Twilight's Bella Swan a Feminist's nightmare

[Pawlas Cathena]

Um, isn't Bella a minor? So she'd have to live with her dad unless she got emancipated or something. From what I can barely remember, her relationship with her dad was more like between roommates. tl;dr: There's nothing wrong with her living with her dad.

Also the thing about her having "no personality", it seems to be for letting the reader put themselves into the story. Like why Link rarely talks in the Zelda games: so that the players can give him personality.

[marshmallowcreampie]

Old news is old. Bella being a poor excuse for a woman (hell, more of a poor excuse for a person in general) is one of the biggest complaints about the book. (among many, many other problems with it) I only read the first one, don't wanna read the others, first one was painful enough. Other than the shitty writing, Bella was annoying, whiny, and wouldn't shut up about Edward. I see nothing wrong with her wanting to be with the guy she allegedy "loves" (it seems more like lust to me, but whatever) but she needs to have more in life. At least get a goddamn hobby. Your life shouldn't revolve around a guy, that's unhealthy. Speaking of which, some other Gaia users and I once diagnosed Bella as possibly having histrionic disoder. Anyone else agree?

Also... Am I the only one who thinks it's strange that a 17 year old is totally willing to go out with a guy 100 years older than her? I don't care if he LOOKS the same age, it's still creepy. gonk

[GunsmithKitten]

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So why not describe her as a typical teenager who happens to have to choose between life and death for a guy she loves?

Because she's NOT typical. Christ, read it, if only for how easily people suddenly want to boink her yet how "plain" she supposedly is.

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There is nothing anti-feminist to this book.

Except for a main female character who's life seems to revolve around PLAYING men for her advantage. Not. Flattering.

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EDIT: aside from that, why should a girl in a fictional fantasy book automaticly be a rolemodel for girls?

Not being a role model is one thing. But I at least demand that my characters have some sort of redeeming quality or likeability, and she has NONE.

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. It's only a fiction book, the writer can make the characters any way she/he wants to. It's useless to critisize that. ninja

Yea, who needs quality work?

[Stuch BSc]

I always feel sorry for her father.

[Harvested Sorrow]

GunsmithKitten

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So why not describe her as a typical teenager who happens to have to choose between life and death for a guy she loves?

Because she's NOT typical. Christ, read it, if only for how easily people suddenly want to boink her yet how "plain" she supposedly is.

This leads one to wonder if the author happened to be projecting thoughts upon her somewhat lacking teenage years in the past.



The above psycho-analysis was roughly 33% serious.

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There is nothing anti-feminist to this book.

Except for a main female character who's life seems to revolve around PLAYING men for her advantage. Not. Flattering.

Thank you for actually examining this from that angle rather than just going on about how weak-willed she is, how the males are too dominant, etc.

[Metsuru]

-Kali-La-Fae-

Kojima Michiyo

I never liked Bella when I read the books (I read the books first, then saw the movies). I felt she was a whiny b***h. >>

However, there are some things that are wrong in that article. I can tell the writer never read the books.

But all in all, I grow tired of the massive amounts of people who like to find ways to trash popular movies. Twilight is being treated just like Harry Potter was. Why do people have to make such big deals of these things?

And while we're at it, as if being interested in vampires is a new thing. rolleyes
I am willing to bet that before Twilight ever came out, there were still plenty of teens interested in the romance of vampire stories.

This is correct I am totally in love with lestat, but there is a big differance. Lestat isn't a mega-sparkly-gay-p***y.
Yeah, It's not even the fact that lestat is a vampire, I love the romance factor of the old victorian world I think it's beautiful. Plus if you read the book (Not the ******** movie, though it's still good) You'll realize just how KICK ******** a** they really are. In anne rice's second book the vampire lestat, he becomes a ******** rockstar...pretty sure eddikins is just a giant douche.

Kudos for Anne Rice's vampires. The series is amazing. Honestly I think though that the sudden "new craze" of vampires is one of the main reasons I have issues with Twilight... >_> Vampires have been popular in romantic fiction for a long time. It's just now that a lot of people who weren't interested before are interested now because now there's a dumbed down "modern" vampire story for them to obsess about. I don't hate Twilight, it's a work of fiction and as such at least provides some mild entertainment. I just think the writing is sub par, the characters remain undeveloped, and it portrays high school females a bit stereotypically. Bella is my least favorite female protagonist ever, but I think that any young girl who reads Twilight should have enough common sense to know that Bella Swan is no role model. On the note of another shameless plug, I'll still always prefer Anne Rice's vampires anywho. biggrin

[Zandt]

While I'm not a fan of the Twilight Books or Movies, I often have to sigh at the constant bashing of it. I would understand if it were just a simple dislike for it, if one hated the characters, hated the way it was written, or just the whole story overall. But I can't help but think that it is only because this book series is popular, that people feel they need to go out of there way and make people feel shitty for liking it or just call them plain stupid. I understand the fans of this series can be rather annoying, but who cares.

1. So what if this character feels she needs a constant male figure in her life, I don't think she is supposed to be a portrayal of how all women should act. Each person is an individual, and so you may find her attitude and personality, disgusting, It's no reason to accuse the book series of being sexist.

2. This double standard is never addressed in the book series, and personally I would find waking up and finding some strange person staring at me as terrifying. The person that wrote that seems to be drawing conclusions all on their own in this.

3. No comment.

4. It might have something to do with both male figures being borderline super heroes. And while they mostly seem to be whinny teenage boys, they do appear to have super strength and the ability to turn into a thirty foot tall wolf. As to where her identity is, who knows. I think the book could have been written with out the Bella Character at all.

5. I agree, it sounds like a stupid choice. Irresponsible etc. No teenage girl should go out with a guy who makes her turn her back on the things she loves.

Last but not least, you can't expect that every female character will be portrayed in a strong manner, even when she is supposed to be the main character. While she made bad choices, and lives her life through the men in her life. Not all women are the same, just as not all men are the same. We are each individuals, she is a weak woman. There are weak women and there are strong women, there are weak men and strong men. You find the character disgusting as is your right, I find the character annoying as well. But instead of demonizing it and trying to convince everyone else just how horrible it is I've just decided I don't want to read it or watch it.

And now I'm done sounding like an After School Special. ******** it, then burn it, the book I mean.

[Appel Turnover]

Cory Shallow

I think Nostalgia Chick rips Bella pretty well.

Missed that one.

[-Kali-La-Fae-]

Metsuru

-Kali-La-Fae-

Kojima Michiyo

I never liked Bella when I read the books (I read the books first, then saw the movies). I felt she was a whiny b***h. >>

However, there are some things that are wrong in that article. I can tell the writer never read the books.

But all in all, I grow tired of the massive amounts of people who like to find ways to trash popular movies. Twilight is being treated just like Harry Potter was. Why do people have to make such big deals of these things?

And while we're at it, as if being interested in vampires is a new thing. rolleyes
I am willing to bet that before Twilight ever came out, there were still plenty of teens interested in the romance of vampire stories.

This is correct I am totally in love with lestat, but there is a big differance. Lestat isn't a mega-sparkly-gay-p***y.
Yeah, It's not even the fact that lestat is a vampire, I love the romance factor of the old victorian world I think it's beautiful. Plus if you read the book (Not the ******** movie, though it's still good) You'll realize just how KICK ******** a** they really are. In anne rice's second book the vampire lestat, he becomes a ******** rockstar...pretty sure eddikins is just a giant douche.

Kudos for Anne Rice's vampires. The series is amazing. Honestly I think though that the sudden "new craze" of vampires is one of the main reasons I have issues with Twilight... >_> Vampires have been popular in romantic fiction for a long time. It's just now that a lot of people who weren't interested before are interested now because now there's a dumbed down "modern" vampire story for them to obsess about. I don't hate Twilight, it's a work of fiction and as such at least provides some mild entertainment. I just think the writing is sub par, the characters remain undeveloped, and it portrays high school females a bit stereotypically. Bella is my least favorite female protagonist ever, but I think that any young girl who reads Twilight should have enough common sense to know that Bella Swan is no role model. On the note of another shameless plug, I'll still always prefer Anne Rice's vampires anywho. biggrin

I just hate it all, the only thing anything twilight related is good for is starting fires. thats it.

[Metsuru]

-Kali-La-Fae-

Metsuru

-Kali-La-Fae-

Kojima Michiyo

I never liked Bella when I read the books (I read the books first, then saw the movies). I felt she was a whiny b***h. >>

However, there are some things that are wrong in that article. I can tell the writer never read the books.

But all in all, I grow tired of the massive amounts of people who like to find ways to trash popular movies. Twilight is being treated just like Harry Potter was. Why do people have to make such big deals of these things?

And while we're at it, as if being interested in vampires is a new thing. rolleyes
I am willing to bet that before Twilight ever came out, there were still plenty of teens interested in the romance of vampire stories.

This is correct I am totally in love with lestat, but there is a big differance. Lestat isn't a mega-sparkly-gay-p***y.
Yeah, It's not even the fact that lestat is a vampire, I love the romance factor of the old victorian world I think it's beautiful. Plus if you read the book (Not the ******** movie, though it's still good) You'll realize just how KICK ******** a** they really are. In anne rice's second book the vampire lestat, he becomes a ******** rockstar...pretty sure eddikins is just a giant douche.

Kudos for Anne Rice's vampires. The series is amazing. Honestly I think though that the sudden "new craze" of vampires is one of the main reasons I have issues with Twilight... >_> Vampires have been popular in romantic fiction for a long time. It's just now that a lot of people who weren't interested before are interested now because now there's a dumbed down "modern" vampire story for them to obsess about. I don't hate Twilight, it's a work of fiction and as such at least provides some mild entertainment. I just think the writing is sub par, the characters remain undeveloped, and it portrays high school females a bit stereotypically. Bella is my least favorite female protagonist ever, but I think that any young girl who reads Twilight should have enough common sense to know that Bella Swan is no role model. On the note of another shameless plug, I'll still always prefer Anne Rice's vampires anywho. biggrin

I just hate it all, the only thing anything twilight related is good for is starting fires. thats it.

All the more reason I'm glad for Anne Rice's books. lol

[Iggy The Balrog]

Stuch BSc

I always feel sorry for her father.

She should be a latchkey kid. She treats her dad like a dish rag.

[Phallic Wonderland]

Why do you even look for this s**t. It was written by a ******** MORMON. Prudity and old-fashioned values, maybe? For crying out loud, do all feminist WHINERS do this? If you seek, you will find. Purposefully pointing out a crappy fictional book with fictional characters. ITS ******** ROMANCE! I would LOVE to be coddled by men, it's better than being told to get back in the kitchen. Stupid cunts.

[GunsmithKitten]

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1. So what if this character feels she needs a constant male figure in her life, I don't think she is supposed to be a portrayal of how all women should act. Each person is an individual, and so you may find her attitude and personality, disgusting, It's no reason to accuse the book series of being sexist.

Except that Meyer is trying to get us to SYMPATHIZE with such a lump. That's where it starts to get into the realm of offensive.

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Last but not least, you can't expect that every female character will be portrayed in a strong manner, even when she is supposed to be the main character.

I can put up with her not being strong, but to be selfish and downright manipulative to the point where she could almost be diagnosed a sociopath?

[GunsmithKitten]

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All the more reason I'm glad for Anne Rice's books. lol

Errrrmmm...that include the Sleeping Beauty series?

Cuz I can make the case those books are WORSE than Twilight.

[Stuch BSc]

Iggy The Balrog

She should be a latchkey kid. She treats her dad like a dish rag.

His moustache is far too cool for him to have a daughter like that.