"And so the lion fell in love with the lamb..." Understanding the appeal of Twilight and Edward Cullen

My paper focuses on the character Edward Cullen from the 1st book of the Twilight series. Since the movie Twilight closely follows the book, I will be calling out various images and clips from the movie for a visual representation of my points.

It’s pretty important that those reading this understand the plot. If you haven’t read the book or seen the movie, head over to Wikipedia for a brief synopsis.

The basis of my research is trying to understand the vast appeal of the hero in Twilight, Edward. I also make note that Twilight is more than a young adult fantasy; it is a romance novel.



Twilight has sold over 17 million copies, and though it is often referred to as a book for young readers, it clearly appeals to a broader audience. The fact that adult women enjoy Twilight suggests that there is more to this text than the average young adult novel.

Edward Cullen is not an average high school senior. He is a vampire, who despite the appearance of a 17-year-old boy, was born in 1901. In Twilight, turning from human to vampire not only increases physical ability and strength, it intensifies attractiveness. Edward Cullen is what author Stephenie Meyer calls “devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful.”



In addition to being unbelievably good-looking, Edward is intelligent, charming, sensitive, and wealthy. The conflict in the relationship between Edward and the heroine, Bella lies in Edward’s desire to drink Bella’s blood. This lays the groundwork for the plot, but it also positions Edward as the typical romance hero. He fits the description of what romance author Robyn Kingston calls the “mean, moody, and magnificent” hero.

“You already know how I feel, of course,” I finally said.
“I’m here…which roughly translated, means I would rather die than stay away from you.” I frowned. “I’m an idiot.”
“You are and idiot,” he agreed with a laugh. Our eyes met, and I laughed, too. We laughed together at the idiocy and sheer impossibility of such a moment.”
“And so the lion fell in love with the lamb…,” he murmured. I looked away, hiding my eyes as I thrilled to the word.
“What a stupid lamb,” I sighed.
“What a sick, masochistic lion.” He stared into the shadowy forest for a long moment, and I wondered where his thoughts had taken him.

Edward’s unimaginable strength and his extraordinarily dangerous nature seem as though they would be deterrents for Bella, but they only further her intrigue. This parallels the typical romance hero/heroine relationship, because it sets up a challenge for the heroine. Kingston explains this aspect of the romance novel. “It is the hero’s task in the book to present a suitable challenge to the heroine. His strength is a measure of her power. For it is she who must conquer him.”



Kingston’s explanation of the hero is an interesting counter to the usual assumptions about the aggressive, bad boy. If the hero is pitted against the heroine, but he is unbelievably strong, it speaks to the strength of the heroine.



Before my research, I was among those who consider romance novels to be trash. Because of this, I didn’t think of Twilight as romance, mostly because I liked it. I say that I liked it with some hesitation, because I consider myself a feminist. The ways in which Edward’s appeal is interwoven with antiquated gender roles and stereotypes of the ways in which men and women are expected to interact romantically seem a markedly anti-feminist element of the book series. As a result, I felt conflicted by this sense of overwhelming interest in the main character and guilt for liking him. For me, this transgression was part of the pleasure of reading.



Prompted by my own feelings toward the book, I researched reactions by feminist readers. Many of them felt similarly. One funny example is this post (the comments at the bottom are interesting too).

I found that even mainstream media outlets had criticized Twilight for being anti-feminist. This article from the Washington Post is an example.

Based on my Internet searching, I found that women seem to be divided into two categories – those who hate the book and those who love it. For many of those who love the book, it’s filed under “guilty pleasure.” These intense reactions toward Twilight and the embarrassment from partaking in the phenomenon create another parallel to romance novels. Romance novel writer Jayne Krentz explains, “As any romance reader or writer will tell you, a reader either enjoys the novels or she does not. If she does, no further explanations of the appeal of the books are necessary.”



The reasons women read romance novels are largely disputed. Answers to the question of why women enjoy these books range from considering it a form of escapism to finding fulfillment that they cannot receive in their real lives. Opinions of whether romance novels are anti-feminist or feminist also vary greatly, with much support for both sides.

I found that thinking of Twilight as a romance novel was a good tool for understanding its appeal. In my paper, I used that lens to evaluate the hero and heroine. Readers’ interest in Edward is tied to his rigid, traditional masculinity as well as his romantic gestures and protective nature. The reason women love Twilight, and more specifically, Edward, is similar to the reason women love romance. It’s an escape, transgression, and romance written by a woman, for women. Edward may not be a plausible real-life love interest, but part of his intrigue lies in the fantasy element. The fantasy in Twilight removes the reader from the realm of normal happenings, which allows the reader to buy wholeheartedly into the story. If the story can be strange and intense, so can the hero. Finally, when considering that romance novels make up 35-40% of all fiction sold each year, the Twilight phenomenon seems small scale. Twilight is not a unique and peculiarly popular teen book, it’s a romance novel that sells much like its romantic counterparts, very well.

Extra reading: a very funny "explanation" of the appeal of Twilight.