Breaking Dawn: Not really worth it.
Hey readers!!! So um…I said I would finish Breaking Dawn by Saturday Morning, and I did. Took me a while, but there are reasons for that, I had to stop often so I wouldn’t puke it sucked so bad. So yeah, SPOILERS abound in this post. Stop now if you wish to be surprised. Another disclaimer: I am not a Twilight Fan, in fact I’m really a fan of hardly anyone and anything. I don’t give blind praise, only the truth of how I’ve enjoyed certain books, music, movies whatever. Also I’m not a teenager. I had to keep reminding myself of that fact as I read. This book is probably satisfying to many teens (which is sad), but even when I was a teenager I still would have had many (no probably all) of the same reactions I do now.
First off. Let me rank the books of the series in order from Best to Worst:
1. Twilight 2. Eclipse 3. New Moon 4. Breaking Dawn
Now let me give them stars out of 5:
Twilight: 3.5 Eclipse: 3 New Moon: 2.5 Breaking Dawn: 2
Breaking Dawn was terrible. I hated it. Here’s why:
1. Bella is pathetic, and dumb. She only thinks about Edward. She practically worships him, she needs a backbone. I don’t want my sister (who is 13) to read this book, because I fear she might think this is how girls are supposed to act towards their boyfriends. No. She’s really stupid. Here’s a quote from the scene of Bella and Edward going on their Honeymoon. “As we headed due east into the open ocean, I reviewed basic geography in my head. As far as I could remember, there wasn’t much east of Brazil…until you got to Africa.” (Meyer 76-77). Does she really think they’re taking a speed boat to Africa? Come on! There are islands east of Brazil dummy. Private ones, you’re married to a rich vampire…figure it out. (I hate Bella…more and more with every turn of the page.) Or this quote when Elezar is telling Bella about her own special vampire abilties: “What are you talking about? How can I be a shield? What does that even mean?” (Meyer, 596). It means protect dummy, protect. Either you’re protecting yourself or someone else. For example, I would like to use human Bella as a human shield against bullets being shot at me. That’s one great way you could be shield Bella, a great way.
2. Stephanie Meyer uses the word “white” way too often. Everything and almost everyone is freaking white. It’s like she’s obsessed with white. WTF? It got to the point where I still wonder if Meyer is prejudiced against anything or anyone not white. Seriously. Anyone who is a minority is described either neutrally or negatively, here’s another quote, a description of the Amazon vampires. “It wasn’t just their eccentric clothes that made them seem wild but everything about them, from their restless crimson eyes to their sudden, darting movements. I’d never seen vampires less civilized.” (Meyer, 612-613). You’ve got to be kidding me! I thought ascribing primitivism to other cultures was out. Just because they don’t live like us doesn’t equal uncivilized. Statements like Bella’s should have been out with end of the British Empire. Bella goes on for a few more pages, and how wild these women were, and how she attempted to keep them from Renesmee, (Bella and Edward’s daughter, I hate her name though, yes I know its special, but its also ugly). I don’t think we should let anyone from Brazil read this book. My roommate is from Brazil, born and raised, and she got a little pissed at the poor descriptions. Here’s the one that really bothered her: “The two Brazilians looked incredibly short and dark next to him.” (Meyer, 113). The him is Edward btw. Yeah, my roommate, who is tall and not dark, said most Brazilians don’t fit this description. They also come in a variety of shades from blondes with dark skin and green eyes to Raven-haired folks with fair-skin. Basically my roommate is just plain astonished with how we treat race in this country period. In Brazil you can’t really call anyone black or white, since everyone is so mixed there. I’m moving to Brazil.
3. Bella is way too superficial. Bella is a terrible role model. Thank God she’s fictional. The girl compares herself to every female vampire she sees, and marks where she herself is lacking. In Breaking Dawn it starts from the beginning, when Bella has to meet Tanya. “I’d never seen Tanya before, but I was sure that meeting her wouldn’t be a pleasant experience for my ego…she’d made a play for Edward…Though Edward clearly-if inconceivably-preferred me, I wouldn’t be able to help making comparisons.” (Meyer, 32). Shouldn’t we be trying to get girls to realize their individual beauty? Instead of creating competition among them? Wait it gets worse. Bella doesn’t love herself until she sees herself as a vampire for the first time. “My first reaction was an unthinking pleasure. The alien creature in the glass was indisputably beautiful, every bit as beautiful as Alice or Esme…My second reaction was horror. Who was she? I couldn’t find my face anywhere…” (Meyer, 403). So even when she’s “perfect” she is still comparing herself to others to validate her beauty. Then she can’t even recognize herself as being beautiful. Its like saying to girls, yeah, you’re not beautiful nor should you accept yourself as beautiful until you can get some vampire venom or extensive plastic surgery to make you look like a pasty white supermodel.
I was really shocked at the low levels this book obtained. Why not make a character that’s sure in herself? I can see if Bella started out being insecure, most girls are sadly, but then have her find her own strengths in being herself would have been way cooler than POOF!! Vampire Venom takes all of God’s mistakes away, and makes you thin, shiny, pale, and beautiful. Even Edward is fine with the change he misses nothing of her old self. That’s really sad. I would be hurt if my boyfriend was like “yeah, I’m much happier with you now that you got that boob job. Definately don’t miss the mosquito bites.” Great so I’m not worthy until after I’ve completely erased who I was and reemerge as a different person that no can recognize. Awesome.
I honestly want to return the book, but since I’ve underlined and made notes in it I can’t…boo. Still I was so dissappointed in Meyer. Her work is no refuge for girls to relax into. I suggest don’t even buy it, and if you’ve read the first three, enrich your mind and come up with your own ending, I’m sure it will turn out better than this.
Oh, and Bella’s so shocked at how everyone loves Renesmee. Its a baby, stupid, people always have come together for a baby. Look at broken families. Heck look at mine. Before I was born our family had completely lost touch. They hadn’t spoken in almost 11 years. Then I came, and my presence brought things into perspective and our family together.
If you want to read some more opinions on Twilight look here .
Ok, so that’s done. So if you don’t know the whole story here’s a quick recap: Bella is a teen who’s just moved to a new town. She’s always felt out of place (awwww, teen angst!). She looks in the mirror and she sees boring old Bella, mousy brown hair (boo), pale skin (icky), and those eyes (cow eyes!). Then she meets Edward (yea! Lone Ranger music! the white knight on his trusty steed). He’s weird (Angst!). He seems to hate Bella before he even knows her (poor mousy girl. aww.). Bella takes the defensive (stupid emo boy. With his hotness! Frustrating!). Then he saves her life! (awww, man why?…I mean yea! Knight in shining Armor!!) Bella gets mad (wtf? oh wait its the angst talking.) Explain she says. She then figures out he’s a vampire. They fall in love he saves her life again. Then he leaves her! (Depression, awww.) Then she finds a new best friend, Jacob a kid who can turn into a wolf! (Danger! Bella likes!). Then the two guys fight over Bella. She chooses Edward. Jacob runs away. Edward says marry me. Bella says “um…ok, if you sleep with me after!” Edward says “Thats dangerous!” Bella says “I don’t care!” Then we’re left to wait for Breaking Dawn. Which if you read the other parts of my post is absolutely craptastic!
***UPDATE***
I was really bewildered by Meyer’s seeming obsession with whiteness…but now I’n not so surprised. She is a Mormon, and while there are Mormons who are attempting to separate themselves from it, the Mormon religion does have a history of racism. Dark colored skin, even tan or olive is not considered a positive thing… You can read some Mormon perspectives on color here: http://www.lds-mormon.com/racism.shtml
Dark skin is considered a curse or a mark of being cursed. Africans are considered descendents of cain…yeah…and um…yeah. Here’s a part of their scripture:
Alma 3: 6 “And the skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression and their rebellion against their brethren, who consisted of Nephi, Jacob, and Joseph, and Sam, who were just and holy men.”
Yeah…so its a little clearer now…why Meyer may be focused on the purity of her main characters, and being white. Remember Bella doesn’t end up with Jacob…although Renesmee does…maybe Meyer is trying to reconcile the negative ideals of her faith and the truth in the world…who knows…?
You Say: