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JuliaGriffin

FransiscaOyogoa

SOC115

11/15/12

RaceandGenderinTwilight

Sinceitsdawn,theTwilightfranchisehasbeenthesourceofscornfortheabusive

relationshipbetweenBellaandEdward.Imyselfreadtheseriesattheageof

thirteen,andpromptlybeganlookingforanEdward.Therelationshipbetweenthe

twomaincharactersisportrayedastheultimateromance,wheninfact,itis

incrediblypatriarchal,abusive,anddehumanizingtowardsBella.However,thisis

nottheonlyproblemwiththewayTwilightportraysitscharacters.TheQuileute

people,theNativesinthestory,arenotonlytheenemyofenlightenedvampires,

basedonoldtribalenmities,butalsotheyarewerewolves,whichsuggests,that,

despitetheirpresentationashuman,theyareinfactdogs.Thisiscomplete

dehumanization,and,whileVampires,withtheirsparklypaleskinseemtobe

superhuman,thedarkskinned,traditionalnatives,aresubhuman.Allinall,Twilight,

amajorsocializingagentforthisgenerationspreteens,issexistandracist,andall

aroundbullshit.

Firstly,TwilightportraysBellaasahelplessbeauty,withoutpersonality,simplya

shellforamantoimposehiswishesupon.Sheiscaughtbetweenherfather,and

twolovers,andtheyallsimplycontrolher,takeadvantageofher,andshemistakes

thisforlove.SodoesStephanieMeyer.Notonlythat,butBellaisbothtaken

advantageofandslutshamedthroughoutthestory,manipulatedbymalesexuality,

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andwhensheherselfexperiencessexualattraction,sheisreprimandedforitbyher

traditionalistboyfriend:hestoppedagingin1918,andapparently,sodidhisviews

onwomen.He,Jacob,andCharlie(BellasDad)catchBellainanOphelia-bind,in

whichsheherselfhasnopower.Only,thisisthe21stcentury,andnotShakespearian

times,andBella,ifshewerewrittentobemorethananobject,couldindeedhandle

herself.ButthepatriarchyofStephanieMeyersromanceholdshercaptive.

Notonlythat,butthebookisincrediblyracisttowardstheQuileutetribe!They

arenotonlyportrayedasstereotypical,unenlightenedIndians,buttheyare

consideredlessthanhuman.Byturningthemintowolves,StephanieMeyersends

themessagethattheyarenothuman.Inthemovie,Jacobisbelovedforhis

abdominalmusclesandhislooks.Hisbrainsandhiskindness(arespitefrom

Edwardscruelty),arenevermentionedorgivenasecondthought.Atpuberty,

insteadofbecomingmen,theQuileutebecomedogs,withuncontrollableemotion

andstrength,lackingthought.TheyaremysticbutbarbarianIndians,dangerous,

andcertainlynotcivilizedhumans.Twilightsendsallthewrongmessages.