Edward Cullen #6

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openfire
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Re: Edward Cullen #6

Post by openfire »

Edwards Ragazza wrote:Caryn~ You always write the most beautiful explanations to this saga. I always enjoy reading them. :)
I wholeheartedly agree! :D


And Caryn your note to Edward regarding Nessie's birthday was lovely too!! Seriously girl, you are the most articulate person I know! Especially when talking about Twilight ;)
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Esme echo
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Re: Edward Cullen #6

Post by Esme echo »

I've just finished reading Jane Eyre again, but for some reason the following quotes struck me particularly this time. Who do they sound like to you?

". . . his high forehead, colourless as ivory, was partially streaked over by careless locks of fair hair."
"I had never seen that handsome-featured face of his look more like chiselled marble than it did just now. . ."
"St. John was a good man; but I began to feel he had spoken truth of himself when he said he was hard and cold."
"I looked at his lofty forehead, still and pale as a white stone. . . "
"There are no such things as marble kisses or ice kisses, or I should say my . . . cousin's salute belonged to one of these classes. . . "
"To me, he was in reality become no longer flesh, but marble . . ."

I wonder if Stephenie--with her love of the classics--was influenced by St. John Rivers when she dreamed of Edward.
"Where there is great love, there are always miracles."
December
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Re: Edward Cullen #6

Post by December »

Mod's Note:Since the recent discussion of Twilight and Harry Potter seems to be taking on a serious lease of life, I've now moved it HERE.
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bac
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Re: Edward Cullen #6

Post by bac »

In light of the recent conversation we have created a poll with a thread. Check it out HERE.
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Esme echo
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Re: Edward Cullen #6

Post by Esme echo »

This morning I was thinking about Edward's unwilling attraction to Bella in Twilight and in the book-that-shall-not-be-named. Keeping in mind that we love those whom we serve, I suddenly wondered if one of the reasons Edward was fated to love Bella was the inhuman effort he had to put in NOT to kill her that first day--then to protect her from his family. I wonder if that hellish hour in Biology the first day changed Edward imperceptively and was the reason he couldn't get her out of his mind.

I think there were other contributing factors for his inevitable "fall," but what do you all think about this idea?
"Where there is great love, there are always miracles."
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Re: Edward Cullen #6

Post by VirginiaMay »

Esme echo wrote:This morning I was thinking about Edward's unwilling attraction to Bella in Twilight and in the book-that-shall-not-be-named. I suddenly wondered if one of the reasons Edward was fated to love Bella was the inhuman effort he had to put in NOT to kill her that first day--then to protect her from his family. I wonder if that hellish hour in Biology the first day changed Edward imperceptively and was the reason he couldn't get her out of his mind.
I think there were other contributing factors for his inevitable "fall," but what do you all think about this idea?

I think what you're suggesting is that fighting his instinct to kill Bella caused Edward to inadvertently become her champion in the instant he decided avoid killing her? Meaning, without even trying he fell into the role of protector? I'm not sure I understand, but if that's the case then I assume what you're saying is somewhat true. However, I don't think it's one of the reasons he was fated to fall for her. I think this happened because he had already begun to fall for her; because she was his perfect match.

As we see in The-Book-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named, Edward feels protective of Bella way before he catches her scent. He "hears" Jessica and Lauren's uncharitable thoughts and wants to shield her somehow. It's a strange urge and one he doesn't understand or really get to think on because of his confusion over her mental silence. I boil it down to both curiousity and the sort of immediate fondness you feel for someone you are attracted to one a more-than-physical level. (I say it that way, because I don't think attraction is just about sex or looks, but sometimes it's about recognizing something deeper in the eyes or smile of someone new, especially a kindred spirit or soulmate. You know? That "something" that can happen which immediately intrigues us and makes us feel genuine emotion for a perfect stranger.) In Edward's case, his immediate feelings for Bella seemed to manifest as protectiveness.

And you make a point, Esme echo- perhaps that is one of the reasons he was able to abstain from killing her when she walked into biology and totally wrecked him. The urge was already there, the care he felt for her (though fresh and unidentified) was there, the protectiveness was there. Unfortunately, it all got buried beneath the blood lust. As a result, he became resentful. He hated what Bella had brought out in him, he hated that he felt so weak as to be driven from his home and family, he was angry at both himself and the simple fact that someone with blood like Bella's even existed. But still... the whole time he was brooding over all of that in Alaska, he couldn't get her face out of his mind. And I boil that down to the fact that he was already changed by their encounter in the lunchroom and the feelings of both attraction and intrigue that she brought out in him. (Of course, considering those are concepts Edward was unfamiliar with it was never identified that way.)

Anyway, the point of all this is that I guess I always saw Edward's restraint as being due to two things: 1) He really is the strongest of all the Cullens. (Another discussion, but Edward didn't ever choose to feed off of humans because he was weak, but because he thought he could find a better way than Carlisle taught him, a way that would be more fulfilling than the life of abstinence they were leading. And when he realized he was wrong, he quit and went back to his former lifestyle without a single lapse.) 2) Bella was designed perfectly for Edward, in every way. I know I say SM quoted on this somewhere and I can't find it just now, but it's pretty basic- she had a scent he couldn't possibly miss, an inherent ability to find trouble of all kinds and need rescuing, and a mind that was completely silent to him and allowed him to be on equal footing with another individual for the first time in a century.

I'm not sure if I answered your question the way you were looking for, but you got me going! :lol: Would love to hear other thoughts though.
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Re: Edward Cullen #6

Post by Susie »

I don't have enough time to digest all that, Ginnie, but you and Jazz Girl are two peas in a pod with your detailed analysis. You definitely have to meet someday!!!
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Re: Edward Cullen #6

Post by Jazz Girl »

VirginiaMay wrote:Bella was designed perfectly for Edward, in every way. I know I say SM quoted on this somewhere and I can't find it just now, but it's pretty basic- she had a scent he couldn't possibly miss, an inherent ability to find trouble of all kinds and need rescuing, and a mind that was completely silent to him and allowed him to be on equal footing with another individual for the first time in a century.

I'm not sure if I answered your question the way you were looking for, but you got me going! :lol: Would love to hear other thoughts though.
-Ginnie [/color]
Ginnie~ I know you wrote this a while ago, but I could not resist responding because you are talking about what is likely my favorite quote of the entire Saga. SM's "quote" you are referencing, if I'm not mistaken, is actually a quote from The-Book-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named, from Edward himself.

"With a heedless smile on her lips, her sky-colored eyes full of mischief, the angel formed Bella in such a fashion that there was no way that I could possibly overlook her. A ridiculously potent scent to demand my attention, a silent mind to enflame my curiosity, a quiet beauty to hold my eyes, a selfless soul to earn my awe. Leave out the natural sense of self-preservation--so that Bella could bear to be near me--and, finally, add a wide streak of appallingly bad luck.
With a careless laugh, the irresponsible angel propelled her fragile creation directly into my path, trusting blithely in my flawed morality to keep Bella alive.
In this vision, I was not Bella's sentence; she was my reward."
(MS, p 217)


*sigh* I have to admit that I find it just a touch maddening that Edward already knew that Bella was molded perfectly for him, created by fate to end his solitude. What a stupid boy for fighting that for so long.


Mod Edit:
With great reluctance (it's one of my favourite quotes too!) I'm putting the above into the invisible font, so we don't spoil anyone who has forsworn reading MS until Stephenie publishes it properly. Anyone who wants to see, just highlight. (If for some reason that doesn't show up well on your screen, try copy-and-pasting into a word processing program). Sorry, JG. Hoping that we can rethink our spoilers policy about MS soon....
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Leah Forever
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Re: Edward Cullen #6

Post by Leah Forever »

What defines Edward? The lengths he will go to protect Bella.

But he also watches her sleep - and didn't he throw her across a room and drag her to his Volvo? Didn't he force her to go to the prom, to take painkillers against her will? Didn't he make Bella end up nearly in tears on her first day at Forks High? That speaks volumes too, and not good volumes.

His trying to protect Bella borders on the abusive and possessive at times and frequently slips into that territory in my opinion. He took the engine out of her truck, for goodness sake!

Sorry. To me, Edward... I won't say, for fear of falling foul of the site manifesto... but... I simply hate him! Some of his actions - SOME of them - are decent, but they don't do much to improve him.
December
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Re: Edward Cullen #6

Post by December »

Different strokes for different folks. As a romantic fantasy, Edward is definitely not everyone's cup of tea.

But then, it's just as well, isn't it, that with so many different kinds of guys in the world, there's gals for each of them?

Even if a pop phenomenon like Twilight can sometimes make it as though like the entire female population is pining for an Edward (or else a Jake).... Thanks for reminding us that not everyone falls for Edward's personality.
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