Page 1 - Preface

I have to admit, the preface is an annoying place to have to start this project. Not only is it half a page of text, but it's an excerpt from towards the end of the story, so it's impossible to discuss without referring to events I haven't yet reached. Therefore, I must assume that anyone who may read this blog in the future has read the novel from beginning to end.

On this page, Bella is anticipating her death, and she states that, even through the events of the novel until this point, she had never expected to die this way. I hate to point out the obvious, but hadn't she been associating with vampires for months? Hadn't she been hunted by the very vampire who now had her cornered? This is naivete.

Go ahead and put yourself in harms way, girls. Be reckless. Ignore the advice of your parents. Date controlling boys who break into your room at night to watch you sleep. It worked for Bella Swan.

I know I'm jumping too far ahead into the story, but that's the nature of the preface.

"When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it's not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end."

Is this true? I can't speak for everyone else, but when I was seventeen I had pretty high expectations for life. I had planned to be the biggest movie star to ever walk the earth, and I was going to wear the hottest red gown ever to the Oscars. What were Bella's expectations for life? Did a Edward Cullen really push the boundaries for her? Would she have been satisfied with a highschool dropout - a mortal - highschool dropout who worked at Burger King?

Is it unreasonable for girls to strive for more, or is the love of a boy enough alone?

Again, I can't speak for everyone else, but when I have an especially good pita with tzatziki I grieve when it's gone. Grieving is a natural part of life. Let's put it this way: Winning 40 million dollars in the lottery is beyond my personal expectations, but if I did win and then lost the ticket, I would grieve, of course. If this life with Edward was something Bella had become so attached to, why wouldn't she grieve for it if she thought it was ending? She seems to control her emotions so that she only allows those that centre around Edward.

Here she is, about to be devoured by a ruthless vampire, and Bella thinks that she would be selfish to allow herself to feel regret for the series of events that led her to this point. Is it so impossible for her to focus on herself for once?