New Moon Theme of Versions of Reality
New Moon explores different versions of reality in the form hallucinations, dreams, and visions of the future. Bella’s hallucinations reveal her subconscious desires, and her dreams probe into the past, but also foreshadow future events. Versions of reality prove subjective. They trigger a chain of tragic events when Alice misreads Bella’s future, and believes her to be dead. Because Edward believes Alice’s vision, he decides to end his life. Ironically, Alice’s visions of Edward’s future help Bella to save Edward before it’s too late.
Questions About Versions of Reality
- How do Bella’s nightmares inform the story?
- What function do Bella’s "episodes" serve in the plot of the story?
- Given that most vampires in New Moon possess supernatural skills, how does their perception of reality differ from humans'?
- Bella seems to have little difficulty in accepting the reality of living alongside vampires and werewolves. How might her mother, father, school friends, and inhabitants of Forks react when confronted with this reality?