Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Twilight books romanticize domestic violence?

The Twilight book series has been thought of as promoting abstinence, so I've followed it somewhat because of my work. I found it interesting to read this post, which goes through the checklist from the National Domestic Violence hotline for Bella and Edward's relationship, and finds 15 signs that their relationship is abusive. Fifteen! I have only read articles about the books and movies, not read the books or seen the movies myself, so I am frankly surprised to hear that Edward throws Bella through a glass table. But even the other signs, like repeated statements of jealousy, abandoning her in a dangerous place, threatening suicide. . . This is supposed to be romantic? Religious groups can't possibly approve of these books, abstinence message or no.

Also: the view from a school librarian (and member of my Cambridge synagogue).

1 comment:

Jenn said...

i found your blog entry in a search, so i hope you don't mind if i comment!

i'm not an edward/bella shipper, i'm a jacob/bella fan. alot of that has to do with the fact that i do believe edward to be too controlling. but while many things on the abuse list are certainly valid (not letting her see friends, telling her when/what to do "for her own good", leaving her in a scary forest, etc.) a few things are blow out of proportion. the glass table being one.

bella gave herself a paper cut opening a birthday gift, and this encited edward's brother into a frenzy. edward knocked bella out of his brother's path - and unknowingly into a glass table - to save her.

so yes, i FEW things on the list are not as bad as they sound. but certainly, edward is very controlling, going as far as to take a piece out of her car so that she could not see jacob, because he was "dangerous" for example.