Essay Questions

Why is Bella torn between transitioning into a vampire and staying human?

Bella is torn between becoming a vampire or staying human because she has people she is connected to on both the human and vampire sides of the world. She wants to be with Edward, her boyfriend and eventual husband, and doing so requires becoming a vampire so that she can be immortal with him. However, she also has parents and friends who are human, and if she were to become a vampire, she would outlive them and need to isolate herself from them, because they cannot know that she's a vampire. She is ultimately torn between staying with Edward and staying with her friends and family.

Why is the situation with Victoria and her newborn vampires significant?

The situation with Victoria is the first significant battle that the characters fight in the Twilight series - while there is tension with the Volturi and with singular vampires in the previous two books, Eclipse is darker than the previous two books because it deals with issues of war and the violence and loss that come along with it, and the situation with Victoria marks that transition into a darker tone. It is also significant because the situation with Victoria represents Becca's increasing frustration with being a human, since she can't participate in the battle and is a weak spot for the vampires, since she can so easily be attacked. Victoria's presence draws attention to Bella's vulnerability, and shows her increasing desire to become a vampire and eliminate that vulnerability.

What does the love triangle represent?

The love triangle represents Bella being torn between her old life and her new life. Edward represents passion and excitement, as well as a new possibility of life as a vampire. Jacob, however, represents stability: while he is still a werewolf and not a human, he won't live forever, and being with him would allow Bella to remain a human. He is also friends with her father and part of her community, meaning that she could continue to be with her friends and family rather than get rid of her existing community. The love triangle between the two of them represents Bella's conflicting feelings about what life she belongs in.