As a rule, she doesn’t want special attention of any kind, fearing that such attention will only highlight her weaknesses. While her strong attachment to Edward is the main reason she is so determined to become a vampire, she is also drawn to vampire life because it promises her the opposite of all her human weaknesses. In
New Moon
, she explains that “more than anything, I wanted to be fierce and deadly, someone no one would dare mess with.” 2
Though Edward’s feelings for Bella are undeniably strong, though he loves her deeply, he also tends to focus on her weakness. In part, this is less about Bella herself and more about the fact that he has fallen in love with a human being, and to him, to be human is to be weak. Edward thus emphasizes Bella’s fragility, the ways that she is constantly in danger just because she is human. It is not only being human that makes Bella vulnerable though. Edward agrees with Bella’s own estimation of herself—she is particularly prone to danger. Edward, then, acts as her protector because, he says, Bella is “one of those people who just attract accidents like a magnet.” 3 Edward also believesthat Bella is vulnerable because she is so desirable. Her very attractiveness makes her a target for trouble. Edward tries to challenge Bella’s more negative views of herself, but it’s also probable that the overprotectiveness and concern for her weakness that dominate his interactions with her add to her sense that she isn’t very strong. As readers, we believe that Bella is an everygirl because she tells us it’s true. We also believe it because this is the main thing we know about her; in other ways, her character is left largely undrawn. Like Bella, we all have strength and weakness, and we’re likely to be familiar with her worries about her weakness.
E XTRAORDINARY G IRLS
Edward’s beautiful sisters, Rosalie and Alice, represent, to Bella, a contrast to her own ordinariness. Alice and Rosalie are poised, gorgeous, gifted, and powerful. Bella sees herself as clumsy, ordinary, average, and weak. These vampire sisters possess female beauty that goes beyond anything a supermodel on a magazine cover could ever boast.
In their differences from Bella, the characters of Alice and Rosalie embody different aspects of what it means to be female. If Bella is the self-deprecating girl-next-door, Alice and Rosalie are ideals of different ways of being a girl, ideals that Bella can’t imagine ever achieving.
Bella has two very different relationships with Alice and with Rosalie. Almost from the beginning, she and Alice recognize each other as sisters and form a close friendship. In contrast, the relationship between Rosalie and Bella is filled with tension.
Alice is small, dark haired, and fiery. Unlike most members of the Cullen family, Carlisle didn’t transform her from human to vampire. Alice remembers very little of her human life. Her sad and unclear past includes being committed to an asylum because she had premonitions—the human talent that would become her vampire gift. She was transformed by an asylum keeper but left to make her own way as a vampire. Wanting something different than the violent vampire life, she found her partner, Jasper, and together they joined the Cullen family.
For many vampires in the Twilight Saga, some talent from their human lives is brought forward into their vampire lives and strengthened into a unique gift. Alice’s gift is an ability to see the future. It’s not a fail-safe ability, because the future changes when people’s decisions change, but it is of great benefit to her family.
Alice has fun with typically girlie activities—shopping, fashion, and party planning—and she’s determined to enjoy these things in her friendship with Bella even though they aren’t Bella’s preferred forms of fun. Alice plans fancy parties and an elaborate wedding for Bella. After Edward and Bella marry, she stocks Bella’s closet with a dream
New Moon
, she explains that “more than anything, I wanted to be fierce and deadly, someone no one would dare mess with.” 2
Though Edward’s feelings for Bella are undeniably strong, though he loves her deeply, he also tends to focus on her weakness. In part, this is less about Bella herself and more about the fact that he has fallen in love with a human being, and to him, to be human is to be weak. Edward thus emphasizes Bella’s fragility, the ways that she is constantly in danger just because she is human. It is not only being human that makes Bella vulnerable though. Edward agrees with Bella’s own estimation of herself—she is particularly prone to danger. Edward, then, acts as her protector because, he says, Bella is “one of those people who just attract accidents like a magnet.” 3 Edward also believesthat Bella is vulnerable because she is so desirable. Her very attractiveness makes her a target for trouble. Edward tries to challenge Bella’s more negative views of herself, but it’s also probable that the overprotectiveness and concern for her weakness that dominate his interactions with her add to her sense that she isn’t very strong. As readers, we believe that Bella is an everygirl because she tells us it’s true. We also believe it because this is the main thing we know about her; in other ways, her character is left largely undrawn. Like Bella, we all have strength and weakness, and we’re likely to be familiar with her worries about her weakness.
E XTRAORDINARY G IRLS
Edward’s beautiful sisters, Rosalie and Alice, represent, to Bella, a contrast to her own ordinariness. Alice and Rosalie are poised, gorgeous, gifted, and powerful. Bella sees herself as clumsy, ordinary, average, and weak. These vampire sisters possess female beauty that goes beyond anything a supermodel on a magazine cover could ever boast.
In their differences from Bella, the characters of Alice and Rosalie embody different aspects of what it means to be female. If Bella is the self-deprecating girl-next-door, Alice and Rosalie are ideals of different ways of being a girl, ideals that Bella can’t imagine ever achieving.
Bella has two very different relationships with Alice and with Rosalie. Almost from the beginning, she and Alice recognize each other as sisters and form a close friendship. In contrast, the relationship between Rosalie and Bella is filled with tension.
Alice is small, dark haired, and fiery. Unlike most members of the Cullen family, Carlisle didn’t transform her from human to vampire. Alice remembers very little of her human life. Her sad and unclear past includes being committed to an asylum because she had premonitions—the human talent that would become her vampire gift. She was transformed by an asylum keeper but left to make her own way as a vampire. Wanting something different than the violent vampire life, she found her partner, Jasper, and together they joined the Cullen family.
For many vampires in the Twilight Saga, some talent from their human lives is brought forward into their vampire lives and strengthened into a unique gift. Alice’s gift is an ability to see the future. It’s not a fail-safe ability, because the future changes when people’s decisions change, but it is of great benefit to her family.
Alice has fun with typically girlie activities—shopping, fashion, and party planning—and she’s determined to enjoy these things in her friendship with Bella even though they aren’t Bella’s preferred forms of fun. Alice plans fancy parties and an elaborate wedding for Bella. After Edward and Bella marry, she stocks Bella’s closet with a dream
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