Gonick "Betw. ..Reviving Ophelia" - Twilight's Bella #8

In Maria Gonick's article entitled "Between Girl Power and Reviving Ophelia: Constituting the Neoliberal Girl Subject" states that, "Ophelia is shadow twin to the idealized empowered girl.  Without intervention she is at risk of failing to produce the required attributes of the neoliberal feminine subject (15)."

The book Reviving Ophelia uses Opehlia, a Shakespeare character, to represent the modern girl.  Girls in this book are "vulnerable, passive, & voiceless (1)" and need someone to rescue them from the oppressive pressures ascribe to them once they enter young adulthood.

Bella, from the Twilight movies can be seen as a modern day Ophelia subject in pop culture. In the series, Bella, a 17-year-old girl falls in love with her classmate Edward, a vampire.  In order to be with him she must give up everything she has her family, life, identity in order to merge fully into his.   Her marrying him, being bitten, and then bearing his child accomplishes this in Breaking Dawn, third film.  There is an analogy throughout this film with premarital sex (Bella-Edward) and death/ sin.  The urges for Bella’s blood are uncontrollable for Edward especially when they become sexual. Bella’s sexual desires must be controlled for an higher purpose which is matrimony.  Her sexual development begins and ends with Edward in this series.  Her search for an identity that was implied in the beginning of the first film ceases once she enters into a relationship with Edward.  She serves as a vessel for his desires.  Bella is not a typical neoliberal female subject because she is not fully independent nor overtly sexual.  She observes the decisions that take place around her and comments during the narration about them.  Through her actions, she does not directly change the outcome (throughout the first and second films).  She must be saved throughout the entire series from otherworldly beings such as werewolves and vampires.