If you haven’t seen “Twilight,” where have you been loca?
Twilight is the moment in time when dusk and dawn finally meet. “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer is also a best-selling vampire-romance novel with over 160 million copies sold, translated into 49 languages and film adaptations that grossed roughly 3.4 billion dollars worldwide.
Culturally, “Twilight” stood as a defining feature in the 2000s. From its book release in 2005 to its movie release in 2008, there is a reason why so many people can connect to the story. “I woke up (on that June 2nd) from a very vivid dream. In my dream, two people were having an intense conversation in a meadow in the woods. One of these people was just your average girl. The other person was fantastically beautiful, sparkly, and a vampire. They were discussing the difficulties inherent in the facts that A) they were falling in love with each other while B) The vampire was particularly attracted to the scent of her blood, and was having a difficult time restraining himself from killing her immediately,” Meyer wrote to her personal blog about the trials and tribulations she went through to get “Twilight” on its feet.
Now, as many as there are people who will defend “Twilight” until the end for its incredible soundtrack, moody cinematography and compelling plot, there are just as many, if not more, criticisms. From lack of racial and Indigenous representation, known as The Quileute Controversy, Meyer’s alleged anti-feminism and her godlike interpretation of vampires, a lot of them stem from how it portrays obsessive love. But why do so many readers relate to Bella and Edward’s toxic dynamic? Through this dynamic, love is portrayed as identity loss, and their love is the death of the people they used to be. Bella, the human protagonist, defines herself through Edward, her vampire love interest, and she is isolated throughout the entirety of their relationship. She even has a literal identity crisis when he leaves, and it is widely agreed that is not the best image to paint for teenagers who are attaching themselves to this dynamic. Not only do their lives and emotions become the same, but they suffer the same too. They treat romantic suffering as validation. Bella’s pain is not only framed as proof of their love but as proof that he was even real. The deeper the suffering, the stronger the connection. “Twilight” is problematic in the same way “Wuthering Heights” is. Its romance is not healthy, but it is emotionally compelling. But is “Twilight” a failure of storytelling, or a reflection of the ultimate consumption of love in society?
Regardless, Meyer created the shift in the male protagonist. Before “Twilight,” the ideal male protagonist in media was often hyper-masculine. Edward Cullen, with his brooding sensitivity, self-restraint, and deep romanticism, introduced a new archetype: the soft-spoken, tortured love interest. The perception of vampires started shifting in the latter half of the 20th century when they became more complex and tragic, rather than purely evil. Anne Rice’s “Interview with a Vampire” and popular TV show, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” laid the groundwork for characters like Edward, and ultimately led the transition to the “tragic” vampire archetype. This led to an increase in male characters who were emotionally expressive and protective, yet introspective and more romantic than aggressively dominant. This, to many, was a refreshing switch in the romance genre, as well as the entertainment industry. In a lot of ways, this humanized vampires which humanized the audience, allowing them to relate to Edward’s faults and internal struggle rather than subjecting him to monster-like archetypes and villainizing him. Edward himself does not just stand as a symbol for the new male archetype in romance, but his counterpart Jacob Black only heightens their dichotomy. Edward and Jacob represent two sides of masculinity we often see in society; control, restraint and sophistication versus passion, aggression and instinct. Their battle is not just for Bella’s love, it is a clash between two different versions of what it means to be a “man.” And Bella’s choice is not just about love; it is about which version of masculinity she aligns. Many post-”Twilight” vampire stories focus on their moral dilemmas rather than their horror elements, and this tactic is a way to connect with a larger audience.
“Twilight” is often labeled as a teen romance, and it is. But its themes delve much deeper, like most creative projects in exploring the tension between desire and restraint, the loss of self in love, the pull of human instincts, the allure and burden of immortality and underlying cultural anxieties. Regardless of whether one adores or critiques it, “Twilight”’s influence extends far beyond vampires; it reflects our perceptions of love, identity and the emotions that define us.
