Major Themes in the Twilight Series
Author: Admin
Bella contemplates her future — with Jacob? — and a possibly abrupt end to the Twilight saga.
I promised in our earlier “Meaning of Twilight” series of articles that I would address some major themes in the Twilight saga. There are a number of other significant themes Meyer presents to the reader, some of which could aid a young person striving for maturity, and may contribute to the series’ popularity.
Like most teens, Bella makes numerous observations and judgments about everyone she associates with (e.g., Mike Newton’s hair styles). This is normal behavior for teens, for which they are roundly criticized. And as with most teens, this ability serves an important purpose — by doing this, she hones her ability to appraise the hearts and minds of others. This is, in fact, a crucial ability since they will soon search for (and find) a life partner. So Bella’s observations are a positive thing. For example, Bella realizes that she would “rather die” than end up with Mike Newton.
Bella struggles with her decision of who her boyfriend will be — primarily Edward or Jacob. She does not seem to be fully aware that who she chooses would likely become her life partner — her husband — which raises the reader’s tension throughout the texts. Further complicating her decision (and raising our tension) is that she argues with each of them, frequently, as they hash through their differences of opinion — a normal and healthy process, but it can be stressful nonetheless.
What Bella does seem to understand, at some level, is that a key aspect of her choice will be which of the two you men she admires most — which of them she most wants to be like. Perhaps this is one reason for the popularity of the “Team Edward versus Team Jacob” discussions among fans, who also face the same decision in selecting their own life partners.
Jacob is more enjoyable to be around, perhaps similar to a younger Bella, but he is a less developed person in that he often reverts to “bugging the crap out of” Bella to get his way, and excuses these choices by saying that these behaviors are “just how he is.”
On the other hand, Edward makes major, life-altering choices to help and support Bella, and makes sincere efforts to overcome old habits when they emerge, for example, when anger nearly overwhelms him after Bella is stalked by a group of men in Twilight (In a period of rebellion, Edward used to regularly prey upon men seeking to victimize women).
Ultimately, for Bella, the decision of who her boyfriend (and eventual husband) will be boils down to the fact that while she often appears to appreciate Jacob’s personality, she admires Edward more as a person, and wants to become more like him in the future — and so she wisely makes her choice accordingly. This is underscored by just how much she does become like her final choice…
Supporting this decision is the fact that Edward himself wants to become more like Bella, and does so, as his “human” nature surfaces more and more. In comparison, Jacob often points out that he is better than Bella (jokingly? or not?), or simply demands that Bella accept the person he is — in effect, demanding that Bella become more like him.
[For Team Jacob's benefit, let us point out that Jake matures markedly in Breaking Dawn, and is preparing himself for Renesmee -- to become a better person, to equal her -- much as Edward prepared himself earlier for Bella.]
Perhaps surprisingly, Bella does not consider — at least for us to know — what her college major or future career might be (she has some discussion with Angela while addressing graduation announcements, but summarizes it out of the narrative). Perhaps she realizes that since the average adult changes careers (not just jobs) an average of five times in their life — and jobs can be more a matter of chance than anything else — that stressing too much about a career as a teen may be something of a waste of time. More likely is that since Bella seems to handle money well, she has few fears about making a living, and thus, lesser need to ponder the matter. Further, she is entirely and remarkably successful in her one real avocation that we do know about — as a vampire. Nice work, if you can get it. And as with many people, Bella does stumble into her future “job” as a vampire, discovering that she does well as the Cullen’s preferred liaison with the family attorney, J. Jenks.
Another major and significant theme found throughout the Twilight series is the issue of pre-marital versus post-marital physical intimacy. This is discussed in great depth within the series, and the importance and value of chastity before marriage is revealed and supported.
Bella contemplates the mysteries of intimacy a great deal, and perhaps influenced by her “flaky” mother, initially supposes that pre-marital intimacy is at best, highly desirable, and at worst, no “big deal.” She — and the reader — later discover how wrong this supposition is, as pre-marital intimacy (even kissing) presents enormous risk and dangers:
In a key plot point, Bella nearly loses the love of her life, forever, by merely kissing her “best friend,” Jacob, after he saves her from drowning, while sitting in a parked car (her truck). She realizes that is she does, they could end up being committed romantically to one another, conceivably forever, even though she knows she does not love him romantically. What she doesn’t realize is that they may be secretly observed by Alice Cullen, who if she had seen them kissing, would have likely left immediately, leaving Bella unaware of her presence. Later, Edward would have inevitably moved on, been hopelessly miserable, or died, and Bella would have spent the rest of life having her friend/life partner (frequently) “bugging the crap out of” her.
Conversely, all of Bella’s future joys and happiness — as well as Edward’s, and Jacob’s –are founded upon the fact that she does not kiss Jacob in the truck that night. If Bella had kissed him that one time, all of the threesome’s future happiness — as described later in the books — would have been lost, and the story would have likely ended there, so the reader’s enjoyment would have ended as well. (Team Jacob may complain in comments below.)
In a remarkably direct, religious context, Bella eventually realizes and encourages Edward that their immortal souls are worth much more than the immediate gratification that pre-marital physical intimacy would have brought. How to save one’s soul (or not) is a serious matter, in life and in the text, and it is treated as such throughout.
The irrelevance for a person to date someone other than their true life partner is explicitly brought up in Jacob’s challenge to Quil to date another girl while Claire (the girl he is destined for) grows up. Quil refuses to consider it, finding the possibility irrelevant to his happiness; he “just can’t see it.” This explanation is supported as a wise decision throughout the series.
In comparison, both Sam and Leah are truly miserable throughout the series due to their affair prior to Sam’s discovery of his destined, true love, Emily.
Edward refuses Tanya’s advances before and during the series. This is presumably due, at least in part, to her active sex life with a wide variety of human partners. He maintains this position despite his acknowledgment that her beauty rivals that “of the stars.”
Further, Bella and Edward both must eventually confess to one another any previous physical intimacies with others, in a true-to-life moment. The fact that neither of them had any such trysts is a matter of great comfort and relief to the other, and results in a gratefully brief discussion — for them, and for the reader as well. The issue becomes a source of peace for them in their relationship, and is brought up again and again, rather than a source of fears, irritation, or contention.
When Bella is tricked into kissing Jacob, she falls into misery and immediately doubts her own commitment to Edward, and his commitment to her. In many narratives, characters often commit some sin before they are punished by subsequent (and often, unrelated) events. Similarly Bella — metaphorically at least — is made to “pay” for her transgression throughout the remainder of Eclipse, with her guilt before Edward and the wolf pack, the attack by Victoria, and her painful confrontation with Jacob later.
Bella’s “flaky” mother’s irresponsibility in terms of physical intimacy is also suggested. Renee’s failure to commit to the things which could have brought greater happiness during Bella’s childhood has serious negative effects. It is apparent that Renee has been unable to commit to almost anything in her life, up until she meets Phil prior to the start of the series. Bella’s childhood leaves her troubled, as she grows up in poverty, developing a serious martyr complex (though we love her for it), and with numerous fears and misunderstandings about marriage and committment in life. Bella must work through these misunderstandings later in order to secure her happiness for her own life — perhaps at a greater cost to herself and those around her than if she had been raised with a clearer understanding of committment and physical intimacy (e.g., in her refusal to marry Edward). This is underscored in how Bella’s life with her mother is rather bleak, apparently due in no part to her own failings, since her life quickly becomes wondrous when living with her (apparently now celibate) father, Charlie. In the end, to live happily and committed to her vampire husband, Bella must ostracize her mother from her life, because she simply “wouldn’t understand.” Her mother may never meet her granddaughter, or enjoy the life Charlie does, who finds his true life partner in time, with Sue. Poor Renee; although we enjoy her character, she is her own worst punishment and may progress less than any other major character in the series.
Bella is eventually able to commit to marriage in part because she hasn’t experienced pre-marital intimacy with Edward. She specifically discusses the need for chastity — to do things the “right” way — when she finally accepts the need to publicly acknowlege their engagement in the Meadow. She clearly declares that the true love Edward and Bella share should (must) preclude pre-marital intimacy.
Further, it is revealed later in the narrative that any intercouse with Edward would have resulted in death for Bella through an immediate and rapid pregnancy. It appears likely that if Bella had conceived a pregnancy out of wedlock, Edward’s family may have been unable to provide the incredible level of support that proves ultimately necessary to preserve Bella’s pregnancy and/or life — or at least, much less likely, given Rosalie’s pronounced dislike to her, and her essential role in keeping Bella and her child, Renesmee, alive.
Lastly, the benefits of such a delaying a physical relationship until marriage are revealed by the enthusiastic descriptions of the joys of married intimacy contained in Breaking Dawn. Some of the series’ younger readers have been confused or offended by these descriptions. However, the benefits of pre-marital chastity — which include the unclouded joys of monogamy — are key to Meyer’s theme, and no doubt, will be a revelation to many readers in time.
In contrast, Jacob’s preoccupations of Bella in a sexual context torment him throughout the series, even during childbirth. The fact that these thoughts will be toward his future mother-in-law is particularly disturbing, and most unfortunate. Ugh. If only he had noticed the decidedly maternal tone of Bella’s love for him! Nearly all her affectionate comments to him contain that maternal, motherly love, foreshadowing her future role in his life. With his mother having died, Bella’s love for him could have been a comfort, instead of becoming the burden it did — the burden that he brought upon himself.
So, as we’ve discussed before, people generally enjoy stories more — books, movies, folktales, and so forth — when they agree with their themes. Do you agree with these themes? Do you believe that a single kiss can hold in its balance the entire future of a person’s life? Your life?
If you enjoy Twilight as much as I do, perhaps so. I believe a single kiss does have that power. It certainly did for me, so richly and in so many ways that I can’t possibly describe it.
And if you don’t think it’s true, then perhaps you feel it, inside? Or at least, hope that it may be true? There is much to consider.
Okay, so that’s it — for now — on our “Meaning of Twilight” series. Thank you for reading. There will be more “Edward versus Jacob” contrasts in our next Meaning of Twilight article… Stay tuned, and by all means, please tell your friends!
