O Chivalry, Where Art Thou?

A friend and I were talking the other day about the concept of chivalry really being dead in modern society. What brought this up, you ask? I'd just finished reading one of the Twilight books, and while I truly enjoyed what I'd read, I had to wonder: why are people so smitten with the fictional character of Edward Cullen?

For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past few months, Edward is a vampire who inexplicably falls for a human girl by the name of Bella Swan. Millions of girls (and some guys) across the globe have since fallen for this hunky bloodsucker, and while I too may be one of such (guilty as charged) , I couldn't help but ask:

Why?

For me, one of the main factors behind my intrigue was Edward's pure gentlemanly stature and his way of treating his beloved like a queen. While some feminists might call this sexist- treating a lady like a prize - I personally consider it to be a sign of good intentions, and a quality that ought to be admired.

So coming back to reality, can we consider the small gestures such as holding a door, walking on the outside of the sidewalk, or insisting to pay for a meal once in a while things of the past? Lately I've noticed how so few men both in and outside of my school even bother to pursue their love interests in any way romantic - apparently sending a text message saying "Hey babe I like U" is supposed to be sufficient. Nobody ever bothers to hold the door, nor even offer up their seat at school when a girl is left standing. In my eyes, these acts are anything but adequate.

Now the question remains: how did society become this way in the first place? We may only speculate. Perhaps with the rise of equality came the downfall of chivalry. Perhaps men feel these acts may appear to be demeaning to the woman at hand. Perhaps the rise of modern technology has taken away the traditional romance of bringing two people together. We may never know.

I can't speak for womankind, but I can speak for a vast amount of girls that I know who feel the same way as I do. Women may have the right to be treated as equals, but there's nothing wrong with a little kindness or thoughtfulness from the opposite sex. Even though the majority of people I've seen are anything but gentlemen, we must not give up hope. Chivalry may be fading away, but it isn't in the morgue yet, and until it is, we have to keep our eyes open for the anomaly in the crowd. We just have to.