ENGL 3840, Adolescent Literature

Fall 2010

Critical Thinking Questions for Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight (2005)

  1. In her article on Levithan’s Boy Meets Boy, Amy Pattee discusses many of the characteristics of the romance novel as they relate to wish-fulfillment:

Radway argues that romance novels function ‘as a ritualistic repetition of a single, immutable cultural myth’ (198) related to the naturalness and inevitability of heterosexual relationships. This myth is not without political opposition, as Linda K. Christian-Smith concludes: ‘these novels make a strong statement about the irreconcilability of feminine power and satisfying relationships with males’ (92)…. That is, in Radway’s terms, romance novels fulfill the reader’s wish that heterosexual relationships can be effectively and even pleasurably managed by women; however, this utopian vision may only be realized if the sexual politics complicating the relationship have disappeared or been overcome. (158)

Based upon this reading of romance novels, you should think carefully about the way that Edward and Bella’s relationship plays out in the novel. Who seems to be controlling what happens between them? Does the power within the relationship change at various points?

To further your understanding of each character, you can use the chart below to write down Bella and Edward’s defining characteristics:

Characteristics Shown by Bella / Characteristics Shown by Edward
  1. This semester, we have referred occasionally to the theme of the “outsider” in adolescent literature. In Feed, when Violet tries to fit in with – and then resists – her culture, for instance, Anderson invites the reader to think about ways that characters in YA literature imagine their relationship with the institutional structures that surround them. Consider the theme of the outsider in relationship to Meyer’s Twilight. Who might be candidates for this status? How might this novel treat the outsider in a slightly different fashion that we’ve observed so far?
  2. The cover of Meyer’s text portrays an apple, held in the hands of a young woman. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the apple can symbolize the power and the danger of knowledge. How might this symbol work in Twilight? Who gains knowledge and how? What is the price of knowledge?
  1. Meyer has set up a very interesting dynamic between Bella and Edward vis-à-vis the concept of desire and repression, to paraphrase Roberta Seelinger Trites. Consider the specifics of Bella and Edward’s relationship within the context of adult anxieties regarding young people’s sexual lives. How might this text be a product of contemporary debates concerning teenage sexuality?
  2. Members of the Quileute Nation feature prominently in the Twilight Saga, although Jacob Black’s shape shifting is not featured until subsequent texts in the series. The Quileute Nation’s actual traditions and practices are not featured in the novels; Meyer chooses to portray Jacob Black and his family and friends in ways that suit her own interests. As such, readers of the novels who are not aware of the Quileute Nation (and I am assuming these are most readers) may form ideas regarding the Quileute Nation that are inaccurate, especially as some portions of the depiction of Jacob Black and his family fall into old stereotypical patterns. Based solely on your reading of the first novel, what aspects of the Quileute Nation are brought forward in Twilight? We will investigate these aspects of the text by making reference to a number of resources available on Professor Debbie Reese’s blog.
  3. This semester, we have read a number of novels that feature parent/child relationships. What sorts of family interactions are portrayed in this novel? What might commentary might Meyer be making about the role of family in young people’s lives?
  4. Is there a normative center in this text? If so, what might that be and what function does it serve?