Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Twilight, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Love and Lust
Self-Restraint and Morality
Good, Evil, and Perspective
Family
Summary
Analysis
Everyone stares as Bella and Edward walk into biology together. The teacher puts on a movie and turns the lights off. Bella desperately wants to touch Edward, so she crosses her arms and tries to concentrate. The class seems to last forever. When the period is over, Bella allows Edward to walk her to gym class. Before he leaves her, he gently touches her cheekbone. Feeling lightheaded, Bella dresses for gym and accepts her badminton racket. Mike agrees to be Bella’s partner, so Bella tries to stay out of his way—though she does accidentally hit him once. When the bell rings, Mike hisses that he doesn’t like Bella dating Edward—that Edward looks at her like she’s food.
Bella’s attraction to Edward is making it more and more difficult for her to go about her normal activities, like paying attention in class. And Edward seems to be getting better at being around Bella, as evidenced by being able to touch her cheek without issue. Mike’s insistence that Edward looks at Bella like she’s food could be jealousy, could refer to Edward’s overwhelming interest in Bella, or it could suggest that Edward’s desire for Bella’s blood is more obvious to others even if he is trying to hide it.
Themes
Bella is concerned that it’ll be awkward to meet up with Edward after school, but when she does she feels calm in his presence. He teases her about her performance in gym and then leads her to his Volvo. Bella pouts and only lets go of her anger when Edward apologizes and agrees to let her drive on Saturday. Cryptically, he says he's not bringing a car, so Charlie won’t get suspicious seeing the Volvo in his driveway.
It's difficult for Bella to not be able to hide her shortcomings (in this case, her poor coordination) from Edward, since he can read her classmates’ minds and find out what happened in gym class. But she’s still willing to forgive Edward when he agrees to let her drive, showing that Bella might be human—but she’s not powerless in this relationship.
Themes
The drive to Charlie’s house doesn’t take very long. When they arrive, Edward parks behind Bella’s truck. Then, Bella asks why he got so upset when she asked to watch him hunt. He explains that it would be a bad idea, because when vampires hunt, they give in to their senses and lose control. It would put Bella in danger. Bella looks into Edward’s eyes and suddenly, it feels like there’s electricity between them. Edward tells Bella to go inside, so Bella stumbles out of the car. He calls after her that he's going to ask questions of Bella tomorrow.
Once again, Edward makes it clear that he’s doing everything in his power to protect Bella from any threat he might pose to her. As in this case, it means that Edward sometimes has to put limits on what Bella can and can’t do, but it’s all in service of keeping her safe. Bella, for her part, doesn’t object to this; to her, it doesn’t feel controlling. Rather, it shows her how much Edward cares for her.
Themes
Bella dreams of Edward that night and wakes up poorly rested. Over breakfast, Charlie tries to encourage Bella to go to the dance, but she brushes him off. Edward’s Volvo appears outside moments after Charlie drives off in the cruiser. Bella shyly hops in, and Edward immediately starts in on the questioning. He wants to know her favorite color, what music or books she likes, and where she’s traveled to. The questioning continues all day. It’s embarrassing when he asks her favorite gemstone and she says topaz—this is a recent change, since Edward’s eyes are topaz. They’re still watching the movie in biology, and Bella feels the electric current between her and Edward again.
Because Edward can’t read Bella’s mind, he can’t glean the answers to personal questions just by listening to her thoughts. In a way, this levels the power dynamic between them, as both Edward and Bella have to be open with each other and trust that they’re being honest when they talk about themselves. It also makes Bella a mystery to Edward, which may heighten his attraction to her. When Bella mentions feeling an electric current during biology class, it shows that Edward’s questioning is helping her feel closer to him. He makes her feel like she can be herself and that even the most mundane aspects of her identity matter to him.
Themes
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After school, Edward’s questions get more difficult. He asks what Bella misses about Phoenix, and for hours, they sit and talk in Edward’s car outside Charlie’s house. Edward says he has to go as twilight falls. He explains that twilight is the safest time of day for vampires, and that Charlie will be home soon. As Bella gets out, Edward suddenly says that there’s a complication. A car pulls in in front of them, but Bella can’t see who it is through the headlights. It’s only after Edward drives away that Jacob steps out and greets Bella. From Jacob’s passenger seat, Billy gives Bella a concerned and fearful look. Bella can tell he believes the legend Jacob told her.
Given that Edward has indeed turned out to be a vampire, the legend Jacob told is probably true. So even though Jacob doesn’t put any stock in the legend, Billy sees Bella and Edward’s relationship as something terrible and dangerous. Though this poses problems for Bella and Edward, it also illustrates how much Billy cares for Bella. He might be a pretty distant presence in her life, but he still doesn’t want her getting into danger—especially if she doesn’t understand the danger. It also means, though, that Billy judges Edward based on what he thinks Edward is, rather than on how Edward acts.
Themes
