Reading Twilight So You Don't Have To: Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen: The Hunt
It's ironic that it took me a long time to get to this chapter because of Christmas week, because it was the first chapter I actually... enjoyed. There's, like, a PLOT and the characters are behaving like, you know, REAL PEOPLE might behave under similar circumstances. I had to look at the cover again to make sure I was still reading Twilight.
When we last left our intrepid heroes, they were playing vampire baseball when Psychic Alice had a vision that another group of vampires would be arriving shortly. (Might have been nice to know that, oh, say, a couple of hours ago when there was time to do something about it. Thanks, psychic powers!) Chapter Eighteen begins with the arrival of three vampires: The Alpha Male, the Beta Male, and the Token Girl. They look more like hippies than the Cullens, what with their free love feeding philosophy and all. There's some sizing each other up and staking out territory as they introduce themselves: Laurent the Alpha, James the Beta, and Victoria the Girl. Carlisle makes a big group introduction so as not to call individual attention to Bella, who is staying still and silent behind Edward (okay, for once it reads as the sensible thing to do instead of some sort of throwback to the golden days of A Woman Knowing Her Place). But, of course, her Super Special Smell eventually attracts Beta James, and Alpha Laurent asks, "You brought a snack?"
BUSTED!
Carlisle makes it clear she's with them, and they pretend to make nice, not wanting to encroach on Carlisle's territory and whatnot, and they pretend they're going to Carlisle's for tea or something, and Edward takes off with Bella, Alice, and Emmet. Once they're back at the Jeep, Edward drives like a madman, saying he's going to take Bella "far away." Bella protests--if he doesn't take her home, Charlie will call the FBI and the jig will be up for the Cullens. Edward doesn't care, but Alice takes up the argument on Bella's behalf (because she's not The Heroine, she apparently is allowed to behave in an authoritative, unfeminine manner.) But Edward is still not moved.
"Listen to me, Alice. I saw his mind. Tracking is his passion, his obsession--and he wants her, Alice--her, specifically. He begins the hunt tonight."
Again, this is the first instance where Edward's macho BS overprotectiveness makes sense. Bella is in actual danger from something supernatural (ie, not her own clumsiness) and he has to protect her. His stubbornness reads as a typical guy-in-love-protecting-the-one-he-loves instead of a power trip, and it works. They argue a bit, Edward convinced that James will be able to track Bella's scent directly back to her house, so they can't take her home. Bella, naturally, is now afraid for Charlie, and she, Alice, and Emmet try to convince Edward that they can't just take off. And Bella comes up with a plan.
That's right. Bella, the proper, demure, don't-do-anything-my-man-should-do-for-me Bella comes up with a plan.
"You take me back. I tell my dad I want to go home to Phoenix. I pack my bags. we wait till this tracker is watching, and then we run. He'll follow us and leave Charlie alone. Charlie wont' call the FBI on your family. Then you can take me any damned place you want."
Edward, naturally, does not approve of this plan but, again, it reads more like typical guy-in-love-protectiveness (and over an issue where protectiveness is actually reasonable and not ridiculous) rather than anything misogynistic. Emmet and Alice like the plan and argue in favor of it, and Edward relents. There's still some quibbling over details: Edward wants to go with her and wants Emmet and Alice to return home, but Bella argues that Edward needs to leave her so 1) Charlie isn't suspicious and 2) the tracker will think she's with Edward and maybe lose her scent. Bella should go with Alice and Jasper instead, and Edward could shake James and meet her later. Bella, meanwhile will go to Phoenix, figuring that if James hears her say she's going there and knows its a ruse, he'll think she's really not going there.... The old "I know you know its a ruse so it really isn't a ruse" trick. But she won't go home; she'll hide out somewhere in Phoenix (and Alice and Jasper will stay indoors out of the bright, sparkle-making Phoenix sun). Alice and Emmet continue to take Bella's side, Edward gives in again, and the chapter ends with a little tease as he tells Alice, "But keep your opinions to yourself."
Can you believe it? A whole chapter that was actually interesting and didn't contain anything offensive or nonsensical. And I'm not even dreading the next chapter. If only this had happened, say, seventeen chapters ago...
Chapter Nineteen
Quick Links:
Why I'm doing this | Preface & 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16.2 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | Epilogue |
Discussion Questions
Chapter Eighteen: The Hunt
It's ironic that it took me a long time to get to this chapter because of Christmas week, because it was the first chapter I actually... enjoyed. There's, like, a PLOT and the characters are behaving like, you know, REAL PEOPLE might behave under similar circumstances. I had to look at the cover again to make sure I was still reading Twilight.
When we last left our intrepid heroes, they were playing vampire baseball when Psychic Alice had a vision that another group of vampires would be arriving shortly. (Might have been nice to know that, oh, say, a couple of hours ago when there was time to do something about it. Thanks, psychic powers!) Chapter Eighteen begins with the arrival of three vampires: The Alpha Male, the Beta Male, and the Token Girl. They look more like hippies than the Cullens, what with their free love feeding philosophy and all. There's some sizing each other up and staking out territory as they introduce themselves: Laurent the Alpha, James the Beta, and Victoria the Girl. Carlisle makes a big group introduction so as not to call individual attention to Bella, who is staying still and silent behind Edward (okay, for once it reads as the sensible thing to do instead of some sort of throwback to the golden days of A Woman Knowing Her Place). But, of course, her Super Special Smell eventually attracts Beta James, and Alpha Laurent asks, "You brought a snack?"
BUSTED!
Carlisle makes it clear she's with them, and they pretend to make nice, not wanting to encroach on Carlisle's territory and whatnot, and they pretend they're going to Carlisle's for tea or something, and Edward takes off with Bella, Alice, and Emmet. Once they're back at the Jeep, Edward drives like a madman, saying he's going to take Bella "far away." Bella protests--if he doesn't take her home, Charlie will call the FBI and the jig will be up for the Cullens. Edward doesn't care, but Alice takes up the argument on Bella's behalf (because she's not The Heroine, she apparently is allowed to behave in an authoritative, unfeminine manner.) But Edward is still not moved.
"Listen to me, Alice. I saw his mind. Tracking is his passion, his obsession--and he wants her, Alice--her, specifically. He begins the hunt tonight."
Again, this is the first instance where Edward's macho BS overprotectiveness makes sense. Bella is in actual danger from something supernatural (ie, not her own clumsiness) and he has to protect her. His stubbornness reads as a typical guy-in-love-protecting-the-one-he-loves instead of a power trip, and it works. They argue a bit, Edward convinced that James will be able to track Bella's scent directly back to her house, so they can't take her home. Bella, naturally, is now afraid for Charlie, and she, Alice, and Emmet try to convince Edward that they can't just take off. And Bella comes up with a plan.
That's right. Bella, the proper, demure, don't-do-anything-my-man-should-do-for-me Bella comes up with a plan.
"You take me back. I tell my dad I want to go home to Phoenix. I pack my bags. we wait till this tracker is watching, and then we run. He'll follow us and leave Charlie alone. Charlie wont' call the FBI on your family. Then you can take me any damned place you want."
Edward, naturally, does not approve of this plan but, again, it reads more like typical guy-in-love-protectiveness (and over an issue where protectiveness is actually reasonable and not ridiculous) rather than anything misogynistic. Emmet and Alice like the plan and argue in favor of it, and Edward relents. There's still some quibbling over details: Edward wants to go with her and wants Emmet and Alice to return home, but Bella argues that Edward needs to leave her so 1) Charlie isn't suspicious and 2) the tracker will think she's with Edward and maybe lose her scent. Bella should go with Alice and Jasper instead, and Edward could shake James and meet her later. Bella, meanwhile will go to Phoenix, figuring that if James hears her say she's going there and knows its a ruse, he'll think she's really not going there.... The old "I know you know its a ruse so it really isn't a ruse" trick. But she won't go home; she'll hide out somewhere in Phoenix (and Alice and Jasper will stay indoors out of the bright, sparkle-making Phoenix sun). Alice and Emmet continue to take Bella's side, Edward gives in again, and the chapter ends with a little tease as he tells Alice, "But keep your opinions to yourself."
Can you believe it? A whole chapter that was actually interesting and didn't contain anything offensive or nonsensical. And I'm not even dreading the next chapter. If only this had happened, say, seventeen chapters ago...
Chapter Nineteen
Quick Links:
Why I'm doing this | Preface & 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16.2 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | Epilogue |
Discussion Questions