is not only with books either, but movies, and children shows! People go way into detail and try to figure things out, when it is completely unnecessary.

 

4Lindsey16 replied...
Feb. 17 at 8:35 am :

This is in agreement with pheonixqueen. I in no way agree with the article.

 

well, yeah I also think that Twilight is oh so over rated. specially the movie.It just fell short of my expectations since everyones been goshing about it and the book is so much better. I think that we love Bella swan because we can totally relate to her and she makes it seem that our disabilities are okay-normal. but as we love her, we should not just accept our weakness. There's always room for improvements for a stronger us. take it from my experience:)

 

volleyhitter86 said...
Feb. 12 at 9:35 pm:

sorry if this offends anyone but i also think that twilight is overrated. there are so many people falling all over this series its hard to go out without seeing a teen girl in a shirt that says "i love boys who sparkle" or something weird like that. it was fine at first, now its just unbearable.

 

princessXcupcake said...
Feb. 10 at 1:46 pm:

I find that Twilight is so over-rated! All these teen girls think that they have to fall head over heels with all of the characters and think that they will one day marry them. Get over it! That's not going to happen!

 

i love twilight! i love Edward! team edward 4ever:)

 

agsmiley888 replied...
Feb. 20 at 11:05 pm :

right on lol

 

CatCave said...
Feb. 9 at 8:14 pm:

I like how you addressed one of the many things wrong with this "saga" in an intelligent and non rambling way. Exactly my point of view. Five stars :D

 

Elisabawth said...
Feb. 9 at 6:49 pm:

I deffinately did not think of it like that. I agree to a point. Very well written in any case.

 

sirsblk said...
Feb. 8 at 9:44 pm:

I love this article It is so true and anyone who can't see Bella is hopeless is absolutely MAD. Put a conclusion on this article and It'll be 5-stars!

 

Linzeluu said...
Feb. 6 at 2:44 pm:

I agree with this article 100%

 

Dr.Diabtic said...
Feb. 1 at 11:46 am:

I must say my sister told me to read the series and i got paid a handsome sum of money but as i read these books i was getting more and more as i was kept be disapointed by the plot same thing over and over. and the last one is just made me sick. It has not plot what so ever the book consisit of Bella wanting a kid she gets one almost kills her because its super strong! then Edward decides that he will do a C-section WITH HIS TEETH! My god! then thats not all the Were-wolf guy falls in love wit... (more »)

 

Shuchee said...
Feb. 1 at 3:29 am:

Although I disagree, I like the article because it has been written in an interesting way.

 

Shuchee said...
Feb. 1 at 3:27 am:

I am not a girly girl. Yet, I am a fan of this saga. I fully disagree with this article and I am going to submit an article demonstrating how wrong you are. Twilight saga is not sexist at all. There are girls like Jane, Alice in this book. The Volturi depends on Jane and cullen family on Alice in many ways.And Bella is a bit weak in some ways, but she is a mature girl and quite caring towards people most of the time.

 

Julietbyheart said...
Jan. 26 at 10:43 pm:

I disagree 100%. You opinion does matter and I can see what your saying but me, I personally just want to get married and be a stay at home wife and depend on my husband. That doesn't make me any less. What is the big deal about women having to stand on their own? If a girl doesn't want to be a man than leave us be because I think being a lady is pretty and sweet no matter what she decides. We can be equal but that doesn't mean you have to become a man. Gosh if a girl decides to b... (more »)

 

Amalthea replied...
Feb. 9 at 11:42 am :

I understand where you're coming from, and I agree that a woman has the right to be feminine, but being a woman doesn't necessarily mean being weak. One can still take on the traditional role of wife and mother without being the cliched damsel in distress. I agree with Catcat that Bella Swan is an incredibly annoying character, but Bella is weak because she's human, not because she's female. I think Stephanie Meyer's greatest faults are that she made her plot too weak... (more »)

 

spontaneous09 said...
Jan. 26 at 10:22 pm:

Exactly my view. You like it or don't like i, respect the book for wat it is.

 

spontaneous09 said...
Jan. 26 at 10:21 pm:

I think you interpreted this too narrowly. Though I could also argue with Bella's reckless behavior sometimes and her bad decisions, you see throughout the book that it is because she has fallen so hard for Edward. I don't believe she is evil or represents women as being inferior. She stands for women who are passionate when they find a cause they can really stand for.

 

izz123 said...
Jan. 26 at 8:32 pm:

Though I agree Bella could be perceived as an "evil temptress," I do not think the book is sexist. The reason Edward saves Bella so much is because Edward is a super strong vampire with powers, and Bella is only human. There are female vampires in the book (Alice, Esme, Rosalie) who are equally strong. Alice was the one who ripped off James' head in the ballet studio, remember.

 

I don't agree that all the female characters are helpless at some point. Alice is the most notably strong and independent character. Others include Rosalie, Esme, and Angela. As Stephenie Meyer has said herself, the reason that Bella always portrayed as weak is that she's human, not that she's a woman. She lacks the super-human strength and speed of a vampire, and since she has a tendency to get cornered in dark alleys and nearly eaten in ballet studios, she needs Edward to swoop ... (more »)

 

Venus_Queen replied...
Mar. 15 at 7:24 pm :

I agree with you moosemitts!!

 

xMeadowx said...
Jan. 26 at 4:40 pm:

True, and to be honest, Twilight isn't very well written. A bunch of big words mixed with a bad romance is all it is! And it attracts people?

 

sasssgirrrl22 said...
Jan. 26 at 3:08 pm:

i see wat u mean. i dont like how bella agrees with almost everything edward says but she does have her own mind in some parts. ive read the whole series and really like them alot, but the 3rd one definetly had some sexist stuff in it. it made me annoyed, but u have to look above it to read the book. good points though

 

SharpestSatire said...
Jan. 26 at 1:39 pm:

I so agree with you, CatCat. Twilight drove me nuts with how perfect Edward is, and how Bella couldn't so much as cross the street without Edward holding her hand. So great. You put into words what I had jumbled up in a corner! :) Thanks!

 

hydaboo said...
Jan. 23 at 12:34 am:

i think they are good book and i read all 4 of them. I realized that every girl is looking for an Edward i know i don't look up to Bella because she really didn't know what he want in the 3 book she didn't know weather she wanted Edward or Jacob and he was always there for her even in the 2 book when Edward left her in the forest alone he was always there and den she kept hurting him he was always there. The book is full of lies b|c no boy save you every time your in that many pr... (more »)

 

phoenixqueen said...
Jan. 22 at 10:51 am:

Why is it that major, famous things are overanalysed? Why can people not enjoy the story for what it is? I think that Twilight is a great story, fun to read and imagine, but that is it. I don't think Stephenie Meyer was trying to make any sort of statement about women being weak. She had a good story in her head and she wrote it down.

 

sasssgirrrl22 replied...
Jan. 26 at 3:11 pm :

i agree. they're really good books & to enjoy them, it's better not to overanalyze

 

Alpha-Lyrae replied...
Feb. 17 at 5:53 pm :

I wouldn,t call it overanalyzing. Overanalyzing is what you do in english class when you have to write a 5 page essay on the nonexistant relationahip between teo completly different books. Anywho, it's rather obvious to anyone who reads the books at a slightly deeper level (SLIGHTLY! it doesn't take an english teacher) what is said in the article. Just my opinion......

 

sasssgirrrl22 replied...
Feb. 18 at 8:18 pm :

good point. my opinion was also just my opinion but i think the overanazlyzing was not all that much, but ha ya get it. its just a book for people to enjoy

 

phoenixqueen replied...
Feb. 19 at 1:18 pm :

exactly what i was thinking. i read books to enjoy them.

 

vampzRfriendz said...
Jan. 21 at 4:54 pm:

hmm...I never thought of the Twilight series that way... Your right. Edward is the ideal guy charming,handsome,sweet but when i picture edward and bella i see a big strong bear and a tiny scared mouse...kudos (=

 

Natascia said...
Jan. 19 at 3:41 pm:

couldnt agree more. good job.