Be Critical of Stalking, Abuse in 'Twilight' Series

The next installment in the "Twilight" series, “New Moon,” will undoubtedly be a box office success, like its 2008 predecessor, which grossed nearly $200 million domestically. Thousands of teenagers will flock to see the continuing love story between a young woman and a vampire.

However, what viewers of the movie seem to not realize is how a dark undercurrent of sexual assault and abuse runs through the movies and the books on which they're based. Author Stephenie Meyer has constructed a story that is more about abuse and sexual assault than romance of any kind.

In the "Twilight" series the main male character, the vampire Edward Cullen, is shown obsessively stalking a high school girl named Bella Swan. He creeps into her room and watches her sleep, follows her around their school and generally takes an unhealthy interest in her activities.

For some reason Bella finds his obsession attractive. It’s not. Stalking is not romantic and it is not the basis for a healthy relationship. Young women need to realize that being stalked is a very serious thing and is not to be encouraged at any point. If someone is being stalked, even over an online forum like Facebook, they need to inform a law enforcement member immediately.

In the series, Edward informs Bella that he wants to drink her blood because, hey, it's what vampires are known for. She stays with him anyway, even with the threat of pain and death hanging over her head.

The Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services of Whatcom County (DVSAS) Web site defines domestic violence as a relationship where physical, sexual, psychological and emotional abuse are used to control one’s intimate partner. The relationship between the main characters of the "Twilight" series seems to fit within this definition. Edward establishes his dominance over Bella by describing how he could use his unnatural strength to kill her instantly. He tells her she is powerless against him, and she goes along with it. He uses verbal abuse to control her.

This is not the kind of material that teen readers should be interpreting as romantic and desirable. The main female character of “Twilight” is shown as fundamentally powerless and dependent on her vampire boyfriend.

Perhaps there is a good story buried beneath all the misogyny, but fans of the books and movies should bear in mind how unhealthy the relationship they idealize really is. By all means, enjoy the material, but understand that when looking for a good relationship, vampire-stalkers shouldn’t be setting the bar.

Originally posted November 17, 2009, in The Western Front. Re-posted with permission of The Western Front.

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Be Critical of Stalking, Abuse in 'Twilight' Series

Tristan Hiegler, Western Front Editorial Board

About the Author

Tristan Hiegler, Western Front Editorial Board

Be Critical of Stalking, Abuse in 'Twilight' Series Tristan Hiegler, Western Front Editorial Board The next installment in the "Twilight" series, “New Moon,” will undoubtedly be a box office success, like its 2008 predecessor, which grossed nearly $200 million domestically. Thousands of teenagers will flock to see the continuing love story between a young woman and a vampire. However, what viewers of the movie seem to not realize is how a dark undercurrent of sexual assault and abuse runs through the movies and the books on which they're based. Author Stephenie Meyer has constructed a story that is more about abuse and sexual assault than romance of any kind. In the "Twilight" series the main male character, the vampire Edward Cullen, is shown obsessively stalking a high school girl named Bella Swan. He creeps into her room and watches her sleep, follows her around their school and generally takes an unhealthy interest in her activities. For some reason Bella finds his obsession attractive. It’s not. Stalking is not romantic and it is not the basis for a healthy relationship. Young women need to realize that being stalked is a very serious thing and is not to be encouraged at any point. If someone is being stalked, even over an online forum like Facebook, they need to inform a law enforcement member immediately. In the series, Edward informs Bella that he wants to drink her blood because, hey, it's what vampires are known for. She stays with him anyway, even with the threat of pain and death hanging over her head. The Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services of Whatcom County (DVSAS) Web site defines domestic violence as a relationship where physical, sexual, psychological and emotional abuse are used to control one’s intimate partner. The relationship between the main characters of the "Twilight" series seems to fit within this definition. Edward establishes his dominance over Bella by describing how he could use his unnatural strength to kill her instantly. He tells her she is powerless against him, and she goes along with it. He uses verbal abuse to control her. This is not the kind of material that teen readers should be interpreting as romantic and desirable. The main female character of “Twilight” is shown as fundamentally powerless and dependent on her vampire boyfriend. Perhaps there is a good story buried beneath all the misogyny, but fans of the books and movies should bear in mind how unhealthy the relationship they idealize really is. By all means, enjoy the material, but understand that when looking for a good relationship, vampire-stalkers shouldn’t be setting the bar. Originally posted November 17, 2009, in The Western Front. Re-posted with permission of The Western Front. Image Licensed Under Creative Commons: <div xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" about="http://www.flickr.com/photos/edwardcullen97/3106373748/"><a rel="cc:attributionURL" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/edwardcullen97/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/edwardcullen97/</a> / <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a></div>
About the Author Tristan Hiegler, Western Front Editorial Board The Western Front is an independent student newspaper serving Western Washington University since 1970.