Twilight Novels

[goldenchild17]

I've heard that story before (my mom used it a few times ). I'm sure it is good advice, but I personally just tend to be somewhat more liberal in more allowances for literature. I oppose the books written by very intelligent authors who use their text to deliberately bring about an anti-Catholic point and/or argument, but for those that are entertaining (to me at least) and simply accidentally objectionable (and imho not even all that much so in comparison to other modern works) I tend to let those slide a bit. But yes, you make some good points and I encourage others to consider them.

[Nihil Obstat]

I have the same approach to letting some things slide. In some cases. Don't even think I could explain my whole approach to it, actually.

[TotusTuusMaria]

[quote name='KevinSymonds' post='1886294' date='Jun 8 2009, 10:17 AM'][url="http://catholicexchange.com/2009/06/08/119245/"]My article has been published[/url]!!!!


Make sure to leave comments![/quote]

I really enjoyed the article, however was disappointed that you didn't really answer the question you posed, "What is it about Edward that every woman needs in her life?"

[quote]Recently I was at my local Walmart and I noticed that the electronics section was still showing the Twilight movie for promotional purposes. The DVD has been released since March 21st and I have never seen a DVD displayed for two months straight. I inquired about this to an employee. She told me without joking, “The female employees threatened to quit if the DVD was replaced .” Intrigued, I asked her for her opinion as to the success of the Twilight books and/or movie. She responded, “Because every woman needs an Edward in her life .”

[b]The first logical question would be what is it about Edward that every woman needs in her life? [/b]He is charming, funny, mysterious, dashing, gentlemanly. These are all good qualities in a man, the fact of his paranormal abilities aside.[u] However, I do not think such things adequately describe the reason for Bella’s attraction to Edward due to how Stephenie Meyer portrays Edward and Bella’s relationship.[/u][/quote]

What was your answer? His ability to stop Bella from physically aging? The thrill of romance he offers?

...

EDIT: Just wanted to add that I really liked the ending of the article which questions if we are allowing in bad influences through "just stories." Liked the above "lesson" as well.

Edited June 9, 2009 by TotusTuusMaria

[TotusTuusMaria]

I just read the comments which followed your article. I would still like to hear what you think about the question you posed, but I found the last comment insightful.

[quote]I am halfway through the final book, and have found myself asking throughout all the novels, “What is it about Edward that makes women rave about him?”

And I think it is only partly that he is a gentleman, partly that he is a bit of a “bad boy,” but also,[u] I think, partly because he overcomes his own temptations for the sake of Bella’s greater good [/u](ie, he resists sucking her blood and devouring her, an image with clear sexual connotations).

[u]But ultimately, I think women are drawn to Edward’s character precisely because he is “other-worldly.” [b]Deep down, we all know that no human love will ever be enough.[/b] But this gentlemanly vampire is certainly a cheap substitute for the Love that will ultimately fill our hearts. [b]I see this as the most dangerous aspect of the books–it awakens a hunger for that Perfect, Infinite, Eternal Love, but feeds it with a paltry substitute: one that is human but appears perfect and eternal.[/b]
[/u]
My only hope is that the hunger awakened in the hearts of young women will lead them to seek out its fulfillment–which can only be found in a deep relationship with God.[/quote]

I think I agree with the person who commented. Your comments and Fr. Euteneuer's comments on the danger of the books are both valid and very real, however I think the most dangerous aspect of the book and even the movie (as more females have seen the movie and responded in the same way) is that it awakens a hunger for something (infinite, eternal, perfect love) that just can't be filled by any man, no matter what his abilities or virtues, despite that it seems to show it can.

My friend is walking around now saying she wants God to send her "her Edward." The reality is there is no Edward and that type of love (infinite, eternal, perfect love) doesn't exist outside of a relationship with Christ.

And even then, in the book/movie, that infinite and eternal supposed love they have for one another isn't perfect, despite that it makes it seem so apparently to girls/women. Actually... is it even love? Probably to a degree... I don't know. It isn't perfect though. The books not only awaken this hunger for this love and show it offered in this life by a man, but they go on to even show "the love" in a distorted way.

Edited June 9, 2009 by TotusTuusMaria

[Hassan]

[quote name='TotusTuusMaria' post='1886791' date='Jun 8 2009, 09:00 PM']My friend is walking around now saying she wants God to send her "her Edward." The reality is there is no Edward and that type of love (infinite, eternal, perfect love) doesn't exist outside of a relationship with Hassan.[/quote]



Prolly true. But will Hollywood ever tell the true story? I doubt it

[TotusTuusMaria]

[quote name='Hassan' post='1886794' date='Jun 8 2009, 10:03 PM']Prolly true. But will Hollywood ever tell the true story? I doubt it [/quote]

Considering I truly said "Jesus Christ" and not "Hassan," the answer is: probably not.

Edited June 9, 2009 by TotusTuusMaria

[Hassan]

[quote name='goldenchild17' post='1886382' date='Jun 8 2009, 11:23 AM']It's a poorly written, interesting story that in my opinion does far more harm to genuine vampire mythology than it would do to one's soul, especially when compared to most other stories one is bound to read if one is interested in this series.[/quote]


The Hannibal Lecter stories had some subtle Vampire mythology in them. Or so I leadned after getting really bored and reading an Engligh Master's Thesis on the subject


The stories are a reflection of pop culture. Yeah, they are prolly gonna be shallow and intellectually deep enough to wade in. I don't see what the big deal is for Catholics though.

[Hassan]

[quote name='TotusTuusMaria' post='1886796' date='Jun 8 2009, 09:05 PM']Considering I truly sad "Jesus Christ" and not "Hassan," the answer is: probably not.

[/quote]


Thank you for agreeing with me

[TotusTuusMaria]

[quote name='Hassan' post='1886797' date='Jun 8 2009, 10:07 PM']The Hannibal Lecter stories had some subtle Vampire mythology in them. Or so I leadned after getting really bored and reading an Engligh Master's Thesis on the subject


The stories are a reflection of pop culture. Yeah, they are prolly gonna be shallow and intellectually deep enough to wade in. I don't see what the big deal is for Catholics though.[/quote]

There are numerous things though that pose a threat [u]for everyone[/u], not just Catholics, especially those girls/women who are buying into the idea that "Edward love" (if it even is love) is the ultimate love and that is actually even exists.

Edited June 9, 2009 by TotusTuusMaria

[Hassan]

[quote name='TotusTuusMaria' post='1886801' date='Jun 8 2009, 09:09 PM']I don't think there is a [i]particular[/i] big deal "for Catholics."

There are numerous things though that pose a threat for everyone, especially those girls/women who are buying into the idea that "Edward love" is the ultimate love and that is actually even exists.[/quote]


Like Romeo and Juliet?

[Excelsior1027]

[quote name='TotusTuusMaria' post='1886791' date='Jun 8 2009, 10:00 PM']And even then, in the book/movie, that infinite and eternal supposed love they have for one another isn't perfect, despite that it makes it seem so apparently to girls/women. Actually... is it even love? Probably to a degree... I don't know. It isn't perfect though. The books not only awaken this hunger for this love and show it offered in this life by a man, but they go on to even show "the love" in a distorted way.[/quote]
I never thought that the relationship between Edward and Bella was real love. It seems more like obsession to me.

[kafka]

[quote name='TotusTuusMaria' post='1886801' date='Jun 8 2009, 10:09 PM']There are numerous things though that pose a threat [u]for everyone[/u], not just Catholics, especially those girls/women who are buying into the idea that "Edward love" (if it even is love) is the ultimate love and that is actually even exists.[/quote]
yes, for [u]everyone[/u]

I feel very threatened.



of course I might actually have to read it first or watch the movie to be threatened, which would be intellectual and spiritual adultery.

Edited June 9, 2009 by kafka

[TotusTuusMaria]

[quote name='Hassan' post='1886804' date='Jun 8 2009, 10:12 PM']Like Romeo and Juliet?[/quote]

Well Romeo and Juliet's love, I have not known, to attract a great deal of people who desire it.

But, as I have been writing this and even thinking about my friend's reaction to the movie and my own... I think the danger I have spoken of the book presenting is a real danger with most if not all romance books/movies. It is a unique danger for this book because the love presented in [i]this[/i] romance novel is eternal and infinite as well as perfect... where as in others, it is not presented as such. It is usually only presented as perfect, if that.

And in this book/movie there is more that is not truly "perfect" and is rather "scary" ...

Like, my friend and I were talking and I was trying to show her how possessive the character of Edward really is. And there is a scene in the movie where he puts on Bella's seat belt [i]for her[/i] in a protective and ... possessive kind of way. Now, friend considers this sooo romantic. But I have only really seen and read of this kind of possessiveness and this extreme of protectiveness in relationships that are of an abusive nature. The guy is so possessive and so protective (although ironically, he beats her) that he does do little things like this... I have only seen a couple of instances which I can point to to back this up, but still it has me kind of raising my eyebrow at the character's actions in the movie.

... then again, after thinking about it a parent would do it for their child, so maybe it is just protectiveness and nothing more. Then again, Bella isn't Edward's child.

But, yeah... one scary thing. The other is that he sneeks into her room and watches her sleep at night. He stalks her. It is not perfect, but rather scary. But "friend" seems to be getting the idea that it is romantic and "perfect."

Edited June 9, 2009 by TotusTuusMaria

[TotusTuusMaria]

[quote name='kafka' post='1886807' date='Jun 8 2009, 10:15 PM']yes, for [u]everyone[/u]

I feel very threatened.



of course I might actually have to read it first or watch the movie to be threatened, which would be intellectual and spiritual adultery.

[/quote]

I meant [i]everyone[/i] who reads the books/watches the movie

[princessgianna]

[quote name='tinytherese' post='1882171' date='Jun 3 2009, 01:30 PM']That's some of what I would say too. I've read the first three of the series and part of the fourth one but stopped part way through because of how disturbing it got. When I read the series I felt as if my sense of morality was being tempted to be twisted and one of the books had a negative psychological and spiritual affect on me. (That's somewhat personal though.)

The character of Edward the vampire is a rather disturbing boyfriend for Bella. [spoiler]He forces her to do some things (not sexual but just stuff that she doesn't want to do even attempting to force her to have an abortion.) he listens in on her conversations with other people, sneaks into her room at night without her father knowing about it, he hangs around her house and listens to her sleep and informs her that she is interesting entertainment in that regard, wrecks her truck and replaces it with a car that he prefers instead, and holds her hostage with his adopted sister. Does that sound [/spoiler][spoiler]like a healthy relationship or an abusive one?[/spoiler] The character of Bella is psychotic, co-dependent on Edward, has an incredibly low self esteem, [spoiler]marries Edward so that she can sleep with him and so that he'll be the one to change her into a vampire, and is willing to sacrifice her salvation to be with Edward by giving up her soul to be a vampire, and covers up the fact that she is in pain from having sex with Edward that she has gotten bruises from the consumation of their marriage and yet also insists that Edward should stop worrying about the bruises because it he is ruining such a happy moment. [/spoiler]

She definitely has a wrong sense of what real love is. It's not about being all sappy romantic I'll risk anything to be with you even my salvation.[/quote]
I haven;t read the book nor do I really care to. I personally didn't like the vampires.

However after reading Tinytherese post I know that I won't read it.