Last night, at Ward choir practice, the 11-year-old next to me was telling me all the things she liked about the 3rd book of the Twilight series. I listened to her talk about how Bella had been kissed by Jacob, and Edward's reaction to it. She asked if I had read the Twilight books. I told her I had read them all.
I also have observed that nearly all of the young women I work with have read the Twilight books, and refer to them as their favorite books. One big exceptions is my own 14-year-old daughter.
For the record, as I said, I read all 3 books. I enjoyed them very much, particularly the first one. They were well written, and had memorable characters. I would recommend them to my adult friends.
So, this is my issue. These books are not, in my humble opinion, appropriate for young girls! I really wonder what these young girls' mothers are thinking. Have they read the books themselves? I realize there is a huge, cult-like Twilight mania that has hit our fair state, but would you, as a mother, feel good about letting your pre-teen or teenaged daughter read books that contain the following situation: the main male character regularly sleeps overnight in the same bed as the main female character? Not only are they not married, they're still teenagers (ok, I realize Edward was over 100 years old, but he was posing as a teenager, and, really does it make it any better that she's sleeping with a 100-year-old?). I don't care that they never had sex. It still isn't appropriate, and I don't want my impressionable young daughter thinking it is.
The main female character, Bella, is a pretty passionate person, and she is forever trying to seduce her boyfriend. She practically begs him to "do" her. She claims she can't help herself. I realize that females have appetites, but do I really want my daughter thinking it's good to try to seduce the boys she knows and likes? Remember, Bella's not married to the guy. Do I want her thinking she really has no control over her passions?
And, that's not the end of the inappropriateness. In later books, the main character is engaged to one young man, and still seriously interested in another, even kissing him, as my 11-year-old friend noted. Now, I realize the reason why this relationship continued (not to give anything away). I read the books. The problem is, would someone as young as 11 realize that it's not proper behavior for real girls?
The biggest objection I have of all is the author's description of the honeymoon scene in the 3rd book. If the scene described in the book were in a movie, it would be rated R, no question about it. If R rated movies are not okay for our young daughters (or us either, for that matter), on what planet is a rated R book okay?
I think we need to be careful what we expose our young girls to. I have no problem with them reading the books as young adults, when they are less impressionable, and have had some normal experiences with boys. Please, let's be as wise in what we allow our young women to read as we are in what we allow them to view and do.
And that, is my humble opinion.
3 comments:
Thanks Karen,
We have had this talk at my house many times. Marci has voiced the same concerns to me. My younger two girls are not allowed to read the books. Marci has talked about giving hers away.
I have read two of three books. I stated reading them because Marci was talking so much about them with her YW leaders. I decided that I needed to see what she was reading.
Thanks for taking a stand. We feel the same way at our house!!!
I should just keep my mouth shut, but I have to just say I agree with you. The books were okay, I wasn't that taken with them, but I did read them all. Too much lovey dovey crap in it. But there were a couple of times when I just had to put the book down and "absorb" what I read. That last book was probably the one that got me - the part you refer to, Karen. And I had discussion regarding this with my daughters and daughter-in-laws and they were surprised at the young women reading the books. At least you know you're not alone.
Karen, I have haven't read any of the twilight books, for other reasons, but I'm glad you voiced your opinion about them. So many girls are obsessed with them, especially in our ward, and I avoided them because of the whole vampire them. I found it very odd that an LDS woman could write so much about vampires! Good to know there is other objectionable material in them as well. Now I don't have to find out for myself, and hopefully the hysteria over them will be over by the time Molly is old enough to read them. (You know, when she's graduated from college, living on her own, and can hide it from me! =)
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