Post by Meg on Jul 15, 2008 14:51:20 GMT
Vampire Mythology-Twilight Series World View
(Cited in the book, with chapter numbers)
Appearance:
All of the Cullen family in ‘Twilight’ are described as breathtakingly beautiful; in fact, this and their aloofness in the cafeteria of the school is the first thing that draws Bella’s attention towards them.
"Their faces, so different, so similar, were all devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful." (TW1)
Although Bella is immediately drawn to Edward, we have frequent repetition of just how attractive all of the vampires are. Carlisle is described as looking "more like a model than a doctor" (TW24), Rosalie is so gorgeous that "the perfect blonde girl" (TW1) is "beyond belief", Emmett and Jasper are "intimidating and flawless", Alice is "striking" (TW Epilogue), and Edward is described as "dazzling" (TW2) and "too beautiful to be real" (TW13). Esme, whilst not as prominent in the novel as the others, still "had the same pale, beautiful features as the rest of them" (TW 13).
We discover that their perfect "marble" (TW13) features are merely part of their arsenal of weapons to make them enticing to their prey.
Ironically, many of the words Bella chooses to describe the vampires are an inversion of the stereotypical beliefs about the creatures. Edward is frequently described as an "angel" (TW23) or mention is made of "his angel’s face" (TW13). His eyes are "golden" at times (TW13) and the constant reinforcement of the positive imagery and implications supports the fact that the Cullens are, indeed, an altogether different version of vampire to that covered by legend.
It is worth noting that in Meyer’s world the transformation from human to vampire intensifies everything, including looks.
"The change into a vampire makes an average person stunning and a beautiful person absolutely beyond breath-taking. The reason Rosalie is such a beautiful vampire is because she was the most beautiful girl in Rochester, New York when she was human." (PC4)
Therefore, as Meyer herself concludes, all of the Cullens were physically attractive to start with, and their transition to vampire state merely enhances what was already there in much the same way that Carlisle believed that a person’s greatest gift was taken with them (such as Esme’s capacity for love) and made stronger.
Their movements are described as fluent and fluid, very graceful. Alice’s movements in particular are equated with being like "dancing’, and are set in stark contrast to Bella’s own clumsiness.
The uncivilised vampires are described somewhat differently, their walk being "catlike" and "on the edge of shifting into a crouch" (TW18). The woman is described as having a posture that is "distinctly feline" (TW18) From their description alone, they are seen as far more animalistic, wild and uncontrolled than the "urbane" (TW18) Cullens, although they are capable of cursory civility.
James is the only vampire in the book who isn’t described as attractive; in fact he is "nondescript" (TW18). Meyer explains this as James:
"was quite unattractive as a human. This is rare, because even vampires are drawn by beauty. They tend to, when looking for companionship, choose exceptional humans." (PC4)
Eyes:
Edward’s eyes are a very prominent feature in the book; in fact, it is one of the first things that Bella ever notices about him. His eyes change colour very frequently, depending on how thirsty he is, or when he last fed. Bella initially notices that: "His eyes were black, coal black."(TW1) When Edward’s eyes are so dark, his thirst for blood is at the fore. When they are his lighter "golden" (TW12) or "topaz" (TW11) colour, that reflects that his thirst is sated and he has been hunting recently.
The shared colour of the Cullens eyes is not co-incidental. It is a hallmark of the "vegetarian" vampire who does not feast on human blood. We can see the clear contrast between their eyes and those of James, Laurent and Victoria which are "a deep burgundy colour that was disturbing and sinister." (TW18). This redness of the eyes indicates that these vampires feast on human blood. Meyer writes that, "If a Cullen were to drink human blood, his/her eyes would turn burgundy.
It takes about two weeks without blood for vampire eyes to go entirely black. If that Cullen then returned to an animal diet, his/her eyes would return to dark gold. Brand-newly created vampires are recognizable by their eyes, which are a vivid, bright red due to the massive amount of human blood (the blood that was already in the human at the time he/she was changed) that lingers in the tissues. That red fades slowly over the course of a year." (PC1)
Weapons:
"As predators, we have a glut of weapons in our physical arsenal… much, much more than really necessary. The strength, the speed, the acute senses, not to mention those of us like Edward, Jasper and I who have extra senses as well. And then, like a carnivorous flower, we are physically attractive to our prey…We’re also venomous."(TW20)
Strength, speed and appearance have been discussed elsewhere in the lexicon, but there are other traits that the vampires have to entice their victim. The most obvious of these is smell; even Edward’s breath lures Bella to him. "Sweet, delicious, the scent made my mouth water." (TW13) It literally pulls his victim towards him, so that they are entirely vulnerable to attack. As Edward states in TW13, it’s hardly necessary as he’s so strong and fast that a chosen victim couldn’t escape anyway. In that sense, he’s "the world’s best predator," (TW13) and he knows it.
The additional "weapons" that Alice, Edward and Jasper have are clearly outlined during "Twilight". Edward has the ability to hear thoughts, regardless of whether they are human or vampire, with just "one exception" (TW8) - Bella Swan. Alice’s gift is to be able to see future events, although these are subject to change as the people involved make their decisions (TW14). Jasper can alter the mood around him, which is something that Bella notices the first time she meets him: "A feeling of ease spread through me," (TW15) even though she was understandably nervous about meeting the Cullen family.
The most stereotypical weapon that a vampire has is their teeth. Meyer’s vampires are somewhat different to the vampires of legend in this regard as her "vampires do not have fangs" (PC1). Instead, their teeth are razor-sharp, and combined with their strength, it makes it very simple for them to rip their way through flesh to drink blood. The "human neck is like butter," she explains. "This isn’t the neat-and-tidy, two-small-holes-in-the-neck kind of vampire attack that you see in other vampire mythologies." (PC1) This leads us onto the fact that the vampires are venomous. Edward does pull away from Bella when he kisses her: "he’s just worried about her safety. Yes, the venom does pose a danger to her. It’s not like acid … it has to be in the bloodstream to cause any problems, it won’t hurt her skin. However, say she had a sore in her mouth, or that she’d bitten her tongue". Even if that wasn’t the case, Edward’s teeth are sharp as razors. She could cut her lips or tongue on them easily." (PC5) Venom is the thing that causes someone to turn into a vampire, and this is dealt with fully in a later section of the lexicon.
Physiology:
As a person is changed into a vampire, their physical appearance is enhanced, their eye colour changes, their hearing and eyesight becomes more acute, their heart ceases to beat, they no longer need to breathe. These heightened senses are invaluable to a vampire, both Edward and James, for example, rely on Bella’s scent to track her.
No further physical changes occur once someone has been transformed: "When someone becomes a vampire, it’s as if they are frozen exactly as they are in that moment." (PC1) Therefore, a vampire cannot get pregnant because this would involve a change in physical state, but if a pregnant woman were changed to become a vampire, then she would remain at that exact stage in pregnancy for all eternity.
Natural changes in the human body would not occur any longer. A woman would "no longer have any kind of ovulation cycle," (PC1), a man would no longer need to shave as hair would no longer continue to grow. Once cut, hair will never grow back, and we are given the example of Alice, whose hair is so short because "it was growing back from being shaved in the asylum." (PC1). Alice will never be able to have the long flowing locks of Rosalie.
Other things, such as fingernails, also cease to grow, but it is worth noting that a vampire’s body is like granite, so broken fingernails are unlikely! There are certainly some perks to this lack of change: Alice, Rosalie and Esme would never have to shave their legs, and none of them would have to worry about putting on weight! The human need for rest and sleep disappears in a vampire. As Edward explains, "I can’t sleep." (TW9), and "most human fluids are absent… no sweat, no tears," (PC1) and no blood of their own.
However, the venom they possess acts like a form of "saliva… the venom makes their mouths wet, at least." (PC1) Circulation ceasing and lack of heartbeat are amongst the most obvious changes when someone becomes a "cold one" (TW6). The blood that is in them when they are changed, is slowly consumed within the first year. Stephenie Meyer suggests thinking of this like using up "the fat stores in your body." (PC4), and from then onwards, the only blood that floods the old circulatory system of a vampire is the blood they have consumed. "It lightens their eyes and flushes their skin slightly." (PC1) The skin itself becomes far more refractive than a human’s skin ever can be. It literally sparkles "like thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded in the surface." (TW13). It is described as "shocking"(TW13) and also accounts for the days off school when the weather is sunny. Stephenie Meyer explains: "They sparkle because they have turned to substance that is somewhat like diamond. Their bodies have hardened, frozen into a kind of living stone. Each little cell in their skin has become a separate facet that reflects the light. These facets have a prism-like quality�they throw rainbows as they glitter." (PC7)
The body also becomes hard like granite or marble. A vampire is unlikely to be hurt or cut, simply because very little is strong enough to penetrate their flesh. We see how things that would kill a human put Edward in no physical danger at all: "The van should have smashed my legs, but you were holding it up."(TW3) Assuming something is capable of cutting through a vampire’s flesh,…there would only be blood if he/she had freshly drunk blood (and drunk a lot). Otherwise there would only be a bit of venom."(PC1)
Vampires can be killed, but humans and human tools are too weak to do it. The only sure fire way is for another vampire "to tear him to shreds, and then burn the pieces."(TW19) As far as James is concerned, "Emmett and Jasper took care of him," (TW24), so this destruction is obviously possible.
Becoming a Vampire:
The transition from human to vampire is said to be very painful, in fact it’s so bad that "The pain of transformation is the sharpest memory they have of their human life."(TW20). When James bites Bella in TW23, we witness this clearly. She compares the sensation in her hand to "fire", and words such as "screamed", "writhed" and "torture" enhance the agony that Bella endures even at the very beginning of the transformation process. As Stephenie Meyer points out, this is at the beginning of the conversion, "Painful enough, but not as bad as if she had several bites." (PC8)
Edward speaks in awe of Carlisle’s transformation, explaining, "It’s a miracle he was able to keep silent, to stay undiscovered," (TW15) due to the agonies he would have endured. Carlisle’s conversion would have been particularly painful because �his bites were not deliberate or well placed," (PC8), therefore it took a little more than three days to become a vampire. The pain is so bad that for "every minute" of the transformation, "a victim would be wishing for death." (TW20)
Alice is unusual in that she cannot remember her transformation at all. "She didn’t even seem to notice the pain, poor little creature. She’d been stuck in that black hole of a cell for so long." (TW22)
The transformation process is simple, assuming the vampire doesn�t drain the human body of blood. A human is bitten, and the venom is allowed to spread for a few days. The actual length of time a transformation takes is dependent upon "how much venom is in the bloodstream, how close the venom enters to the heart." (TW20). The venom is pumped around the body as the heart keeps beating, and various physical changes occur as the poison moves. One of the changed that happens is the body’s "healing" (TW20) from the injuries that may have occurred to it, such as Emmett’s mauling by the bear.
"The greatest pain begins when the venom is all the way through the body, through the heart, and it starts meeting itself in the veins again and then burning them dry. It moves slower than blood because it’s thicker. Each beat of the heart can only push it so far. The changing/burning process is slow. The venom has to leak through to every cell before it ends." (PC8). The final stage in conversion happens when "the heart stops"(TW20), at which point the human becomes a vampire.
Speed:
When vampires are changed from humans, they acquire certain superhuman abilities; speed is one of these. Edward is capable of moving so quickly that no one spots him at all. The incident where Bella was about to be crushed by the truck is one such example of Edward moving in this way: "All I know is that you weren’t anywhere near me. Tyler didn’t see you either." (TW3)
It isn’t until chapter 13 that we see the true nature of this speed, where the distance covered in several hours of hiking is retracted in a matter of moments, with Edward carrying Bella on his back. The speed with which he races is shown to be entirely effortless, and is pure exhilarating enjoyment: "He streaked through the dark, thick underbrush of the forest, like a ghost. There was no sound, no evidence that his feet touched the earth. His breathing never changed, never indicated any effort. But the trees flew by at deadly speeds, always missing us by inches."(TW13) This speed is terrifying to Bella, but merely "second nature"(TW13) to Edward.
We see the speed of all the Cullens again during the baseball game. Emmett is described as "a blur around the bases" (TW17) and Edward can move so quickly that he is able to intercept a ball that has been hit "like a meteor." (TW17) Esme tells us that Edward is the fastest at running, and the baseball game certainly bears this out. Obviously, Edward becomes slower when he is carrying Bella. He is acutely aware that he cannot outrun the visiting vampires with her.
It is not just physical movement that can be exceptionally fast. Speech too can be faster than the human ear can make out. "Edward was growling something too fast for me to understand, but sounded like a string of profanities."(TW18)
His love of speed is also picked up in his driving. As Bella puts it: "He drives like a maniac. It was terrifying." (TW10) He enjoys the speed of the car, and grumbles that 80 is "driving slow." (TW10). He has fast reflexes and Bella notes that it all seemed "effortless" (TW14) to him.
Stregnth:
The ability to use superhuman strength is one of the characteristics that set vampires apart. Edward’s physical strength is seen in stark contrast to the fragility of human Bella: "You are so soft, so fragile. I have to mind my actions every moment that we’re together so that I don’t hurt you. I could kill you quite easily, Bella, simply by accident… I could reach out, meaning to touch your face, and crush your skull by mistake." (TW14)
His strength leads to one of the tensions in his relationship with Bella, namely that he can never let down his guard for fear he will either accidentally hurt her, or let his vampiric nature seize the blood he so desires. He can certainly move her effortlessly, as we see when he carries her to the school nurse, "as easily as if I weighed ten pounds instead of a hundred and ten." (TW5) Edward’s strength can be most clearly seen in the incident where he saves Bella from Tyler’s truck. Not only is he not injured himself but he even forces the metal out of the way by the pressure he exerts on it. "I had seen the" very distinct dent that fit the contours of Edward’s shoulders…as if he had braced himself against the car with enough force to damage the metal frame." (TW3)
Yet, Edward’s "iron strength" (TW13) is nothing compared with what it would have been after Carlisle first changed him. Meyer states that: "New vampires are also immensely strong for their first year of life, also a product of the excess of blood left in the body." (PC1) This would imply that a vampire’s strength dips before a feed, and their energy/strength levels are refuelled by hunting. When asked about this, Stephenie Meyer explained that hunting makes a "minimal difference" (PC5) to the physical strength levels of a vampire, as even a thirsty vampire is capable of great feats of physical strength. Stephenie Meyer is clear that vampire strength is very much dependent on the individual. Emmett was colossally strong as a human, and even more so as a vampire, but each individual vampire has their own personal range. However, it’s important to remember that, "skill is going to count more than strength," (PC5) so an experienced vampire could still outwit a newborn one in a fight.
A vampire’s diet does not have a massive impact on the levels of strength. "Human blood does make them stronger than animal blood, but only fractionally. Big game (bears, wildcats, predators) makes them stronger than the "weaker" blood of herd animals." (PC5) Ultimately, physical strength is always going to come down to the individual vampire, rather than secondary factors like their diet. Strength, of course, isn’t always physical. It is impossible for a vampire to die through physical starvation (TW15), but what the lack of blood intake does alter is a vampire’s mental state. After Carlisle realised that he had become a vampire, he tried to destroy himself. "He grew very hungry and very weak. He strayed as far as he could from the human populace, recognising that his willpower was weakening too." (TW15)
Vampires are less capable of acting with rational thought, and therefore more likely to act through their natural animal instincts when they are thirsty. This explains why Bella is in so much danger when Edward hasn’t been hunting. Edward does show an inner strength in resisting the lure of Bella’s blood. Edward admits that at times he wondered if he was "strong enough" (TW14) to resist his natural urges. Finally, his inner strength comes to the fore as he admits "I couldn’t live with myself if I ever hurt you." (TW13)
Source: TL
(Cited in the book, with chapter numbers)
Appearance:
All of the Cullen family in ‘Twilight’ are described as breathtakingly beautiful; in fact, this and their aloofness in the cafeteria of the school is the first thing that draws Bella’s attention towards them.
"Their faces, so different, so similar, were all devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful." (TW1)
Although Bella is immediately drawn to Edward, we have frequent repetition of just how attractive all of the vampires are. Carlisle is described as looking "more like a model than a doctor" (TW24), Rosalie is so gorgeous that "the perfect blonde girl" (TW1) is "beyond belief", Emmett and Jasper are "intimidating and flawless", Alice is "striking" (TW Epilogue), and Edward is described as "dazzling" (TW2) and "too beautiful to be real" (TW13). Esme, whilst not as prominent in the novel as the others, still "had the same pale, beautiful features as the rest of them" (TW 13).
We discover that their perfect "marble" (TW13) features are merely part of their arsenal of weapons to make them enticing to their prey.
Ironically, many of the words Bella chooses to describe the vampires are an inversion of the stereotypical beliefs about the creatures. Edward is frequently described as an "angel" (TW23) or mention is made of "his angel’s face" (TW13). His eyes are "golden" at times (TW13) and the constant reinforcement of the positive imagery and implications supports the fact that the Cullens are, indeed, an altogether different version of vampire to that covered by legend.
It is worth noting that in Meyer’s world the transformation from human to vampire intensifies everything, including looks.
"The change into a vampire makes an average person stunning and a beautiful person absolutely beyond breath-taking. The reason Rosalie is such a beautiful vampire is because she was the most beautiful girl in Rochester, New York when she was human." (PC4)
Therefore, as Meyer herself concludes, all of the Cullens were physically attractive to start with, and their transition to vampire state merely enhances what was already there in much the same way that Carlisle believed that a person’s greatest gift was taken with them (such as Esme’s capacity for love) and made stronger.
Their movements are described as fluent and fluid, very graceful. Alice’s movements in particular are equated with being like "dancing’, and are set in stark contrast to Bella’s own clumsiness.
The uncivilised vampires are described somewhat differently, their walk being "catlike" and "on the edge of shifting into a crouch" (TW18). The woman is described as having a posture that is "distinctly feline" (TW18) From their description alone, they are seen as far more animalistic, wild and uncontrolled than the "urbane" (TW18) Cullens, although they are capable of cursory civility.
James is the only vampire in the book who isn’t described as attractive; in fact he is "nondescript" (TW18). Meyer explains this as James:
"was quite unattractive as a human. This is rare, because even vampires are drawn by beauty. They tend to, when looking for companionship, choose exceptional humans." (PC4)
Eyes:
Edward’s eyes are a very prominent feature in the book; in fact, it is one of the first things that Bella ever notices about him. His eyes change colour very frequently, depending on how thirsty he is, or when he last fed. Bella initially notices that: "His eyes were black, coal black."(TW1) When Edward’s eyes are so dark, his thirst for blood is at the fore. When they are his lighter "golden" (TW12) or "topaz" (TW11) colour, that reflects that his thirst is sated and he has been hunting recently.
The shared colour of the Cullens eyes is not co-incidental. It is a hallmark of the "vegetarian" vampire who does not feast on human blood. We can see the clear contrast between their eyes and those of James, Laurent and Victoria which are "a deep burgundy colour that was disturbing and sinister." (TW18). This redness of the eyes indicates that these vampires feast on human blood. Meyer writes that, "If a Cullen were to drink human blood, his/her eyes would turn burgundy.
It takes about two weeks without blood for vampire eyes to go entirely black. If that Cullen then returned to an animal diet, his/her eyes would return to dark gold. Brand-newly created vampires are recognizable by their eyes, which are a vivid, bright red due to the massive amount of human blood (the blood that was already in the human at the time he/she was changed) that lingers in the tissues. That red fades slowly over the course of a year." (PC1)
Weapons:
"As predators, we have a glut of weapons in our physical arsenal… much, much more than really necessary. The strength, the speed, the acute senses, not to mention those of us like Edward, Jasper and I who have extra senses as well. And then, like a carnivorous flower, we are physically attractive to our prey…We’re also venomous."(TW20)
Strength, speed and appearance have been discussed elsewhere in the lexicon, but there are other traits that the vampires have to entice their victim. The most obvious of these is smell; even Edward’s breath lures Bella to him. "Sweet, delicious, the scent made my mouth water." (TW13) It literally pulls his victim towards him, so that they are entirely vulnerable to attack. As Edward states in TW13, it’s hardly necessary as he’s so strong and fast that a chosen victim couldn’t escape anyway. In that sense, he’s "the world’s best predator," (TW13) and he knows it.
The additional "weapons" that Alice, Edward and Jasper have are clearly outlined during "Twilight". Edward has the ability to hear thoughts, regardless of whether they are human or vampire, with just "one exception" (TW8) - Bella Swan. Alice’s gift is to be able to see future events, although these are subject to change as the people involved make their decisions (TW14). Jasper can alter the mood around him, which is something that Bella notices the first time she meets him: "A feeling of ease spread through me," (TW15) even though she was understandably nervous about meeting the Cullen family.
The most stereotypical weapon that a vampire has is their teeth. Meyer’s vampires are somewhat different to the vampires of legend in this regard as her "vampires do not have fangs" (PC1). Instead, their teeth are razor-sharp, and combined with their strength, it makes it very simple for them to rip their way through flesh to drink blood. The "human neck is like butter," she explains. "This isn’t the neat-and-tidy, two-small-holes-in-the-neck kind of vampire attack that you see in other vampire mythologies." (PC1) This leads us onto the fact that the vampires are venomous. Edward does pull away from Bella when he kisses her: "he’s just worried about her safety. Yes, the venom does pose a danger to her. It’s not like acid … it has to be in the bloodstream to cause any problems, it won’t hurt her skin. However, say she had a sore in her mouth, or that she’d bitten her tongue". Even if that wasn’t the case, Edward’s teeth are sharp as razors. She could cut her lips or tongue on them easily." (PC5) Venom is the thing that causes someone to turn into a vampire, and this is dealt with fully in a later section of the lexicon.
Physiology:
As a person is changed into a vampire, their physical appearance is enhanced, their eye colour changes, their hearing and eyesight becomes more acute, their heart ceases to beat, they no longer need to breathe. These heightened senses are invaluable to a vampire, both Edward and James, for example, rely on Bella’s scent to track her.
No further physical changes occur once someone has been transformed: "When someone becomes a vampire, it’s as if they are frozen exactly as they are in that moment." (PC1) Therefore, a vampire cannot get pregnant because this would involve a change in physical state, but if a pregnant woman were changed to become a vampire, then she would remain at that exact stage in pregnancy for all eternity.
Natural changes in the human body would not occur any longer. A woman would "no longer have any kind of ovulation cycle," (PC1), a man would no longer need to shave as hair would no longer continue to grow. Once cut, hair will never grow back, and we are given the example of Alice, whose hair is so short because "it was growing back from being shaved in the asylum." (PC1). Alice will never be able to have the long flowing locks of Rosalie.
Other things, such as fingernails, also cease to grow, but it is worth noting that a vampire’s body is like granite, so broken fingernails are unlikely! There are certainly some perks to this lack of change: Alice, Rosalie and Esme would never have to shave their legs, and none of them would have to worry about putting on weight! The human need for rest and sleep disappears in a vampire. As Edward explains, "I can’t sleep." (TW9), and "most human fluids are absent… no sweat, no tears," (PC1) and no blood of their own.
However, the venom they possess acts like a form of "saliva… the venom makes their mouths wet, at least." (PC1) Circulation ceasing and lack of heartbeat are amongst the most obvious changes when someone becomes a "cold one" (TW6). The blood that is in them when they are changed, is slowly consumed within the first year. Stephenie Meyer suggests thinking of this like using up "the fat stores in your body." (PC4), and from then onwards, the only blood that floods the old circulatory system of a vampire is the blood they have consumed. "It lightens their eyes and flushes their skin slightly." (PC1) The skin itself becomes far more refractive than a human’s skin ever can be. It literally sparkles "like thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded in the surface." (TW13). It is described as "shocking"(TW13) and also accounts for the days off school when the weather is sunny. Stephenie Meyer explains: "They sparkle because they have turned to substance that is somewhat like diamond. Their bodies have hardened, frozen into a kind of living stone. Each little cell in their skin has become a separate facet that reflects the light. These facets have a prism-like quality�they throw rainbows as they glitter." (PC7)
The body also becomes hard like granite or marble. A vampire is unlikely to be hurt or cut, simply because very little is strong enough to penetrate their flesh. We see how things that would kill a human put Edward in no physical danger at all: "The van should have smashed my legs, but you were holding it up."(TW3) Assuming something is capable of cutting through a vampire’s flesh,…there would only be blood if he/she had freshly drunk blood (and drunk a lot). Otherwise there would only be a bit of venom."(PC1)
Vampires can be killed, but humans and human tools are too weak to do it. The only sure fire way is for another vampire "to tear him to shreds, and then burn the pieces."(TW19) As far as James is concerned, "Emmett and Jasper took care of him," (TW24), so this destruction is obviously possible.
Becoming a Vampire:
The transition from human to vampire is said to be very painful, in fact it’s so bad that "The pain of transformation is the sharpest memory they have of their human life."(TW20). When James bites Bella in TW23, we witness this clearly. She compares the sensation in her hand to "fire", and words such as "screamed", "writhed" and "torture" enhance the agony that Bella endures even at the very beginning of the transformation process. As Stephenie Meyer points out, this is at the beginning of the conversion, "Painful enough, but not as bad as if she had several bites." (PC8)
Edward speaks in awe of Carlisle’s transformation, explaining, "It’s a miracle he was able to keep silent, to stay undiscovered," (TW15) due to the agonies he would have endured. Carlisle’s conversion would have been particularly painful because �his bites were not deliberate or well placed," (PC8), therefore it took a little more than three days to become a vampire. The pain is so bad that for "every minute" of the transformation, "a victim would be wishing for death." (TW20)
Alice is unusual in that she cannot remember her transformation at all. "She didn’t even seem to notice the pain, poor little creature. She’d been stuck in that black hole of a cell for so long." (TW22)
The transformation process is simple, assuming the vampire doesn�t drain the human body of blood. A human is bitten, and the venom is allowed to spread for a few days. The actual length of time a transformation takes is dependent upon "how much venom is in the bloodstream, how close the venom enters to the heart." (TW20). The venom is pumped around the body as the heart keeps beating, and various physical changes occur as the poison moves. One of the changed that happens is the body’s "healing" (TW20) from the injuries that may have occurred to it, such as Emmett’s mauling by the bear.
"The greatest pain begins when the venom is all the way through the body, through the heart, and it starts meeting itself in the veins again and then burning them dry. It moves slower than blood because it’s thicker. Each beat of the heart can only push it so far. The changing/burning process is slow. The venom has to leak through to every cell before it ends." (PC8). The final stage in conversion happens when "the heart stops"(TW20), at which point the human becomes a vampire.
Speed:
When vampires are changed from humans, they acquire certain superhuman abilities; speed is one of these. Edward is capable of moving so quickly that no one spots him at all. The incident where Bella was about to be crushed by the truck is one such example of Edward moving in this way: "All I know is that you weren’t anywhere near me. Tyler didn’t see you either." (TW3)
It isn’t until chapter 13 that we see the true nature of this speed, where the distance covered in several hours of hiking is retracted in a matter of moments, with Edward carrying Bella on his back. The speed with which he races is shown to be entirely effortless, and is pure exhilarating enjoyment: "He streaked through the dark, thick underbrush of the forest, like a ghost. There was no sound, no evidence that his feet touched the earth. His breathing never changed, never indicated any effort. But the trees flew by at deadly speeds, always missing us by inches."(TW13) This speed is terrifying to Bella, but merely "second nature"(TW13) to Edward.
We see the speed of all the Cullens again during the baseball game. Emmett is described as "a blur around the bases" (TW17) and Edward can move so quickly that he is able to intercept a ball that has been hit "like a meteor." (TW17) Esme tells us that Edward is the fastest at running, and the baseball game certainly bears this out. Obviously, Edward becomes slower when he is carrying Bella. He is acutely aware that he cannot outrun the visiting vampires with her.
It is not just physical movement that can be exceptionally fast. Speech too can be faster than the human ear can make out. "Edward was growling something too fast for me to understand, but sounded like a string of profanities."(TW18)
His love of speed is also picked up in his driving. As Bella puts it: "He drives like a maniac. It was terrifying." (TW10) He enjoys the speed of the car, and grumbles that 80 is "driving slow." (TW10). He has fast reflexes and Bella notes that it all seemed "effortless" (TW14) to him.
Stregnth:
The ability to use superhuman strength is one of the characteristics that set vampires apart. Edward’s physical strength is seen in stark contrast to the fragility of human Bella: "You are so soft, so fragile. I have to mind my actions every moment that we’re together so that I don’t hurt you. I could kill you quite easily, Bella, simply by accident… I could reach out, meaning to touch your face, and crush your skull by mistake." (TW14)
His strength leads to one of the tensions in his relationship with Bella, namely that he can never let down his guard for fear he will either accidentally hurt her, or let his vampiric nature seize the blood he so desires. He can certainly move her effortlessly, as we see when he carries her to the school nurse, "as easily as if I weighed ten pounds instead of a hundred and ten." (TW5) Edward’s strength can be most clearly seen in the incident where he saves Bella from Tyler’s truck. Not only is he not injured himself but he even forces the metal out of the way by the pressure he exerts on it. "I had seen the" very distinct dent that fit the contours of Edward’s shoulders…as if he had braced himself against the car with enough force to damage the metal frame." (TW3)
Yet, Edward’s "iron strength" (TW13) is nothing compared with what it would have been after Carlisle first changed him. Meyer states that: "New vampires are also immensely strong for their first year of life, also a product of the excess of blood left in the body." (PC1) This would imply that a vampire’s strength dips before a feed, and their energy/strength levels are refuelled by hunting. When asked about this, Stephenie Meyer explained that hunting makes a "minimal difference" (PC5) to the physical strength levels of a vampire, as even a thirsty vampire is capable of great feats of physical strength. Stephenie Meyer is clear that vampire strength is very much dependent on the individual. Emmett was colossally strong as a human, and even more so as a vampire, but each individual vampire has their own personal range. However, it’s important to remember that, "skill is going to count more than strength," (PC5) so an experienced vampire could still outwit a newborn one in a fight.
A vampire’s diet does not have a massive impact on the levels of strength. "Human blood does make them stronger than animal blood, but only fractionally. Big game (bears, wildcats, predators) makes them stronger than the "weaker" blood of herd animals." (PC5) Ultimately, physical strength is always going to come down to the individual vampire, rather than secondary factors like their diet. Strength, of course, isn’t always physical. It is impossible for a vampire to die through physical starvation (TW15), but what the lack of blood intake does alter is a vampire’s mental state. After Carlisle realised that he had become a vampire, he tried to destroy himself. "He grew very hungry and very weak. He strayed as far as he could from the human populace, recognising that his willpower was weakening too." (TW15)
Vampires are less capable of acting with rational thought, and therefore more likely to act through their natural animal instincts when they are thirsty. This explains why Bella is in so much danger when Edward hasn’t been hunting. Edward does show an inner strength in resisting the lure of Bella’s blood. Edward admits that at times he wondered if he was "strong enough" (TW14) to resist his natural urges. Finally, his inner strength comes to the fore as he admits "I couldn’t live with myself if I ever hurt you." (TW13)
Source: TL
