Grade Cruise 2008 [J. Kung]

A frigid night on the water, clear sky, city lights, good food, great friends, who could ask for anything more?

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My Take on Twilight - The Latest Best-Selling Fad [N. Clark]

Stories have been around for as long as man has been around to tell them. Passed down through spoken word, tales of magnificent gods and mortals who were close enough to that status have remained embedded among us since a creative mind thought them up, or a meticulous person took the time to recall the events that he had seen occur before him. Later, such things were written down; ink flowed onto paper, the writing an intimate exposure of more than the words, but also the face behind them. Efficiency soon pushed aside such romantic thoughts, however, leaving behind the impersonal coldness of a printing press’ mindless repetition. Eventually stories were everywhere; among the rich and the poor alike, feeding the imagination of children and supporting the failing creativity of adults. Yet there were a few among many which spoke to the masses, earning themselves a higher status among the multitude of devoted readers who placed the books on a towering pedestal. Some have been there for centuries: the works of William Shakespeare, Jane Austen and the like. More recently, though, we may recall the widespread popularity of the Harry Potter series, and directly before that, the Lord of the Rings novels. At present, it is Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series which draws such a consuming, fanatic obsession.

If there is a formula for successful sales, S. Meyers has taken whatever rudimentary knowledge most authors may possess and elaborated, rewriting it until she could be certain that it would never fail. Tapping into the hormonally overwrought minds of teenage girls could have easily been foreseen; following in the paths of many previous romance writers, she presented her readers with what they desired most: a physically young man with flawless features, an intelligent mind and, most importantly, and all-consuming, never-ending, fated-to-be love for one woman. Then, recognizing our fascination with the dark, brooding stereotype of vampires, she added that to the equation. The undead make the perfect anti-hero; they are, by nature, monsters, and yet, with careful tweaking, they can be given human emotions and a heavy conscience which provides them with such heart-wrenching torment that
no emotionally connected person could possibly remain unmoved. Add to that the easily read style of writing and just enough action to appeal to one’s more adventurous side, and suddenly those who aspire to become a published author have an obvious path to follow, complete with huge directional signs and billboards.

That is not to say that Twilight is a glittering diamond of perfection among coarse stones and craggy rocks. Money and fame may have been awarded to S. Meyers fairly unconditionally, but there is still a darker side to it all. Amongst grammatical errors and faulty English that slipped through her editor’s net, behind plot holes and a story that is, at times, far too removed from reality, lies a frightening, dark message. S. Meyers’ female lead, Bella Swan, is not the strong, independent woman that we have come to respect and admire in this day and age. Within a few short days, she becomes completely dependent on a creature who could kill her as easily as we may squash a particularly abhorrent insect between our fingertips. Just the thought of being in a separate room from Edward brings depression to her thoughts; when he leaves her, she throws herself off a cliff, into the roaring fury of the ocean below. Her survival becomes secondary to her longing for Edward. She would give up anything to be with him: her family, her friends, her life. There is such a complete imbalance of power in the relationship that it poses a danger for anyone trying to imitate it. Bella sacrifices too much, and receives little in return. Her body plays host to the offspring of a vampire, whose violent tendencies are little suppressed; there would be no normal birthing process for her. S. Meyers drives a hard-hitting anti-abortion message home as Bella would rather have the child eat its way out of her belly like a chick pecking an egg, leaving it broken and destroyed, than consider a different option. Edward’s stalker-like tendencies in the first book complete the dark, disturbing portrait of what lies behind Twilight’s glowing outer shell.

S. Meyers’ novels must be taken with a grain of salt, as with most others. It is important to remember that appearances can be deceiving, and perfect, plastic exteriors can conceal horrors within. Twilight may seem innocent, a tale in which vampires sparkle in the sunlight and true love perseveres, but a critical eye may find evidence to the contrary. Duplicity resides within the series, each joyful moment juxtaposed against a darker, less pleasant one. Nothing is perfect, despite what S. Meyers’ most devoted fans would have you believe. Greatness can be drawn about a person or object like a cloak, covering any disfigurations; the more powerful the one, the more hideous the other. The brightest sun always casts the darkest shadows.