Bella’s Stereotyped Role through Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight
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Date
2017-06
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Abstract
This dissertation examines the restoration of the patriarchal system, along with woman’s
oppression and psychological repression through Twilight, a story written by the American
novelist, Stephenie Meyer. This scrutiny is significant in the fact that it brings to the surface
patriarchal oppression of a protagonist inscribed in the world of vampirism. Throughout the story
and from feminist and psychoanalytical point of view, the protagonist Bella Swan is apparently
restricted to a feminine role, including her appearance, her thoughts, and her behaviours with
males. Then, she is exposed to the consequences of the classical gender role. She is physically,
economically, and psychologically oppressed. Therefore, this examination aims to analyse the
character of Bella and show the disparity between her and her lover, Edward Cullen. Moreover,
this research intends to exhibit the negative impacts of patriarchy, regarding the Otherness and
the psychological oppression of Bella, individually and socially. To achieve these goals, this
study called for two theories: the feminist standpoint of Simone de Beauvoir’s the Second Sex
which helps identifying Bella’s gender alienation in a male dominated society. In addition to the
Freudian psychoanalytical perspective that studies the function of Bella’s psyche, as well as her
traumatic psychology which is induced by her inferior status. After investigation, it has been
revealed that Bella is inhibited by her stereotypical female role. She is physically and
psychologically oppressed. In other words, she is subjugated in a patriarchal world
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other words, she is subjugated in a patriarchal world.