Imprinting takes the idea of "love at first sight" to a completely different level. Of course, the primary criticism of imprinting comes from the three major imprinting storylines:
1. Sam & Emily: Sam imprints on Emily, Emily rejects him, Sam grievously injures/disfigures her, she accepts him. The implication here being that the abuse theme begun with Bella/Edward is being carried to a conclusion: women should love their abusers so they stop abusing.
2. Quil & Claire: Quil is physically mature, Claire is two. If imprinting is primarily sexual, how can this not be an endorsement of pedophilia?
3. Jacob & Renesmee: Jacob is physically mature, Renesmee is a newborn. See the above criticism.
Again, I believe most of these criticisms stem from people not taking into account the alternate reality in which this story is told, but I'll admit that the imprinting aspect has really been the only thing about the series that has given me pause, upon reflection. (When I read them the first time, it didn't bother me at all.)
The Sam/Emily imprinting didn't bother me, and still doesn't. I frankly don't see what the fuss is there. The werewolves unpredictability is documented thoroughly throughout the story, it is entirely possible that Sam could genuinely lose control and injure Emily. It is also possible that bonding would take place between them during her healing process.
I don't believe the relationships between Jacob/Quil and Renesmee/Claire are abusive, but these make me more uncomfortable. I don't believe that imprinting is only sexual, though naturally it has some sexual component. What bothers me is the idea that all a woman really needs from a relationship is complete adoration from a man. I don't have my books to hand, but Jacob, explaining it all to Bella, says something like, "Why wouldn't she want him, in the end?" and "That kind of adoration is hard to resist." My personal experience has been that love has to be much more mutual, so the idea that a completely one-sided infatuation can blossom into a meaningful and lasting relationship is hard for me to swallow.
Of course, we never get any perspective from the female half of the equation. Renesmee seems devoted to Jacob from the beginning: is there a "magic" at work on the female half as well? And did Emily just resist it out of loyalty to her cousin, Leah? If the imprinting impulse worked both ways, it would explain a lot.
And put my mind at ease.
Meyer's use of imprinting harks back, for me, to the classical love at first sight thing of chivalry. The woman perfects the man; or rather he perfects himself for love of her and in an attempt to be worthy of her. It also makes a great plot booster. Jake can be mad for Bella through 3 1/2 books and then the whole thing is resolved when he imprints on Nessie. Rival that is not a rival is there, completing the classic triangle.
ReplyDeleteThe imprinting on two year olds and infants is, I think, weird. But (forgive an old history buff) this also harks back to a practice that was common throughout the Middle Ages and into the Reniassance and that was taking a young girl and betrothing her at some ridiculous age like 4 and then having her raised as a member of her future husband's household so that she can be tailor made for him. It seems to me that this is some of what imprinting does in these characters' lives - the girl is set up to fall for the right guy.
Imprinting between child and adult makes complete sense if one believes in the notion of soulmates. If someone is your soulmate, then your soul recognizes his/her soul regardless of age. Maybe SM should have written the female halves of each imprinted couple as being equally aware of their other half. The sexual component? Hmm. It's been a while since I read the books, but I always thought the "imprint" was an attraction to the person's soul-essence, and not a function of sexual magnatism. As for the "abuse cycle"... I find that quite interesting.
ReplyDeleteOh... I made an awesome Twilight blog background (with movie's characters)for those interested in the html code... http://thedomesticflunky.blogspot.com/2009/07/techno-geek-part-deux.html
"What bothers me is the idea that all a woman really needs from a relationship is complete adoration from a man. I don't have my books to hand, but Jacob, explaining it all to Bella, says something like, "Why wouldn't she want him, in the end?" and "That kind of adoration is hard to resist." My personal experience has been that love has to be much more mutual, so the idea that a completely one-sided infatuation can blossom into a meaningful and lasting relationship is hard for me to swallow."
ReplyDeleteI have to step in here and say something. I can't say something about one-sided adoration, but I can say something about one-sided kindness above the ordinary. Having been wooed by one-sided kindness, I have to say the process of falling in love with this kind of guy is extremely slow, but is pretty near inevitable. It is also very satisfying and stable.
Something I don't quite understand about the Twilight series is what benefit Bella is to either the Cullens or the werewolves. Friendship often forms around the exchange of mutual benefits, emotional, mental, tangible, etc. Perhaps the appeal is that Bella is more of a liability or danger than an asset, and it speaks to the human desire for the forbidden?