Disclaimer: I'm going to start by saying what I'm about to ask is a serious question that I do with the genuine desire to discuss the topic (the story writing topic, not the sociopolitical topic), however the inherently trollish and flamebaity nature of it makes me start the thread as I'm doing. I'll say say that I'm very sorry, in case this goes to hell at any point, and that I won't mind if a mod deletes it all for any reason. Now, to the question: I've not read Twilight nor seen the movie but I have heard about it, what I think is the bare minimum you can hear about it. If what I've heard isn't wrong, in the story a relation starts between an underage girl and an adult male. Questions: - What's the age difference? - Does the main vampire character act as if vampirism stunted somehow his mental growth? - Do characters in the novel speak about the topic? Something like "Man, are you seriously dating a minor?". - Are there other younger vampires in the novel that act as even younger people? (An eight year old vampire not having much of a sense of responsability nor any interest in the opposite sex, for example, might explain the author's views about the whole topic). - Is the topic just presented as it is and just accepted as such? (One would have little reason to feel offended by Nabokov's Lolita, as the topic is obvious before reading it). I don't really wish to start a discussion about the topic outside the novel as I suppose most of us have the same strong feelings about it and yet it could degrade very fast.
I have not read the book (although I watched the movie; which i found to be quite laughable), but my understanding is that the vampire, before he became a vampire, was also a minor. Although, I understand that the vampire is really at least 100 years old. Now, the way I see it, if I was stuck in a teenage body for 100+ years, I would think, act, or behave like a teenager, I probably wouldn't be interested in teenagers if only due to their psychological level. Although, I believe there was some ridiculous Dues Ex Machina like reason that made the vampire seem like less of a total pedophile.
Yes, that's what I'm looking for and don't want to have to read the book to find out. I mean, if I write a modern fantasy story of a forty year old wizard who casts a spell on himself to have a seventeen year old body, in order to flirt with underage girls, I don't think It'd be very well received. Or a cyberpunk story about a forty year old millionaire who transplants his brain into a seventeen year old body. Or a virtual world story about a forty year old hacker who builds himself a seventeen year old avatar. etc.
- What's the age difference? Edward had been born in 1901. Bella had been born in 1988, calculating form she was 17 when the book come out. - Does the main vampire character act as if vampirism stunted somehow his mental growth? They acted their physical age. - Do characters in the novel speak about the topic? Something like "Man, are you seriously dating a minor?". You bet. Only thing that come close was Bella worrying about getting older than Edward (he was 17). - Are there other younger vampires in the novel that act as even younger people? (An eight year old vampire not having much of a sense of responsability nor any interest in the opposite sex, for example, might explain the author's views about the whole topic). Well, Jacob had love interest in Renesmee, Edward and Bella's newborn daughter since the hour she was born. - Is the topic just presented as it is and just accepted as such? (One would have little reason to feel offended by Nabokov's Lolita, as the topic is obvious before reading it). It wasn't presented pedophilic aspect even in Jacob and Renesmee arc. I love a book dealing with pedophile though. It's interesting topic to explore.
It is somewhat unclear, at times, as to whether or not he has mentally matured. Edward (apparently, though there is no sign of it in his dialogue) speaks with what Bella describes as "turn of the century" wording, and his interests are sufficiently refined enough (aside from his interest in Muse) to imply some level of maturity, although I certainly liked Victorian literature and music when I was seventeen (a year ago, admittedly), so I don't know that this can really stand out. The history we get about him, though, implies that once he settled into vampiredom, he basically just started a constant loop of education. He has a few medical degrees - each of which probably took about ten years to acquire, plus presumably a few years of him getting a high school degree to match the years correctly. If he only had three such degrees, that could easily have occupied 45 of the past 100 years, and we already know he's going through another loop of high school. He's probably not spent much time with people outside of his "family" and schoolmates, 15 to 25 or so, for at least the past five decades, if not longer. Arguably, if all you ever did was hang out with other teenagers and young adults, you might maintain the attitude of such an age group. It is occasionally discussed, although certainly in no manner that would suggest Edward a pedophile (indeed, as one poster mentioned, Bella actually felt awkward when she turned 18 because she was technically older than him, an utter absurdity). It certainly isn't considered a major issue, though, and it is really not touched upon too much. The fact that it wasn't with the infant and Jacob, though, is a bit disturbing, but I digress.
I'm not an extensive vampire guru, but, after a grad-project and just about every vampire speculation under my belt, I figured I'd do my best to answer this. - What's the age difference? In the Twilight Saga, Edward is roughly 87-90 years a vampire, but was turned at the tender age of 17, so, hypothetically he's either 87 or 104. Some choose to define a vampire by their age from the moment they turn and join the immortal, while others view age as the moment of birth as a human. Isabella, on the other hand, is the human, and she is 17 at their meeting. It's noted that she tends to act older than her age. - Does the main vampire character act as if vampirism stunted somehow his mental growth? Not in the least. Edward is wise for his persona. It's mentioned time in and time out that he doesn't quite 'fit in' with the children/young adults his age. He's fully aware of every action he does, and while he is owner to foolish choices, no one, not even a vampire, is perfect. I love when a person thinks that being a vampire automatically makes you incapable of doing anything incorrectly or being overruled by emotions. This is not always the case. Vampires were once human, too, and still hold onto some trait of humanity within them, even the ones with senseless killings under them. - Do characters in the novel speak about the topic? Something like "Man, are you seriously dating a minor?" From what I recall, his family was uneasy with him dating/courting Isabella, but not because of her age, but more because her knowing he's immortal suddenly puts the whole family in danger "should she become the meal", to quote Bella from the Twilight movie. - Are there other younger vampires in the novel that act as even younger people? (An eight year old vampire not having much of a sense of responsability nor any interest in the opposite sex, for example, might explain the author's views about the whole topic). Yes and no. There are younger vampires, like Jane and Alec, but they, too, do not act the least like they hold no interest in sex. Then again, not much was touched upon them, seeing as they're the enemy, and as such, we gain very little about them throughout the entire series, we just know them as a threat. However, there is talk about the Immortal Children in the fourth book, which loosely ties to the huge controversy of Renesmee (very loosely, mind you). Carlisle explained to Isabella about young children, we're talking six or seven year, that were turned into vampires, and due to their lack of mental development, they were unable to be tamed. The children destroyed entire villages when their tempers flared, and when they were thirsty, they fed remorselessly, without care of exposing themselves to the public human eye. - Is the topic just presented as it is and just accepted as such? (One would have little reason to feel offended by Nabokov's Lolita, as the topic is obvious before reading it). Overall, I believe so. Edward is posing and is viewed as a 17-year-old, and Bella is 17, too, so logically to the human eye, it's acceptable to date. Whether the other vampires view her age as an issue, it's never spoken upon or even remotely mentioned that I can recall in the series.
