The FruitStephenie Meyer opens the book with a scripture from Genesis: "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Gen. 2:17).
What does this mean? And what does it have to do with the story? Is Stephenie Meyer comparing Bella and her choice to Mother Eve's?
If you go to Meyer's website, you can read what she says about this. She says,
http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilight_faq.html#apple
Talk about what Stephenie Meyer says. Ask what are some other views of the apple--and perhaps red ones in particular? Don't they hold a sort of enticing danger, when thought of in a certain way? And besides, red is the color of blood, which goes along with the story.
Stephenie says that Bella ends up with a "working knowledge of what good is, and what evil is." Do you think this is true? Or is Bella just more confused by the end?
For most Christians, Eve's decision to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was a big mistake. Many Christians take their views from John Milton's Paradise Lost where Eve is a kind of flighty flirt who decides it would be cool to be like God, so she eats the fruit. This of course, to most Christians, is blasphemous--how dare she think that she can be like God. Milton decides that this is the reason why Adam and Eve are kicked out of the Garden of Eden, become mortal, and eventually bring children into a world of sorrow and pain.
Mormons (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or LDS) take this story differently and Stephenie Meyer is Mormon, so let's look at that point of view and see how it compares. Mormons believe that Adam and Eve were like children; they couldn't have kids in the Garden of Eden--they were completely innocent. But they weren't just innocent. Adam and Eve lived in a world without sorrow and pain. To Mormons, this means that there was no joy and happiness. Joseph Smith says in a revelation, "For if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet" (D&C 29:39). To Mormons, sorrow, pain, and even sin are necessary to truly know God and Jesus Christ and to truly feel the powerful influence of the Atonement. They believe that Eve's choice was necessary, that without it, we wouldn't be born, we wouldn't know joy, and the Atonement would not be necessary.
James E. Faust, a leader of the Mormon church (first counselor in the First Presidency) who recently passed away, said,
"We all owe a great debt of gratitude to Eve. In the Garden of Eden, she and Adam were instructed not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. However, they were also reminded, 'Thou mayest choose for thyself' (Mos. 3:17). The choice was really between a continuation of their comfortable existence in Eden, where they would never progress, or a momentous exit into mortality with its opposites: pain, trials, and physical death in contrast to joy, growth, and the potential for eternal life. In contemplating this choice, we are told, 'And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, … and a tree to be desired to make her wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and also gave unto her husband with her, and he did eat' (Gen. 3:6). And thus began their earthly probation and parenthood" ("What is means to be a daughter of God," Ensign, Nov. 1999, 100).
If we try to translate the first Genesis scripture to fit with Twilight, we could interpret the fruit to be Edward. Or, it could merely represent choices in general. What do you think?
If Bella chooses to partake of the fruit, then she will "surely die" in a certain sense; she will no longer be human. Is Stephenie Meyer using the Christian view, that Bella is making a huge mistake or the Mormon view, that this is a necessary choice, and that the far-reaching results outweigh the immediate consequences?
Bella immediately tells us that she doesn't fit in with the normal teenage crowd. She takes care of her Mom, for one thing. For another, she makes difficult decisions and doesn't look back (p. 140). At one point she says, "I didn't relate well to people my age. Maybe the truth was that I didn't relate well to people, period... Sometimes I wondered if I was seeing the same things through my eyes that the rest of the world was seeing through theirs. Maybe there was a glitch in my brain" (p. 10).
Do you ever feel like Bella? Like you don't belong here--like there's something more out there? I think this is a pretty normal feeling. I have always felt that I am a child of God; if this is true, then we are really "away from home." As long as we live on earth, maybe we get these feelings because there is something more out there--it's God! Anyway, that's just something I like to think about.
One of the reasons why this book is so popular is because so many people feel that they can relate to Bella; that she holds some of those characteristics we find in ourselves. What are some of these in general and in particular?
I think it's funny when Bella says to herself, "He didn't know me from Eve" (p. 24).
The Choice
Edward's life is an interesting one. Mormons use the term the "natural man" for the worldly part in everyone. Many Christians believe in this same "carnal" or "worldly" part in each of us. Edward's "natural man" is definitely a difficult one, but being a Christian is all about overcoming this, and that's what Edward and his family have tried to do (see p. 307, first full paragraph). So, is it such a bad fruit if one of the main differences in this new life is--more difficult temptations than the average human?
What about immortality? Does anyone have a problem with this? And with the fact that Edward is 100 years old or whatever? It reminds me of Tuck Everlasting, where everyone is frozen in the age they originally became immortal; except that Tuck and his family can sleep. Tuck Everlasting is a little depressing because it's as if their life has little or no meaning and purpose. Edward's immortality doesn't seem to be so desolate; it seems that his family has some purpose in their forever life--but at the same time, they don't wish it on anyone.
Bella makes most of her choices from feelings and intuition. Is this how you make your choices? She continually says that she doesn't feel fear; she's often surprised at the fact, but uses it as a sign. Is this smart? Is this how most of us should live our lives?
Edward constantly reminds Bella how dangerous he is (p. 92-93, 186). What roles do danger and fear play in this story? Perhaps it's one way of, as Stephenie says, gaining a "working knowledge of what good is, and what evil is."
At one point, Bella tells Edward, "It doesn't matter what you are. It's too late." Edward says, "Never say that" (p. 190). Is it too late? Has Bella already made her choice? P. 302 is very interesting because Edward says, "Bring on the shackles," but he holds Bella's wrists tightly as he says this. Is it too late because of Edward's power or because it's what Bella has decided? (See also p. 248, second full paragraph. "Point of a knife" is an interesting term, esp. in lieu of vampires.)
Twilight
Stephenie Meyer says that she doesn't care much for the title, but couldn't think of a better one (http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilight_faq.html#title). The word is only mentioned at two times in the book, on p. 232-33 and at the end, p. 497. Edward thinks of the word as the dawn of night, but to me, I think of it as an "in-between."
I absolutely love the title. For me, it's very symbolic. If you think about it, twilight is a time that's neither night nor day. If you didn't know what time of the day was, you wouldn't be able to tell if the night was waning or waxing. This is Bella's period in life. Twilight is a time when we are not sure what the future holds yet. Does it hold promise, or desperation? Happiness or eternal regret?
Again, Bella's situation reminds me of Eve's. After she partook of the "fruit of the knowledge of good and evil," did she truly realize what the future held? Did she have any real idea of the incredible consequences? Every choice from here on out has consequences for Bella. Will daylight break the twilight? Or will we only see more darkness and night? Just think of the other book of the series in this context: New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn.
Do you think Bella has "partaken of the fruit" by the end of Twilight? To me, it's like she's holding the apple, waiting, smelling...
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