Tabitha Lewis
Fate of the Novel
Final Presentation
December 4, 2008
Primary Text: Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer
Argument: It is through investigation of teen girls’ relationship with the text that some particular truths become evident; Twilight’s popularity stems from its ability to fulfill social needs for its readers, as well as the psychological needs of love, sexual exploration, and the sense of belonging that aids in adolescent identity formation.
Ø Part I-Social Needs: The act of reading Twilight is a social event. It stems from the recommendations of one reader to another and extends to the conversations that follow. Of the sixty-two eighth graders that I surveyed at the Broadalbin-Perth Middle School in Amsterdam, New York, anyone who had read the book did so because a friend recommended it to them or because “everyone was talking about how good it is.” “Adolescents choose books that their peers have enjoyed, and which validate reading as a peer group cultural experience” (Hopper 118).
Ø Part II-Psychological Needs: Meyer’s writing creates a venue for her teen girl readers to slip into situations they can relate to, while extending those situations that much further so that the reader can ride along vicariously through the characters in the passage to experience new things as well. It is through these situations and experiences that Twilight appeals to psychological needs of the readers. By psychological needs I mean love, sexual desire, and a sense of belonging. The novel is able to play into their insecurities and provide an outlet for reassurance by reminding them they aren’t alone in their feelings.
Why does it matter? As a prospective teacher of English, I hope to provide students with texts that provoke them to ask questions of the world, their peers, and themselves, ultimately enabling them to take charge of their own learning. This book is extremely popular right now. I wanted to work towards finding out why. I feel that listening to and validating the stories that girls decide to make meaning from will help teachers know what is important to them and what they are eager to explore.
Key Sources:
Interviews and Surveys of Teen Readers, ages 13-17
Bennett, Tony. “Texts, Readers, Reading Formations.” The Bulletin of the Midwest Modern Language Association 16 (1983): 3-17. JSTOR. 7 Nov. 2008 <http://www.jstor.org/search>.
Bereska, Tami M. “Adolescent Sexuality and the Changing Romance Novel Market.” The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality 3 (1994): 35-44.
DeBlase, Gina. “Acknowledging Agency While Accommodating Romance: Girls Negotiating Meaning in Literacy Transactions.” Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy 46 (2003): 624-635.
Hopper, Rosemary. “What Are Teenagers Reading? Adolescent Fiction Reading Habits and Reading Choices.” Literacy (2005): 113-120.
Radway, Janice A. Reading the Romance. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1984.
Tolman, Deborah L. “Object Lessons: Romance, Violation, and Female Adolescent Sexual Desire.” Journal of Sexual Education and Therapy 25 (2000): 70-79.
Indeed Twilight brings many girls together to fawn over the beau!
Check out this male’s perspective on Twilight(novel)–maybe my reasoning will resonate with you!