Hello, I've been working on this for a while but it needs revising.
Of all the books I have read, Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer has been one of the most influential. The novel has influenced me not because of its literary achievements but because it has served as a cautionary tale. My recognition of the prejudices and intolerant ideas present in Twilight has allowed me to acquire a greater awareness about prejudices such as classism, racism and misogyny that are prominent in our society today. Twilight relates the story of a girl, who at seventeen relocates to a small town in Washington State and starts a relationship with a century-old vampire with whom she wishes to elope. While reading Twilight, I was surprised to find such detrimental mentality in a book that so popular and well liked. I was shocked that a book published in the 21st century could be so replete of references of white as good and the liberal use of the mythical equivalent of racial slurs being used against a character of Native American background. However, what stood out the most to me was the treatment of the female protagonist. Bella Swan is constantly referred to as weak, powerless and silly. She is a non-entity in her own life as she does not make decisions for herself but allows those around her to decide for her. To a young impressionable girl, these behaviors conveyed the notion that I was expected to achieve happiness through passivity. As I grew up, I struggled to fit into this mold until I was at war with the system of beliefs presented in the novel. Throughout my life, Twilight has served as a contrary model for how I should construct my life. even though its ideologies had such a toxic effect on the, the process f realizing the evil in these idea made me more knowledgeable about forms of bigotry present in our society today and made me wish to combat them. Whether it is correcting a classmate has said something disparaging about an ethnic group, or engaging in class discussion about the issues that affect women today, Twilight has had an unexpected effect on me.
Of all the books I have read, Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer has been one of the most influential. The novel has influenced me not because of its literary achievements but because it has served as a cautionary tale. My recognition of the prejudices and intolerant ideas present in Twilight has allowed me to acquire a greater awareness about prejudices such as classism, racism and misogyny that are prominent in our society today. Twilight relates the story of a girl, who at seventeen relocates to a small town in Washington State and starts a relationship with a century-old vampire with whom she wishes to elope. While reading Twilight, I was surprised to find such detrimental mentality in a book that so popular and well liked. I was shocked that a book published in the 21st century could be so replete of references of white as good and the liberal use of the mythical equivalent of racial slurs being used against a character of Native American background. However, what stood out the most to me was the treatment of the female protagonist. Bella Swan is constantly referred to as weak, powerless and silly. She is a non-entity in her own life as she does not make decisions for herself but allows those around her to decide for her. To a young impressionable girl, these behaviors conveyed the notion that I was expected to achieve happiness through passivity. As I grew up, I struggled to fit into this mold until I was at war with the system of beliefs presented in the novel. Throughout my life, Twilight has served as a contrary model for how I should construct my life. even though its ideologies had such a toxic effect on the, the process f realizing the evil in these idea made me more knowledgeable about forms of bigotry present in our society today and made me wish to combat them. Whether it is correcting a classmate has said something disparaging about an ethnic group, or engaging in class discussion about the issues that affect women today, Twilight has had an unexpected effect on me.
