The Cover of ‘Twilight’ Companion, ‘Midnight Sun,’ Calls Back To a Greek Myth
Like or hate it, there is no denying how much of a cultural phenomenon Twilight was. From the four books to The Twilight Saga’s five movies, it was truly a massive part of pop culture in the late 2000s, early 2010s.
While author Stephenie Meyer told the story of Edward and Bella — and then gender-bended it in 2015 — it was typically told from Bella’s point of view. This is with the exception of parts of Breaking Dawn, which take up Jacob’s viewpoint in the middle.
But now fans can get inside Edward’s head, as he did with everyone else, with Midnight Sun. But why is there a pomegranate on the cover? It’s another forbidden fruit.
Stephenie Meyer’s newest ‘Twilight’ book is from Edward’s point of view
Again, Twilight wasn’t for everyone. But, for those that did enjoy the books, Bella Swan’s point of view was appealing because she was relatable enough for the reader to see themselves in her shoes. A lot can be said about her character, but overall she was your guide through this crazy world of love and vampires.
But, after four books, fans found themselves rather interested in Edward Cullen’s side of things. Especially what he was even thinking about when this human wasn’t afraid of him. Or what was going through his head while he tried not to kill her in biology class the first time. And now, with Midnight Sun, fans can get that perspective.
“Working on a book for more than thirteen years is a strange experience,” Meyer wrote on her blog in May to announce the release date. “I’m not the same person I was then.”
In 2008, Meyer revealed that Midnight Sun was leaked before it was finished, which is why it took so long to release it in the first place.
All the covers mean something special regarding the story
One of the most striking things about any of the Twilight novels is the cover image. It’s always a black backdrop with something different on each one.
For the first book, it was an apple, signifying Eve’s apple (aka a forbidden fruit) in the Garden of Eden. Bella is that fruit for Edward. For New Moon, it’s a tulip losing a petal, signifying the loss Bella feels when Edward leaves her. Eclipse has a nearly-ripped ribbon, which symbolizes Bella severing her connection with the human world and Jacob. And for Breaking Dawn, there are chess pieces. This signifies Bella’s development from the weakest piece on the board (the pawn) to the most powerful (the queen).
The reason why there’s a pomegranate on Midnight Sun’s cover is to represent the novel’s close ties to the Hades and Persephone story. According to CBR.com, “the novel will draw heavily from the myth.”
The ‘Midnight Sun’ cover has a pomegranate, referencing the Hades and Persephone myth
In this Greek myth, the God of the Dead and Underworld (Hades) falls madly in love with the Goddess of Spring (Persephone). There are different versions of the story, but essentially he takes her back to the Underworld, usually against her will, and she falls in love with him over time. Persephone eats six seeds from the fruit of the Underworld: the pomegranate.
This ties her to Hades forever, but her livid mother Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest, strikes a deal with him. Since Persephone only ate six seeds, she only needs to stay with Hades for six months in the Underworld. The other six months is spent in the mortal realm. When she’s with Hades, there are no crops because she’s gone and her mother mourns her. And when she’s in the mortal realm, there’s spring again.
The point of the myth was to explain the different seasons, but for Edward Cullen’s purposes, it definitely coincides with how he views vampirism and his life. Knowing the somber, tortured soul, and mindset Edward has, he definitely views himself as the cold King Hades. Someone who falls for a vibrant goddess, but who has no business being in the Underworld with Hades. Even though Bella says she wants to be with Edward forever, Edward sees turning her into a vampire as a death sentence. Something that curses her existence and damns her soul, since he believes vampires don’t have those.
The pomegranate also coincides with the apple from the first book’s cover, because they’re both forbidden fruits of some kind. They’re just from two different myths or lore.
Midnight Sun’s release date is Aug. 4.
