I have been a fan of Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” almost as long as I have been alive. I remember sitting in my brother’s bedroom, watching the first film, and being absolutely mesmerized by what I saw. I eventually received both the book and film sets as gifts. It was not until a few years ago – with the help of other fans – that I came to recognize some of the uglier sides of this pop culture phenomenon.
One of the many issues of Twilight is the exploitation of Indigenous people and their culture. “Truth vs. Twilight,” a page created by Dr. Deana Dartt-Newton and Tasia Endo in conjunction with Seattle’s Burke Museum, highlights several ways in which the Quileute people (and Native Americans as a whole) have been harmed. For example, the Quileute boys are sexualized and depicted as angry, violent creatures rather than human beings. In this discussion of race and class, Dartt-Newton and Endo discuss the vast differences in which the vampires and werewolves live. While the (white) Cullen vampires own multiple cars and a mansion, the Quileute people have “modest homes, tattered clothes, and… ubiquitous and dysfunctional relationships.”
As of the early 2010s, when the “Truth vs. Twilight” page was created, the Quileute people have not received any of the profits from this extremely successful franchise. To add insult to injury, Twilight merchandise sold in its rising years (the Burke Museum uses Nordstrom and Hot Topic as examples) featured appropriated Native artwork – both in design and in the story behind it.
Fans and critics also often bring up the misogynistic aspects of Twilight. From the beginning, Edward gaslights Bella, forcing her to believe and do whatever he says. On the other hand, some of the other female characters are forced to be “cruel” and manipulative, as Dartt-Newton and Endo explain:
“Using their sex as power, Victoria and Maria exemplify the femme fatale archetype and consequently subvert the acceptance of sexual empowerment in women.”
Perhaps one of the most chilling problems with Meyer’s creation is the predatory relationship between Jacob Black and Renesmee Cullen. As soon as the baby is born, Jacob feels drawn to her. As viewers and readers will later learn (or maybe already know), this is due to the “imprinting” that occurs among the Twilight werewolves. Many found it unsettling that such an event would occur with a child (let alone the child of the girl he was in love with). This is not the only time it happens, either. Quil imprints on two-year-old Claire. This relationship is also framed as one like siblings but considering the other imprinter/imprintee pairings in the universe, a romantic connection is not out of the question.
There is so much more wrong with Twilight than I can explain in just a few hundred words. However, this conversation is important, and I hope it continues whether the franchise does – because it is possible to both love and critique a work simultaneously.
Carly Webster
Staff Writer