Bella Swan as “The Angel in the House”

note: the following analysis is based exclusively on the first Twilight novel. I have not yet read the rest of the series and any rebuttals to my argument are more than welcome.

In Stephenie Meyer’s wildly popular Twilight series, the female protagonist, Bella Swan, is posed as yet another “Angel in the House,” as the concept is illustrated by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar. From a superficial standpoint, Bella appears to be a strong, individualistic heroine who asserts her will and tries to hold her own in the world of vampires and werewolves. However, Bella actually represents many of the traits of an “Angel in the House.” In Twilight, there is a direct correlation drawn between a vampire’s insatiable desire for blood and the human sex drive. Bella’s rejection of a human boyfriend, her desire to hide her involvement with the supernatural world from her family and friends, and her biological exclusion from the vampire world posits her as an isolated “other.” In this sense, Bella is entirely “pure.” She is untainted by the human desire for sex and the vampire’s desire for blood. With Edward, Bella is made entirely passive, contrary to whatever delusions of control or trust that she chooses to hold on to. Edward loves to watch Bella sleep (the most passive state) and he makes it clear to her that she is physically powerless against him. Even Bella’s language is deficient in the world of vampires that she inhabits, since they can communicate at speeds that she is incapable of. Bella is reliant completely upon her vampire protectors. She is also posited as virtuous in that she chooses to sacrifice her own life to save Edward, her parents, and her vampire friends when James begins to hunt her down. Even in this selfless act, however, Bella proves to be duped by James and needs Edward to save her from certain death. It is unsettling to think that Bella Swan would be a role model for anyone. The fact that some women (and some men) feel such a strong attraction to Edward Cullen seems to parallel a desire to be made completely passive and ineffectual.