Me & My Soapbox

There's this book.

And I like it a lot.

A series, actually...

And I'm given a lot of grief for liking them.

But like a true literary fan, I put up with it and love it just as much as always.

Ha, I'll probably be given grief for even writing this post.

But yolo hey, I figured I'd go for it.

This series, if you have not yet guessed, is the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer.

Alright, so first off, let me just put it out there that I acknowledge these books are not perfect. They are not the best books ever written, they do not tell the most epic story ever known to man, and they are not books that have a lot of (or really any) philosophical value.

However, they are fairly well written, easy to read, and tell a good story. And if you want to contest any of those, take it up with someone else because I'm about to climb up on my soapbox which is about three thousand feet in the air, out of reach of any of you naysayers.

Unquestionably, there is nothing in the Twilight Saga that would make you think "Ohhey, this is written from a Christian worldview!" Really, nothing. Stephenie Meyer herself is Catholic I believe. And no, the books do not reflect a Catholic worldview.

However, when reading from a Christian worldview, there are certain themes throughout the entire series that are notable.

Sacrifice. Redemption. Truth. Family. Heaven, hell, and souls. Unconditional love, both romantic and familial. Trust. Hope.  And, within the controversial world of vampires, there is a clear line between good and evil.

Throughout the entire series, Bella is trying to coerce Edward into turning her into a vampire so she will be able to stay with him eternally and also because she doesn't think age is just a number. Edward is constantly trying to convince her to change her mind, to remain human and mortal and to live. Sometime later in the series, it is revealed that he truly fears for her soul. He thinks that he has no soul, that whenever the world ends, he will end and he will go to hell. And he doesn't want that to happen to her because he loves her so much. He's willing to sacrifice his own happiness to save her soul. Now, this may not be a big enough storyline for some people to say it's a redemptive quality in the series, but it is there. Throughout the entire series. Sacrifice. Redemption. A true acknowledgment of Heaven and hell.

Family and unconditional love is also a huge part of the series. The Cullen family, or clan, is a mismatched group of vampires who found each other and bonded. There are parents, children, siblings. And they all truly love one another. They would do anything to keep each other safe and they all accept Bella into their family. As the story brings in various enemies and dangers, the family constantly bands together and protects one another.

And then there's the werewolves. Or (spoiler alert) shape shifters, as we later learn. They are a band of brothers, connected by something that runs through all of their veins. They are a true family, just a strong as the Cullens.

And then worlds collide. Enemies for as long as time. But once there is a common interest, Bella, who they all care about and love, they all combine forces and truly become one large family.

Everybody categorizes Twilight as a romance novel, strictly about the love between Bella and Edward. And while this is true, I think that the love between families, including Bella and her father, is just as prominent in the novels. Time and time again throughout the entire series, Stephenie Meyer shows that unconditional love that family members have for one another. Even further, she shows how that unconditional love stretches across families, bringing them all together.

I'm going to stretch here and make a claim that a lot of people may disagree with, but yolo oh well. I think that this love could be interpreted as the love we have for one another within the Body of Christ. There are numerous differences between each believer, differences that could separate them completely. Personalities that would never mesh one little bit. And yet our love for Christ transcends so fully that we develop a love for one another.

Yet another theme that should be recognized is that of the clear distinction made between good and evil. Twilight is heavily criticized for the sheer fact that it is centered around vampires. However, it isn't just some crazy free-for-all "let's eat everyone in sight". The vampires that it is centered around are all "vegetarian vampires" and drink only the blood of animals. They have a true reverence for humanity and it is shown that those who do not have that same value for human lives are the bad guys. There is still the principle of good vs. evil and good always wins.

So there it is. My attempt to show that Twilight is not all bad. I'm not saying that you should go pick up the book expecting for all of these things to jump out at you. But after reading it, if you have the right mindset, it is clear the values that shine through the text.

Personally, I read Twilight because I enjoy the story immensely. Yes, there are flaws and gaps and characters who I hate such as Bella but I do enjoy them and I do enjoy all of the aforementioned things that you can find within the stories.

Plus, who am I kidding, Edward is Prince Charming, immortal.