Race And Manhood In The Twilight Movie Series

Stephanie Meyer’s four-book series Twilight—with its heady mixture of romance, adventure, and vampire gothic—is wildly popular among girls and women. Bella Swann’s suitability as a positive role model for teens and tweens has been cited an issue, especially the movie’s message about feminine virtue and agency that Bella’s character seems to endorse. On Jan. 21 a University of Victoria panel will shift the focus away from Bella to ask what kind of image about race and manhood Jacob Black represents. Jacob’s central role in Twilight is intriguing as he is one of the rare Indigenous protagonists in a mainstream young adult series. Does this mean popular culture has moved away from stereotypes about indigenous masculinities rooted in our colonial history? Or is Twilight merely adding an element of the “exotic” by appropriating Jacob’s Indigenous background?
         The event—“Edward, Bella and Jacob: What’s Really Going on in the Twilight Zone? A panel discussion on race and manhood in the Twilight movie series,”—features Dr. Taiaiake Alfred, director of UVic’s Indigenous Governance Program, Dr. Janni Aragon, political science professor and Dr. Sikata Banerjee, women’s studies professor and associate dean of humanities. It will take place on Thursday, Jan. 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. at David Strong Building, Room C118. Admission is free.
 

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