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The myth (the fallacy) is that all of the vampires are monsters who prey on human life.   In believing all vampires are monsters, the human and wolf characters fall into dualistic thinking and fail to see that good qualities can exist in the vampires.   (For a thorough discussion of duality, see http://twilightsagaarchetypes.com/duality/ )   To break that myth and the duality it creates, there has to be a group of vampires who make others see them differently to illustrate that we cannot stereotype and cannot judge an entire group, of any type, by the actions of some.  We cannot dismiss or judge the whole because of one, and vice versa, and it reminds us to be open-minded to the unique and special value each member of the whole presents.

The mythology is they are all monsters, but we learn this is not true.  They actually preserve and defend life, so the myth (and the stereotypical judgment it presents) is flawed.  The same is initially true with Nessie and the vampires — the vampires are convinced all immortal children are monsters, and they use the word abomination.  This is interesting because people think that of the vampires, and the vampires live in the “shadows” because they are scared people will never accept them as non-monsters and free of persecution (they are probably correct), but they represent the same kind of judgment in their fear of the wrath of the children.  It is exactly the same thing, so they have to experience individually — literally on a one-on-one basis — this particular child; there are some vampires who have utter and immediate faith when exposed to Nessie, but not others.  The point is we cannot judge the whole by some, or one, and we have to be careful about this tendency in our own individual lives because at some basic level, we are all one.  Common truths and common good bind us, and we cannot assume just because someone is part of a different “group” that they do not share the same values.

The other value in having the Cullens and the Alaskan vampires as vegetarians, of course, is that they represent the profound value in, and significance of, the power of choice and free will, or free agency.   God “designed” vampires to be blood drinkers, but rather than force vampires to be victim to their own design, God also allows them (and all of us) the greatest gift in the power of choice and free will so that they learn they are capable of their highest potential in their own choices.   We only know who we are (really are) when we know what we are capable of, so without the power of free choice, we would never know our limits, or our triumphs, that stem from challenges of free will.

Similarly, the vegetarian vampires choose not to settle for the lowest choice in meeting their blood-drinking design; instead, they choose to honor human life, in fact to protect it, and they show us that through the power of choice, we are capable of living the distinction between fate and destiny, and we are capable of living our highest potential when we choose (and embrace) the very best potential within us.  (For more on fate versus destiny, see “Fate and Destiny” under “Getting Started.”)

2 Responses to “Vampire Vegetarianism”

  1. Jane B. says:

    You make a great point here. Society is quick to judge and shun things they are not familiar with or what they find “extraterrestrial”. I love that Stephanie Meyers portrayed vampires in a new way like she did, that they can be just as beautiful. Aside from “Interview With a Vampire” and seeing Brad Pitt as a tortured newborn vampire and his attempt to not harm others, Stephanie showed us that even those labeled as “monsters” have feelings and potential to be good people, too. Edward is my favorite character, of course. Not only because he is written beautifully in the book, but because he doesn’t see himself as the good guy or the hero, when deep down he is one of the most passionate of the Cullen clan and is just as vulnerable as we all are to falling in love unexpectedly. If Bella had seen him as a monster, she would have missed out on such an enchanting life with an extraordinary man that most of us women can only dream of. As I see it, it’s only fair to give everyone a fair chance to prove their individuality worthy, because you never know . . . though the box may look like just a box, you never know until you open it up and discover what’s inside. It could be a treasure chest with a pure, sparkling gem right inside for you to treasure forever, like Bella treasures Edward and how I treasure my husband. :)

    I love the site, Jennie! It brings Twilight Saga to a whole new level of capital value to our society. It’s the horse sense of why us women love this epic story, and why everyone should love this story! We are all a little contradictory on the inside, but with the help of people (like Edward is to Bella, Alice it to Jasper, etc.), life will only begin to make sense when we finally see past the black print on the pages. Great job, Jennie! I love, love, love the website! :)

    –Jane B. (Your Old Interoffice Twihard Friend)

  2. Thanks, Jane – your comments mean a lot to me.

    It’s one of those fantastic Divine paradoxes that every individual must be considered and engaged individually so we have the benefit of the individual’s gifts and talents AND that we are all one — both are true. It’s because we are all one that we must engage each other at the individual level with deliberate consideration because when we do so, the person’s individual gifts become more readily apparent than if we had dismissed them as that “other, different group.” When we treat people as part of our same common group, we are free to then see what makes them special. Special, and still part of the whole, just as every ONE of us is. The way the visiting vampires assembled by the Cullens engage Nessie (some of them slowly, some of them immediately, some with more struggle, but all eventually breaking through their bias to truly experience her unique gifts) is a brilliant example of this paradox and cosmic truth — we are all unique, and we are all one.

    Thanks again for your feedback, Jane! It’s wonderful to have you join the discussion!

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