The Twilight of Good Writing

WASHINGTON (Catholic Online) - Catholic Psychologist Dr Ray Guarendi, during a recent EWTN interview, warned about good Catholic parents unconsciously lowering their standards, and allowing things today that they would never accept as recently as three years ago.

As the rest of the Culture of Death slinks to new lows, we who are trying to raise souls for heaven must remain vigilant. Just because a parent is stricter than 80% of parents out there, remember whether what you are permitting your children to do would have been acceptable in the household you grew up in.

When I first heard the premise of the "Twilight" series from the middle school students in my Catholic school, my stomach turned. A bright young woman, full of promise, cavalierly risks her life for a cold, sulky man who at any given moment may bite her neck and suck the blood out of her.

My students, whose Bible-sized books never leave their arms, protested loudly when I read them a negative Catholic review in class, and raucously insisted I read the book. Most of their teachers had read it, they insisted, and now loved the series, and discussed the upcoming film with them. Devout Catholic mothers and respected Catholic writers have defended "Twilight". When my daughter's high school English teacher made it required reading, I reluctantly decided to read the book find out just what was driving this phenomenon, and whether I would allow her to read it.

The story is compelling and despite not truly bonding with Bella, whom I found condescending towards just about everyone in her life, I looked forward to seeing how her romance with Edward progressed. The feelings evoked by Stephanie Meyer remind me of the intense teenage longing of middle school, where a girl's entire day is made when the object of her affection looks her way.

She is skilled at creating in her readers the intense, prolonged sexual tension of unfulfilled desire. The couple never "goes all the way"; however, so many defend it as a wholesome book. Don't ever confuse abstinence with chastity; "Twilight" is about sex, plain and simple. But it gets worse.

Bella is unfortunately the typical American teenage girl of her generation. She is the product of a broken home with inadequate parenting. She moves from Phoenix, where a mother whose pursuit of a love interest replaces concern for her daughter's welfare, to Washington State where an emotionally incompetent father, cannot protect her from the disastrous choices of her low self-esteem.

In steps handsome, emotionally distant Edward, the guy no one understands, who appeals to Bella the girl no one understands. Is this a match made in heaven, or just passionate co-dependence?

Edward is every parent's nightmare, a bad guy with panache, who makes a hero of himself, stealing a teenage girls' heart while feigning morality. He seems noble for not killing or seducing Bella when they tangle passionately on her bed down the hall from clueless Dad.

He is, however, no stranger to her bedroom. As a vampire who needs no sleep; he has been haunting her bedroom for weeks to watch Bella sleep. Bella disparages her father, whom she calls "Charlie" for his broken heart about her mother's desertion of their marriage. Charlie is the village sheriff, yet he is no match for Edward's good looks, dominating personality, and superpowers. His feeble attempts to protect his daughter are dwarfed by the bold rescues carried out by Edward, whose strength and near constant anger make him seem chivalrous and dangerous all at the same time.

When I asked the young women in my class why they loved "Twilight" they shouted "romance' but when questioned further, they admitted they like it for the theme of "romance with danger". Living on the edge of darkness has been a theme of so much of children's literature; "Harry Potter", "A Series of Unfortunate Events", and "Goosebumps" have created a generation of children who have never seen the true, the noble and the beautiful.

As their parents, we owe it to our daughters, to guide them toward that which uplifts their hearts, and forms their minds. To that which guides them towards good spouses, not dangerous men in need of a 'savior'. Girls already have a Savior, and it hurts that I have never seen His book carried by these girls with equal devotion.

What can we do to re-orient our daughters? Contrast this series with the "Chronicles of Narnia'. When my attempts to reason that the "Twilight" series was toxic met intractable opposition, I changed tactics, and exposed my students to a Christian writer, CS Lewis who understood the hallmarks of true nobility, hoping to create an irresistibly clear contrast in their minds.

Reading "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' with seventh graders who have seen the film and knew the plot seemed futile, until after reading the book's ending in class, I asked them a simple question, 'if you were one of the Pevensie children, how would Narnia be different?" I didn't anticipate the firestorm of excitement I had ignited, and sat back to watch their imaginations fire away. Something of Christ figure Aslan's lifting of ordinary children to the level of noble monarchs had captured their imaginations, and they begged me to read "Prince Caspian" next.

So, what if your daughter has already become infatuated by this series? Find her something written by Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, JRR Tolkien, or CS Lewis. Together watch the films which their delightful novels have inspired, and gently guide her towards the true, the noble and the beautiful.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

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