Read the transcript below:
Ah, Edward Cullen. Love him or hate him, Edward is one of the more interesting characters in the series. Cantankerous and brooding, smart and well dressed, and described in an endless multitude of adjectives by Bella Swan, Edward is both the love interest and the anti-hero of the series.
Unbeknownst to many moviegoers, and even some readers who may have forgotten, Edward has his own history. After all, he’s at least a century old when he meets Bella for the first time.
Before we begin, I’m Riley and this is Otherworldly Fiction. On this channel, I fixate on books, fantasy, writing, and werewolf boys. Don’t judge me. If you’re another fantasy geek, or even a writer looking for advice, consider subscribing to this channel. It’s easier than being bitten by an attractive vampire.
Edward was born in the year 1901, under the name Edward Anthony Masen. His birthday was on June 20th, but in the year 1918 he was turned into a vampire at just seventeen years old. Though he would develop the signature Cullen eyes of yellow, his eyes while human were green. Edward has a special gift: he can read minds, though Bella Swan is the one person immune to his talent.
Carlisle isn’t the only doctor in the family. Though attending high school is par for the course for Edward, he’s spent his fair share of time in college too, where he earned not one but two medical degrees. Like his adoptive father, this vampire is something of a high achiever: if medicine wasn’t enough, Edward has also studied literature, mathematics, law, mechanical engineering, various languages, art history, and even international business. To call Edward a professional student would be putting it lightly. Bella might not be far off when she notes that Edward is good at everything!
If his resume doesn’t impress you, his assets might—he still owns his home in Chicago, where he was human. Every fifty years, give or take, he “inherits” this home from himself.
Edward’s skills don’t end after his degrees do. When he’s not studying law or speaking Portuguese, he can sing and play multiple instruments. Music is his absolute passion, and this is reflected in the vast collection of music he owns. His favoured instrument, of course, is the piano.
Finally, Edward enjoys collecting cars; he is best known for the silver Volvo he drives.
Edward’s story begins in Chicago, Illinois. He was the son of Elizabeth and Edward Senior. Though he’d later take the name Cullen, his original family name was Masen.
Edward was an only child. His eventual desire to study law may have stemmed from his background, because his biological father, Edward Senior, was a successful lawyer. Due to the success Edward Senior found in his career, he was able to provide his son with the best—at least materially.
Edward’s tendency to focus on education began when he was still human. He attended private school, where he took music lessons. Despite being given so much by his father, Edward Senior failed to provide for Edward Junior on an emotional level; he was away too often for them to have an especially deep bond.
Instead, Elizabeth compensated, filling the gap left by her husband to grow close to her son. Elizabeth was everything to Edward, and Edward was everything to Elizabeth. Unfortunately, she came to worry about her son’s safety. Edward’s schooling, and his skill and passion for the piano, couldn’t keep him from dreaming about becoming a soldier. As his birthday approached, Edward chomped at the bit for his chance to enlist.
Elizabeth, meanwhile, prayed the war would end before Edward’s eighteenth birthday. She needn’t have worried…because death sought out Edward instead, coming nine months before what would have been his eighteenth birthday.
The Spanish Influenza raged through Chicago, sickening the Masen family. Edward Senior was the first to die, leaving only Elizabeth and her seventeen year old son. Though they were stronger than Edward Masen had been, their health was declining. In the last hour of her life, Elizabeth begged Carlisle to save her son—in only the way he could. She knew there was something special about Carlisle and, having made her request, she died—leaving Carlisle alone with Edward.
Having already debated whether or not to create another vampire, Carlisle’s decision was half made. It was the “goodness” and “purity” in Edward’s face which decided him. Anxious to fulfill Elizabeth’s dying wish, Carlisle changed Edward. This made Edward the first human Carlisle ever bit, and then transformed.
Carlisle was a better father to Edward than Edward Senior had been, at least emotionally. They formed a proper familial bond, and Carlisle helped Edward to discover his abilities as a mind reader. Edward had always been adept at understanding others, but he was answering Carlisle’s thoughts as though the doctor had spoken them aloud.
When Carlisle added Esme to the family, Edward was happy to again have a mother-son bond. He regarded Carlisle and Esme as his parents, though, unlike Esme, he questioned his existence as one of the undead.
Edward stayed with his vampire parents for just under a decade before deciding he needed to strike out on his own. He embraced the darker side of his nature, drinking human blood to thrive. Of course, he still had his principles. He would not drink the blood of the innocent—considering himself a vigilante no less, his victims were abusers, rapists, pedophiles, and murderers. Capable of reading minds, it wasn’t difficult for Edward to pinpoint who society’s monsters were, though his abilities also meant their thoughts could be heard by him as they died.
Edward’s first victim was Charles Evenson, Esme’s ex-husband. When human, Esme had suffered abuse at Charles’s hands.
Despite his self imposed limits, Edward was affected by the amount of death he caused. When the killing became distasteful to him, Edward returned to Carlisle’s side—he resumed feeding on animals, though he was now subjected to his new parents’ worries.
Edward knew Carlisle and Esme wanted to see him find a mate, and when Carlisle added Rosalie to the family Edward sensed part of the doctor’s motives: Carlisle hoped Rosalie and Edward would be together. By now, it was 1933. Edward had been a vampire bachelor for fifteen years.
Regardless of what Carlisle might have hoped, Edward was not attracted to the gorgeous Rosalie—in fact, he struggled to even be friendly towards her, finding her “shallow” and “self absorbed.” Rosalie, for her part, also grew disdainful towards Edward, partially because he was one of the few only too eager to reject her. Though she wasn’t attracted to Edward herself, she was still vain enough to smart at his indifference.
The Cullen’s made the move to Alaska, where they encountered another large coven, these vampires sporting the same yellow eyes and close familial bonds they did. The vampire coven from Denali shared their philosophy of subsisting on animal blood, and respecting human life.
Tanya, the leader of the Denali coven, made her own pass at Edward, but she was also rejected.
It was in 2003 when Edward would finally fall in love—with a human no less, Bella Swan. He could not read her mind, owing to her own psychic ability, and, though her being human complicated matters, they managed, after several ups and downs, to make the relationship work. Following their graduation from Forks high school, they married and had a vampire-human hybrid, Renesmee.
Edward made Bella into a vampire, saving her from the injuries inflicted by her rough labour with her daughter, and the couple lived happily ever forever.
What struck you about Edward’s story? Do you think the number of degrees he has is excessive? Let me know in the comments. And if you enjoyed this video, like and subscribe. Thank you for watching, and happy reading.
Other Posts:
Find me online & on social media at my linktree: