Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey have many similarities. However, they differ in their treatment of sexuality. The sexual attitude Meyer wants her characters to follow—that is, the attitude the male lead promotes and the female lead complies to—is one whose principles Meyer knows, that is widespread, discussed, and endorsed in a culture Meyer is part of, and that she wishes to portray realistically yet positively. This is because she hopes Twilight will make this sexual behavior—abstinence—more appealing, rather than the reverse. James has no such goal in Fifty Shades, and thus no such need to portray her characters’ sexual behavior, morality, or culture in any way but the one she believes will attract readers.
The sexual attitude Meyer wants her characters to follow—that is, the attitude the male lead promotes and the female lead complies to
That was not at all my reading of it. An ordinary 17-year old girl manages to stand up to her 90-year old (though looking 17) first boyfriend who is much stronger, smarter, richer and more attractive, effectively bending him to her will. Quite unbelievable, actually. As I mentioned before, Bella is the only real magical character in the whole story.
I don’t think Meyer is portraying abstinence wrong in Twilight.
What do you mean?
Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey have many similarities. However, they differ in their treatment of sexuality. The sexual attitude Meyer wants her characters to follow—that is, the attitude the male lead promotes and the female lead complies to—is one whose principles Meyer knows, that is widespread, discussed, and endorsed in a culture Meyer is part of, and that she wishes to portray realistically yet positively. This is because she hopes Twilight will make this sexual behavior—abstinence—more appealing, rather than the reverse. James has no such goal in Fifty Shades, and thus no such need to portray her characters’ sexual behavior, morality, or culture in any way but the one she believes will attract readers.
That was not at all my reading of it. An ordinary 17-year old girl manages to stand up to her 90-year old (though looking 17) first boyfriend who is much stronger, smarter, richer and more attractive, effectively bending him to her will. Quite unbelievable, actually. As I mentioned before, Bella is the only real magical character in the whole story.