Twilight: Bella is SUPPOSED to be a flat character.

[DanDeFool]

I heard an interesting theory regarding Twilight and the character of Bella Swan the other day.

The reason she's such a bland, uninteresting, burlap sack of a character is because the target audience is intended to project themselves into her shoes. If she were a REAL character (i.e., someone with a personality and other defining traits), she would just be some dumb ***** getting in-between the reader and Edward Cullen (or Jacob, if you're into that sort of thing). Probably also why the Twilight novels are written as a first-person narrative.

This rings true for me, because I'm already aware of another type of entertainment that does this: Japanese dating sim games. In these types of games, where the player is intended to project themselves into the role of the main character and decide which of the lovely ladies they'd like to woo, the character is frequently not even given a face, let alone a personality.

Discuss.

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

I suppose I understand the point if this is true... (hint source hint) but the whole point of a book from a third person perspective or a film is to tell someone elses story.

First person books allow you to project yourself, but I just don't see films as a medium that allows you to put yourself in the characters shoes. Maybe some people can but I personally don't see it.

 

[Something Amyss]

You know, that thought is neither particularly new nor profound.

 

[Saltyk]

So, the author wrote poorly on purpose?

Honestly, I only watched the first movie and never read the books. I'll never dip my toes into this universe again, if I can help it. My problems are numerous.

Why was Bella obsessed with Edward? He was a jerk! Seriously, even in fiction women like the worst possible man they can find. Violent, rude, and a stalker? Gets them wet.

Why was Edward so emo about being a vampire? "I'm super strong, super fast, can read minds,and women WANT to have sex with me just because I exist. I'm basically Superman! My life sucks! (pun intended) *sob*"

None of the other characters were well developed. The only remotely interesting one was the girl that could see the future. And not even she was very interesting. And that goes for Bella and Edward, too. I couldn't have rooted for the villain harder in that movie.

Could they have telegraphed that Jacob was a werewolf any more? As soon, as we met him I predicted that he was a werewolf. And it was only re-enforced when Edward uttered this line: "I leave you alone for a minute and the wolves come out". Just pathetic.

Bella was a spoiled rotten emo girl. Best evidence of this. Near the end of the movie she said "If you leave me, I'll kill myself". I imagine there was a razor blade under the covers as she proceeded to cut herself.

WORST. MOVIE. EVER!

 

[Daquin]

As a Creative Writer that has both read extensively on the subject and taught on the subject, I can say that is only an excuse and, even if it was intentional, it is simply lazy writing. If Meyer really wanted to have the reader put themselves in the shoes of the main character, she would have had to write the story in 2nd person (and that can be done). However, the problem is (yes, I have read Twilight) that she doesn't really decide on perspective. Sometimes she wants to be in 3rd person omni, sometimes 3rd person limited (camera very close to Bella so we can only see what she is thinking), and sometimes it is 3rd person "fly-on-the-wall" which gives emotional distance and breaks tension.

For more fun information on this, I would like to point out that the ACA/PCA Conference in San Antonio is going to have an entire academic panel on the modern vampire stories (Twilight and Tru Blood), so if you are a college student and really want to look deep into this, shoot them a paper and you might be the academic expert on the matter.

 

[Something Amyss]

So, the author wrote poorly on purpose?

No, she made Bella a template on purpose. Though it's possible the other characters are shallow to allow people to imprint their expectations on them too.

 

[Aiden_the-Joker1]

Well If that was true then the entire story would make even less sense as the characters would like Bella would like her for qualities that some of the readers do not have. Also her actions would disagree with some readers as well. I cannot see that as Stephanie Myers Original intent, if she had one.

 

[ZombieGenesis]

Of course, make the main protagonist of the story bland and uninteresting.
To be fair maybe most of the Twilight audience relates to that anyway... they are reading Twilight after all...

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

That still doesn't change the fact that this series is still a horrible pile of tripe.

 

[Durgiun]

OR, and this is the more likely scenario, Meyer was just trying to cover her poor writing skills by bullshitting her way out. Sounds a hell of a lot more convincing to me.

 

[Something Amyss]

Well If that was true then the entire story would make even less sense as the characters would like Bella would like her for qualities that some of the readers do not have. Also her actions would disagree with some readers as well. I cannot see that as Stephanie Myers Original intent, if she had one.

I can't see her having an intent, original or otherwise.

 

[the trooper]

i do kinda see the point, but does it make it a good book, nope, and i sincerley hope it will be forgotten over time

 

[Crimson_Dragoon]

No, that doesn't excuse a poorly written character. This isn't Mass Effect, or Fallout, or a pen-and-paper RPG where YOU are the character and its up to you to determine your (the character's) actions and personality. This isn't even a choose your-own-adventure novel. This is a regular novel where the character's actions and personality have to stand up for themselves, and a bland, boring character is just a bland, boring character.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

sounds about right; that's called a Mary Sue, a character used as a wish-fulfillment for either the author or the reader (and for the love god, do NOT try to "correct me" on this). It's a bad device that only bad writers use because making three-dimensional protagonists actually takes WORK.

 

[Wicky_42]

I heard an interesting theory regarding Twilight and the character of Bella Swan the other day.

The reason she's such a bland, uninteresting, burlap sack of a character is because the target audience is intended to project themselves into her shoes. If she were a REAL character (i.e., someone with a personality and other defining traits), she would just be some dumb ***** getting in-between the reader and Edward Cullen (or Jacob, if you're into that sort of thing). Probably also why the Twilight novels are written as a first-person narrative.

That's not so much a theory as broadly obvious fact. She's the shy submissive female equivalent of many a faceless power-armoured space marine, but at least computer games have action to make up for the lack of a characterful lead.

People freely bash space marine #102836 for lacking personality, but there's always the 'actions speak louder than words' fall back a gamer can make as he/she inhabits and animates the character. Intentionally creating a film character lacking in personality, imo, creates something boring and un-engaging. Sure, hordes of insecure teen girls might love seeing a figure they can relate to, but that's no excuse to have written one in an attempt to pass it off as anything other than a shameless exploitation move.

 

[Rensenhito]

Here's an idea: write an entire love story wherein every single character has no defining traits or personalities! That way, the reader can make them into whoever they want them to be!

In all seriousness, though, I've always thought that.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

also reminds me that games are the only medium that get away with this

 

[Dreey]

same as Master Chief, why doesent he ever show his face? because underneath its my frikkingly epic face!

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

Yes, this is pretty much entirely correct. Stephanie Meyer has outright stated that she avoided physical description so that readers could supplant their own looks onto the character.

Not that that makes it any better. It's the same as writing a deliberately unlikable or deliberately annoying character. Someone eventually needs to remind you that doing it deliberately still means you've created a bland character.

And as I've seen posted above but it's one of my points too, she doesn't even really have an 'action define you' option to fall back on because all she ever does is pine after Edward, which means that he is the entire definition of her life, and beyond that everythign is down to the reader.

I wouldn't read a character who was written as accidentally bland, so why should I read one who is deliberately bland? That's the way I look at it. When I finished reading the first Twilight all I knew for certain was that there was nothing good or well written about the entire turgid mess.

 

[TheNamlessGuy]

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