This is messy. Really messy. Not at all thought out.
While not necessarily the same essay/article I wanted to write, The Guardian does write about the negative interpretations of Twilight as the same ideas I felt Meyer took with her when she wrote The Host. It wasn't until I tried reading The Host that Meyer started to turn into a one-trick pony. It wasn't, as expected for an adult SF novel, any more sophisticated than her YA books. That's not to say one has to necessarily be any higher than the other, but with a few notches under her belt, Meyer apparently has been told her writing is fine just the way it is and she doesn't have to improve it if she doesn't want to, no sir. And that's saying little for her thematic aspirations.
Her female characters are horribly helpless in all areas outside of the domestic sphere (cooking, cleaning, caring for babies) until a much older and wiser male enters her world. With his wisdom and experience, he can temper her hormones in much the same way young girls were taught (and still are in some religious circles) that sexuality, and theirs in particular, is to be avoided at all costs. It seems archaic in a society where women have learned to embrace their femininity, but Meyer has repeatedly mentioned Edward's gentlemanly behavior as a return to simplicity not seen often anymore. But honestly, I don't see what simplicity is implied other than a time where all that was required of women was to find a good husband, get married, and work fast to get a family started before they succumbed to baser desires (and damnation).
If I had one big criticism of the saga, and Breaking Dawn in particular, it's the odd message the series seems to leave young girls: youth brings marriage, sex, and babies with no messy consequences (like death or real injury). It might have been scary to see Bella being attacked from the inside out from a vampiric fetus, but she (or the baby) didn't actually die. There were no real consequences other than lots and lots of pages worth of fear. If anything, the archetype of Bella's odd pregnancy is metaphoric of the reality of what happens to a female's body when she conceives. Since the body really does automatically begin to treat the fetus as a foreign entity in need of repulsion (hence, morning sickness), why not create a translation where the baby is literally half-alien (in so much as alien = not human) and dangerous to Bella's humanity? But of course, the mother is all female martyr and despite the implications to her own life, refuses to do anything but carry her burden to term.
It's hard for me not to see the connection between Bella's relationship with her unborn child and her relationship with Edward. Her character fails to really do anything but become a conduit for her child's life and a way for Edward to have sex without fear of injuring his partner. She puts up with both potential hazards because she's convinced it's what she wants. But she also willingly puts herself in danger's way and gets away scott free! Sure, someone dies in Breaking Dawn, but it isn't Bella, or Edward, or her half-and-half kid, or Jacob, or anyone from her human, werewolf, or vampire family. In short, it isn't really anyone she's particularly close to. The death doesn't really bring anything but retribution for the same type of sin seen in Atonement. If you act on your own interpretation of events without finding out the truth, you're going to be in trouble. Why? Because it's dishonest, rash, and juvenile. All very bad things. Apparently.
There are no consequences for the fine line Bella's walked throughout the series. Her masochistic honeymoon bruises don't turn her away from Edward--she knew if she wanted it (sex) she was going to have to pay for it (with bruises that disappear on an island where no one with power will notice those she cannot hide). In a way, I guess you can say nearly dying from a freakish pregnancy is the finger wag Bella deserves, but it isn't. Not really. Not only does she not die or suffer any long-term side effects she didn't already want, but in the end, she has a happy family in addition to her miraculous abilities as a newborn vampire that exempt her from the scary ritual everyone else had to go through. Bella was handed her new life on a silver spoon. And if you're familiar with vampire mythology, then you'll recognize that in Meyer's version of events, the spoon won't kill her, silver or not. That's just a whole bunch of fluff and nonsense.
ETA: I wanted to add that I don't mind the series. It's a teen fantasy romance saga--allowances can be made for Meyer. Up until now, most of my commentary (actually, all I think) has been positive. I don't feel that to be critical is necessarily to be negative or argumentative, but Breaking Dawn disappointed me. So there you have it.
Her female characters are horribly helpless in all areas outside of the domestic sphere (cooking, cleaning, caring for babies) until a much older and wiser male enters her world. With his wisdom and experience, he can temper her hormones in much the same way young girls were taught (and still are in some religious circles) that sexuality, and theirs in particular, is to be avoided at all costs. It seems archaic in a society where women have learned to embrace their femininity, but Meyer has repeatedly mentioned Edward's gentlemanly behavior as a return to simplicity not seen often anymore. But honestly, I don't see what simplicity is implied other than a time where all that was required of women was to find a good husband, get married, and work fast to get a family started before they succumbed to baser desires (and damnation).
If I had one big criticism of the saga, and Breaking Dawn in particular, it's the odd message the series seems to leave young girls: youth brings marriage, sex, and babies with no messy consequences (like death or real injury). It might have been scary to see Bella being attacked from the inside out from a vampiric fetus, but she (or the baby) didn't actually die. There were no real consequences other than lots and lots of pages worth of fear. If anything, the archetype of Bella's odd pregnancy is metaphoric of the reality of what happens to a female's body when she conceives. Since the body really does automatically begin to treat the fetus as a foreign entity in need of repulsion (hence, morning sickness), why not create a translation where the baby is literally half-alien (in so much as alien = not human) and dangerous to Bella's humanity? But of course, the mother is all female martyr and despite the implications to her own life, refuses to do anything but carry her burden to term.
It's hard for me not to see the connection between Bella's relationship with her unborn child and her relationship with Edward. Her character fails to really do anything but become a conduit for her child's life and a way for Edward to have sex without fear of injuring his partner. She puts up with both potential hazards because she's convinced it's what she wants. But she also willingly puts herself in danger's way and gets away scott free! Sure, someone dies in Breaking Dawn, but it isn't Bella, or Edward, or her half-and-half kid, or Jacob, or anyone from her human, werewolf, or vampire family. In short, it isn't really anyone she's particularly close to. The death doesn't really bring anything but retribution for the same type of sin seen in Atonement. If you act on your own interpretation of events without finding out the truth, you're going to be in trouble. Why? Because it's dishonest, rash, and juvenile. All very bad things. Apparently.
There are no consequences for the fine line Bella's walked throughout the series. Her masochistic honeymoon bruises don't turn her away from Edward--she knew if she wanted it (sex) she was going to have to pay for it (with bruises that disappear on an island where no one with power will notice those she cannot hide). In a way, I guess you can say nearly dying from a freakish pregnancy is the finger wag Bella deserves, but it isn't. Not really. Not only does she not die or suffer any long-term side effects she didn't already want, but in the end, she has a happy family in addition to her miraculous abilities as a newborn vampire that exempt her from the scary ritual everyone else had to go through. Bella was handed her new life on a silver spoon. And if you're familiar with vampire mythology, then you'll recognize that in Meyer's version of events, the spoon won't kill her, silver or not. That's just a whole bunch of fluff and nonsense.
ETA: I wanted to add that I don't mind the series. It's a teen fantasy romance saga--allowances can be made for Meyer. Up until now, most of my commentary (actually, all I think) has been positive. I don't feel that to be critical is necessarily to be negative or argumentative, but Breaking Dawn disappointed me. So there you have it.