Edward the Pedophile/Stalker?
by Rodney on May.20, 2009, under The joy of living with a twilight nut
I have read all 4 Twilight books and I have a question for all the women out their. Is Edward a stalker/pedophile? Well I guess that is two questions, but I would really like to know. I mean he is around 100 years old and dating a girl that is 17. He breaks into her room at night and stares at her while she sleeps. He does this numerous times. If I where to wake up in the middle of the night and my wife was staring at me I would think she was crazy.
I asked my wife this question and she says he isn’t. So I said would you like me to treat you like Edward treats Bella. She said yes, so I started staring at her. She laughed and went to the kitchen. She saw I was still staring at her and she just started laughing and said quit it. I said I was just doing what Edward does. She said that’s not how he does it. I ask how does he do it then? I am still waiting on the answer to that question.
I have heard the response that well he is a 17 year old that has lived for 100 years. I don’t understand that argument. How can you be a 17 year old for 100 years. He has lived 100 years, so he is that old. Yes his body may be the same but his mind isn’t. If we find a way to live forever with technology does that mean a 100 year old cyborg would date a girl that is 17? His body would look 17 but his mind isn’t, but alas I am trying to use logic in a would of screaming teenagers and even louder women in their 30′s.
June 1st, 2009 on 3:11 am
Honestly, I’m a 24 year old woman and I find Edward and Bella’s relationship troubling. The entire series is simply wish fulfillment, and teenage girls as well as women are wholeheartedly embracing this character who is overprotective and a borderline stalker.
Yes, Bella’s very, very clumsy. She has been all of her life, for seventeen years before she even met Edward. Yes, she’s in danger if there are other vampires or werewolves around. But isn’t the rest of Forks, Washington?
First of all, let’s discuss the fact that the entire Cullen family has to go to high school and continue repeating it, probably forever so they can stay undercover. So you have a bunch of hundred year old vampires sitting next to teenagers, who, apparently all think they are completely gorgeous, which must not bother the vampires because they continue to attend school. Edward’s sudden intense attraction to Bella seems a little pedophilic/lecherous and the fact that his intense dislike of her only seems to pique her interest and make her search out answers about him and his entire family rather than avoiding someone who has enough issues to ignore you on first sight.
I was raised on the classics as well as conventional children’s stories (i.e. Romeo and Juliet, most of Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Greek tragedies, practically every Disney movie ever made) and the entire series really seems to focus on this epic love that really wasn’t developed, which can be said for the Disney movies as well. It’s a timeless story. Girl meets boy. Girl falls in love with boy in very short time. Girl and boy live happily ever after.
The only catch in this series, is happily ever after really comes at a price. Bella gives up her family, her life, and all for a boy she fell in love with at first sight who doesn’t seem to want her and is always battling with himself because he wants to kill her. Doesn’t that send a very BAD message to girls? Yeah, you need to go out there and find a guy that treats you like you’re an idiot and can’t do for yourself, one that watches you sleep at night, he’s the perfect man and will take care of you forever.
There’s not much character development. Edward is constantly annoyed that he wants to kill Bella. Bella is annoyed that he is constantly trying to protect her, but apart from that, why do they love each other?
The second novel is very depressing to me. As an adult, I’ve gone through breakups, but this is like the mother of all breakups. Bella just stops living when Edward leaves her. She practically tries to commit suicide just because she thinks she can hear Edward’s voice when she’s in danger. It’s a completely depressing read in that all she does is mope around and stare into space because her one true love left her in his effort to protect her in a self-flagellating form of affection. She looses all will to live. It’s a self-destructive relationship on both sides that is actually brought to fruition in the fourth novel. What’s even more depressing that, although I have all four novels, after the second novel I couldn’t bring myself to even crack open the third and skipped straight to the fourth, hoping to find out what happened because the depression that was palpable in book two was so stifling I skimmed through several passages, in an effort to hasten my completion.
I read the first two books because my best friend, who is my age, said she really enjoyed them and she usually has pretty good taste in reading material, I mean, she is the manager of a book store, but after my first read, I re-read Twilight and something struck me. The series is almost a form of fan-fiction.
Given, this is an original work, the entire storyline pretty much features on wish fulfillment and the forbidden. Allowing Becca to get everything in the end without less fight than I would’ve thought possible is surprising from an author that is hailed as the next J.K. Rowling.
One of the main marks of a fan fiction (as well as a Mary/Gary-Sue) is the transparency and/or perfection of a character if in-expertly written, usually the heroine (since most fan fictions are written by girls). In this case, both main protagonists are pretty transparent. I have read many, many fan fictions as I enjoy seeing what people can come up with, and the first couple of novels especially read like fan fiction. There’s very little conflict, and at the end of the first book, the fight is hardly even satisfying. Rather than putting up a fight, Bella just gives up, hoping that her prince charming will come and save her.
I have lived all over the country and have learned about several cultures and perhaps some of this lechery apparent in the relationship of Bella and Edward is being sublimated from Stephanie Meyer’s belief system. She’s a practicing Mormon. Although no longer recognized by the church, polygamy still occurs within the community. Usually an older man will marry a very young girl, maybe 14 years old, while he could be 50 years old. That thought is just as troubling, leaning towards pedophilic.
Although teenage and adult readers seem to skim over the fact that he’s 80 odd years her senior, Edward is much older and definitely much more “mature” in a psychological sense in that he has more world experience. Although this series seems so “romantic” it scares me that this is what younger girls will uphold as the romantic ideal.
June 9th, 2009 on 6:43 pm
Regarding Tara’s response…Now that you’ve completely over-analyzed the characters and the story, it seems to me that you should go spread your JOY somewhere else…. Maybe seek out a good therapist to rant to. These books are good STORIES for the reader to enjoy. Sounds to me like you have had your broken in a big way or have never truly fallen in love.
June 14th, 2009 on 2:20 pm
In response to Tara, unfortunately, you lost all credibility when you said that you skimmed over parts and did not even read the third book.
Had you read it carefully, without pre-judgement, you might have appreciated the nuanced character development throughout the series. In fact, the third book, in my opinion, is critical in that Edward goes through major emotional and behaviorial changes in his relationship with Bella and Jacob.
Also, in regards to the age difference, Edward does not care what chronological, human age she is. It was the bloodlust for her only that atttracted him which turned into love. This is also highligted in the third book.
I suggest that you read the parts that you skimmed over and the third book with an open mind. You may come to the same conclusion, but at least you will be credible. Otherwise, your strong and detailed opinion is an ignorant one.
August 8th, 2009 on 1:07 pm
Edward Cullen is a stalker, he even says so himself in the unfinished fifth book Midnight Sun. He also is a control freak.
August 17th, 2009 on 11:45 pm
Here I thought I was going to get a good laugh out of the comments…
What a joykill.
November 5th, 2009 on 12:53 pm
THANK YOU. This series worries me so much. What is the message young girls are getting?!
November 22nd, 2009 on 1:10 am
I love a good hamburger, should I marry it?
While she may have missed a part of the overall story presented in all four books, I don’t think she loses credibility for her opinion on the first book because she hasn’t read the third. And we are assuming that she never went back and read the third.
In regards to age difference, most pedophiles don’t “care what chronological, human age she is”.
So either he is a pedophile preying on someone who is inexperienced in life, or he is a beast who is incapable of human love in the sense we know it, infatuated over his favorite meal.
Kate, you are probably right on, even if for all the wrong reasons. The story and characters in this series were not written to be analyzed. They were written because the author thought, “It would be cool if the character did this!” And so the character does that. Which supports the argument presented: this is a vampire fanfic. It’s an easy read that requires (literally, a requirement) no thought.
December 9th, 2009 on 6:58 pm
I really enjoy the Twilight Saga in general and I’m fifteen years old. The fact that Edward is 108 is really creepy to me, but I still think the books are fun. The characters may not have much development, but in my opinion the obsession and stalker romance isn’t so bad in the fourth book. Edward is truly in love with her in the series. Just remember that it is only a book and whatever the author’s intention, that is what’s real in the Twilight world. The fact that she’s seventeen and he’s 108 doesn’t change the fact that it’s true love. Now, I think this sort of relationship in the real world is completely insane and unhealthy. It’s a fun and enjoyable read having nothing to do with reality.
December 13th, 2009 on 12:01 am
YES! FINALLY! I’ve been saying that forever! I read the first book and thought that! That and, before Bella, how many girls did Edward stalk?? He was alive for 100 years. You can’t convince me that Bella, a boring, plain, clutzy girl was the first girl that got his attention in that entire time….
January 3rd, 2010 on 6:39 am
Isnt the ‘true love’ line the one that many pedophiles use? As a survivor of sexual abuse I couldnt believe my eyes when I read the first book. It was basically a pedophile’s checklist of lines. The most telling is the ‘you’re the only one that I would break my moral code for’ line. Edward makes it clear that there is something soooooo special about Bella that he is breaking his own rules and being with her despite the risk to both of them. This is a typical sexual predator line used on vulnerable young women. Also the scene in which he has to suck out the other vampire’s poison but has to control himself and not go too far is undoubtedly creepy (and clearly the vampire version of coitus interuptus).
January 15th, 2010 on 8:27 pm
I think we should give the under 20 age bracket a bit more credit. They are actually really smart people with valid opinions and a fairly decent understanding of what is right and what is wrong. I remember being young and reading the VC Andrews books…which FYI are WAY worse then these books and I came out ok…I didn’t act on any of the books stories, nor did I fantasize about them. They were just a way for me to escape, just like thousands of other girls. They were stories…just like the Twilight series is for millions of girls.
Yes, Bella is needy, often stupid and completely foolish sometimes, but that’s what we actually love about her! She’s the friend we want to help – see the light.
And, come on, the whole Jacob loves a baby thing is WAY more creepy then Edward & Bella!!!
Keeping reading and having fun with it!
January 23rd, 2010 on 4:31 pm
I fully agree that Edward Cullen is a stalker/pedophile. And I have all the rights to say this because at some point I had been a blind, obsessed fan girl and had read the series about 7 times. I honestly don’t know what I was even thinking when I read them. But Edward in my opinion is a controlling, pessimistic, arrogant, egotistical prick who likes to watch 17 year old girls sleep and get them pregnant (although according to Stephenie Meyer’s rules in the other book, that should be impossible). Bella is a clingy, over dramatic, selfish, hormonal, obsessed, teen who doesn’t know the true meaning of love. And have you noticed that she only seems to be in danger when there is someone that needs to save her? Even as a vampire she is portrayed as weak which I find rather depressing. Way to make girls look strong Stephenie Meyer. And then there is the whole (rather disturbing) factor that one of the men Bella used to love falls in love with her daughter… Yep, that’s creepy. Then if you read the books you have to suffer through 100+ pages of grammar mistake. No person could publish a second book with in a year without making so many mistakes. The one that irks me the most is bloodred. And back to the subject of the characters personalities. Isn’t it a little too cliché. I mean really, the perfect family, the vampires who refuse to be “monsters” and drink animal blood. The bitchy one (Rosalie) brings some sense of normalcy to that picture perfect family just happens to become all nice to Bella in the fourth book making the family even more perfect. I’m done ranting here because if I continued I probably would reach the word limit or something but before I go I have to point something out. Most of the people who are defending the series have no legitimate response/retaliation to the actual facts written out before them; instead they defend the book with weak excuses. If they come up with actual answers regarding the things that we are addressing and they made sense then I would respect them, even though I would keep my view on things.
January 27th, 2010 on 3:00 pm
I had a boyfriend who was very controlling/possessive/stalking like Edward when I was in high school & my parents seriously thought about putting a restraining order on him. I’ve read the first 3 books & my daughter has read the first book. I’ve talked to her about Edwards issue’s. She thinks he’s weird too. As a parent, I would put a stop to any relationship with someone like Edward.
March 26th, 2010 on 5:27 pm
Edward is creepy, pedophilic (is that a word?), abusive, and a stalker. He watches Bella sleep for, I don’t know, 2-3 months (without her knowledge), and he’s in love with Bella even though he’s 108 (it will never, ever, ever, ever, EVER matter that he is physically 17, he’s biologically 108). And yet, girls around the globe are being brainwashed to think that Edward is the perfect man. When he’s not, because there is no such thing as a real perfect man.