How Twilight Reshaped the American Dream

On July 4, 1776, the values of "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness" were declared as the basis for the newly independent United States of America. The Declaration of Independence assured that all men, despite their origins, would have a fair shot at attaining their goals in the "land of the free." And thus, the American Dream was born. While originally designed to attract immigrants and formulate a sense of a nation disconnected from its European origins, the myth has taken on new roles; it became a beacon of hope for development post-WWI, seen in the uncurbed festivities of the roaring twenties. It had a crucial role in maintaining American nationalism during World War II; it worked as a cultural weapon during the Cold War. The American Dream has undeniably been the ethos for the development of capitalism and consumerism throughout history until the arrival of the 21st century. The years following the turn of the millennium were marked by events that shook the core on which American culture stood: 9/11 put to question the "untouchability" and security of American life; The disastrous invasion of Iraq bolstered political distrust; and the 2008 financial crisis challenged the very idea that one could, under the present financial system, achieve prosperity. 

Yet, the American Dream still prevails and has adapted itself to the needs of the modern American citizen. The survival of this myth is highly dependent on cultural aspects; it needs to find popular means to both be exposed and be ingrained in the imagination of the Americans. So, what saved the American dream from falling apart during the 2000s? While some analysis might point to the rise of the internet and the first expressions of social media, I find a more intense emphasis on the popularization of one piece of media — a single release that had both a national and international impact, setting standards for an entire generation of literature, cinema, and popular culture, becoming a modern American classic: The 2008 film adaptation of Stephenie Mayer's Twilight.

The five-movie saga follows Bella Swan, a high schooler who, according to the IMDb description, "has always been a bit different." She moves to Forks, a small, gloomy town in Washington state, to live with her dad. While trying to adapt to the new city and school, she meets Edward Cullen, a 17-year-old who looks and acts exceptionally older and bears an uncanny amount of wealth. While Robert Pattison's mature appearance might add to Edward's distinction amongst students, it is also connected to the fact that he is, actually, a vampire. Bella falls for him while also dealing with her passion for Jacob, her childhood friend who happens to be a werewolf (the vampire's nemesis). Her uncommon high school experience is also marked by the fact that she has a gift, she is not affected by the uncommon powers of the vampires, and she is immune, raising the attention of the vampirical gran-coven of the Volturis. While in conflict with the ancient Volturis and her personal affairs, Bella decides to marry Edward and eventually transformes into a vampire. The saga ends with her achieving immortality, looking forever like she is 18, owning a big house, and raising a successful family. In other words, Twilight is about a girl gaining the life that every American wants.

One particular trope that characterizes Bella's progression throughout Twilight is that of the "Chosen One." She carries different assets that other humans do not possess: she is immune to the vampirical powers and is bound by predestination. As she puts it in the final movie, "I was born to be a vampire." This trope is not the driving force that changes Bella's life, as it receives little significant screen-time discussion, but is rather something she capitalizes on. The audience understands Bella's predestination as not simply a supernatural advantage but also the reason why she is deserving to marry a hysterically handsome man, move up social classes by entering an extremely bourgeois family, and be able to own a luxurious cottage without having to work a single day in her life. Likewise, America has been founded upon the Weberian understanding of predestination: the rich and their advantageous lives on Earth, are God's chosen ones to go to heaven. As a result, the American dream is structured around one's wishes to become the chosen one.

Twilight's impact on the American Dream becomes evident compared to other popular pieces of media that utilize the trope of the Chosen One. Take Harry Potter and Star Wars, for instance. The two sagas had a similar impact to Twilight, if not stronger worldwide, becoming pop-culture phenomena, and are both shaped around a main character that was the "chosen one." What differentiates Twilight from its counterparts is how Bella is raised. Harry Potter and Luke Skywalker begin their journey pitifully; Harry is abused by his uncle and aunt in the suburbs of England and then is sent to an Oxbridge-like institution, while Luke lives on a desert planet and experiences the death of his family by extraterrestrial forces. These two premises lack expressions of American life; they become entertaining but deeply unrelatable.

Bella, however, is a simple high schooler moving into a classical American small town to begin her American studies and attempting to engage with her American friends. Even when faced with abnormality, the vampires, it is revealed to her that they experienced different periods of American history. Bella is, then, an extremely relatable character with an experience that is pitiful but not too far-fetched. She could easily be your chemistry partner or your best friend from junior year. Truly, she could be any of us. As she achieves different levels of success in life, the audience is led to think that they, too, are able to achieve those. 

It isn't atypical, then, that following the release of Twilight, a wave of young Americans desired to find a partner who "looked just like Robert Pattison." Nor is it unsettling that American culture became obsessed with procedures to look young, seeing as the new standard of beauty was deeply connected with a desire to look 20 forever. Additionally, within a housing crisis, viewers found comfort in the idea that Bella could simply receive a cottage as a "marriage gift." 

The final expression of Twilight's impact on culture lies in its impact on the media. Every Young Adult novel published after it, every romantic comedy, and piece of popular media targeted towards young people was, in a way, impacted by the format of Twilight. For the past 15 years, viewers have been led to associate Bella Swan's life as the primal example of success, consequently becoming a victim of the myth of the American Dream.