Twilight Author Responds To Latest Outrage Over Bella
If there's one thing we can all agree on, it's that the actions of real, living human beings have no consequences, especially when compared to the choices made by fictional hematophagous dreamboats with big brown eyes that you could just swim in. And so, with righteous fury, fans and critics alike turned to Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga once again, expressing their horror at the ins and outs of Edward Cullen's relationship with Bella Swan. This rage has been awakened by the recent release of Midnight Sun, a book arriving in a year with no shortage of topics to stay home and be angry about.
Midnight Sun, which turns the Twilight story on its head by retelling the events of the first book from a male perspective, was generally met with favorable reviews from fans. Meanwhile, a certain segment of critics dusted off their Twilight takes like long-retired art thieves pulling out the old gear for one last job, once again pointing out that it's weird for ageless centenarians to want to make out with teenagers. Also under fire: Bella's unshakable attraction to Edward, and her willingness to do anything to try and woo that absolute love machine. It was just like the good old days circa 2008, when you could still count all of the Batman actors on one hand and movies only cost a nickel.
And so, once more, it fell upon author Stephenie Meyer's aching shoulders to defend her thesis, which she did on the Remember Twilight? podcast in August of 2020.
Stephenie Meyer sheds some Twilight on the issue
Stephenie Meyer, who has now spent the majority of her adult life defending the idea that two attractive people with symmetrical features would ever want to touch each other, seemed well practiced when asked about the perennial controversy surrounding her series' flagship couple. Asked about Bella's less admirable qualities — and specifically her perceived lack of personal growth throughout the series — Meyer referred to her heroine as "unshakable."
"There are people who think that Bella's not, like, a great example for a young girl, and I think there are elements, yes. You should not get that caught up in a boy," said Meyers. "If it's a fantasy creature that doesn't really exist, go right ahead... This is a fantasy novel set in a world that isn't real."
Of course, Meyer came prepared to bring some nuance to the discussion. "At the same time, I do think it's good for girls to be like 'I can be sure of what I want and not be afraid of what I want,'" the author said in reference to Bella, who falls in love with a man who eats blood for nourishment. "Edward does have a lot more growth because Edward has so much more self-hatred... It's a pretty big thing for him to find, through loving her, a way to love himself." A thoughtful response to criticism, and certainly a new lens through which to observe characters who frequently inspire half-considered jabs from the general public.
Also of note: Meyer outright states in the interview, "I don't think that anybody ends up like Bella if they have a really good mom." Maybe that's something that people can get upset about instead.