This post is with regards to the first two books. The last two will be discussed in a post to follow at a later date. I also would not suggest reading this post unless you have read both books. *Spoilers are included*
Twilight and The Garden of Eden
"But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil,
thou shalt not eat of it:
for in the day that thou eatest thereof
thou shalt surely die."
Genesis 2:17
thou shalt not eat of it:
for in the day that thou eatest thereof
thou shalt surely die."
Genesis 2:17
This is the quote found upon turning to page one in the book. Right away, you notice it connects with the cover of the book, two pale, out-stretched hands holding an apple, but you might not understand the quote's true meaning until after completing the entire series. I surely didn't.
The story of The Garden of Eden, for those with a fuzzy memory, is the beginning of life on Earth. Adam and Eve, are the first man and women, and are told to pick their fruit off of any tree but the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. A snake persuades them to pick an apple off of this tree, and thus sin is exposed to the future generations on Earth.
Throughout the book, and the entire series for that matter, Edward is often talking about right and wrong, about what he wants, and what is moral. Whether you realize it or not as you read, this directly relates to the story from the Bible. Other connections I made were that the meadow in which Bella and Edward hiked to was described to sound just like a garden - "meadow [that] was small, perfectly round, and filled with wildflowers". The largest, and most profound connection in both stories though is temptation. As Edward is a vampire, the more time he spends with Bella, the more he wants to drink her blood. Bella answers that temptation with wanting to be with him more and more, therefore putting herself at risk for death.
Throughout the book, and the entire series for that matter, Edward is often talking about right and wrong, about what he wants, and what is moral. Whether you realize it or not as you read, this directly relates to the story from the Bible. Other connections I made were that the meadow in which Bella and Edward hiked to was described to sound just like a garden - "meadow [that] was small, perfectly round, and filled with wildflowers". The largest, and most profound connection in both stories though is temptation. As Edward is a vampire, the more time he spends with Bella, the more he wants to drink her blood. Bella answers that temptation with wanting to be with him more and more, therefore putting herself at risk for death.
New Moon and Romeo and Juliet
"These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which, as they kiss, consume."
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which, as they kiss, consume."
Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene VI
Upon turning to page one of this book, you will find this quote from the famous Shakespearean tragedy. I can honestly say they I do not fully understand what is being said here, but I do have a clear idea of how this play relates to the novel New Moon.
Romeo and Juliet takes place in Verona, Italy. The play starts out with a brawl between Montague and Capulet, before it is broken up by the Prince of Verona. Count Paris then asks Capulet for his daughter, Juliet's, hand in marriage. Capulet asks Paris to wait just two years, as his daughter is only thirteen, but invites him to the Capulet Ball later that evening. At the ball, Juliet meets Romeo, and they instantly fall in love, and are married secretly the next day. At the wedding, Juliet's cousin Tybalt is present, and after an argument, Romeo slays him. After Romeo is exiled from Verona for his crime, Juliet is in such a state of depression, she asks Friar Laurence for a drug to put her into a "death like-coma". When Romeo returns, he believes she is dead, and kills himself with poison. Juliet finally wakes up, and when she finds her true love dead, she kills herself in order to join him.
As you can see, this is not a happy ending at all, and although the ending to New Moon is just the opposite, the two stories do have some parallels. For example, when Bella and Edward watch the 1960s movie version of Romeo and Juliet Edward explains to her that he doesn't have much patience for Romeo. He criticises him for killing Juliet's cousin on their wedding day. On page 17, he says “Could he have destroyed his own happiness any more thoroughly?” After a comment on Romeo's own death, a conversation is started about the suicides of vampires and Edward explains how close he was to committing his own after Bella almost died at the end of book one. Later in the book, after Edward leaves her, Bella goes cliff jumping with her friend Jacob, which whom she once compares to Paris. After seeing this, Edward believes she has committed suicide, and therefore heads to the Volteri in Italy in order to die as well. In the end, the most dramatic scene is when Bella runs across the Italian plaza during the St. Marcus Day celebration to save him.
In these brief summaries of both books, one can clearly see the similarities in love, passion, and dedication they both share.
After writing this, I discovered two articles that echo what I've said here. Check them out to read more about the themes in these books:
Theme of New Moon
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