Question of the Week…Eslisle
Mar 28th, 2008 | By Kallieross | Category: Question of the WeekThis week’s question is a two-parter, again. Since we are discussing two characters, it only seems fair! So, here goes…
Do you think Carlisle regrets turning any of his ‘children’ into vampires? And, do you think that Esme, being such a loving person, loves one of her ‘children’ more than the others?
Get to answerin’!
I don’t believe that Carlisle regrets turning any of his children into vampires because in all of their cases it was the only way to save them. He would never steal someone’s life the way his was stolen when he was changed and I believe he thought that becoming a vampire was a much better alternative than death.
I do think that he did felt guilty when he saw how some of them reacted to becoming a vampire. It has taken Rosalie so long to adjust to her new life and she still wishes that she could be human. Edward still doesn’t know how to feel and is racked with guilt when his “life” puts Bella into danger i.e. New Moon. It hurts Carlisle to see them feel pain but he tries to be supportive and help them in whatever way he can.
Esme has such a big heart and so much love to share that she isn’t capable of loving one more than another. She loves each of her children for what makes them who they are. She loves Edward for his kindness and gentleman quality, Rosalie for her tenacity and strength, Emmett for his booming laughter and competitiveness, Alice for her spunk, and Jasper for his charisma. While I do believe that she loves them all the same, I think she has a special connection with Edward, for he is the first of her sons and reminds her of the child she lost. She wants so badly for him to be happy and is so pleased that he has found Bella. She is truly one amazing mother.
I think that while Carlisle is grateful and loves each family member he turned, the only one he might regret turning is Edward, mostly because Edward has been the only family member that has been alone in companionable love for all these years. That, and once he finally finds true love it turns out being a star-crossed love, thus causing Carlisle to possibly have real heartache and regret for his ‘son’s’ predicament.
I believe that Esme has so much love to give that she can share it with all her children equally. I know when I was pregnant with my second child, I wondered how I could love this new baby as much and as deeply as I loved my first but a mother’s love is just endless. It knows no bounds – whether she has 15 children or only 2, she loves each one the same. That’s not to say that different personalities may clash from time to time, but this has nothing to do with loving one more than the other.
Although, I might have to add, that even though Esme loves all her children the same, she probably thinks Edward is the cutest 😉 My mother-in-law has 6 boys and laughs and tells me that she’s always thought that out of all of them, my husband was the cutest. LOL!
Carlisle is very intuitive. I think he could sense that there was something special about Edward, and he knew that he could save him and give him more. I think that maybe he might feel for Rosalie, because she is so unhappy with what she is, but I don’t think he regrets it because he sees her as his daughter. She is one of his own.
It seems that there might be more of a connection between Edward and Esme more than any of the other children. Like she said, he was her first. But I don’t know if you loves any of them any more than the rest.
I think Carlisle feels the most guilt during their transformations, and seeing them in that pain, but they’re all so grateful to him that he feels better about it. Like Edward said, though, Carlisle would only do that to someone who had no choice, which does beg the question : How does Carlisle feel about turning Bella?
I would say that Esme loves them all equally, but that she finds some on them more of a challenge than the others, particuarly Rosalies initial attitude toward Bella. I think she probably looked out for Edward more before he met Bella, because she probably would have worried about him being so alone, and Rose making things so difficult would be frustrating to her. I would also say that she feels a special connection to those tht she saw the newborn beginnings of, but then Alice already had a connection to everyone through her visions, including Esme.
I would also like to say that i only recently discovered this site and just listened to your British Bloopers. As a native Brit with a VERY strong accent – hilarious. Please, on your next podcast say wretched again. Also, i know this is completely unrelated to Twilight, but what do you all think of Brits? Do you just think we’re idiots with stupid voices?
I am hitting the Esme question first.
I think Esme loves her children the same. She is worried about them in her own way. Edward said Esme didn’t care if Bella had “one eye and webbed feet”, she just wanted Edward to be happy. Esme thinks as Bella as her own. She wants Bella to be safe like all the other Cullens.
Carlisle turned Edward into a vampire because his mother wanted him to. Elizabeth Masen felt that Carlisle was different. He knew that he had to grant a dying mother’s wish. Esme was depressed because of her baby dying and knew that she was unhappy. If she was turned into a vampire, he thought, would make her more happier. However, Carlisle changed Rosalie for a Edward. He wanted Edward to have a companion. But the tables turned and it never worked for the two of them. I don’t think Carlisle regrets changing his children and wife into vampires.
I don’t think that Carlisle regrets turning anyone of them into vampires because in New Moon he even says he has no regrets or no apologies.
I don’t think that he should either, I mean he was very lonely when he turned Edward and everyone else just as time went by. I think that if anyone of them actually confronted him and told him how much they hate being a vampire…he might regret it. But I don’t think they hate being vampires as much as it seems. You know?
And about the Esme part. I think she cares for her children all the same…but she shows it differently to others because those are the ones that show it to her.
Ugh.. I’m trying to explain it. Like because Edward talks to Esme the most out of all her children she shows her love outwardly. But I bet she also shows her love in some other ways for the others. Like Rosalie…she might show her love differently. But all in all. I think she doesn’t have more loe for any other of her kids…than she has the other. I’m confusing myself.
Everyone has a favorite, but that doesn’t ruin the love for everyone else. Like I have three brothers…but I have a favorite that I show how much I care for him on the outside…but I also show how much I care for the others in different ways that aren’t so outward.
Anywayyyy. Yeah.
I love listening to your shows.
:]
I do not beleive that Carlisle has any regret for the decisions he had made for any of his children. He is a extremely compassionate being. Knowing himself, that what he could offer those who are dying, a 2nd. chance and teach them of a lifestyle different than most vampires would rather live. But also there’s also his need for companionship, a family of his own, that he most likely missed out on, when he was turned.
As for Esme, I do beleive she loves all her children equally, just not in the same way. And with Edward being her first, that bond seems to be the strongest. She knows he never found the “right” long life companion, like the others have, and so it hurts her to think of him going through eternity alone. She so wants him to be happy, she sees the “light” in his eyes that only Bella brings out in him.
And besides, my mom always told me, though you can always love your children equally, there’s an extra special bond that you share with your first child, that just doesn’t compare to others.
Carlisle has been around for a while and I’m sure he struggled at first when he changed Edward, but I believe that he feels justified since everyone he’s turned has only had the option of dying or becoming a Vampire. Also, he has chosen those that would fit into his “family” perfectly, either partners or as siblings. As for Esme, I think she’s probably more fond of Edward because he has been with her for so much longer than the others. He holds a special part of her heart that the others can’t really touch, but being the sweet-natured person Esme is, I think she loves each child just enough!
Carlise and Esme… Eeee! Esmile.. Carlme… Carlsme… Esmarl.. I LOVE them.
I for one don’t think that Carlise regrets turing any of his family into vampires. He was so lonely at the beginning but I don’t think he would regret it because now he’s got a family. No. I think the others are truly happy. Even Rosalie. Even though she wanted a child more than anything, she’s still got Emmet. They all found love in eachother. Edward sometimes wants nothing more than being human.. but if he was human then he would have never met Bella. None of their love would have happened without them being vampires. He wanted them to be happy, his compassion wanted them to be happy. We wouldn’t have a story without Carlise. I think though if he had any regret about turning any of them, it would be Edward. He was so alone.. and wanted to be “complete in himself,” and I think that worried Carlise (and also Esme quite a lot). Now that he’s found Bella though, he maybe be as content as he was with turning Esme. 🙂
Now Esme.. this is a hard one. Her “power” that she’s brought with her after she turned was her loving spirit. She loves unconditionally. And it’s strength.. woo.. could move mountains. But I do think she loves Edward the most. Not because I’m biased towards him at all. In the “extra” section on Stephanie Meyer’s site where she wrote Rosalie’s view on when she called Edward to tell her Alice’s vision of Bella jumping off the cliff.. I think it was there that she stated Edward as Esme’s “favourite child.” Now that may be just Rosalie’s jelousy shining through, but think about it. Even though he was a vampire before she, he was still her first child. Or maybe Esme does love all of her children equally but in different ways. The ways that they would want to be loved. Since her power is her undying love maybe it also determines HOW she loves someone, kind of just like the imprinting with the wearwolves. She is whatever she needs to be for someone. Just a theory. 🙂
and yeah it’s nice to know that there are other Kallie’s in the world.. All I really want though is to one day find a keychain with my name on it lol.
Hmm.. Carlisle. No, I don’t think that he feels regret for changing any of his family into vampires. Unlike Edward, he still believes vampires to have souls so he doesn’t feel like he is totally damning them. When Carlisle first changed Edward he did it out of loneliness. If he hadn’t, Carlisle may have struggled more with his mental state. I think he knew it was necessary to have a companion so that evened out his guild. Since Edward turned out so great he changed Esme, which i believe he never regretted. Rosalie, though it started out badly, was okay because she later got Emmett.
Even though Esme loves all her children, I think she is partial to Edward. Firstly, she may love him slightly more because he was her first “child”. She may view him as the one she lost. She’s had more time with him before all the other Cullens joined the family. I think it was also how Edward had been without love until he met Bella. Esme was right away in love with Carlisle so the pain of being without love as vampire subsided. Rosalie eventually got Emmett and Alice was with Jasper so they were mostly all content. Before Bella, though happy, Edward was always incomplete. Esme noticed this about him and may have felt he needed more love then the rest of the children. When Bella did finally show up, Esme was smug that he found someone. She was probably more pleased then if it was someone else’s companion.
Of course Carlisle doesn’t regret changing them! Anyway, they were all about to die…
I don’t think that Esme could love one of her ‘children’ more than the other. It’s just not her.
I may be stepping on the comments of others, but here goes.
I think Carlisle probably wrestled with the thought of each person he transformed. He is extremely thoughtful and compassionate; and I believe that if it were up to him NO ONE would be a vampire. I don’t believe it is a fair assessment to say that Carlisle views a vampire’s life as a better alternative to death because of his conversation with Bella at the beginning of New Moon. He believes in a redemptive afterlife. He does all for the happiness of his family.
I’m not sure he would have considered turning someone else into a vampire if Edward’s mother hadn’t requested it (in so many words). So to grant a mother’s dying wish, and to give himself a friend, he transformed Edward, who he came to love as a son.
Esme was clearly in a low state when he found her. She was no longer with her husband (correct me if I’m wrong about that, I think I read that somewhere), and her baby had just died. However, I believe that Carlisle, though he had Edward, felt a special connection to Esme, and remembered her from the first moment he met her. For a love so special and eternal, I believe that neither of them regret this decision, because Esme is happy with Carlisle.
I think the transformation he struggled with the most was Rosalie. He had the interest of Edward in mind – he wanted Edward to be as happy as he and Esme. But after Rosalie changed and Edward didn’t want her, I’m sure Carlisle ached for Rosalie, who wished that he had just let her die. She ended up finding Emmett, who she loves along with the rest of the Cullens, but a large part of her still wishes she had never been changed into a vampire. I’m sure Carlisle felt badly about this, but probably made his peace and no longer regrets it (if, in fact, he did). It’s a definite possibility.
As far as Esme is concerned, there is no question that she loves each of her children the same amount, as much as if they were really her own children. Her relationships with each of them are as strikingly different as the personalities of the Cullens, but she has an intensely strong mother’s love for each of them, including Bella.
Whew! Keep up the great podcasting, ladies! You all bring such a great perspective to the table.
I feel Carlisle might wonder if it was still the right thing to do, but I don’t think he regrets creating his family at all. He might feel about his how Edward felt about Bella in Twilight–his personal desires versus what he thinks is best for her. I think they’re all happy enough that he doesn’t regret giving them the life they have.
Esme cares for all of the ‘children’ equally, but I feel she’s closest personally to Edward. At the beginning of her vampire life I believe Edward posed as her brother. We love all of our family members, but there are some we’re undeniabley closer to, have more in common with.
PS–you gals rock.
For the first question, no. I really don’t think Carlile regrets turning any of them, even Emmett (because he said he wouldn’t turn anymore after Rosalie but he did anyways: Emmett). I’m sure he felt tons of guilt about the pain they were in at one time or anouther, but he never regreted the results.
Now for Esme. To be honest, I’ve gotta say that she probably loves Edward the most. I hasbeen hinted at a few times in the books and he was the first of her
“sons”. Plus, she loves Bella so much because she will make Edward happy.
I do not think Carlsle regrets changing any of his kids because he only changed Edward Rosalie and Emment who were all about to die. He didnt change Alice or Jasper so he couldnt regrate them.
I think Esme loves Edward the most because he is the first and a boy just like her baby who died.i also think that she is closest to him then the rest because first he was her brother and then her son giving them a lot of time to get to know each other.
I think regret is not the right word for what Carlisle feels. Regret means that he wishes he had never changed any of them. Carlisle loves his family and I don’t think he would ever not want to be with them as a whole. Besides, he is to live forever, and in that situation regret is a wasted emotion. A waste of time, a waste of energy and it accomplishes nothing. He knows that and has stated that. (Sorry don’t have the quote. I think it was listed above)
But I do belive that Carlisle thinks about what he did often. I think he feels his hand was forced in both cases of Edward and Rose. Esme was for him, and I don’t think either of them would change the result. And Emmett was for Rose. He did it for her and with Emmett’s personality I doubt he ever thought about it again. Especially seeing the great joy that it gave Rose.
I think Carlisle has struggled more with the fact that Edward has been so lonely and depressed in the past. That he could not find a way to ease that pain for Edward. More a case of sadness for the situation, not for change he, Carlisle, envoked.
As for Rosalie…….I would have to guess that there are things or abilities that Carlise himself would like to get back from the Human world. He has learned to accept his fate and found a way to help others. Something that makes him feel good, despite not being able to get everything that he wishes he had. Filling his life with good feelings and not dwelling on what he might want and doesn’t have. Again, wasting time on things you can’t change. I think if he could give Rosalie a bit of his wisdom in this area he would. To help ease her grief over what she can never have. Does Carlisle struggle with his decition to change Rosalie, perhaps. But he loves having her in his family’s life so regret….No.
As to the question of Esme and her love for her children, I think it is a bit absurd. As the mother of young triplets the love is the same for all your children. You may get frustrated with one, angry at another, annoyed with the third. And the next minute you are laughing with the first, dancing with the second and marveling at the knowledge of the third. But you LOVE them all the same, always. You guide them, cherish their gifts and their love for you, and you do it all equally. They may not be Esme’s ‘blood’ (ha ha) relation, but they are her children and she loves them, guides them, and cherishes them all.
Carlisle lived his life of abstinance alone for a good part of his existence, but everyone yearns for the companionship of someone like themselves. While he found friends in Aro, Caius, and Marcus, their views and philosophies were very different than his own, and that kind of friendship can only satisfy up to a point. Turning Edward – and later Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett – was a very hard decision for him to make, but I would not say that he regrets it. I’m sure that he often struggles internally about whether or not it was the right thing to do, but when he looks at Edward and Esme and his other children, I do not believe that he can regret giving them back their lives.
As for Esme, I am sure that she tries to love all of her children equally, but that she has a special kind of love for Edward. This doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s her “favorite”; It simply means that she loves him in a different way and has a special bond with him. It is said that there is a deep connection between a mother and her first born child, and while Edward is not exactly her “first born” (he was created before her, and besides that he’s not really her son), I can sense that it is a similar sort of bond. She has watched her other children find happiness with each other, and watched as Edward became the odd man out. Because of her connection to him, it pained her that much more to see him alone. It is easy to see why Edward could be construed as the “favorite”, but I believe that it is simply that Esme feels deeply connected to him and loves him a little bit differently than the rest of her children.
Love,
Katie Bug!
I definitely think that Carlisle feels no regret for turning any of his family members. Regret’s not really the right word. He probably feels guilty now, or felt guilty at the time, but I don’t think he regrets it.
As for Esme, Edward is totally her favorite son.
I think Carlisle definitely regrets changing the others to a certain extent. From what I understand one of the main reasons that drove him to change Edward was his own loneliness. Despite the fact that Edward does not regret Carlisle having changed him, I would find it hard to believe that Carlisle does not struggle at times with the selfishness that was somewhat responsible for his choice. Neither of them are aware of what would have occurred had Edward been left to die and though Carlisle has his faith and believes that vampires do have souls he must sometimes wonder about the consequences of the choices he made on his family’s behalf. After changing Rosalie I think his struggled must have intensified. She made it clear that this was not the life she would’ve chosen for herself and if it weren’t for her begging him to change Emmett he would not have changed any other humans.
I don’t think Esme loves any one of her children more than the others. However she has spent different amounts of time with each of them, Jasper and Alice in particular were late addditions. I think due to the unconventional nature of the family (physically all close in age) time is required for bonds to form. Since she has been with Edward the longest it seems natural that her bond with him would be stronger but that doesn’t mean that she loves the others any less.
i believe that carlisle doesnt ‘regret’ changing anyone, for 1. they were all in life or death situations so without carlisle they would certainly not have existed, and 2. i do think he thinks about how and why he more or less ‘changed’ his family, but i dont think he regrets changing any of them.
and as for esme, in the book, i think it was either rosalie or alice i cant remmeber saying that esme liked edward better, or not better but more affectionatley then the rest of them, maybe because he was their first ‘child’ or because for so many years he was alone, that ros had emmett and alice had jasper and carlilse had esme . so she feels more affectionate towards him, but other than that her children are her children, none the less
I think that Carlisle may regret changing some of his children. But not really. If he regrets I think it may be some of the one’s that are having the most trouble with being a vampire, such as Rosalie. And how they deal with their new situation when they are first turned. But I don’t think that regret is too great. Just a very small portion of himself.
And if Esme loves any of her children more than an other. I think it would be Edward. Because she seems like she takes it the hardest when Edward is not around and when he is unhappy. That’s why she was so happy to accept Bella, because she made Edward extemely happy. Also Edward might hold a very special place in her heart because he was the first of her ‘children’. But for the most part i think she has so much love to give that she loves each of her ‘children’ in their own specail way.
I think that in the end, Carlisle has never regretted changing any of his children. I think he feels his life is reconciled because he has saved these, wonderful and charasmatic, and kind, good-hearted people from an unjust and untimely death. They were all taken so young as was he and I think that when he looks at them he feels proud that they have grown so well. I don’t think anyone would be totally ok with being a vampire but he knows they are doing well and they are trying to do what they think is right.
As for Esme, I believe that she loves them equally. She is so gentle and caring and I think that it is because she was changed so soon after she had her little boy. I do have a theory. I think she tries harder to help Edward or at least had before Bella came along because she knew that he wasnt complete even if he didnt. I really do believe she is pure from the bootom of her soul. She makes a perfect match for Carlisle.
I think, that Calisle probably did regret turning his “children” into vampires at some point, however, I also think that he got over any of his regret. He spent a very long time practically alone before he met Edward and Esme. He was with other people but, for the most part, they weren’t vampires who felt about their diet like he did. Then, he created Edward and Esme who are such nice people and so good inside that it was worth preserving their life. Even Rosalie is a good person, just also a bitter one. So, in conclusion I think that any regret he would feel on changing them wouldn’t be about actually changing them. I think he regret’s some of their views on the change. For example, Edward’s view. Edward views the change as damning his soul, if he still has one (his view, not mine, I think he still has a soul) to eternal damnation. I think Carlisle regrets Edward’s take on this, but not the fact that he actually changed Edward.
Of course Esme loves all of her children equally. If she didn’t, their family wouldn’t be much of a family. In many ways, I see Esme, along with Carlisle, as the glue that keeps them all together. Like a mother, she tries her hardest to keep the peace and to settle differences. She’s even the referree when they play baseball! Her equal love of all of them is what makes her the perfect mother figure.
I wouldn’t say he regrets turning any of his children but i would say he wishes things could have been different. I think he is thankful for all of them but is always second guessing whether he did the right thing to them. Just like Edward wishes he didn’t have t change Bella but he is going to be thankful for the companionship for the many years to come.
I think it comes across in the book as if Esme maybe favors Edward but I think that just may be b/c we are all focused more on Edward and Bella. I think if we took a deeper look into the story we would see she has a deep relationship w/all of her children. I Know my Mom acts like I am her favorite when she is w/me and then i see her acting like my brother is her favorite when shes w/him. I think it is a Mothers gift-To make all her children feel as though they are the favorite:) So I think she loves them all the same! and I think she loves Bella just as much as well.
Hey I love you guys!! your pod cast is awesome! keep up the good work ladies!
I don’t think that Carlisle regrets anything. Bella asks him a simular question in New Moon and he told her no. He loves all his kids like they are his very own. They are family and would not be whole unit if anyone was missing. Carlisle is a very compassionate and loving person and perhaps to a certain degree he may have regretting turning Edward because he was so alone for so long. Carlisle, I am sure, knew exactly how Edward was feeling cause he didn’t have Esme for the longest time. Now that Edward is happy and whole (all due to Bella) Carlisle doesn’t have one single regret. If Bella were to ask Carlise before she became involved with Edward, I think Carlisle would have a difficult time answering.
Esme, Esme, Esme. How can you not love her. She is such a warm and loving person. Every mother needs to have a little Esme in them. She loves her children all the same. When you become a mother and have more children your heart doesn’t split in half….it grows bigger and she has an incredibly large heart.
But Edward was her “first vampire child” and because of that they do share a closer bond. I think the same goes for Carlisle too. Edward was his first as well. Both Carlisle and Esme must be over the moon that The “eldest” son is finally happy and complete. They are both more than eager to welcome Bella into the family as their daughter when and if she gets turned.
Clearly, none of his children has ever complained about him turning them into a vampire….and that’s what makes him feel so grateful about them. Personally, I think he is quite happy with his family after all the pain he’s gone through before he even found Esme and Edward. I felt so upset when Edward was telling Bella about Carlisle’s past, before and after he turned into a vampire…it was obvious that on one hand, Carlisle was trying to avoid the fact that he’s not human anymore and the other hand is that he wants to show us that not all vampires are evil and monstrous, which is why I think his children loves him for who he truly is and what he is capable of doing nowadays, such as working in the hospital, saving lives.
You know, I have gone so deep with the whole Twilight series after I’ve known well enough about Esme…She is someone you wish you had by your side when you feel lonely…Because she’ll just be there for you, telling you it’s okay…and that’s what she’s been doing, mostly with Edward and Bella. I can’t say that for sure that she loves Edward more, because I’m certain she loves ALL of her children…but yes, there are mostly parts of her that cares more about Edward. Going back to her past, when she lost her baby, it was the most upsetting thing for Esme and perhaps, maybe she doesn’t want to think about it, or sometimes it’s just a memory that she can’t get rid of…with that being said, Carlisle has given her the love she probably couldn’t imagine and then there’s her children altogether, so I guess in the end, Esme couldn’t ask for anything more :). She knows all of them too well that it makes Bella smile sometimes (well, at least I was smiling too, especially the part where her children were playing baseball). If Bella was to be turned into a vampire, no doubt that Esme will love her as much as she loves her family and she wants to make Bella feel like she does belong with the Cullens.
I don’t think that Carlisle has any regrets turning his ‘children’. He’s shown that he truely loves them and wants to teach them like a father would naturely teach a kid. And as a fatherly figure you can’t regret doing something that has created (literally for the Cullen family) something so beautiful. Even in Rosalie’s case, who clearly doesn’t like being a vampire, he doesn’t seem to have regrets because he saved her life, given her attempt at some sort of happiness. As for Esme, I don’t think that she loves one of the children MORE than the other. I think that she loves bits and pieces of each of the ‘children’ but never one person more than the other. However I think that she might have a connection with maybe one of the children like Edward or Alice. In all reality, i vision the Cullen’s human in family status, they love and care for each other and they do seem to do things together like hunting that at times you forget they are vampires.
Well…considering Carlisle has only changed four people (Edward, Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett), I don’t think that he regrets changing them. Esme is his love, one person he contects too. Edward is his son, someone he can be a guiding inflence esp. now when Edward is about to head into a rough patch with changing Bella (which we know she will be or Stephenie Meyer will have some pretty upset fans). In all I think that Carlisle DON’T regret it. Nollie made a point that a father (and mother I might add) doesn’t regret creating something so beautiful…at least they shouldn’t but we do have cases about adoption. I do feel like he was regretful during the changing process because he was seeing each of them in pain but in the end I couldn’t think he regretted it. Its like father in the deliver room, he hates to see he put his wife in the situation but he loves her and the baby no matter what.
As for Esme, what mother would she be if she didn’t love each of them. A mother loves each of her children differently like my mother loves me for my kind heart and imaginative mind and my brother for his able to be so animated. Each children has bits and peices that a mother can love and parts that she doesn’t but doesn’t mean she loves one more than the other. As the eldest, I think that Edward might have a connection, most eldest do have connections. I had a connection with my mother just because the doctors didn’t think she would be able to have children (he was deff wrong on that matter).
Anyways to wrap this up in a short and sweet answer: no Carlisle doesn’t regret it (he says so himself…) and no Esme doesn’t love one kid more than the other but she loves them equally
i dont think carlisle regrets changing any of them. and at those moments, i think he thought that it was the right thing to do because they were all placed in a near death state. however, like with rosalie, she wants to be human so bad.. so carlisle might sometimes feel guilty of being the one who made that decision for them.
for esme, i don’t think she loves anyone more than another. maybe it’s just a matter of who she has loved the longest. but i feel that she feels exactly the same way about each and every one of them, including bella.. ;p hehehe!!!
yes, think he has some regrets, I mean he loves them but he probley regrets changing Rosalie because she hates this life.
NO! I don’t think that Carlisle regrets turning any of his children. First of all, Carlisle is very controlled in his actions. He chooses who he turns for ONLY good reasons. If you analyze each circumstance where Carlisle turns a human into one of his children, it’s for a very good reason such as Esme almost dieing from jumping off the cliff, Edward being really sick and almost dieing,Rosalie because she was also near-death, and Emmett after being attacked by the bear. He also being close to death when Rosalie carried him to safety. In all of these cases, Carlisle purposely changed these people, I think, without reservation. It seems Carlisle loves having his family and if he didn’t change them, they all wouldn’t be together and would he would be very lonely. He embraces proudly his role as a father to the Cullen clan.
As for Esme loving one of her children more than the others. I think that in the book it doesn’t really seem that way, but according to Rosalie in Stephenie Meyer’s extra from NM on her website, Rosalie kind of throws it in Edward’s face about Esme liking him the most, which is VERY intriguing and not discussed in any of the books, so on the surface I would say a definite no about Esme favoring or loving one of her children more. She also embraces her motherly role and her nurturing is very evident in all of the books especially, when it comes to Bella who isn’t one of the vampires “yet.” I think Esme already is deep in love with the human Bella and feels that she is like one of her own children. I also speculate Esme fills a mom role for Bella as well because Bella misses her mom and gets that mom connection with Esme. We’ll see what happens in book 4.
I don’t think Carlisle has any regrets about turning his children into vampires. He was giving them another chance at A life (not life because they’re not alive). With Edward, Rosalie and Emmett, they were close to death when Carlisle found them, so he had good intentions. In doing so, he has created companions for himself so he doesn’t feel so alone. He has created a family that has very strong bonds, and I don’t think anyone who has a family has regrets about them. Even if you have children who are pains in the backside, you love them nonetheless, and it’s the same with Carlisle.
As for Esme, she is an extremely loving person towards everyone. She loves her children as if they were her own, and she has even embraced Bella, treating her as another child. As for favouritism, I don’t think she favours any of them, but her bond with Edward seems stronger then the others as he was her first ‘child’, and it’s the same thing in many families. But she is an all round lovely, caring person and I wish she could be my mother (because mine is a bit like Renee).
All in all, Carlisle and Esme love their children unconditionally as parents should, and (especially with Carlisle as the head of the family) their family unit is strong and healthy.
Okay so i think that he would have regrets, he is so compassionate, he did what he had to, but thats brings one thing up, i don’t think he would change Bella into a vampire, because she has another choice, and i don’t think he could do it. So i think if anyone would change Bella in the Cullen Family, it would be Jasper, trying to see how strong he is. Or it would be the Voutri. But what if Bella is already immortal, because she was bitten by James in the first book, and so what if she already was immortal, but she hadn’t taken the transformation because Edward had sucked the venom out to fast… i don’t know, and sorry that this is a little of subject.
I don’t think Carlisle regrets changing any of his ‘children’. It must have been hard to change them at that moment, it would’ve taken a lot of thinking and it was a big decision, but without them he would never have been the man he is today and he loves them to much to ever regret what he did. I think at moments he thinks about “what if…”, but he never actually regrets his decisions.
As for Esme, even though I believe she loves all her ‘children’ equally, I think she has a soft spot for Edward, simply because he was already with Carlisle when she joined him and because she had just recently lost a son I think she sees her son in Edward. She truly wishes for Edward to find someone like she found Carlisle and for him to be happy, which is why she felt so close to Bella when they met.
By the way, Kallie I loved your Rosalie theory from last week!
No, I don’t think Carlisle regrets changing any of his children. All five of them enjoy being vampires, except for Rosalie, but she has Emmett and copes pretty well. He also takes pride in seeing how well they all turned out and never looks back. Sometimes he porbably thinks of what his family and what he would be like if he never became ‘vegitarian’ or changed any one of his new children, but he probably shoves those thoughts aside and focuses on the present problems.
And, yet again, no. Although we see her praising Edward, we never really see her without Edward, so we never see her praising anyone else. Esme is an extremely loving person, and loves all of her children equally, even Bella, who really isn’t her child… yet.
P.S. the Oregon pictures ROCKED!!
No, I don’t think Carlisle regrets changing any of his children. All five of them enjoy being vampires, except for Rosalie, but she has Emmett and copes pretty well. He also takes pride in seeing how well they all turned out and never looks back. Sometimes he porbably thinks of what his family and what he would be like if he never became ‘vegitarian’ or changed any one of his new children, but he probably shoves those thoughts aside and focuses on the present problems.
And, yet again, no. Although we see Esme praising Edward, we never really see her without Edward, so we never see Esme praising anyone else. Esme is an extremely loving person, and loves all of her children equally, even Bella, who really isn’t her child… yet.
P.S. the Oregon pictures ROCKED!!
I don’t think Carlisle regrets turning anyone. He might feel a little guilty about Rosalie because she hates being a vampire but I don’t think he regrets it. Emmett was cool with becoming a vampire and Edward’s mother begged Carlisle to turn her son. I don’t think Esme minded either because she didn’t have anything left and then she found true love and a family with him.
While I believe that it is possible for a mother to love one child more than another, I think it is impossible for Esme. She has a huge heart and loves each child for who they are. I do think that Edward and Esme has a special bond. He was the first of her “new” children. He has been with her the longest and Edward comes off as something of a mama’s boy. He doesn’t want to do anything that could possibly cause her pain.
I do not think that carlisle regrets turning any of them into vampires, because all of the ones he turned were going to die at some point in the next few days. He saved them from dying, and they all gained a family in the process.
I dont believe that Esme loves any of them more than the others. Although its clear that she truly does love Edward like he was her own flesh and blood, she does not love him more than Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie. She has a huge heart, and the parts dedicated to each of her “children” are equal, along with the part dedicated to Bella, because although Bella is still human, she already thinks of her as part of the family, as the rest of them do (excluding Rosalie, although she is beginning to warm up to Bella).
I don’t believe Carlisle regrets changing his children because he loves them but I think he might regret his need to change Edward. He was alone and lonely and wanted a companion and Edward’s situation was the perfect outlet. I imagine he struggled at first not knowing how Edward would turn out and I think with each one he changed it got easier and he felt less guilty to the point where he is willing to change Bella even though she is not near death.
I think Esme obviously loves all of them but I definitely think she has a greater connection with Edward. He was the only one of her children that was there when she was changed and I am sure that he was able to help her alot since he could know her thoughts. He is obviously more sensitive than some of her older children and I could definitely see him as a moma boy type not wanting to do anything to upset his mom and always worrying about her. I also believe that Edward holds the family together and that means alot to Esme so If I was her I would have a very hard time not favoring him. Come on we all know Edward is the best! Isn’t he everyones favorite.
Yes, I think that Carlisle does regret turning “the kids” OCCASIONALLY. I don’t think he regrets changing Emmet so much; just because Emmet seems to accept the life much better. But I imagine Edward and Rosalie cause him some grief: he regrets changing Edward because of the whole soul thing, it must cause Carlisle such pain to know that Edward doesn’t think he has a soul just because he’s a vampire. Carlisle is a compassionate man, how could he not feel regret for being the person to “take Edward’s soul”? Even though we know Edward doesn’t blame Carlisle for anything, it still has to bother Carlisle on those days when Edward may have been in a sulky/sullen/bored-with-life mood.(Midnight Sun, I summon thee!) And then there’s Rosalie, who we all know struggles the most as far as coping goes, even after being a vamp for 70 years or so.
I don’t think Carlisle regrets it all the time, just some days, when his family seems unhappy. But overall, I think Carlisle has come to terms with his regret because I’m under the impression that he is a very thoughtful man, and there’s no way he would have changed ANYONE if he had thought that it was a horrible thing to do. In his eyes, he was doing a good thing, he was saving them by changing them. Hmm…now I want a book from Carlisle’s point of view! Now THAT would be something…I bet it’d be longer than War and Peace…Oh Stephanie?
Esme loves all of her children dearly, but, come on, Edward is her favorite! And he’s my favorite too 🙂
Great question! I love you ladies! And love this site! Your podcasts are keeping me alive until August 2nd
I would say that Carlisle always has an internal struggle about whether he did the right thing about turning his family. Although, the only one I could see him feeling guilty about doing it would be Rosalie because of her hatred for what they are.
I definitely think that Edward is a favorite for Carlisle as well as Esme. They definitely love all of their children but I think that it took so long for Edward to find his soulmate that they would have felt protective over him more so then the others and that protectiveness would have lead naturally to favoritism as well. Also, he has been with them the longest and he was Carlisle’s first.
I think that regret is too harsh a word to use in regards to Carlisle’s feelings about changing his children. I think that he might think about the possible consequences that are out there for the people that he loves so much. Can you imagine the feeling of not knowing whether you have condemed someone? He says in New Moon that he can’t believe that there is not a better place for someone such as Edward, but not knowing is probably a very troubling thought. There is always a what if factor in all choices, and I am sure that he struggles with that. But I doubt he regrets it. He has so much love for his family and they for him in return. It would be impossible to regret the choices that allow him to have that.
Esme, gotta love her. I think that she is really incapable of loving one child more than the other. I do think that she loves them in different ways. Ways that there personalities allow them to be loved. Edward might appear to be her favorite because there relationship is more out in the open, she can’t keep secrets from him 🙂 . So it is a more pronounced love. She worried about him until he met Bella like all parents worry about there children. She didn’t want him not to know LOVE in the way that she and the rest know it from their partners.I think that the same openness applies to Alice and Esme probably not as out in the open as Edwards but pretty out there for everyone to see. But Rosalie and Emmett are different in that aspect. They don’t have these abilities that let them or us for that matter, see into Esme’s love for them and just how deep that may run. They have to rely on Esme’s actions and words. Which I am sure make it very apparent how much she loves them. I think its hard to draw that line between her children where love is involved because a mother’s love is endless.
No, I really don’t think that Carlisle has any regrets. I think that once you have become a vampire and gets to live as long as Carlisle has, you get to a point where you don’t, or can’t afford to regret anything. He knows that everyone of his children, and even Esme, where changed because either he saw something in them, he knew that saving their lives would be for the best, or just had no other choice.
Where adapting is concerned he is probably most concerned for Jasper and Rosalie. While Jasper doesn’t resent being a vampire, Rosalie mostly does. Jasper has had probably the hardest time trying to adapt to the Cullen’s ‘vegitarian’ diet, while Rosalie deeply resents the fact that because she is a vampire she can never have any real children of her own. Seeing this might hurt Carlisle, but I think he knows that their respective mates, and the rest of the family help them as much as possible.
Concerning Esme, I think that she equally loves all her children. But if I had to choose, I would think that it was Edward with whom she has a stronger connection. I think this because generally a mother has a stronger tie with the first born, even more when the first born is a son. I say this because, when watching my younger brother interact with my mother, I can tell off the back that they have something that I will never have with my mother. At the same time, I know that my mother and brother won’t ever have the same relationship my mother and I have, me being the first born and all.
So to conclude my spiel, I don’t think that Carlisle has any regrets. And Esme, having the motherly heart that she has, loves all her children in equal, but different ways. But Edward being her first ‘child’ and all, they probably share a tighter bond.
I don’t really think that Carlisle has any regrets about changing any of his ‘children’. But i do think he may feel a bit of regret changing Rosalie only because she doesn’t really want to be a vampire and she wants a real life as a human. I also think that Esme doesn’t favor any one ‘child’, but i believe that she may feel a stronger connection with Edward only because he was the first ‘child’.
I don’t that Carlisle regrets changing Edward or Emmett, because neither of them regret being changed themselves. But, seeing as Carlisle is as compassionate as he is, I think he does regret changing Rosalie.
Rosalie (as we all know) wishes that she had never been ‘saved’ and had died as a human. Rosalie will have to live for an eternity with the knowledge that she will never have children, never grow old, and will never die, and she suffers with that every single day.
Knowing that, how could Carlisle NOT have some form of regret? No matter how pure his intentions were.
As far as Esme goes, I think that she has a tighter bond with Edward, simply because he was her first ‘child’, and she’s been bonding with him the longest.
But I think comparing each of Esme’s bonds with her other children would be an apples & oranges kind of thing. When you have two completely different people, such as say, Edward and Rosalie, there’s no doubt in my mind that Esme loves both of them deeply – but it’s impossible that she loves them the exact same way.
That’s my two cents!
Can’t wait for the podcast, Ladies!
~Sara
I believe that Carlisle may only regret changing Rosalie because she doesn’t want to be a vampire, she wants to be a human like Bella. I also think that Esme doesn’t favor any particular ‘child’ more than another because she is so loving and kind and wouldn’t pick favorites. But she may feel a stronger bond with Edward because he has been a vampire for a longer time than the other ‘children’.
Stephenie Meyer has said in the past that she may revisit the Cullen family again, but from a different point of view. My hope is that it is from Carlisle’s point of view. What an amazing love story that could be. I hope, I hope, I hope!
I think that if Carlisle has any regrets in changing anyone, it would have to be with Edward. Changing Edward was a personal act (maybe selfish could be a close term). Carlisle wanted a companion in this life of solitude. However, Edward’s mother’s request probably took some of this guilt from him. I am sure that having Bella come into the picture for Edward also releases some of that guilt.
Esme definately has enough love to go around. I know as a mother, I absolutely love my children equally. But, I do like some more than others. You can definately see that with Esme’s relationship with Edward. This is also her one “child” that has not been able to find a companion. Can you imagine watching a child of yours suffer in loneliness for almost 100 years. Bella was a God send in Esme’s eyes.
I don’t think Carlisle regrets changing any of he’s kids because all of the kids were dying when he changed them so he was giving them another chance at life.i don’t she would love any of her children more than the others because she lost her first child and now she has five ,plus Bella six, but she is just being a loving mother to all of them. But i don’t know because she has been with some of them longer than others, like Edward is her first child so she had a long time to bond with him more than the others. Can’t wait for the next podcast!!
No I do not think that Carlisle regrets the decision he made of turning his children. They were already dying so it is not like he took a heathly, living human and changed it into a vampire. Also, remember that Carlisle didn’t turn anyone out of selfish reasons (well maybe except for Edward but that was only because his mother essentially asked him to).
IMHO I feel that it is Edward that Esme loves the most. He is her “firstborn” and all of us moms know that sometimes it is the first child who you may tend to have the most affection with especially since they are the ones that you spent the most time with one on one. I also wonder if maybe Edward reminds Esme of the little child she lost and because of that, holds him a little more dear to her heart.
I don’t think that Carlisle regrets turning any of his children because all of their lives depended on it and he is not the sort of person who could stand by and watch them die. Having said that, if he did feel bad about doing it to any of them i think it would be Rosalie because she seems to dislike being a vampire so much, but if it wasn’t for Carlisles compassion she would be dead. Perhaps a small part of him feels guilty for changing Edward because he may think that this was a “selfish” act. But I think that Edward would register this in Carlisles thoughts and dispell any doubts.
As for Esme I think that she loves all of her children equally. I get the feeling that the others thought that she loved Edward the most before Bella came along, but i think that she was only worried because he was missing a partner. For this she will be eternally grateful to Bella, and I think that she already sees her as a daughter, as does Carlisle.
Keep those amazing podcasts coming!