Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

Edward, she also becomes bolder in her vocalizations about fighting with her vampire family instead of
being saved. This, of course, is explained by Edward as Bella not knowing exactly what dangers there are
and her general need for protection because of her frail humanity. She is only a child, after all.
The Father Figure
Innocence and naiveté are the hallmark of Romance novels because the woman is supposed to be
unaware of her potential as a sexual being before she meets her future lover. She is in need of constant
protection from corruption from the outside because teen sexuality has been characterized as “risky,
harmful, and immoral” (Doan and Williams 68) by our cultural standards. Within the Abstinence
Movement, the father is responsible for protecting his daughter until she marries. Since Bella‟s father has
been largely absent in her life, he is unfit to play the role of protector for her. Edward, however, is more
than willing and capable to step into the role because of his age and experience. He is constantly reminding
Bella to stay safe because she is a magnet for trouble.
A particularly interesting scene that sets up Bella‟s struggle to control her sexuality for the rest of
the novel is what has come to be known as the scene in the clearing. In Book One, Bella and Edward go to a
clearing in the forest around Forks so that he can show her his „true‟ self. Bella is, at first, reluctant to enter
the forest with Edward because of her clumsiness and plodding pace. She is ashamed of her inexperience
whereas he finds it endearing. Edward awakens in Bella her dormant sexuality as he simultaneously must
control his predator instincts that tell him he must take her:
“With deliberate slowness, his hands slid down the sides of my neck. I shivered, and heard him
catch his breath. But his hand didn‟t pause as they softly moved to my shoulders, and then stopped.
His face drifted to the side, his nose skimming across my collarbone. He came to rest with the side
of his face pressed tenderly against my chest” (276).
Afterwards, Edward declares that it will be much easier to resist her bouquet (276) because he had
tempted himself so much and succeeded in not killing her. He had, however, made her aware of her
sexuality. When he brings her back to her car, they pause for a moment, and he kisses her. He is testing his
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