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
As Edward helps Bella into the car, he ignores how angry she is. He won’t tell her where they’re going, either. Bella has spent most of the day in Alice’s bathroom while Alice did her hair and makeup and dressed Bella in a “ridiculous” dress. Bella’s single stiletto heel is held on with a ribbon (her other foot is still in a walking cast). As Bella wonders where they might be going, Edward’s cell phone buzzes. It’s Charlie, who’s been a bit difficult since Bella returned. He blames Edward for what happened, but he worships Carlisle. Edward laughs at what Charlie says and asks to talk to “him”—Tyler, who’s at Charlie’s house to pick Bella up. Edward tells Tyler that Bella is unavailable.
Bella is angry and resentful in part because she hasn’t had any say all day in what she does. She doesn’t enjoy makeup or clothes, so it’s uncomfortable to submit to Alice’s pampering. And then, to make matters worse, Bella also sees that Edward, possibly Charlie, and Tyler are fighting over her and arguing over where she goes and with whom. Bella prides herself on her self-sufficiency, so this is just salt in the wound.
Themes
Bella knows where they’re going, and she shouts that Edward is taking her to prom. Does he know her at all? He asks her to not be difficult, but Bella is mortified. She’s spent all day hoping for something different, and now she realizes that was silly. When she starts to cry, Edward angrily asks her to humor him. Bella agrees and feels a bit better when Edward says that Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie will also be there. There hasn’t been any progress with Rosalie, but Bella is on good terms with the others. Suspicious, Bella asks if Charlie knows about this. She grits her teeth when Edward says he does. Tyler is apparently the only one who didn’t know.
Earlier in the novel Tyler insisted he was going to take Bella to prom—clearly he hasn’t given up, even showing up at Charlie’s house ready to take her without ever getting a yes from her. Yet Edward is also taking Bella to prom without her consent, which seems to again highlight his controlling tendencies. The worst part of all of this, for Bella, seems to be that everyone she loves conspired to force her into doing something she’s been vocal about not wanting to do. It’s unclear, at this point, why everyone has worked together to get Bella to prom, but Bella isn’t willing to look at the situation with any understanding.
Themes
At school, Bella stays in the front seat—she refuses to get out when anyone can see her . With a sigh, he promises to not let anything hurt her and to not let go of her. He helps her out and supports her as they head for the gym. Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice are already on the dance floor when Edward buys their tickets. As soon as they’re in, he tows Bella onto the dance floor, lifts her feet onto his, and then begins to waltz. Bella realizes she’s enjoying herself.
Edward seems to imply that he thinks Bella doesn’t want to go to prom because of her clumsiness and her injuries. Their relationship continues to be one in which Edward promises to help and protect her, something that may be more grating since Bella ha said she would like to equalize the power imbalance between them. But, at the same time, Bella still loves being with Edward.
Themes
Edward, though, suddenly looks murderous. Bella follows his gaze and sees Jacob Black coming toward them. He’s clearly uncomfortable as he asks to cut in—and Bella is shocked that Jacob has grown and is now eye to eye with Edward. Edward carefully steps away as Jacob puts his hands on Bella’s waist. As they sway awkwardly, he proudly says he’s six-foot-two now. Finally, Bella asks why he’s here.
With his newfound height, Jacob seems to emerge here as yet another suitor for Bella. Edward’s murderous rather than dismissive look further suggests that Jacob is to be taken seriously. For her part, though, Bella doesn’t seem to pick up on that. To her, Jacob is just a friend.
Themes
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Ashamed, Jacob says Billy paid him to come, since this is a “safe” place to talk to Bella—and he promised Jacob the car part he needs if he passed along a message. Jacob tells Bella not to get mad, but Billy wants Bella to break up with Edward. Billy was very angry when Bella got hurt in Phoenix. Bella tells Jacob that Edward and Carlisle saved her, but Jacob makes it seem like there’s more. With prodding, Jacob says that Billy says, “We’ll be watching.” Bella laughs. She asks Jacob to thank Billy; she knows he cares.
Passing along this message is excruciating and embarrassing for Jacob because he doesn’t believe there’s anything wrong with the Cullens or in the old Quileute legend. In his mind, Billy is being ridiculous. But Billy’s message nonetheless has a menacing tone that does two things: it implies that the Quileute may be more powerful than they have shown so far (they may really be werewolves!), and in doing so it sets up a foundation for a sequel to Twilight.
Themes
The song ends, and Edward appears. Jacob waves halfheartedly and heads for the door. Edward gathers Bella up again for a slow dance and says he’s not actually mad at Billy. Jacob is just irritating. He continues to spin Bella around until Bella asks why, exactly, they came here. Edward ushers Bella out of the gym to a bench, comments on the moon, and then says he brought Bella here so she won’t miss any part of her life. Bella shudders and says that if Edward weren’t so strong, she wouldn’t have come to prom at all.
Edward saying that he doesn’t want Bella to miss out on living her life may be taken in a few ways. It might suggest that Edward wants Bella to experience human life as deeply as possible so that she will realize she should never become a vampire. Or it might indicate that he realizes that, at some point, Bella will become a vampire and he doesn’t want her to miss out on the life she will lead before that. Either way, Edward’s comments shows why he went to such great lengths to get Bella here. He sees this as a kindness he’s doing for her, rather than forcing her into something she hates.
Themes
Edward asks why Bella was so surprised when she figured out that they were going to prom. Bella fidgets and tries to evade the question, but eventually she says that she hoped Edward was going to change her. She scowls; that seems more meaningful than prom. With a sigh, Edward asks if she’s really ready to give up her life for him. Gulping, Bella says yes. Edward puts his lips to her jaw, and Bella balls her fists, steeling herself. But Edward laughs and leans away. He’s not going to give in so easily, and he asks if Bella really dreams about “being a monster.” Bella says she dreams about being with Edward forever. Edward promises to stay and kisses Bella’s throat again.
The novel ends with an impasse—Bella remains steadfast in her desire to be a vampire, and Edward continues to refuse her. Their disagreement stems from their differing perspectives on the matter. To Bella, becoming a vampire means she’ll never have to say goodbye to Edward. But to Edward, it would make Bella a monster, not the humanizing force she is now. Ending on this impasse further sets the stage for the sequel to continue exploring these ideas. Meanwhile, Edward kissing Bella on the throat—the very place he would bite if he was seeking her blood—further sets the stage for the sequel with a final tease of the always present mix of love, lust, and self-control that is so titillating throughout the novel.
Themes
