The Twilight saga became popular among my friends and most of my classmates when I was in high school. People couldn’t stop talking about vampires, werewolves, and Bella Swan. They seemed to care more about who was Team Edward and who was Team Jacob than they cared about current events or politics. My friends were so caught up in this so-called epic love story that they would not shut up about it.
Being an avid reader with an open mind, my curiosity finally got the best of me. I caved and read the entire series in just a few weeks. I was initially satisfied by the series. The books were a quick and entertaining read. It wasn’t until I stopped and asked myself a few questions that I realized there were major flaws in this tale. More importantly, there were many unforgivable flaws in the heroine, Bella Swan. So many flaws, in fact, that I hesitate even calling her a heroine. I became deeply concerned with how many teenage girls – and even women past their adolescent years – were so infatuated with the love story. I couldn’t help but find Bella’s behavior and mind set problematic.
My first problem with Bella Swan is that she is such a simple character. The girl has no real dreams, no talents, and isn’t particularly fun. I know she is supposed to be relatable, but she is quite the opposite for me. Aren’t we all supposed to strive to better ourselves and make our lives mean something? She is perfectly content just being a vanilla character who basically just exists. If Bella Swan were a real character, I would think she was just a waste of space. I know many people think it is endearing that two attractive men fight for this plain Jane’s love, but I don’t. I think it’s unrealistic that a girl with no goals or aspirations could be a real prize for anyone.
Another problem I had with Bella was her inability to carry on with life like a normal human being after Edward left her. I know break-ups are hard. At this point in my life, I have already had my fair share. Sure, Bella had every right to be sad after Edward dumped her and fled town. That is something that would understandably hurt any girl. But at some point, you have to get over that. There is no movie scene that makes me feel the need to vomit more than the scene where Bella is in the woods, laying in the leaves, unable to move. It may sound heartless, but life goes on. Being pathetic is not a good thing to be.
The fact that Bella completely abandoned her friends and put her family on the back burner for a vampire she had just met really irked me. That is the opposite of how you’re supposed to treat a new relationship. What happened to taking it slow and being healthy? Clearly Bella never got that memo.
I also think the way Bella is constantly in need of a rescue is nauseating. She had a whole family of vampires and a wolf pack protecting her. I just don’t see the appeal of a character who is weak and defenseless on her own.
I will probably go see the movie that premiers next weekend for reasons I can’t explain. I will probably see the movie that premiers after that too. I understand it’s entertaining. I just hope that no young girls consider Bella Swan a heroine. I hope that even the biggest of Twilight fans can see that being a Bella Swan is not a good thing. Having no goals, constantly needing to be rescued, rushing into serious committed relationships, and being an overall weak girl is no way to live.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at BU chapter.