"And I'm Going to Get Old" Age Horror in the Twilight Franchise

Ruth Gehrmann engages with the significance of age at the intersection with gender in the best-selling Twilight franchise, referring to the four novels of the original series by Stephenie Meyer (2005-2008) and their filmic adaptation (2008-2012). The article focuses on Bella’s age phobia – expressed, for instance, in her unwillingness to celebrate her birthday – and her horror at appearing older than her eternally seventeen-year-old partner, Edward. The discussion shows that the contemporary Gothic reimagining of the vampire is used not to illustrate the uncanny quality of Edward’s non-aging, but instead introduces aging as the most feared enemy in Bella's life.

Gehrmann, Ruth: "'And I'm Going to Get Old'. Age Horror in the Twilight Franchise", in: João Paulo Guimarães (Hrsg.). Fear of Aging. Old Age in Horror Fiction and Film. Transcript Verlag, S. 93-109.