I haven't read the books. Nor plan to. The writing scared me off.
But in defense of the people who love them? They don't see it the way you do and they don't see those messages. They may appear obvious to you, but not to someone else. My family members didn't see those things - they say a fun light fluffy read.
There's something to be said for that, I think.
The trick is ...not to superimpose your views of a story or piece onto someone else, I think. Example: Buffy. A lot of people don't understand how anyone in their right mind can ship Spike/Buffy - I mean he raped her right? Except that is NOT what I saw. He didn't rape her, he made a desperate act...when he realized it, he freaked and got a soul - why shouldn't she forgive him? Makes more sense than why she forgave Angel, who never sought a soul, and killed people in horrible ways. But a lot of people saw the show the opposite way. They saw Angel as remorseful and Spike as not. Spike hit their buttons, turned them off on a deep emotional level. Are they wrong? No. They have a right to their perspective and I honestly can't say for certain it's not correct. It's just not my perspective - I see it the opposite way. All I ask is they respect my right to see it in the manner I do. Not agree with it, but respect it.
I think the same thing can be applied here. Some people see the Twilight story as a coming of age tale, of a lonely girl struggling with her mortality, with her sexuality, they are reading the metaphors in the opposite way. To them she's not embracing death, immortality is freedom from constraints. It's not suicide, nor do they see suicide. They are interpreting it less literally perhaps.
The interpretation is based on background, buttons, triggers, etc. I may not agree with how they perceive the Twilight novels, honestly the appeal is completely wasted on me, but...I respect their right to see it that way - or at the very least I'm working hard to do so. Working really hard. One of my beloved Aunts, my Aunt D, loves the Twilight novels. She also loved Buffy, and loves True Blood. She's looking at them in a very different way than I am. I can respect that.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2011-12-06 12:11 am (UTC)But in defense of the people who love them? They don't see it the way you do and they don't see those messages. They may appear obvious to you, but not to someone else. My family members didn't see those things - they say a fun light fluffy read.
There's something to be said for that, I think.
The trick is ...not to superimpose your views of a story or piece onto someone else, I think. Example: Buffy. A lot of people don't understand how anyone in their right mind can ship Spike/Buffy - I mean he raped her right? Except that is NOT what I saw. He didn't rape her, he made a desperate act...when he realized it, he freaked and got a soul - why shouldn't she forgive him? Makes more sense than why she forgave Angel, who never sought a soul, and killed people in horrible ways. But a lot of people saw the show the opposite way. They saw Angel as remorseful and Spike as not. Spike hit their buttons, turned them off on a deep emotional level.
Are they wrong? No. They have a right to their perspective and I honestly can't say for certain it's not correct. It's just not my perspective - I see it the opposite way. All I ask is they respect my right to see it in the manner I do. Not agree with it, but respect it.
I think the same thing can be applied here. Some people see the Twilight story as a coming of age tale, of a lonely girl struggling with her mortality, with her sexuality, they are reading the metaphors in the opposite way. To them she's not embracing death, immortality is freedom from constraints. It's not suicide, nor do they see suicide. They are interpreting it less literally perhaps.
The interpretation is based on background, buttons, triggers, etc.
I may not agree with how they perceive the Twilight novels, honestly the appeal is completely wasted on me, but...I respect their right to see it that way - or at the very least I'm working hard to do so. Working really hard. One of my beloved Aunts, my Aunt D, loves the Twilight novels. She also loved Buffy, and loves True Blood. She's looking at them in a very different way than I am.
I can respect that.