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Alice’s Visions
Edward’s Volvo symbolizes Edward himself. Much of this has to do with Volvo’s brand reputation: Volvos are known for being extremely safe cars, and Edward—like a Volvo—throws himself into physically protecting Bella over the course of the novel. Just as a Volvo is intended to protect passengers from harm in the event of a traffic accident, Edward consistently places himself between Bella and various dangers, such as Tyler’s van, the men in Port Angeles, and, ultimately, James.
The Volvo also embodies Edward’s wealth and his pretentiousness. Volvos aren’t inexpensive cars, and the Volvo stands out in the Forks High School student parking lot amongst the Suburbans, minivans, and Sentras, just as the gorgeous and aloof Edward in his designer clothes is impossible to miss next to his mortal classmates. It’s the Volvo’s association with wealth and pretentiousness that stands out to Bella most in the novel, as when she sees a Volvo (presumably Edward’s) in Port Angeles, thinks of Edward, and grumbles to herself, “Stupid, shiny Volvo owner.”
The Volvo Quotes in Twilight
The Twilight quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Volvo. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 9
Quotes
“I decided it didn’t matter,” I whispered.
“It didn’t matter?” His tone made me look up—I had finally broken through his carefully composed mask. His face was incredulous, with just a hint of the anger I’d feared.
“No,” I said softly. “It doesn’t matter to me what you are.”
A hard, mocking edge entered his voice. “You don’t care if I’m a monster? If I’m not human?”
“No.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Twilight LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Volvo Symbol Timeline in Twilight
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Volvo appears in Twilight. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...lot and is glad that most of the cars are older—the newest car is a Volvo. She parks and studies the map; hopefully she can memorize it.
(full context)
Chapter 4
The next morning, Bella parks far away from Edward’s Volvo. She drops her keys in a puddle, and Edward appears to pick them up. His...
(full context)
Chapter 5
...will drop the truck off later; he’s taking Bella home. Edward drags Bella to his Volvo by her coat and she stumbles against the car. Angry, but aware that she can’t...
(full context)
Chapter 8
...surroundings. She’s too busy thinking about Edward—and she feels angry when she sees a silver Volvo parked nearby.
(full context)
...her racing thoughts as Edward pays the bill and ushers her outside and into his Volvo. As Edward pulls onto the highway, he says it’s Bella’s turn to talk.
(full context)
Chapter 10
...gets ready—but when she gets outside into the foggy morning, she realizes Edward and his Volvo are in her driveway. He helps her in and offers her his coat, which still...
(full context)
Chapter 11
...presence. He teases her about her performance in gym and then leads her to his Volvo. Bella pouts and only lets go of her anger when Edward apologizes and agrees to...
(full context)
...tries to encourage Bella to go to the dance, but she brushes him off. Edward’s Volvo appears outside moments after Charlie drives off in the cruiser. Bella shyly hops in, and...
(full context)
