Friday afternoon my mother, sisters and I went to see the latest big screen installment of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and aside from some minor wig issues the movie was like those that proceeded it...FANTASTIC. I'm home for a visit this week so it was great to be able to go to the movies in cozy Harrisburg, PA and not have to strain to hear through the screams of adolescent teen girls during the film which I am sure was the case for my friends who viewed the film in larger cities like New York and L.A. Here at home we were able to enjoy watching as another literary phenomenon was brought to life right before our eyes and in watching the love triangle between the sensitive shy girl, the gorgeous vampire and the muscular werewolf, I began to better understand why younger and older women have become obsessed with this series. Why every woman wants to be Bella Swan.
When the books first became popular, I was extremely reluctant to read them. I had identified myself as a die-hard Harry Potter fan. In my opinion, J.K Rowling had mastered the art of turning what was originally a children's series into a worldwide success that adults immediately latched onto. I am still astonished by Rowling's ability to intertwine so many details of her private life into the fantasy world of Hogwarts and its inhabitants. In a word...GENIOUS. But being an avid reader, my cousin was insistent that I give Twilight a chance. She couldn't stop telling me how great this book was and my skepticism was almost impenetrable but this was an adult giving a five-star review to a teen book. Finally, I caved in and sat down to read the first of the series. After the first chapter, I was hooked. I read the entire series within a month with a full week committed to each book. I was unable to put any of the books down and was completely invested in the characters. And when it was time for the movies to be brought to the big screen I was very excited.
In reading these books, it was easy to see what made them so popular with younger and older women. Stephanie Meyers' simple dream put to paper has become the ultimate love story and even in interviews the author herself was blown away but the reaction the books received. Meyers' writing is definitely a work in progress as she has a tendency to be repetitive in her use of adjectives when describing her main characters, but the theme of each book is crystal clear. For us girls, she has created a great love story that includes the themes of chastity, fidelity, charm and virginity. To us Bella is the luckiest girl in the world to have the charming Edward and the virile Jacob fighting for her affection. But it goes beyond just the romance of having two gorgeous men fighting for the heart of one woman (not forgetting that they are the ultimate protectors being a vampire and a wolf) this is the story of a girl who is genuinely loved not only by her suitors but by their families as well as her.
It is like a cocoon of protection and adoration have been built around this one girl and all she has to do is be her sensitive, awkward and beautiful self which is what every woman wants. At times, I want to completely ring Bella's neck with her constant indecisiveness and the moments when she plays each boys affections against each other but in the end the general feeling can be a sense of envy as she is presented with relationship options that don't ask her to be anybody but herself. And maybe we girls are looking too deeply into this entire scenario...we have to remember that this is fantasy and no relationship is perfect but damn it...a girl can dream. Besides the fact that Meyers created a male character to appeal to both female age groups as the younger teen girls seem to latch onto TEAM JACOB for his incredible body and roguish behavior whereas us women are more proned to TEAM EDWARD with his old school charm and mysterious manner and beauty. And personally for me, Robert Pattinson is extremely attractive no matter what accent he chooses. Oh...to be Bella Swan....
It is what every woman wants for herself, what every teenage girl wants her first love affair to be, what every mother (and father) want for their daughter, what every woman wants from their relationship...to be genuinely loved and if men were smart they would pay strict attention to why we females are swooning.
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