Twilight: Good or Bad? | Teen Ink

Twilight: Good or Bad?

October 1, 2009
By Anonymous

I’ve been on both sides of the Twilight sensation. The completely unrestrained fangirl and a very mean hater. What can I say? I experience a lot of changes in emotion. Right now, I have to be neutral. The Twilight books, to many, I suppose, are escapist novels. It’s a romance series that entice girls to find that perfect boy who will love them no matter what. I can see that and that book really speaks to the soul at times. The books do have a good storyline, not the best but an acceptable one. The most interesting part of the books are the remake of vampires, from something feared to something loved. The way Mrs. Meyer makes the Cullens such kind souls that know how to love really caught the attention on many readers. In my opinion, the first book, Twilight, has to be the best. It is a great beginning to the series and they get steadily worse. I cried in New Moon, every single time I read it, and I’ve read it hundreds of times. I cried even though I knew what was going to happen. That was a great twist and I loved it. I love sad stories… :) But as I read on, Jacob came in and became a werewolf. Okay, twist again, but a not so exciting one. And of course, Edward just HAS to come back and be all nice and sweet and okay with Bella being in love with someone else. That annoyed me a lot. And Jake’s immaturity annoyed me even more. Eclipse was passable. The newborn vampires were a bit of surprise, not a big one, but a surprise nonetheless. I hated Jake in that book. I really did. The way he pretended like he was going to kill himself made me want to kill him. And Edward’s calm indifference angered me too. Breaking Dawn. What can I say? I’ve read fanfiction better than it. It was clichéd and so fake. I liked Renesmee, but, like I said, cliché and fake. It was so predictable. AND THE ENDING SUCKED. That’s just my opinion. There should have been a fight and someone should have died *cough*Edward*cough*.

That was a summary of my feelings on the books. Now onto some deeper stuff. Twilight very subtly degrades women. BELLA DEGRADES WOMEN. She always needs a guy there, either Edward or Jacob. She clumsy and gets hurt a lot, she needs to be saved. I guess you could say I grew up a bit between 7th grade and 9th grade and I really saw this. It really made me think about what the Twilight books really signified. The grammar in the book was pretty horrible too. My English teacher used it to show what NOT to do. That’s how bad it was. That was my first real push into not loving Twilight. I suddenly saw, wow, its not perfect like I thought. Then I saw how unperfect the theme was and how unperfect it just overall was.

This article has a lot of hating, it’s true. I’m not a fan anymore, but if you are a fan and you are reading this, I’m super sorry if I offended you in any way. When I was a fan, hearing all this bad stuff about Twilight would have offended me a lot. Let’s face it, we all want our Edwards and our Jacobs right? I certainly do :)



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This article has 28 comments.


on Dec. 3 2015 at 10:44 pm
ColdplayForever BRONZE, San Jose, California
1 article 0 photos 62 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Coldplay fans are the best in the world. If you like Coldplay, then you're obviously very intelligent, good-looking, and all-around brilliant."
~Chris Martin

I am a Twilight fan, but I don't feel offended by this. I agree with some points, for example, the cliché ending. People are entitled to their own opinions, though. Although, my personal view on Bella is that she does not really degrade women, she shows how a woman should not be. No female or male would ever think that what she did by throwing herself off the cliff is what a person should do. Also, people shouldn't compare Twilight to Harry Potter. They are two completely different fandoms, and in my opinion, both good in different ways.

dexie said...
on Aug. 6 2015 at 9:11 am
your article about morality is wonderful, to a person like me who's really in to this kind of articles...

on Jan. 16 2013 at 3:25 pm
Luckystar78 ELITE, London, Other
114 articles 0 photos 97 comments

Favorite Quote:
"..though warm as summer it was fresh as spring." (Thomas Hardy) ("Far from the Madding crowd")

I am in total agreement with this article. Twilight is silly and idealistic, New Moon is plain ridiculous, with helpless Bella throwing herself off a cliff and turning into a zombie. Eclipse is all about Edward's sick control over Bella - how can anyone see that as love? Keeping her trapped is a total, jealous obsession. And Bella is so blind, honestly. I'm not just saying this as someone who hasn't read the books - I have and as the series went on, it just got worse. What a role model for young women! No, Twilight's "hero" Bella didn't even go to college - she got married and knocked up at eighteen, whether her boyfriend is a vampire or not; that's a fact. Anyone who supports the Twilight series is clearly ignorant and low in self-esteem, if they'd settle for that garbage - and a disgrace to 21st-century women. (Just my opinion, no need to freak Twilight "fans"). Good article overall, I am clearly in agreement!

on Dec. 29 2012 at 10:35 pm
I created an account just to say: I love you. Are you on myHogwarts?I can friend you...

on Dec. 22 2012 at 7:09 pm
TheGhost101 GOLD, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
17 articles 0 photos 3 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Let that child alone!"--Piccolo, Dragon Ball Z.

I agree about your opinion on Bella. I think she's desperate to be with Edward, even going as far as hopping off of a cliff to get his attention. I also heard of the movies, and they had a rather lackluster response. The speciall effects are bad and the acting is horrible, especially Bella. Great article, though.

Heyxx said...
on Dec. 20 2011 at 11:26 am
Twlight sucks. It annoys me how Bella goes from loving Edward in the first movie then in the secound she is all over Jacob. :/ But thats just my opinion, I prefer being apart of the PotterHead family :)

on Nov. 10 2011 at 8:52 am
ImperfectlyBeautiful SILVER, Overland Park, Kansas
5 articles 0 photos 6 comments
It's degrading to women because Bella CONSTANTLY needs a man, which is completely unrealisitic. Not to mention that Edward is a stalker and is mentally abusive. He doesn't let her see her family and friends, and literally traps her in the third book. It's also an unrealistic relationship between the two because Bella can't find anything WRONG with Edward. She's blinded by his "perfection" and refuses to see what he really is. An abusive, controlling person. Yet Edward can find fault in her. Obviously the author has never experienced "true love" because her perspective on it is completely unrealistic. THAT'S why this book is awful.

on Nov. 4 2010 at 10:11 pm
Jessica330 SILVER, Phoenix, Arizona
5 articles 1 photo 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Sing as if no one was listening. Dance as if no one was watching. And live each day as if it were your last." -Author Unknown

"A girl should be so lost in God that a guy must seek Him to find her." -Author Unknown

I definitely understand what you mean. At the moment I happen to be a Twilight fan after being antagonistic about the whole idea for a good three years. After reading the books, I could relate to them easily and wanted what Bella had. But its easy to get caught up in a fantasy that can't and doesn't happen in real life. I agree with you on the plot as well and definitely agree that Breaking Dawn wasn't very good. I remember when I was reading it thinking that it reminded me a lot of fanfiction which isn't a good thing.   

Big D said...
on Oct. 15 2010 at 2:16 pm
i agree twilight sucks and the vampires in that movie my god whats the deal a vampire should not be a vegitarian it should be eating and sucking people blood and they shouldnt be not eating people

on Aug. 5 2010 at 10:46 pm
TheMalfunctioningWallflower BRONZE, Houston, Texas
1 article 0 photos 45 comments

Favorite Quote:
"GET THE CAT!!!"

"I did wood paneling."

"Do not FEAR the Crooked Zipper!! EMBRACE the Crooked Zipper!!!"

"What's better than infinity?"

"Wear your helmets, we'll be reaching speeds of three!"

"You could walk on your hands and catch up to him!"

She needs help getting a can of soup out of the pantry it seems like. In twilight she was all  "oh, I am going to go die because I want my superawesome vampire boyfriend to beat James up cause it's their fault they wont change me and vampires wont want me cause they taunt the others with me and kill them for being vampires."

 When Edward left she was a brat.

when he came back and she was deciding edward or jacob, she was being whiney, a brat, and just annoying.


mrscarter said...
on Jun. 22 2010 at 1:17 pm
I have read all the books and the twilight series and I personally am a fan. I read this article you wrote expecting to see more reasons of why Twilight is a good or bad story for teens to read, and while it was well-written, it mainly disses a book, without looking at more indepth topics. Feminists do not like it because they say Twilight makes us think we need a man there at all times.. That may be true. Bella is needy and clumsy, and has a knack for getting into bad situations. However, the fact that Edward saves her isn't a bad thing. Girls today always complain that there are no gentlemen left in the world, and that chivalry is dead, blah blah blah. But whenever someone is portrayed as being a male who helps someone out, he is called sexist. I think Edward saves her because he loves her. Besides, lets be honest, if Edward wasn't there to save her, Bella would be dead. However, throughout the books, Bella becomes stronger and more independent. The books also have a strong influence of abstinence. Bella tries to get Edward to sleep with her, and he refuses unless they are married. I think that's something that more books (I.E. Gossip Girl, etc.) should promote. I do have to say, Jacob is annoying to me. He acts like a child and is very immature. As for the books, I think the first and last ones were the best. I didn't really care for New Moon that much, but Eclipse was pretty good. Thats just my opinion though. 

on Jun. 1 2010 at 6:47 pm
hollyhottell DIAMOND, Redding, California
54 articles 0 photos 65 comments

Favorite Quote:
poetry is a diary written out loud

why? r u a feminest? im a women and i dont see how its degrading. tons of women love a knite in shining armor. y is it so bad that edward saves bella when she needs help.....

TheJust ELITE said...
on May. 31 2010 at 8:16 am
TheJust ELITE, Ellenton, Florida
254 articles 202 photos 945 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I feel that a hero is somebody who will stand up for their values and what they believe in and that can take any form. People that have values and have thought them through rather than those who just do what they’re told."-Skandar Keynes

"When it’

people get offended by the fact that whenever Bella's in trouble Edward is there to save her. I find nothing wrong with that, but feminists do. :/

on Apr. 14 2010 at 1:26 pm
I HATE Twighlight!!!!!!!!!!!!!

on Feb. 15 2010 at 1:45 pm
bookworm75 SILVER, Monticello, New York
5 articles 0 photos 11 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Teachers open the door, you enter yourself"

I love all the books, but now they are way too popular. everyone is obssessed wikth them.I l9ike the article though. i still love twilight but it has becaome a bit OVERATED!

on Feb. 10 2010 at 6:44 pm
hollyhottell DIAMOND, Redding, California
54 articles 0 photos 65 comments

Favorite Quote:
poetry is a diary written out loud

im a girl and i did'nt see how it was sexist at all. i love twilight. i thought it had a awesome story line and i hope more movies come out because i will so be the first in line.

kklem15 said...
on Feb. 10 2010 at 3:13 pm
I hate Twilight because it's completely sexist and degrading to women. I'm a Harry Potter fan all the way. Wizards FTW.

$Hailzzzz$ said...
on Jan. 19 2010 at 8:05 pm
I love the twilight series but i get where your coming from like jake is annoying and you know its predictable buti do like the series

on Jan. 19 2010 at 7:46 pm
alwayssunshine PLATINUM, Charlotte, North Carolina
24 articles 5 photos 147 comments
What I don't get is how some people can compare Harry Potter to Twilight!? Harry Potter is a true masterpiece, a classic vs. Twilight, a badly written book with good romance

Sandraaaa GOLD said...
on Nov. 1 2009 at 9:53 pm
Sandraaaa GOLD, Fontana, California
11 articles 3 photos 6 comments
um, are to directing this commet to me? because i'm not judging anyone, just stating my opinion. i have friends who are obsessed with Twilight, and i'm perfecting fine with it. And about reading with an imagination, that's the ONLY kind of reading i do. So much, that my parents are forcing me to read with my brain for the first time in my life.