Stephenie Meyer’s work stands alongside that of Shakespeare

Oct 9, 2009 11:46 GMT  ·  By
Oxford University applicants might be asked questions from Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” novel
   Oxford University applicants might be asked questions from Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” novel

Going to show that, indeed, the “Twilight” phenomenon is officially the biggest our society has witnessed in recent years, the Oxford University, one of the most prestigious institutions in the world, has just announced it might include questions from the novels in the acceptance interview. Stephenie Meyer’s work will thus stand next to that of William Shakespeare for those who seek acceptance to Oxford, MTV’s The Hollywood Crush says.

“Your SAT scores aren’t the only thing that could make or break your acceptance into a prestigious university. Turns out one highly regarded institution of higher learning quizzes its applicants on Stephenie Meyer’s hugely popular vampire romance. According to the UK’s Telegraph, Oxford University applicants are as likely to be asked about ‘Twilight’ as they are about the Bard himself, William Shakespeare.” the aforementioned publication informs.

For those wondering why Oxford would ever even consider putting Meyer and Shakespeare in the same thought together, the answer is simple. While the latter is something that applicants study in school, it casts absolutely no light on the type of person the applicant is, in the sense that it leaves no room for choice. Reading “Twilight” and liking it, on the other hand, is something an applicant would choose to do because it is not included in the school curriculum, so it would say something about his or her personality and preferences.

“It’s useful in an interview to find some texts the candidate has read recently and the ‘Twilight’ books are easily accessible and popular. Also, candidates tend to concentrate on texts they have been taught in school or college and I want to get them to talk about whatever they have read independently, so I can see how they think rather than what they have been taught.” Lucinda Rumsey, of Oxford constituent college Mansfield College, says in a statement about including “Twilight”-related questions upon acceptance to Oxford.

With all this, this is not the first time that “Twilight” gets the university treatment. Not long ago, Harvard University announced The Harvard Lampoon-made “Nightlight, A Parody.” The book, scheduled to drop in bookstores on November 3, will deal with the love story between Belle Goose and the super-hot computer nerd Edwart, who turns out to be a vampire.