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What 'Twilight' says about feminist progress
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Almost like a new Harry Potter trend with a distinct edge of enchanted sensuality, Twilight has garnered widespread praise and popularity among adolescents, teens, and adults. People from all backgrounds enjoy the romantic story of the human girl and the vampire boyfriend -- in fact, some guys even like it. But for the most part, women from all age groups, lifestyles, and religions find this saga irresistible, which is a curious indicator of our collective feminist consciousness.
In a time when women are gaining more power positions, going to college, and advancing more than yesteryears -- becoming "empowered" and "independent" as it were -- we find that many of us crave the traditional fairy tale.
In poignant ways, Twilight follows such a pattern, namely in the sense that the female character is endangered, physically delicate, and generally vulnerable. Whereas the male character, on the other hand, is handsome and strong, swooping in to both complicate and save the day.
Reminiscent of the provervial He, our vampire hero is the savior, the guardian, and the true love of the frail human female. Likewise, he controls most of the action.
Even the sexual action, in which the dark knight proves to be an unorthodox male in his choice for abstinence. Afraid of getting too carried away with his temptation to the point of accidentally killing the object of his affection, Edward Cullen can barely kiss Bella Swan without recoiling with conflicted lust. Nevertheless, he controls the 'non-sex'. As can be expected, the heroine is entirely seduced in his company, perpetually powerless. And we all love it. Even the hard-core feminists.
What why? Moreover, is it 'okay' for progressive women to enjoy a story with an underlying patriarchal dynamic? Significantly, the tale is written by Stephanie Meyer, a Mormon author, and one who may adhere to a more traditional and religious notion of female gender roles. But her fans? What ideology do they adhere to?
Apparently, all of her fans have something in common (and it's not Mormonism). They cherish the magic, the mystery, the enchantment, the danger, the tension, and finally, the combination of tradition and modernity: the male warrior at war with his own inescapable weaknesses. Similar to the former romantic vision of the strong and courageous Prince Charming, Edward is physically adept and courageous beyond belief. Yet unlike the Prince Charming of the past, he is relatively emotionally vulnerable. In other words: he is both masculine in the traditional and controlling sense of the term and feminine in his described sensitivities.
Thus his weapons and weaknesses are wrapped into one delicious package encompassing his powerful thirst, primal appeal, untouchable air, intensity, insecurity, and his ability to read most minds unlike any other stereotypical male on the planet. Turning the pages as we observe him through the eyes of Bella, our quiet and insecure heroine (who is curiously made to appear more empowered in the theatrical adaptation than in the book itself), we relish the comforting notion of being desired, taken care of, and being rescued from flawed situations. We enjoy the idea that perhaps the proverbial He can still be responsible for our welfare.
But at the same time, Bella yearns to become a altruistic vampire like her dark savior, just as many women yearn for the power and purported invincibility ascribed to the male gender . Yet the notion of a benevolent predator is one steeped in the archetype of man as the aggressor who necessarily holds himself at bay for the sake of social balance. Could Bella ever be that dominant? Furthermore, can women readers ever be that dominant? Importantly, female vampires are also present in the story, ones who appear to be equally equipped with superhuman abilities . . . or are they?
Ultimately, Twilight and our overwhelming indulgence of it may signify how many of us love the old ways and crave the new ones simultaneously. It shows us how women still adore some traditional aspects of 'maleness' and the passivity attributed to 'femaleness' while nevertheless striving to attain equal power, ferocity, and autonomy themselves. Thus, the new literary phenomenon may simply be an appropriate reflection of where many of us currently stand -- in our hearts and minds -- on our paths to gender equality and romantic fulfillment.
So is it maladaptive for so many women to swoon for this amorous tale? Not necessarily. It may be a mere entertaining symptom of the complicated conglomeration of our hopes and expectations, however contradictory they may seem.
Other articles of interest:
Poll: Is the Twilight saga anti-feminist?
Gender equality and the decline of marriage
Juliette Frette
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