Where does friendship end and romantic love begin? Throughout New Moon, Bella struggles with how she feels about Jacob. Jacob knows that he wants more than just friendship with Bella, yet he promises to always be her friend, no matter who she ultimately chooses to love. Friendship in New Moon is defined by loyalty, promises, and companionship. Jacob also defines friendship as loyalty to his kind, the werewolves, which is why he struggles to be with friends with Bella when she decides she wants to become a vampire – his natural enemy. Bella, on the other hand, feels that friendship has no boundaries.
As in Twilight, personal choice and free will play a vital role in New Moon. Edward chooses to leave Bella, although she’s the one true love of his life. Bella decides to commit a series of reckless acts just to hear Edward’s voice in her head. Both Edward and Jacob had no choice in becoming a vampire and a werewolf, but they both can decide whether to act on their natural instincts, or to exert self control to follow their human instincts. Bella has made her choice to become a vampire, but Edward will only change her if she agrees to marry him first. And, like in Twilight, we know that every choice has consequences. What will be the consequences of each of the characters' decisions in New Moon?