Recently for my Adolescent Literature class, one of the novels covered was the infamous Twilight. Now, this led me to question, is this really something I would ever teach in a classroom environment? Absolutely not. There are a lot of reasons, why this is so, but the principal one is simply that the quality of the writing borders on abysmal. Sorry to offend any fans reading this, but honestly there are chapters a sixth grader could have written.
Apart from that, a lot of the plot deals with some controversial issues. Now, I’m not one for censorship. However, after dealing with correspondence journals of eighth graders, it’s become apparent that these kids are so wrapped up in Edward Cullen that they have a hard time realizing that he doesn’t exist. Not to be cynical or anything. Even though I realize Bella is in love, it is essentially her falling in love with a “peeping Tom”. Edward is a complete voyer who does nothing but objectify his love interest.
Well, I don’t know that’s just my view. On the plus side, the series does get kids to read more than they normally would, but I feel like it is just another version of a classless, cheesy romance novel.
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Haha... There are so many people that feel the same way you do. I really enjoyed the books when I first started reading them. I think they cast a spell on you but as you get into them more, and then finish up the last one you start to realize how crazy they are. I mean... 16 yr old boys imprinting on newborns and 2 year old girls... that's just sick! I guess you don't even know about that though unless you read all the books... maybe you should get started on the next one. It is good that they get kids interested. There are definitely worse books out there but it is a bit over the top. The movie makes you feel even more awkward. JLH
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