Four Reasons Why The Twilight Saga is So Accessible by Larson Hill
Why
has the Stephenie Meyer based Twilight Saga become
such a global phenomenon? Why have so many female
fans flocked to the town of Forks in the Twilight
setting? Based on the volume of Twilight related
articles hitting the internet and the levels of
online Twilight and New Moon discussion, it's
obvious the Twilight franchise is the most popular
big screen adaptation series out there.
But underneath the popularity there are reasons why so many female fans are so easily connecting to not only the Twilight Saga novels but also the Twilight and New Moon movies and the visual representations of the Twilight characters now embodied by actors Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Nikki Reed, Peter Facinelli and more.
Why is the Twilight Saga so accessible for a wide range of fans that spans so many age groups? Here's a look at four reasons we see as to why the Twilight Saga is highly accessible for so many young girls and females of all ages.
An Ordinary Character
for an Ordinary Girl
One of
the main reasons why the Twilight Saga is so
accessible is that the Stephenie Meyer based
franchise gives women of all ages a universal
character in Bella Swan (now Kristen Stewart)
that mirrors the experiences, emotions, and
the many complex feelings within relationships,
and themselves, most have lived through, or
are about to experience. The entry point into
Twilight for many is an ordinary and awkward
girl, unhappy with her life that encounters
the handsome and mysterious stranger (now Robert
Pattinson) who only has unlikely romantic eyes
for her. What's not to love about that?
A huge factor as to why so many women of all ages have come together in Twilight unity is that the Twilight Saga appeals directly to females on an internal, emotional level. People tend to forget, especially those just coming of age, is that mothers, aunts, and grandmothers were young girls at one point, the same as them, with the same internal emotional and romantic clock as the young Twilighters of today. And the truth be told, the older you get those same young girl feelings and emotions don't go away.
Whether it's the Twilight mom who did marry her handsome and mysterious Edward years ago but now lives with a much older, heavier, and hairless middle-age Edward, or the young ugly-duckling Twilight fan who thinks meeting an Edward Cullen type is only a dream, the Twilight Saga is romantically tangible in the imagination from a real world perspective. Twilight is a vehicle for its female fans to both inhabit Bella and experience the same life with her for the first time, or for older Twilight moms to return to the Bella they once knew within themselves, or the Bella that has never left them at all. And for some older, more mature female Twilight fans, the ugly duckling syndrome has never gone away. In fact, it’s in all of us somewhere.
How many people out there have sat in a classroom, feeling like the ugly duckling, only dreaming that the most handsome guy of the school would notice them? For guys it's the same way, just on the flip side. And in some cases, the most handsome guy of the school is sitting there wishing the "ordinary girl" would find his scent irresistible. But since so many girls look at Edward Cullen with lustful eyes, Edward also becomes a hero figure that guys will to strive to be like. It's a romantically vicious cycle for both sexes.
Come on, girls, you know I'm on to something here.
The Harlequin Factor
and Ultimate Romance Novel
Older
Twilight fans will relate to this the most,
but there's a reason why you have either laid
eyes on or have read at least one Harlequin
Romance novel in your lifetime. I remember taking
bags upon bags of them out of my sister's house
one time when she moved and have also spotted
thousands at used bookstores or have laid eyes
or stumbled upon thousands over the years. From
1980 to 2002, the romance novel went from a
$300 million dollar industry to booming a $1 billion
dollar industry in two decades. The simple fact
is in relation to Twilight and the Twilight
Saga is that commercial romance novels have
always been extremely popular, dating back to
the 1950s and much, much earlier. Beyond all
of the hype surrounding the first Twilight movie,
its upcoming sequel New Moon, and third film
adaptation with Eclipse, the Twilight Saga books
are simply romance novels, nothing more and
nothing less, which have already proven to be
some of the most highly accessible novels on
the market.
However, when you step back from Twilight to take an objective view, the Twilight Saga incorporates elements of almost every popular subgenre of romance novel ever written into one series. As far as romantic subgenres, the Twilight Saga features elements and layers of historical romance, fantasy, romantic suspense, paranormal, contemporary, multicultural, and inspirational. Interestingly, given the strong undercurrents of abstinence in Twilight, erotic romance takes on a different, much less explicit form but is still present, even if in the erotic tension of the reader’s mind. When you look back at the popularity of the romance novel over the decades, each individual, stand-alone subgenre has been enormously successful. Since the Twilight Saga features elements of all popular romance novel subgenres, is it any wonder why Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn are so accessible?
There is no new and mysterious secret as to why the Twilight Saga is so accessible. The Twilight Saga did not create a new romantic genre, as I've heard and seen some people claim, and it shouldn't viewed as such simply because people relate to either the saga or the relationship between Edward and Bella. That's something completely different. Yet the Twilight Saga is this generation's romance novel. Although the front covers of the Twilight novels don't feature a shirtless and tanned, muscle-bound Edward Cullen, with long dark hair blowing in the wind, standing in the setting sun over Bella Swan who's dressed in an elegant nightgown, there's no need. But the Twilight Saga fires on the same romantic levels of that very image and strikes the same emotional cords as such romance novels as "Forbidden," "Last Minute Proposal," "Cinderella's Wedding Wish," and thousands upon thousands more.
Novels for the Online,
E-mail, Text and Twittering Era
One
of the heated debates over the Twilight Saga
has been the divide between readers making the
argument that the Twilight Saga is not as well
written as novels penned by such authors as
Jane Austen, Nora Roberts, and other more creatively
astute and literary sound writers, even authors
such as J.K. Rowling. As well, since the Twilight
Saga has become such a phenomenon, the works
of Stephenie Meyer have come under scrutiny
and stacked next to the writings of Charles
Dickens and Shakespeare to obvious negative
results. Many feel the Twilight novels are poorly
written and feel they simply can't buy into
such a popular literary phenomenon that, as
some have said, promotes bad writing for generations
to come and excuses all of the conventions of
classic literature.
However, it's not hard to see why bad writing in general is being excused and has become organically acceptable. But since the specifically targeted young Twilight generation is largely the first to solely come of age in an era of text messaging, e-mail, message forums, and other mediums of literary communication on networks like Twitter, the demand for literary excellence isn't what it used to be only a decade ago. Are your e-mails well written and grammatically correct? Do text messages make complete literary sense? Is there a demand for literary excellence on the web among the masses? The truth is, writing casual e-mails, text messages, and Twittering the day away is easy and doesn't require people to hold themselves to a higher standard.
However, writing as a craft and a career is hard, and doing it well is even harder. It's a numbers game. When the easy becomes a way of life, the hard gets pushed to the side. For almost the entire 20th Century, it was the opposite since good writing was a way of life, and had to be since "pen to paper" carried more weight, from banking, to letters, to proposals, to outlines, to work documents, schools, and more. Nowadays major corporations are using bad writing or bastardized English as selling tools because that's what the majority of the public is demanding and practicing for a variety of reasons.
Also, the Twilight Saga is highly accessible simply due to the fact that there's a direct connection between the writing and the evolution of writing within its targeted demographic of young readers. At the same time, what is acceptable and accessible for some may not be for others. Obviously for those stacking Twilight up to the more classically creative and literary sound authors, the Twilight Saga isn't accessible for them while it is for the more loose, open, and less critical reader in today's free-flowing online literary world.
It's obvious Stephenie Meyer has written an effective series of novels that are highly accessible for a huge worldwide audience. Did she have to be Shakespeare to achieve that? Obviously not, and that’s not passing any judgment one way or another on her as a writer either.
A Search for Mr. Perfect
- You Want What You Can't Have
Is
there a Mr. Perfect out there? Unfortunately
not, but you can find Mr. Right. No one is perfect
and we all know that. For generations women
and men have fantasized about meeting the perfect
partner who embodies everything we dream of
in leading the perfect life, with a relationship
that's filled with eternal love and happiness.
For those infatuated with Twilight vampire Edward
Cullen, who may be their idea of the perfect
man, the Twilight Saga allows each and every
fan to have their own personal "way" with a
character that they'll never be able to touch
in real life. And with many aspects of life,
especially love, lust and romance, when you
can't have something, you often want it all
the more. But the reality is that Twilight fans
will never meet Edward Cullen, the character,
ever. Edward Cullen only exists in fiction and
the imagination, as does Mr. Perfect.
In terms of accessibility across the entire Twilight Saga, the only way fans can be with Edward Cullen is through the Twilight novels. Cullen is the direct entry point into the perfect man. In fact, since many people are on an eternal search for Mr. Perfect, and some may never even find Mr. Right, Edward Cullen is only possible in the mind's eye when reading Twilight, New Moon, and the remainder of the Twilight Saga. He doesn’t exist anywhere else.
When fans can't have Edward Cullen and a romantic life similar to the Twilight universe, it's not a shock to see how Twilighters want him even more. It's a similar dynamic as the time tested romance novel format that sees two characters fall in love before they're kept apart and forbidden to see each other forever.
Is it any wonder why the Twilight Saga is so popular given its highly accessible qualities?
Lol..So now I see I'm not the only one addicted to it!!
mary – Tx.
October 09, 2009 - 08:35
Subject: new book
when is the other book be out ? Love your work can't break myself from reading your books.But please don't leave me wating to long , ready like to know what's gone happen with jacob. Thank you for your beaitful work. your fan, mary
TWILIGHTROXXX – fiji
May 12, 2009 - 23:30
Subject: confused rili..
umm in da second last passage wea it sayz...wen fanz cant hav edward cullen..blah blah blah...afta dat sentence dea cumz another sentence ...SAYING ""It's a similar dynamic as the time tested romance novel format that sees two characters fall in love before they're kept apart and forbidden to see each other forever""...IS dat wats gona happen...r dey gona get separated n 2 da end bella is wid jacob
hope not....EdWaRd RuLeZzZZ...
the odd case
May 11, 2009 - 01:42
Subject: thoughts
interesting points about the timing of the series as related to the rampant social media age...but i am not sure i could pin so much on the internet lowering standards of writing as why meyer's alleged bad writing is acceptable. i read the books after seeing the movie and although i did not think the writing was fantastic, i did not think it was horrible. i mostly kept reading to "find out what happens next" as someone mentioned earlier. despite being annoyed with the writing at times, i could not deny that meyer's books contained a creative twist to the bad guy (whose really good deep down) that falls in love with the girl next door (for me, this is the most relatable part of the books. i'm a girl who would always fall for "that guy.") finally, if it makes any difference, i'm a 27 year old mom of 1 happily married for 4 years (and hesitantly mention that i majored in english lit in school...b/c this comment really doesn't read like a person who has a degree in english).
Subject: 4 Reasons why The Twilight Saga is so accessible to me
well...I'm actually the one who gets to feel strange cause I'm 16 so...well xd jeje ... the think is that I'm 16 and to read the twilight saga meant to me so much cause It was a get out of life, get out also of love because my relationships where first the one that actually enjoy was to short and the other four where so crazy to me cause they want me to say thinks that I did not feel I had to find away out... this new air make me feel good and now I'm falling in love with a guy who may not be like edward but it does make me feel like edwards girlfriend xd
and I read the all twilight saga in 4 days,
I have the placer to read jane austen book's and also nicolas sparks and a few of shakespear I will not compare it with the twilight saga cause for me each book is different so..
psd. I also read non romantic books like (and yes in that I count harry potter saga) I recomend you guys speak (it's not a romantic book I warn you)
Yvonne
May 09, 2009 - 10:40
Subject: I agree with this... to a degree
Edward isn't really a perfect male to me, even though I love the stories. He's way too controlling.
...now I can breathe knowing I am not totally insane. Seriously as a 40 something fan I appreciate this appraisal and completely agree. In closing with the present economical and global stresses, sometimes I just need an escape. Romantic fiction fits well and Edward Cullen is completely my escape..sigh..
Hey Ann! Thanks for turning me onto this article. It says EXACTLY what us older fans are going through. I'm in the 50 plus crowd and thank god I realize I'm not crazy either! TEAM JACOB RULES!
Heather – Garland,Texas
May 08, 2009 - 09:43
Subject: For the young and the old
To the statment above, I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only older person obsessed with the books and the movies. I'm 32 and have 4 kids and I love that there is something that me and my teenager can enjoy together. But I'm pretty sure I obsess over it more than her. And I think thats because I know how romance is. And as a mom with a family and a very busy life, it's nice to sit down at the end of the day and get lost in one of the Twilight books. Reading or watching the movies does make you feel like a teenager agian. And who doesen't want that. So I feel young or old we all enjoy the Twilight saga.
Megan
May 08, 2009 - 03:35
Subject: Grounded reality...
I love reading articles like this. At least it puts everything in some form of grounded reality. I really like the parts about "all ages" and how those feelings don't go away. It's kind of weird when I look at my mom and she's just as obsessed as I am so it's nice to see someone putting things into some kind of real world perspective.
I'm 26 and LOVE all of the books but I'd rather read something thought provoking like this instead of who's sleeping with who or who is dating who. Ten years ago... that's a different story
AfanofStephenieMeyers – Sandstone, Minnesota
May 08, 2009 - 03:26
Subject: I agree to a point
First I would like to comment to 'LizisBreakingDawn4Edward'
Just wanted you to know that I can relate. I'm married, 51, and a mother of 3 adult children. I actually read the books after I rented the Twilight movie. My 29 year old daughter and I went through all 4 books in 5 days. She was one book ahead of me. We couldn't put them down. We had to know what was going to happen next.
I usually avoid "Romance Novels" like the plague, just because of my 'Romantic-less life' they are unrealistic and create a longing in my heart that will never be fulfilled. Man, that sounded depressing!
My life is fine, I guess I tend to be a realist.
To Larson Hill: Some of us "Older Ladies" had to grow up fast (for what ever reasons) and didn't get to experience young love so we get to experience it through Bella.
I think Stephenie Meyer is a good writer. Her writing flowed with me. I could relate to her on an emotional level. Who ever is comparing her writing to Shakespeare and Dickens is ridiculous, that would be like comparing Muse to Mozart. It doesn't make sense.
Ms Lisa
May 08, 2009 - 01:43
Subject: Twilight.........to be or not to be?
I can't believe someone actually took the time to psychoanalyze this. We already know this, which is why we read the book lol. I'm glad to know I am not the only adult fan (I'm 42, single, divorced2x) and should have waited for my "Edward" lol. I'm just as obsessed, reading the saga for now the third time, and enjoying every minute of it. Frankly I think people need to raise the bar a bit in their love lives especially-perhaps the divorce rate wouldn't be as high as it is. Whether SM writing is acceptable or not, the sales speak for themselves. It's just a nice book, an easy read and the characters in my opinion feel like they could actually be people you would know in everyday life (sans all the supernatural). The bottom like, it's a fictional story. Nothing more, nothing less. (oh and for the record, I have never read a "romance novel" lol.......unless you count Stephen King, Anne Rice and Robert McKammon as romantic lol).
At any rate you either like the books or you don't. Oh, and in Shakespeare's time........they thought he was a bit out there.....he didn't rise to the heights of sophistication until about the 19th century.
LizisBreakingDawn4Edward – Arlington, Washington
May 07, 2009 - 21:08
Subject: 4 Reasons why The Twilight Saga is so accessible...
I agree with what Larsen wrote to the above statement. The character of Edward Cullen draws me further and further into the world of Twilight. Did I mention that I'm 48 and a wife, mother of 3 and grandmother of one? haha! The character is everything perfect in a male plus more. With his supernatural ablilities, education and financial secuirty Edward becomes a very passionate, sweet, caring and gorgeous male alive to me. I must also say that I totally agree that I read and reread certain parts of all the T.S. so I can stay and get close to Edward. My husband and sons know of my obsession (yes, I am obsessed) and they are very supportive of me. I feel they can only be supportive of their mother because this makes me happy, and yes at times, I feel like a teenager in love again and get giggly! :-)
Why
has the Stephenie Meyer based Twilight Saga become
such a global phenomenon? Why have so many female
fans flocked to the town of Forks in the Twilight
setting? Based on the volume of Twilight related
articles hitting the internet and the levels of
online Twilight and New Moon discussion, it's
obvious the Twilight franchise is the most popular
big screen adaptation series out there.
One of
the main reasons why the Twilight Saga is so
accessible is that the Stephenie Meyer based
franchise gives women of all ages a universal
character in Bella Swan (now Kristen Stewart)
that mirrors the experiences, emotions, and
the many complex feelings within relationships,
and themselves, most have lived through, or
are about to experience. The entry point into
Twilight for many is an ordinary and awkward
girl, unhappy with her life that encounters
the handsome and mysterious stranger (now Robert
Pattinson) who only has unlikely romantic eyes
for her. What's not to love about that?
Older
Twilight fans will relate to this the most,
but there's a reason why you have either laid
eyes on or have read at least one Harlequin
Romance novel in your lifetime. I remember taking
bags upon bags of them out of my sister's house
one time when she moved and have also spotted
thousands at used bookstores or have laid eyes
or stumbled upon thousands over the years. From
1980 to 2002, the romance novel went from a
$300 million dollar industry to booming a $1 billion
dollar industry in two decades. The simple fact
is in relation to Twilight and the Twilight
Saga is that commercial romance novels have
always been extremely popular, dating back to
the 1950s and much, much earlier. Beyond all
of the hype surrounding the first Twilight movie,
its upcoming sequel New Moon, and third film
adaptation with Eclipse, the Twilight Saga books
are simply romance novels, nothing more and
nothing less, which have already proven to be
some of the most highly accessible novels on
the market.
One
of the heated debates over the Twilight Saga
has been the divide between readers making the
argument that the Twilight Saga is not as well
written as novels penned by such authors as
Jane Austen, Nora Roberts, and other more creatively
astute and literary sound writers, even authors
such as J.K. Rowling. As well, since the Twilight
Saga has become such a phenomenon, the works
of Stephenie Meyer have come under scrutiny
and stacked next to the writings of Charles
Dickens and Shakespeare to obvious negative
results. Many feel the Twilight novels are poorly
written and feel they simply can't buy into
such a popular literary phenomenon that, as
some have said, promotes bad writing for generations
to come and excuses all of the conventions of
classic literature.
Is
there a Mr. Perfect out there? Unfortunately
not, but you can find Mr. Right. No one is perfect
and we all know that. For generations women
and men have fantasized about meeting the perfect
partner who embodies everything we dream of
in leading the perfect life, with a relationship
that's filled with eternal love and happiness.
For those infatuated with Twilight vampire Edward
Cullen, who may be their idea of the perfect
man, the Twilight Saga allows each and every
fan to have their own personal "way" with a
character that they'll never be able to touch
in real life. And with many aspects of life,
especially love, lust and romance, when you
can't have something, you often want it all
the more. But the reality is that Twilight fans
will never meet Edward Cullen, the character,
ever. Edward Cullen only exists in fiction and
the imagination, as does Mr. Perfect.
