As someone who has been a die-hard Twilight fan since I was about 6 years old, as I have gotten older, I have begun to realize how insane the whole series is. On the surface, we see a teenager — who has been parentified by both of her parents — fall in love with a 100-year-old vampire while also having conflicting feelings for her childhood werewolf best friend. Since I have started reading the books for the first time, I have noticed several inconsistencies and made many realizations about the characters. For example, everything seems to be the Cullens’ fault, and, although this may be difficult to swallow, Carlisle Cullen is the one to blame.
As much as I first wanted to deny this, the evidence is clear in the books. As the viewers/readers, we are made to believe that Carlisle is this sort of savior to the Cullen’s, rescuing them from death, teaching them right from wrong as vampires, and teaching them to respect human life; in reality, he is the complete opposite. Establishing this persona, we then categorize Victoria, James, Laurant, and the Volturi as the main antagonists. Though Carlisle recognizes some of his faults, his actions are permanent and leave us, the audience, with a constant sense of uneasiness and wondering what could’ve been of everyone in the series if Carlisle had simply minded his business. In this first part, I will be focusing on three of the four people he transformed and the consequences resulting from these actions.
Before you continue reading, please note that there are mentions of self-harm and suicide that may be upsetting; please proceed at your own discretion!
Carlisle Cullen’s Backstory
Carlisle was born in 1640 in London, England to a father who worked as a pastor. Growing up in a religious household and time, he learned to hate supernatural beings, as his father and other pastors would construct raids to hunt down vampires, werewolves, and witches, claiming they were ridding the world of sin. Eventually, Carlisle would take over for his father, constructing the raid of an actual vampire coven. The raid resulted in him getting attacked by the vampires, bleeding out, dying, and waking up days later, becoming what he most despised. Afraid of what his father would do to him, Carlisle kept himself hidden and went through a period of intense self-hatred. Making attempts on his own life and realizing they were useless, he lived in the forest, where he would fight the thirst for blood on his own, refusing to feed on humans. It had been until he fed on a herd of deer that he established a vegetarian diet, of some sorts, for himself.
After refining his diet as well as his purpose for living, for centuries Carlisle would spend his time studying while simultaneously looking for a companion or place to belong to. This led to him momentarily being a part of the powerful and governing body of all vampires, the Volturi. However, their complete disdain for human life conflicted with Carlisle’s beliefs, leading him to leave and join the new world as a doctor, serving to heal humans rather than attack them. This is where he began to seek out his companion and later on form his own coven, or what could also be known as his reign of terror.
Edward
Carlisle first met 17-year-old Edward in Chicago of 1918, as he and his mother, Elizabeth Masen, were both dying of the Spanish Flu. As Elizabeth laid dying, she begged Carlisle to save her son, no matter what. Shortly after her death, as a promise to Edward’s mother, but also for his own benefit of no longer having to be alone, Carlisle turned Edward. During their initial years together, Edward already resented Carlisle for turning him to live a “damned eternity” and forcing him onto his vegetarian diet. For a short time, he went out on his own, going against the diet. Feeding on humans, particularly criminals, to justify himself, later led him into an inner crisis.
Feeling distraught and ashamed of what he had done, he eventually joined Carlisle once again. Despite expressing his respect for Carlisle, up until the events in Twilight and New Moon, Edward lived in a state of constant self-hatred. He hated what he had had done, how he had resented Carlisle, and that he went against the laws of nature by living as an immortal being and having to live with the pain of losing his mother. Though I am slowly making my way through reading Midnight Sun, the first 100 pages among the various other pages with his thoughts, are, at times, are very upsetting. As funny as it is to see Edward ramble on for 10 pages about his deep dislike for Bella, it’s also hard to read just how much this guy hates himself. Painting Carlisle as his father figure and afraid to disappoint him, Edward blames himself for everything, when in reality he had no decision in his fate.
Many argue that Carlisle did what he did to respect Elizabeth’s wishes and to prevent Edward from passing at so young an age. Whatever the reasoning, Edward having a crisis with himself for a whole century sounds painful. What upsets me even further is how in the Breaking Dawn Part 2 film Edward speaks to Carlisle saying, “I never got to thank you, for this extraordinary life.” I understand that this is all made up and because Bella and Edward have their happy ending, we’re tying all the knots and making up this sweet, happy moment between a father and son, but erasing all that pain and covering it up because Edward somehow found a way to live is not it. Of course, I have my list of complaints against Edward, but they all come down to Carlisle as well, which is why I am writing this article on him.
Esme
Carlisle and Esme first meet each other in 1911, before meeting Edward, when she is 16, as a result of her having suffered a broken leg. During that single meeting, the two immediately connect with one another. Esme, much like Bella, becomes infatuated with Carlisle, and Carlisle keeps her in his memory as a bright, beautiful girl. It’s 10 years later when they meet again; however, this time, rather than a broken foot, Esme is actively dying due to a failed attempt at her own life after having lost her newborn child. Deeply saddened and moved by this, Carlisle turns Esme, feeling as though it wasn’t fair for her to meet such a cruel fate after having known her, for possibly a day, as the happy girl she once was.
Among the people that Carlisle changes, I think Esme being changed is less upsetting, seeing as how she only got to live her dream of being a teacher very briefly, be a mother for a very short time, and live an adult life full of fear, owing to her abusive husband. Even so, what is a little unsettling — but, seeing that this is the Twilight universe, it’s pretty fitting — is her and Carlisle’s relationship. Until recently, I never noticed how similar their relationship is. However, their second meeting, in Esme’s eyes, is when she wakes up as a vampire, after Carlisle turns her. And she’s okay with it. I just think it’s weird, but if she’s happy, then I am happy.
Originally, after reading into Esme’s backstory, I also never stopped to think that Esme passes very soon after giving birth, meaning that she’s stuck in a post-partum body forever. However, because she is technically dead, her body wouldn’t have functioned the same way, but there are several debates amongst fans about this. Some argue that vampires are stuck in the conditions in which they died and others say that vampirism “cures” them from what they had. For example, Edward and the flu, Emmett and the physical scars he got while attacked by a bear, and so on.
Rosalie
Among the Cullen women, Rosalie has one of the most tragic backstories as well as overall fate. Following a brutal attack by her fiancée and his friends, Carlisle finds Rosalie abandoned on the side of the road on the verge of death as a result of her injuries. In the third book, Eclipse, Rosalie describes the whole encounter, describing how she questioned when she would die, why she was still alive, and how just as her initial pain began to dull a new sudden sharp pain appeared burning through her (Carlisle biting and transforming her).
“…I was grateful as the pain began to dull. But suddenly something sharp was cutting me, my throat, my wrists, my ankles. I screamed in shock, thinking he’d brought me there to hurt me more” (Eclipse, pg. 132).
Carlisle’s reasoning for turning Rosalie came from the horrific scene of the crime. However, his actual motive was to find Edward a mate, just like he had with Esme. This plan backfires, as Edward rejects her. So, not only was Rosalie attacked by her fiancée, a man she thought she could trust, but her autonomy was completely taken away when Carlisle turned her, not only leading her to lose her life as a human, but also the future that she had wished along with it. And this is all because of Carlisle’s selfish thinking. Even after putting her through even more pain during her transformation, after Edward asks him what they were going to do with her, he just says, “That’s up to her, of course. She may want to go her own way.” But it was never really up to her. This is all revealed in detail when Roslie is talking to Bella, convincing her to keep her human life, acknowledging that she didn’t have a choice.
Rosalie to Bella:
“You have a whole life ahead of you—everything I want. And you’re going to just throw it away. Can’t you see that I’d trade everything I have to be you? You have a choice that I didn’t have, and you’re choosing wrong!” (Eclipse, pg.136).
Much like Edward, who was turned without a choice, and for Carlisle’s own benefit, she too goes through a period of self-hatred. However, after finding Emmett, she shares that things became better, but she still continues to grieve over the constant reminder of what happened to her, not being able to have children of her own or be able to experience the joys human life could’ve brought her. Ultimately, she is left to cope for an eternity.
Conclusion
I do understand that without Carlisle there wouldn’t be Twilight. However, it’s important to acknowledge that what he did shows how much of a savior complex he has, or at least how much Edward idolizes him. On the one hand, I do see why he would feel sorry for the ones he turns; however, I can’t condone him deciding that for a person while they’re unable to respond or make the decision themselves. Rosalie upsets me the most, seeing as Edward paints Carlisle to be this person that only wants to do the right thing. If he wanted to do the right thing with Rosalie, he could have covered her up and sheltered her to pass, which is what she wanted, not a constant reminder of what happened to her. In the second part, I will continue to discuss how he continues his reign of terror on the Swan family, as well as the werewolf pack.