Journal Article Analysis

Journal Analysis

Ashlee Mooter

Popular Culture

Professor Whitney Iles

August 2, 2014

Journal Analysis

In Danielle N. Borgia’s article Twilight: The Glamorization of Abuse, Codependency, and White Privilege, she leads readers into undertones of the story that were not visible to the blind eye. When reading fiction romance novels, most are not captivated by real life dynamics portrayed, but in the fictional aspects of the piece. If readers were looking to read into the real life scenarios, they would most likely chose to read a non-fiction love story. This story is also geared to a female teenage fan base, who like myself at first glance are unable to see the points that are made. Because of her in depth look, I can see the gothic romance series in a whole new light.

Borgia states in her article, that the protagonist, Bella Swan is an impressionable young woman. She is abruptly consumed with this mysterious creature, Edward Cullen, upon first glance. She is captivated by his impressing good looks, and even more by his standoffish demeanor towards her. She sees this as a challenge, and makes it her mission to break the hard exterior of this beautiful creature.

Borgia points out that through this journey capture his affection, she becomes increasingly obsessed with him. She is more and more intrigued with his protectiveness over her which she sees as his outward sign of masculinity, but Borgia points out that it is more possessiveness. Not only does Edward come into Bella’s room at night to watch her while she sleeps, but also in later books does he enlist the help of his sister to keep watch of her while he is gone. As Borgia identified, Edward wanted to know where Bella was and what she was doing at all times.

Bella is even more captivated by Edward when she finds out what the sun does to him. Unlike other stories including vampires, Edward did not burn to death, but instead glistened in the sun. This made him even more desirable to Bella. The emphasis that was put on his unnaturally pale skin is not a good projection of body image on young women. Points made like this, could be the reason that some African-American women have went so far as to bleach their skin. The media’s portrayal of whiteness being beauty is skewing reality. Borgia stated “This persistence of whiteness as a predominant factor in US identity is not acceptable in other forms of discourse; yet the gothic trope of the vampire enables this reactionary value to reenter mainstream” (Borgia, 2014, 166). By hiding these prejudices under a fiction story does not make this okay, it is only blanketing the effect that is has on the media.

Because of her infatuation with Edward, Bella is completely consumed by him. She wakes up thinking about him, and goes to sleep thinking of him as well. She no longer seemed to be able to make her decisions on her own without having to consult him or thinking what his reaction would be. In one book, Edward goes missing and she is completely distraught, so much that she is not able to function normally. She is withdrawn from the rest of her life, and only then when she is lonely does she seek that companionship of her friend, Jacob. But once Edward returns, she is back to being completely wrapped up in him.

At first watch (of the films), I as a young adult, saw an innocent love story. This young girl completely falls for a boy and knows that it is true love, and will do anything and everything for this young man. After taking a step back and reading Daniella N. Borgia’s interpretation of the stories do I see from another point of view. The Twilight Saga was geared toward tween and teenaged girls, and at that age, most would not think as deeply or see the undertones that were portrayed as Borgia did.

After reading Borgia’s full analysis of these books and films do I have to agree with her findings. These stories depict a weak female who needs to feel the protection from a man in order to survive. The stories also show an unhealthy connection between a man and a woman, where one is not able to function in the absence of the other. In the stories, Bella essentially loses herself and doesn’t believe that she had a life worth living before finding this incredible man who will now always protect her.

Even if these messages came from the subconscious of the author, this is not a good portrayal to her target audience. Should girls grow up thinking that they are weak and need a male in their life to make it worth living? Do females always need a man around? Or do women need to conform to the ideas of a weak woman to please her man? I think because of portrayals of women in this light, when movies like Disney’s Frozen was released, there was a big to do about the first princess who was her own hero. Even though she thought she needed a man she just met, she found her true loves kiss, or hug in their case, with her sister.

As a mother, I wouldn’t want my daughter to watch movies like the Twilight Saga, and see it for anything other than fiction. But when there seems to be so many subliminal messages of how a woman should be submissive to her male partner, and how women cannot be a functioning member of society without a male counterpart, these are not the things that young girls should be subject to. Just like if you grew up in a house with abuse, you are more likely to put yourself in the same type of situation, I do not want an abusive relationship glamorized for the young girls in today’s society.

References

Borgia, D. N. (2014). Twilight: The Glamorization of abuse, Codependency, and White Privilege. The Journal of Popular Culture, 47(1), 153-173. Retrieved from Electronic Journal Center.