The Swan Princess (Part I)

“A woman’s hair is long but her wits are short,” — proverb

I disagree with the statement entirely. I’m sure others would call it misogynist, women-hating or boorishly chauvinistic. I think that many fans of Twilight would concur giving that statement those labels. Yet why do so many women identify with Bella Swan, Twilight's "heroine" or, as I'd title her, the book's "feature moron."

In analyzing Bella Swans character, I have found no character at all.

Bella Swan is nothing much. She considers herself to be nothing much, and she doesn't do anything but provide the reader with plaintive accounts of her inner feelings. A friend of mine, who deserves credit for being an inspiration for my literary criticism of this novel, pointed out Bella Swan is not much of a protagonist. For those of us who don't pay attention in English class or didn't expect words above two-syllables on a blog, the protagonist is the "good" character. The character the reader wants to win in the end.

Yet, this is too simple a definition, especially for our purposes here, ladies and gentlemen. For certainly, Bella Swan is the character you "ought to" (I put it in quotes because I can't) root for. Though, even "rooting for" Bella implies that Bella has some goal, some purpose, is chasing something. I think that Bella is without any of these.

As my friend said: "Bella is a bad protagonist, she doesn't do anything; everything happens to her."

Reader, this is absolutely true. Reread the book and find one thing Bella does to move the plot along. She's just adrift among these situations. The only thing she does for the book is give an account of what's going on around her and within her. Other than that, she has no power in the story. A protagonist viscerally interacts with the story, the novel is typically their struggle and an account of their actions. Bella never acts or acts on anything, she is just eventually pushed into these situations.

I start the following video at 44 seconds in for you, please pause after 1:20.

Courtesy of toler1977 who does "NOT OWN THIS VIDEO"

You don't have to tread to far into the video. The first question is all I consider relevant to this post. "In what ways do you relate to Bella Swan?" as answered by Kristen Stewart herself.

I relish it as I quote it: "there was no distinct character I was playing, I was really just this girl in this, like, extravagant situation."

If the actor who must be intimate with the character to present it, finds there to be no distinct character what does that say about the entity she attempts to represent? What is Bella Swan if she has no character? A blob, "just this girl."

And yet, so many want to put themselves into the position of "just this girl." I do realize people find it easy to project themselves onto Bella. She is a flat, blank screen. Bella is everybody's means to Edward. That's why people choose to project themselves upon her says more about Edward than Bella, I will becoming back to this idea.

Ladies, how would you like it if your man wrote the story of your love for you?

Edward does.

Edward sets everything in motion, he's the one who is first so mysteriously wary of her, he's the one who begins to talk to her, he's the one who takes her into the woods, he's the one who lavishes her with superhuman attention.

Hey ladies, would women have every gotten as far in society as they are now if they had Bella's complacency? And you aspire to be like her...? Why? When she has no values, no purpose, only "extravagant situations?"

What is Bella Swan? Fowl.