Twilight, a virtuous book?

  • Thread starter Thread starter PHSshamrock
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
P

PHSshamrock

Guest
I’ve heard many Catholics complain that the Twilight Saga are “evil” books. However, none of them have ever read the book, nor been able to tell why its evil (of those I’ve talked to) I do agree there is some violence, but no more than in other teen books, so why does Twilight get all the attention?

On a more positive note, has anyone else ever noticed these moralistic themes in the books?
  1. You don’t have to give into temptation. Just b/c you’re a vampire doesn’t mean you have to kill people. Could be applied to the real world, for example just because a person suffers same-sex attraction it doesn’t mean they have to live the homosexual lifestyle.
  2. Waiting until marriage- Unlike most modern romances Edward insists on getting married before having sex.
  3. Pro-life. The entire fourth book…
Just a thought… maybe we ought to be a little less critical of books. The movies on the other hand… aren’t very great.
 
PHSshamrock said:
I’ve heard many Catholics complain that the Twilight Saga are “evil” books. However, none of them have ever read the book, nor been able to tell why its evil (of those I’ve talked to) I do agree there is some violence, but no more than in other teen books, so why does Twilight get all the attention?

On a more positive note, has anyone else ever noticed these moralistic themes in the books?
  1. You don’t have to give into temptation. Just b/c you’re a vampire doesn’t mean you have to kill people. Could be applied to the real world, for example just because a person suffers same-sex attraction it doesn’t mean they have to live the homosexual lifestyle.
You become a vampire in this series by choice, not murdering to eat is by choice. How is this compatible with Catholic moral theology or Catholic teachings on homosexuality? The Twilight morality is all about you, God not needed.
  1. Waiting until marriage- Unlike most modern romances Edward insists on getting married before having sex.
And is this waiting based on Catholic morality or more of a plot line to create sexual tension within the work? Does the work hold the Catholic view of marriage or do the characters view marriage with distain/contempt/disregard? Also, doesn’t the main character “fall in love” with someone else while engaged to Edward?
  1. Pro-life. The entire fourth book…
This supposed to over shadow the second books “I love you so much I want to kill myself?” Pro-life doesn’t just mean babies. Also, how does this child who is the product of a vampire [a condition one enters willingly and knowing that one must murder others to survive] and a human [who didn’t really care about waiting for marriage] mesh with Catholic morality? Also, how does the “cheat death” theme of vampires mesh with Catholic morality? Maybe, we don’t need God to save us, we can save ourselves.

Just a thought… maybe we ought to be a little less critical of books. The movies on the other hand… aren’t very great.
Click to expand...
 
I really do appreciate the message delivered in these books. I think they are, in fact, quite virtuous. I feel also, however, that they are poorly written. But, if something like these books, as poorly written as I feel they are, can get a message of, essentially, theology of the body (even though the author is Mormon I believe) out to our youth–well, then I’m all for them!
 
Sorry for the double post, but, as the poster above my pryor post has pointed out…this author is not Catholic. But, as I stated, I think there are some very moral things being put forth in these novels.
 
I personally blanched at the paedophilia, necrophilia and quasibestiality
 
I think its pure entertainment, with some redeeming qualities and that’s about the extent of it. Its not a book you would give to your teenage daughter and tell her, here is something to emulate. But its not evil incarnate either. Its just fluff. Nothing more or less.
 
Edward and Bella may wait until marriage, but the only reason Bella wants to marry Edward is out of lust for him and her desire to become a vampire. I say lust, because Edward and Bella do not have anything even resembling a healthy relationship. Edward stalks Bella during the first book and has to stop himself from killing her on multiple occasions. Bella, in turn, is so obsessed with and dependent on Edward that she nearly goes catatonic when Edward leaves, and puts herself in dangerous situations just to hear his voice. When Edward thinks Bella is dead, he tries to kill himself with no regard for his family’s feelings. They are both motivated by their selfish desires. Also, the pedophilia (imprinting), necrophilia, and bestiality themes in the books aren’t something to be ignored simply because they wait until marriage and Bella keeps her baby. I’ve read the books, and calling them evil is a bit of a stretch, but in my opinion the negatives outweigh the positives. The danger is that young teenagers might think that Edward and Bella’s relationship is healthy and normal and try to emulate it. I don’t have any children, but if these books were still popular when I have teenage girls, (which I highly doubt) I’d talk to them about love vs. lust and why they shouldn’t settle for anything short of actual love before I would let them read these books.
 
PHSshamrock said:
I’ve heard many Catholics complain that the Twilight Saga are “evil” books. However, none of them have ever read the book, nor been able to tell why its evil (of those I’ve talked to) I do agree there is some violence, but no more than in other teen books, so why does Twilight get all the attention? . . .
Click to expand...
Catholic author Michael O’Brien has read the books and offers this superb critique:

studiobrien.com/writings_on_fantasy/twilight-of-the-west.html
 
Ladygem said:
Edward and Bella may wait until marriage, but the only reason Bella wants to marry Edward is out of lust for him and her desire to become a vampire. I say lust, because Edward and Bella do not have anything even resembling a healthy relationship. Edward stalks Bella during the first book and has to stop himself from killing her on multiple occasions. Bella, in turn, is so obsessed with and dependent on Edward that she nearly goes catatonic when Edward leaves, and puts herself in dangerous situations just to hear his voice. When Edward thinks Bella is dead, he tries to kill himself with no regard for his family’s feelings. They are both motivated by their selfish desires. Also, the pedophilia (imprinting), necrophilia, and bestiality themes in the books aren’t something to be ignored simply because they wait until marriage and Bella keeps her baby. I’ve read the books, and calling them evil is a bit of a stretch, but in my opinion the negatives outweigh the positives. The danger is that young teenagers might think that Edward and Bella’s relationship is healthy and normal and try to emulate it. I don’t have any children, but if these books were still popular when I have teenage girls, (which I highly doubt) I’d talk to them about love vs. lust and why they shouldn’t settle for anything short of actual love before I would let them read these books.
Click to expand...
Honestly, as a daughter that is a tween with her friends that are younger and older than she is, they are not interested in the books and HATE the movies. The general public think the young are the ones that are generally interested in these books, but they’re not. I have yet to meet an actual teen girl that thinks Bella is a role model. Most think she’s stupid and Edward is, well, NOT the ideal. They actually think he’s too much of a wuss. They tend to think Jacob is more of a man in the series.

Most of them are past these books anyways. They’re on to the Hunger Games at this point. And in a few years, it will be a completely different series.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top