Description
In Twilight, Edward reveals to Bella that he has been 17 not just for ‘a while’, but since 1918, where he had been dying of influenza. Edward’s mortal ‘death’ in the early days of the 1918-19 Influenza Pandemic, alongside Carlisle Cullen’s decision to turn him as part of a promise to Edward’s dying mother, represent a unique cultural engagement with a pandemic that is otherwise largely absent in by both historiographical and popular literature.This paper examines three aspects of Twilight’s engagement with the 1918-19 Pandemic. Edward Cullen’s attitudes towards life, rebirth and the health of his immortal soul are analyzed in the context of influenza patient experiences and the attitudes of survivors towards the mass death of young, healthy men. Carlisle’s recollections of the pandemic, including ‘the despair of the hospital, the overwhelming atmosphere of death’ are read as commentary on the challenges faced by doctors in treating the pandemic’s particularly deadly influenza strain. And finally, Stephanie Meyer’s choice to have her vampiric male love interest be reborn because of influenza is discussed in the context of a century of historiographical debate on the impacts of what was once deemed a ‘forgotten pandemic’.
| Period | 25 Apr 2025 |
|---|---|
| Event title | The Pulse of Twilight: Interdisciplinary Explorations of the Twilight Saga |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | St Andrews, United KingdomShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | Regional |