Romantic love is the central idea of the book. For Edward and Bella, the sheer intensity of their feelings compels them to commit to each other their lives and devotion. They discover that being apart is a disaster and being together enables them to handle anything.

Worried for Bella’s safety after Jasper lunges at her when she cuts herself, Edward decides that the only responsible thing to do is take himself away from her. He’d rather die than live in a world without her; even if this means missing her his whole life, at least she’ll be alive and okay.

Edward’s decision is a disaster. Her love for him refuses to go away; she begins to take dangerous risks simply to hear his voice in her head. She spends time with Jacob, who falls in love with her and asks her to be his girlfriend; it’s the perfect solution to her problems, but she turns Jacob down because her heart is already committed to Edward.

Meanwhile, Edward himself undergoes the same agonies of separation experienced by Bella. She at least goes through the motions of work and studies, but Edward explains that he became “totally useless I couldn’t be around my family—I couldn’t be around anyone.