The three later novels focus both on Bella's becoming a vampire and Edward's dawning recognition of Bella's status as an agent. His refusal to allow her to become a vampire is further evidence of that paternalism. This abusive behavior is rooted in his inability to recognize Bella's agency, his inability to acknowledge that she can decide for herself what she needs. Over the course of the series, he watches her sleep, constantly tells her she is absurd, and tries to control who she sees and who her friends are. behavior toward Bella for the first three books is frightening in many ways. In her essay "Bella and the Choice Made in Eden," from the 2010 essay collection The Twilight Mystique, Susan Jeffers characterized Bella as a quietly complicit abused lover:
Critics, fans, and feminist thinkers have continued to squabble among themselves over how to conceive of Twilight's all-consuming love story between Edward and Bella-as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unbalanced relationships, or as a commentary on the virtue of an unswervingly committed partner. That was, of course, not the end of that conversation. It's therefore understandable that some have questioned the merits of Twilight's message for womankind." On the whole, beguilement by a teenage bad boy, however courtly his manner, doesn't lead to eternal love nor is self-abnegation a reliable route to bliss. Bella's fate isn't only dispiriting it's also deceptive. "As they decide her future she sleeps between them, the epitome of submissive passivity. "In a climactic argument, debate what's best for her," he wrote. For instance, in 2010, David Cox of the Guardian expressed some concern in a story called (amazingly) "Twilight: the franchise that ate feminism." It's arguably the most notorious complaint about Twilight: That meek, indecisive teenager Bella Swan may be something of a sketchy role model for its largely teenage, largely female fan base. Take your pick: Twilight and its sequels are one big story about.
So because Breaking Dawn-Part 2, the final film in the mega-selling Twilight movie franchise, comes to theaters this weekend, it might be wise to decide just what strain of liberal arts-y interpretation you subscribe to. Big Bird: The Most American Muppet on Sesame Street.'The League': Fantasy-Football Hilarity or Commentary on Masculinity?.Was the Great Emancipator Also a Creepy Slob?.But her name still means something to millions of people who devoured everything Twilight and became acquainted with her writing, and Lionsgate and Hulu are betting that familiarity will make The Rook a worthwhile endeavor. The Host underperformed despite a massive promotional campaign, and her adaptation of Shannon Hale's novel Austenland didn't make back its budget. Meyer's productions haven't enjoyed consistent success. Meyer's name means something to millions of Twilight fans She's also an experienced film producer, having produced the last two Twilight movie adaptations (both parts of Breaking Dawn) and the subsequent adaptation of The Host. She made billions of dollars writing about vampires and werewolves, and her first step away from that world involved parasitic aliens - she's comfortable dabbling in the unreal. The book follows a young heroine who comes down with a case of magical amnesia and works for the British government's (fictional) supernatural security department.
Feltheimer made the announcement during an earnings call, so he didn't offer much in the way of details beyond the series having a "strong female protagonist." Given the series' title and affiliation with an as-yet-unnamed British broadcaster, there's a decent chance it's related to Daniel O'Malley's 2012 novel of the same name.
Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer announced this morning that the studio is working with Twilight author Stephenie Meyer on The Rook, a TV series that'll debut on Hulu at some point in the future.