I waffle between admiring Twilight and what it has accomplished in the YA world and really, really despising it.
The young love angst is something every young girl can relate to. (I once had the most painful crush on a guy for three days before I knocked some sense into myself.) Twilight also expounds on the theme of being loved and protected in the face of trials/evil. When you're 16, I could see the appeal. But then there are articles like this and this, and I can't help but pull my hair out and/or snicker.
And yet...
Ms. Meyers was on to something. The Oatmeal slams Bella for being a "lego character". He points out that we never get a clear picture of what Bella looks like and that, in fact, anyone can slip into her skin and pretend to be her. He thinks it's a bad thing, and I can see his point. But I also think it makes Ms. Meyer's a genius.
In a world of RPGing, internet dating and the like, everyone is trying to be someone else. Ms. Meyer's just caught on to that and used it in a different venue.
From a writer's standpoint, it makes me cringe. A story isn't supposed to be about someone who has so little personality it could be anyone, it's supposed to be about a specific character with specific wants, dreams and goals. And yet, from a money-making standpoint all I see is dollar signs. $$$$
Let's admit it, there's a reason why Twilight is so popular. And I think it's Bella's very vagueness that makes all the girls squee, OMG, that could totally be me!
So, Twilight... Love it. Hate it. Either way, Ms. Meyers might have opened the door onto a completely new way of shaping a character.
But the question is: Was it intentional?
(What do you think?)
I think the problem is we're all looking at this through our adult eyes, and forgetting what it really felt like to be a teenager. I thought I was more mature than the other girls my age when I was 16. Didn't we all? In truth, I didn't have a clue about life and love and spent entirely too much time worrying about what my boyfriend was doing.
ReplyDeleteI would also argue with the suggestion that Bella should be described in more detail. Personally, I hate that. Just tell me what a character does, and I'll fill in all the blanks about looks and personality.
And who says Meyers wanted us to like Edward and Bella anyway? I certainly didn't like Heathcliff and Catherine.
Let me just say that I hate Twilight. I can't stand it, but I also admit that I'm not its target audience.
ReplyDeleteAll I see is the bad writing in the book and the even worse acting in the movies.
However, I'll admit that Myers may have created the characters the way she did on purpose.
I think the Oatmeal got it right; this story works so well for the people it's intended for because the main character is so poorly defined that it's easy for girls of a certain age to put themselves into the book in her place.
Her lack of character is exactly what made me hate the book so much in the first place (and yes, I did read it; I'm not going to knock something without saying I gave it an even chance), but I look at story differently than the girls who can so easily wear Bella.
I don't like Meyers' writing.
I don't think she's a genius.
But I do think she's canny enough to have molded her story the way she did on purpose.
I'd like to say Stephanie Meyer was intending to creat a sort of RPG writing style... but I doubt it. The woman just cannot write a compelling piece of fiction. That said, I'm still envious of her success.
ReplyDeleteI can't comment on Meyer's actual writing, but Bella just comes across a shallow whiny girl who would have done nothing for my teen self to learn strength and action from. I needed characters who were real enough on their own, rather than a mask for me to wear, who took charge of their own fate. I'm finally going to read the first book (sigh) in September to comment on this topic more thoroughly myself. I'll be pitting Bella against characters like Princess Amy from The Ordinary Princess, Princess Cimorene from Dealing With Dragons, Kris from Freedom's Landing, Lessa from Dragonflight, Princess Danielle from The Stepsister Scheme, Alanna from the Tortall series, along with many more female leads I respect and admire.
ReplyDelete