How Does Twilight Affect Women

The thought that a fictitious movie like Twilight is actually affecting women seems almost bizarre. You may wonder how it’s even possible that we can be so easily influenced by what some consider an “aimless series of vampire books”. However, it’s a confirmed fact that our brains react to fiction tales and they can indeed impact us in ways we could only imagine. It’s essential that as women we recognize how books and/ or media can be affecting our outlook on how to behave and the overall role it plays in our relationships. A while back I read an extremely intriguing book called Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior by Leonard Mlodinow. Basically, the point that Mlodinow was trying to prove is that our unconscious mind …show more content…
Bella is nothing but a “plain Jane” and suffers through the basics of puberty that plenty of teens can relate to (i.e. awkwardness, insecurity, etc.). Its no wonder adolescent girls are connecting to this series, because it describes their everyday life in some cases. Since it’s easily relatable, any female can slip into her role and easily fantasize about being this person (How Twilight Works). The allusion that the writer of The Twilight Saga, Stephenie Meyer, is trying to portray throughout the series is that of the classic Romeo and Juliet. According to Francisca Ortega on her opinionated blog on how Twilight is merely a dysfunctional love story, “Killing yourself for the one you love is just the kind of romance gimmick that appeals to young girls. The ‘I refuse to live without you’ type of of ‘love’ isn’t romantic, but rather a cry for help. Edward and Bella’s love story, just like Romeo and Juliet’s, is a horrible example of a healthy relationship.” This really is no different than any other typical fairy tale with female protagonists who struggle with self-worth and solely find happiness in a man. This message that Twilight is sending to girls isn’t as direct as your typical Disney fairytale, but it’s still