What do you think the main theme of Twilight is?

[Heather]

This is something I have written about Twilight's theme, I want your opinion on whether you think this is one of the main themes or not~
thxxx

I think we can find many layers of meaning in the book.
I think one of the main themes is appearances can be deceiving and that within something that seems full of darkness there can exist beauty and the possibility of love. At the beginning of the novel, Bella mentions that she loves sunshine in Phoenix, and indicates that she hates darkness by saying she doesn’t like the uniformly grey cloud cover on Forks. However, in the following quotation, she finds beauty in the grey:
The water was dark grey, even in the sunlight . . . The beach had only a thin border of actual sand at the water's edge, after which it grew into millions large, smooth stones that looked uniformly grey from a distance, but close up were every shade a stone could be: terra-cotta, sea green, lavender, blue grey, dull gold. (Pg.60)
This quotation shows that although she thinks Forks is uniformly grey when she is looking at it from a distance, it actually has many colours behind the grey, and it is breathtaking. It seems like appearances can be deceiving and that she might grow to like Forks. From far away, the beach looks uniformly grey, but up close, she sees beautiful stones with different colours, and finds it breathtaking. Therefore, this suggests that when she gets to know Forks, she might discover many great things and kind people, such as her school friends, her new car, and of course Edward. And this indicates that there is something behind the grey, and foreshadows that she might find something beautiful in darkness, hinting that she might fall in love with something dark.
Another way the author supports the theme of appearances can be deceiving and there can be beauty and love in darkness is by using description. For example, in the following description of vampires she writes, “They weren't talking, and they weren't eating, though they each had a tray of untouched food in front of them . . . I stared because their faces, so different, so similar, were all devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful.”(pg.11) This suggests the inhuman and strangeness of the vampires. However, they are still beautiful, and she doesn’t hate them. This can be seen as foreshadowing a love that can grow from this strangeness and darkness. The quote: “He was glaring down at me again, his black eyes full of revulsion. As I flinched away from him, shrinking against my chair…He was so mean. It wasn't fair.” (pg.14) Suggests Edward hates Bella, and is mad at her for something, however Edward saves her from a car accident, so even if he doesn’t display that in words, his action shows that he cares about her. After the car accident she writes: “That was the first night I dreamed of Edward Cullen…I was positive that Edward's defensive behavior in the hall was a confirmation of the bizarre things I still could hardly believe I'd witnessed.” (pg.35) This suggests that there is something bizarre in the way that Edward saves her, and she knows that, but even then she starts to think of him, starts to like him. This shows that appearances can be deceiving and love can grow in this dark and strange relationship.

The book title “ Twilight” seems like there is no relationship with the content. Twilight can be the first peak of sunlight before sunrise, but it can also mean the last bit of sunlight before sunset. However, it has to be a start, a start of a change, a transformation from dark to bright, or bright to dark. Viewed symbolically, this idea of twilight can be seen in terms of the beginning of Edward and Bella’s love, which can go both ways, either transform into something bright, love, or transforms darkness, Edward’s vampire’s nature might take over, and kill Bella and their love.

It seems to me that there are many themes in Twilight, which the author uses various narrative techniques to develop. However, one of the themes that are most strongly developed through these techniques is that appearances can be deceiving and within something that seems full of darkness there can exist beauty and the possibility of love.