When Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” first hit shelves and also debuted in theaters, readers and movie watchers, both young and old, were swept away by the intense and brooding supernatural relationship between Bella Swan and vampire Edward Cullen. But as much as I personally love Edward Cullen, it is easy to say that Bella Swan didn’t make the right decision in giving up her humanity, and in turn her whole life.
Becoming a vampire meant completely leaving behind her old, ordinary life and, most importantly, her loving and stable father, Charlie. Bella’s transformation to a vampire essentially cut him out of her life. I think this loss is not just a loss of a family bond, but a symbol of a normal life. It is the loss of the grounded, peaceful future Bella could have had.
Bella’s decision to become a vampire was definitely tied to her marriage as well. Before Bella could even graduate college, she was pressured into marrying old-fashioned Edward. This choice felt performative instead of romantic.
While I personally adore Edward for his character and gorgeous face, it is fairly evident that Bella never had an option to explore a life on her own terms before eternally committing at such a young age.
Some would argue that being with Jacob would be a better option, but I do not necessarily think that is true. To me, the real issue is that Bella should have chosen herself. She never had a chance to explore being a young adult without being pulled into some supernatural boy business.
In the end, I feel like Bella’s choice was more a sacrifice than an act of love. She is now bound to Edward forever, at the price of her very short normal human life.
