I love Edward. For me, he evokes many of the dark, troubled heroes in some of fiction's greatest works. I think he's got a little of Mr. Rochester, Mr. Darcy, Romeo, and Rhett Butler, as well as others. What I like about Edward is that, although he is perfect for Bella, he is far from perfect, and he knows it.
Rob Pattinson's take on Edward was this: Edward has been in emotional cold storage since his transformation. When he falls in love with Bella, it causes him to start feeling again, which makes all of his emotions intense, even painful. I think a lot of Edward's actions, particularly in Twilight, make perfect sense when viewed through this lens. His hot-and-cold treatment of Bella, his possessiveness, even his sneaking into Bella's house become, if not acceptable, understandable.
So what does everyone else think of Edward?
-Deb
I agree with you perfectly actually. I think taken out of context (i.e. if you ignore the important fact that he is a vampire and that Bella is prone to getting into trouble) his situations can come off as over the top protective, but I actually think he is justified in what he does.
ReplyDeleteI agree. In most cases, the context explains his actions well. There are certainly behaviors that I wouldn't put up with from my own BF, but then again, there also aren't evil vampires trying to kill me ;)
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I really think is creepy, even in context, is sneaking in and watching her sleep before he gets her permission. But I've also never read a book where every character was perfect in every way, and I can understand where he was coming from.
Once he saw that she was able to take care of herself, he let go of control, and trusted her to make her own decisions. If he'd continued to try to control her after her transformation, I would agree that he was naturally controlling, but I think he's proven himself to have her best interests in mind.
See, the sleeping thing never really bothered me because, initially, he was watching her because he was trying to figure out what he was going to do. He was struggling with himself and decided to go see her to put the issue at hand, so to speak.
ReplyDeleteAnd then she starts talking in her sleep. I think that because he cannot read her mind, this is the closest glimpse into her subconcious that he gets. He learns that she misses her home, he learns that she worries about her mother, that the rain makes her restless. And she says his name, many times.
I think he NEEDs to listen to her because he doesn't hear her thoughts - this is the closest he can get to utilizing a power he's become too reliant on.
That's how I read it anyways.
Here's my take: emotionally healthy people in emotionally healthy relationships make for boring love stories. :)
ReplyDeleteBella and Edward's relationship isn't perfect; neither are they. However, what I love about Edward is he really feels real. His reactions aren't perfect, his actions are sometimes rash, but he does what he does for understandable reasons.
The sleeping thing was interesting to me. On the one hand, the grown-up responsible me was shocked. But the romantic, hopeful 16-year-old in me was completely charmed by it. I can see why some don't like it, but I did.
Oh, I totally understand why he kept watching her (I can't honestly say I wouldn't have kept watching after hearing her talk about me), and I can even understand why he started. I don't necessarily judge him for it, I just think it's a little creepy to start. It's pretty much the only "abuser!" arguments that I'll buy.
ReplyDeleteLol yeah I guess I just am too hopeful to wake up on night and find a vampire staring forlornly in love with me ;)
ReplyDeleteJust kidding!
"Lol yeah I guess I just am too hopeful to wake up on night and find a vampire staring forlornly in love with me ;)"
ReplyDeleteHmm.... can't say I argue with that one :D
One thing I like about Edward is that as much as Bella grows and matures during the course of the series, so does he. He has to learn to let go, be tolerant, and that sometimes, even if he doesn't like it, Bella is right and he has to do what he is told.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I see a lot of Bella telling EDWARD what to do as much as Edward tried to tell her what to do. She tells him she is going home when James is after her. She tells him he is going to stay with her when the newborns are coming. She is the one that gets to Jacob even when he doesnt want her to.
So even as much as Edward tries to keep her in a bubble-wrapped world of safety, Bella has her own ideas of what's going to happen and she sees it through.
Yes, Grace, I think you've got something there. Edward's emotional awakening sparks a growth in him that mirrors Bella's, so they do grow together.
ReplyDeleteEdward says something very significant in the first book. Paraphrasing, he says that experiencing an emotion is so much different that reading about it. This is a profound statement of growth. I think Edward's character matures from an arrogant, gifted but wounded young man frozen physically and emotionally into a truly compassionate and humble person. Edward learns from his experiences as does Bella.
ReplyDeleteI think in the beginning Edward does use his supernatural powers to get what he wants from Bella (which is, of course, her happiness, etc). But you see him doing that less and less as the series goes on. It's as if he comes to the realization that he doesn't need to do that - he doesn't need to seduce her or follow her secretly, etc. He can do all that openly or not at all depending on what Bella wants.
ReplyDelete