As a favor to a friend that is researching the marketing phenomenon surrounding the books, I set down to analyze the Twlight series by Stephanie Myer. The first half of the first book, Twilight, was not easy. I knew it was a teenage romance story involving vampires but had no idea how difficult the first-person perspective would be nor how unbelievable the dialogue was written. But, I set out to accomplish this favor for a great friend so I couldn't let her down.
The main question my friend has asked, and I think everyone involved in the series from marketers of the book to actors in the movies have asked themselves, is why the series has been appealing to women beyond their teenage years? I will outline my top 5 reasons why the story appeals to some older women:
1)Not being completely sure of the book series' success before the first movie came out, I dare say, personifying the character of Edward through the actor, Rob Pattinson, has brought all the great traits that women find so attractive in Edward to life and in a strange reversal makes Edward unbelievable real. Rob has proven to be cool under pressure just as Edward forced himself to be in being attracted to Bella. He is polite, gentle, shy, vunerable and easy on the eyes. Some how the casting director found Edward in real life.
2)All females are attracted to what is most dangerous for them. Maybe it is ego, maybe it is the challenge of testing themselves in what they can and cannot handle. Bella wanted the guy that could kill her the minute he lost control and because that control was usually couched in sexual terms, even the reader has to contantly grapple with "do you want him to lose control and maybe kill Bella or can he just kiss her and deny himself?" How is that not appealing to any woman or man of any age?
3)Vampires are suppose to be able to live forever. Our collective issue with human mortality lures us to various religions to address it. Our desire to live forever portrayed in the mythic characters of vampires that are stronger than any human, full of sexual allure and can overcome so many of our natural weaknesses are the perfect heroes or heroines in any storyline.
4)Many of Bella's strengths are what we wish we had had as teenage girls and many of her vunerabilities that she has to deal with hits home at various levels for us. The main problem I had with the progress of Bella's character through the series is that she went from being mature and strong to a love-sick teenager that seemed to forget all of that strength she had at the beginning. And, it's all because she was in love, confused, lost and inexperienced. I liked her better in books 2 and 3 because of this. I remember being so called "in love" as a teenage and completely confused. That part made all the sense in the world to me.
5)With the advertising/marketing background that I have and used in reading the books, I can see how the movie marketing has played a huge roll in advancing the book series and its storyline. Living happily ever after (really!) with the perfect man is what almost every woman dreams of at 17, 35 or 50. The books and the movies offer an acceptable rendition of that, even if it is impossible to do as humans. This is a fantasy with many shared and relatable human elements.
I didn't like the first book because of its deniability of human nature, so I knew the first movie would not easily translate well on the screen. And it did come out awkward, especially for Bella's character and interpreting the attraction between Edward and Bella. They had to temper the natural sexuality that Myer doesn't let develop between the book's characters. It was too unnatural, even between a human and a "vamprire."
Since I had no interest in the books when the movies came out, I am playing catch-up. I have seen the first movie and look forward to viewing New Moon shortly. I don't think I will continue to critque the movies or the story. I just needed to outline my thoughts for my friend, but I will end with one final thought of the books overall: the lesson I learned from the books is that chasity is impossible for weak humans and has to be left to the immortals. I'm almost sure that was not the author's intention. ; )
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