Mrs. Meyer’s work, qua Mormon, inevitably reflects her faith which is an all-consuming thing. There is no reason to believe, though, that her work is either missionary in intent or, more important, lacking in conscious and unconscious criticism of the community in which she lives. Her last three stories have been about three women divided within themselves between their longing for life in Zion, the perfect community, and their lives as women of individual understanding, talents and desires that their community restricts or destroys. I think it may be best to think of her as the Mormon Kate Chopin.
That these three stories have become darker, the restrictions more dramatic, and the endings more problematic, I think points to a reason she may not want to discuss what her stories mean, a reason unsuspected by the reporters who “˜get’ only the surface LDS elements in Twilight. Because that discussion would eventually and inevitably mean the revelation that, like many believers, male and female, in demanding faiths, Mrs. Meyer is tremendously conflicted about her life as a faithful Mormon woman.
This is from my new favorite site: Hogwarts Professor, a collection of literary criticism about Young Adult books. I think he’s onto something.
Full article here: http://www.hogwartsprofessor.com/why-repress-discussion-of-mormon-content-in-twilight-meyers-criticism-of-her-community/
