华南理工大学外国语学院 科技英语1班 吴雯雯

Every girl is waiting for her Mr. Right when she is young. Unfortunately, when we grow up we find that these sweet dreams will be killed by the cruel reality most of the time. Yet, fortunately, we have Twilight and its saga, who help all the dreaming young girls realize it—that silly but attractive dream.

The book on hand—Twilight is one of the best books I have ever owned. One can be easily attracted by its cover, designed in a gorgeous way. A pair of long slender white hands holding a bright red apple, which is like a treasure anyone would grasp at the first sight. It metaphors that the vampire Edward possessed the beautiful young girl Bella. As far as I know, the apple is coming from the story recorded in the Genesis of the Old Testament, that is, the same apple ate by Eve. It means the love between a vampire and a human is prohibited.

Temptation of 17

Reading through Twilight, I was fully touched. The vampire subject smells like bonded whiskey, though old, still fragrant. It does not focus on the horrible instincts of the blood thirsty creature, not the splendid natural scene of the wettest town of America--Forks, but the struggle between life and love. Love is certainly the theme of the novel, which, however, happens to high school students in modern America, instead of the classic blue people in the Middle Ages. In fact, the Cullens are really modern nobles in that little town. They are superhero made from devil, charming and mysterious.

 The 17-year-old girl moved to live with her father so as to spare some space and time for her newly-remarried mother. When she arrived at this small, remote and rainy-all-year-round town named Forks, she never said a word of regret, but indeed she missed the heat and sunshine of her previous hometown Phoenix. Out of her any expectation, she came across him at the crossroad of her life. They seemed to know everything that would happen when glance met glance. Waiting for them were not only the temptation of love, but a dangerous deep abyss. The mutual love and the coming dark companied them every exciting day, as the beautiful ray of the setting sun shining the twilight town.

The age of 17 or 18 is a fantastic period of one’s life, during which time one can have the worst pain or the best joy. Since HE had the fetching looks, superman’s body, and the talent of reading minds, while SHE was just an ordinary girl with sick-like pale skin and without strong motor nerves; since 17 was his permanent age while time run fast as to her, he would be forever young while she was gradually getting old, what is the reason that their worlds could have intersection? Because from the moment Eve and Adam ate the forbidden fruit, man turns to be overwhelmed by the love-hate feelings.

Happiness moves slowly, and danger waits for his time. If a weak girl wants to enter a special nonhuman world, the difficulty will be much bigger than her kiss with a kind devil. In the preface of this novel, Bella said: “Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of someone else, someone I loved.” Because it is “the lion fell in love with the lamb”, either side has to be hurt. Human and vampire’s impossible love exists in the real world in the book. Under the plot, what appeals to the readers is the rebellion of puberty, an action to rebel both temptation and moral principles with indulgent love and young power.

The rules and ethics will never surrender. They spare no effort to give the youth a pruning. One in 17 or 18 may probably encounter such embarrassment, sometimes his love, sometimes his ideal, and sometimes the other aspects. You think you have made the upmost effort, but you can never achieve a full mark. Think of Edward, even though he was masculine, strong and powerful, he could not protect his lover Bella from being harmed. So do not blame yourself too much.

Long way towards self-identity

The narration of the novel is smooth and steady, while in reality, one’s puberty is like riding a roller coaster, one second of flying high, the next second falling down. So it is easy for us to understand Bella’s frailty, mental conflict, helplessness and insistence; as well as Edward’s mad, perseverance, and bravery. Only after the burning blood cools down, will reason weigh the value of love. Men and women of 60 or 70 will surely consider the social possibility of combining two to one, nevertheless the boy and girl of 16 or 17 will never think about it.

What dominates the hormone sloshing around?

Perhaps the playing card stamped with self-identity. Then, why?

To be brief, self-identity is one loves oneself truly. Facing the man in a mirror, if you identify him, you will find him nice; if you find him nice, you will accept him; after you accept him, you will then respect him. You will not complain about how ugly you are; you will confront yourself with problems bravely and stop lamenting; you will be confident in your judgment and be able to adapt yourself to the surroundings; you can analyze your merits and demerits, and sincerely love your friends; …

However, too many kids in puberty lack of self-identity, or another word, they got obstacles in the process of building up self-identity. Each of Bella and Edward had set a good example.

The pale-faced girl Bella, in a sense, was a “trouble girl” (not bad girls hanging around in the streets). Her parents divorced in her early age, and her mother got remarried. She went back lonely to the place she once lived where her father still stayed. That sensitive and meticulous was she made her different from her peers. She refused almost everything: no balls, no boyfriend, and no father’s kind help, until she met another cold fish—Edward. Magically, Edward became her sun, warming and melting her frozen heart.

With such a “troubled” beginning, Bella actually set up her self-identity in the process of get along with Edward’s family. Edward’s love and acknowledgment from his family helped Bella recognize that one should abandon some unnecessary criticism and admit that not everyone is perfect; and it is not that meaningful to be the No.1. The self-identity is, perhaps, to frankly accept your shortcomings and the shadows hidden in heart.

At last, Bella’s mental knot was untied. When she danced elegantly with her boyfriend—Edward in the ball, reconciled with her parents, smiled to her friends and talked honestly with those boys who adored her, we can then heave a long sigh, because this “trouble girl” had already obtained the self-identity, which was indeed one of the most valuable gifts during her life.

Let’s take a look at Edward—the blue and handsome boy.

Edward and his family lived in seclusion in the wet town. They called themselves as “vegetarians” because they did not drink human’s blood but animals’. They survived in the world by the means of repressing desires and cultivating spirits. They were neither horrible nor fearsome, not even the image in normal people’s minds. Instead, they were good-looking. The father was a respectable doctor in the local hospital and all the others had legitimate occupations. They listened to classic music and lived in a villa of good taste. What’s more, they had harmonious relationship with one another and no secrets existed in the family. Besides, they were just and fearless facing evils. Actually, they were a group of idolized modern nobles. 

However, Edward was not always happy. He was both obsessed and confused with the fact that he was a vampire. He had not yet got a self-identity. In the school, he was like an alien in the eye of other students, isolated and indifferent. He had not ever enjoyed a genuine friendship, let alone love. A youth without friendship and love is just a white paper, pale and boring. No wonder that the 17-year-old Edward could not identify himself, though he had a happy family. Only when he fell in love with Bella and tried his best to protect her had he found his great power and self-identity.

Thanks to the novel, it seems that vampires or other ghosts have become not that terrifying. Well, let’s make a joke here. If you come across a ghost or vampire someday, don’t be scared. Say hello to it because it may be a soul finding others’ approval.

The author has told the readers a special romantic story, stimulating in her delicate expressing way their imagination and desire to read through, allowing them to experience the wonderful adventure in the world moving heartstrings. In the refreshing description and narration, readers see the splendid puberty, the wonderful first love, at the same time, the fight of sense and sensitivity, the struggle between soul and body.

Twilight is not the end of day, but the indication of hope.