Twilight Group

Question:


harleymiller
Student
High School - 10th Grade

"'I suppose you're going to tell me that your boyfriend will avenge you?' he asked, hopefully it seemed to me."

This is in Chapter 22, ("Hide and Seek"), when Bella is in the ballet studio with James. James asks Bella if Edward will come and avenge her. What I do not understand, is when Stephanie Meyer says "hopefully it seemed to me,"  describing James's question, is she describing how James has a sense of hope in the way he asks the question, or is it describing how the question brings a sense of hope for Bella, that Edward might avenge her?

Can anyone explain?

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Posted by harleymiller on Monday June 15, 2009 at 5:26 PM and tagged with analysis, characters, details, stephanie meyer, summary, twilight.

Answers:


  1. goreadabook Teacher
    High School - 10th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    She is saying that there is a sense of hope in the way James asks the question.  We know this because of the way the sentence is structured.  The comma separates the two descriptions of the dialogue: 1.) He asked 2.) Hopefully it seemed to me.

    James wants to see Bella distressed because he knows it would infuriate Edward.  He is on a mission not only to kill Bella, but to hurt Edward as well.

    Grammar can be tricky at times, but one way to know who the description is referring to is to refer to who spoke the dialogue.  If Bella were talking about her own hope, she would have stated this in a separate sentence.

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    Posted by goreadabook on Monday June 15, 2009 at 5:31 PM


  2. ladyvols1 Teacher
    High School - 9th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    In this dialogue between James and Bella it is James that is hopeful.  Hopefully is an adverb and modifies the word asked.  James is asking Bella the question so he is the one who is hopeful. 

    It isn't enough for James to have Bella, but he also wants to kill Edward.  He wants to hurt Edward or at least cause him as much pain as possible.  He can do this by letting Edward see him violating Bella, and he can fulfill his goal by also being able to fight Edward too.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/twilight/list-characters
    http://www.enotes.com/twilight/setting
    http://www.enotes.com/twilight/summary

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    Posted by ladyvols1 on Monday June 15, 2009 at 5:41 PM