The Battle of the Great Loves

So one of these photos may need no explanation for most. Unfortunately, that is most likely the second one: Twilight lovers Bella and Edward. The image on top is a rendering of one of literature's most supernal couples: Penelope and Odysseus. In contemplating the nature of the love portrayed in these two wildly passionate tales it seems glaringly obvious that the fantasy and fluff of the Bella-Edward flame is but a spark in comparison to the fire of Penelope and Odysseus'.

I have read the complete series of the Twilight Saga several times and just recently enjoyed watching the latest installment in the film adaptations. While the stories are thoroughly entertaining there does seem to be some question in my mind regarding the reflection these relationships offer of the nature of love, lust,and commitment. For some inexplicable reason studying the Homeric masterpiece, The Odyssey, has greatly refined my thoughts on the potency of the saga created by Stephenie Meyer. I do not claim to despise what I once found so entertaining, for I feel as if the world of Twilight offers an escape from reality and allows for a few hours of sheer mindless enjoyement, equivalent to the pleasure some may find in video games or fantasy sports. But when I hear comments like : Twilight is a story that appeals to girls and women as the ultimate romance, I admit I cringe at not just the sweeping generalization but also at the possibility of there being any truth in such a barb.

So I think those of us who do appreciate the films/books need to ask ourselves what it is about the story that captivates us so? And when putting the Bella-Edward relationship up against the strength of, for example, the Penelope-Odysseus dynamic what are our standards for what we define as romantic. The plain truth is Bella can't hold a candle to Penelope, but maybe that's why so many of us like her. She is the girl next door, the new girl in school, the girl who just wants to fit in but never feels like she does. Penelope is thoughtful in her actions, devoted to her husband who has been gone for almost 20 years and believed to be dead, and a fine manipulator of the situation in the most trying of circumstances. She is tender and tough all at the same time. In her we see the perfect mate to Odysseus ,the hero who is buffeted by the anger of Poseidon for almost 9 years after he sets sail from home at the close of the Trojan war. There is depth and a form of loyalty and longing for one another thoughout the subtext of the Odyssey.

I found in my recent viewing of Twilight: Eclipse, I could not determine what it was about either Bella or Edward that kept them together after the initial attraction, the undescribable magnetism that seeminlgy bound them together. There lies the flaw. In neither of their characters can I find anything that describes a deep and abiding connection that would have assured fidlelity and devotion preventing a clearly inappropriate triangle from growing into an inner struggle and form of betrayal. Then again would there be a story to tell if it had been written any other way? Food for thought.