Barry-Outside Reading-Twilight

Some might argue that Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Saga is nothing more than poorly written obsession over a sparkly vampire. However, with its renowned success even before the movies were released, Twilight has managed to captivate men and women of all ages. The story follows the passionate life of Bella Swan, who falls for (above all else) a vampire named Edward. The books take the reader through Forks, Washington in a fantastical rendition of a supernatural love story. I am not here to criticize or promote the series, but merely to show the power of persuasive writing and the allure of fantasy. While it may not be as elaborately detailed as Lord of the Rings or the Chronicles of Narnia, Twilight still manages to captivate readers through the mysterious creatures of the underworld. Vampires, in more recent times, have been glamorized to be attractive and almost lamentable. Meyer expertly plays upon this new fondness for the undead and tells the love story between a girl and her vampire lover. Similarly, the series draws upon other monster-movie characters—particularly, the werewolf. Meyer is careful, however, to specify that Jacob Black and the other wolfs are not the blood-thirsty demonized werewolves. She draws on Native American folklore to provide the plot line with mysterious shape shifters who take the form of wolves in order to protect the innocent and their tribe. Twilight captivates its audience through the same tactics used by Lewis and other writers of fantasy (though some might argue, to a lesser degree). Still, there is a mystical nature to the stories which allow the reader to disengage from the real world and enter one in which undead love lasts forever. (In other words, Team Jacob)--added by Christian Holmes