Native American Stereotypes in Twilight

            The Twilight series revolves around a teenage girl, Isabella “Bella” Swan, who falls in love with a vampire, Edward Cullen, when she moves to Forks, Washington from Phoenix, Arizona. Bella and Edward meet when they are seated next to each other on her first day of school. Although she sets Edward back, he becomes attracted to Bella that he feels the need to protect her. After Edward has come to her rescue many times and after hearing stories from her friend, Jacob Black, she comes up with the theory that Edward and his family are vampires. Their relationship shifts when another vampire group becomes attracted to Bella. They trick Bella into thinking that her mother is held captive when she is really not, and the Cullen family end up doing everything they can to protect her. In the course of the four other films in the series, Bella and Edward’s relationship grows; they get married, Bella becomes pregnant, and she becomes a vampire.

           

            A Native American character, Jacob Black, is present in all four films when he is there to save or protect Bella. Jacob is after Bella’s love, although her heart is with Edward, but it does not stop him from wanting to be with and around her. Jacob is described as an attractive member of the Quilete tribe who is fairly built and has the ability of shapeshifting into a werewolf. Jacob is Native American and therefore is described as having dark features: copper skin, black hair, and dark eyes. His last name, Black, associates him with darkness rather than light. His features are compared to those of Edward, who has pure white skin, to place juxtaposition between the two in that one is better than the other. Because Jacob’s main role in the film can be depicted as Bella’s savior and protector, he conforms to the stereotypes about Native Americans being a noble savage, bloodthirsty warrior, and sexual savage. Jacob’s character is similar to that of historical representations of Native Americans in that they are seen as individuals who are out to fight and protect. Another character we can look at in regards to stereotypes is Jacob’s father, Billy Black. He usually gives advice and words of wisdom to Bella, Bella’s father, and those who speak to him. This feature portrays his as a wise elder, or someone who know a lot about life.

           

            This representation of characters in Twilight works to justify the economic and social marginalization of Native Americans. Throughout the movies, we can see that Jacob and his tribe do not live in lavish conditions and are seen as less likeable than the white character counterparts. Jacob also does not wear any fancy clothing. Most of his clothes consist of cut-off style jeans or shorts with no shirt, because of his shapeshifting into a werewolf. Looking at how Jacob was also after Bella’s love and how she chose Edward over him, we can see how the white character was favored by another white character. This is social marginalization of Native Americans because no mixing of races occurred. Both the economic and social marginalization of Native Americans are justified in Twilight and latter films in both physical features and actions of characters.