‘BREAKING DAWN’: WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH ‘SHAPESHIFTERS’?
Q. What’s the deal with “shapeshifters”?
A. What is the definition of a werewolf? Is it a man who changes into a wolf? Or is it a man who, once infected by a werewolf bite, changes into a wolf during a full moon? If you go with the basic description, then the Quileutes are werewolves. It’s not a distinction that really matters on a normal day. During the standoff with the Volturi (not a normal day), Edward sees that Caius is going to use the treaty with the werewolves as an excuse to attack. He’s aware of the distinction between these wolves and the more traditional kind, and though it’s only a technicality, he is able to use it to deflect the attack.
- Stephenie Meyer
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Questions:
What do you consider the Quileute wolves: werewolves or shapeshifters?
When reading New Moon, were you surprised by Jacob’s description of werewolves? Did you think that there would be other types of werewolves?
What did you think when you read what Edward said to Victoria in Eclipse? Did you realize that he was saying that there were other werewolves out there?
When Edward pointed out the distinction between traditional werewolves and the Quileute werewolves, did you think it would work? How did that part of Breaking Dawn make you feel?
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Honestly,I Kinda Disagree. In My Opinion, Werewolves Are People That Changed Into Wolves At The Full Moon And Are Either Born A Werewolf,Or Have Been Bitten By One And Changed. And I Think Shapeshifters Are People That Are Born That Way And Can Change Into Their Wolf Form At Any Given Time, Just By Their Will. So In My Opinion The Quileutes As Being Shapeshifters.
I agree with Cheyenne. Werewolves typically are “infected” with the venom or whatever disease it is that causes lycanthropy (changing into a wolf). The Quileutes aren’t infected… it was a genetic thing that allowed them to change the shape of their spirit. In the Quileute legend (as Stephenie puts it) They already had the ability to spirit walk… which is basically like astral projecting… after a series of events, they were able to (for the lack of a better explanation) astral project and their spirit inhabited that of a wolf. Over time, this was genetically ingrained as well… They chose the wolf form and stuck with it. There was no need to change.
So yes, they are shapeshifters.
I thought they were shapeshifters because of Native American Myths but if I understand Stephenie correctly it sounds like the Quileutes are a different species of werewolves. It is Stephenie’s book so they are what they are according to her.
In NM Jacob did call them werewolves and said that they were PROTECTORS. I never thought of other kinds of werewolves myself.
Though I noticed what Edward said to Victoria, I did not connect the wolf James tracked as being a werewolf.
In BD I thought it would work to call them shapeshifters instead of werewolves. There is a noticeable difference in description and I liked it that Edward called them that. To me they never fit the traditional description of werewolves. In BD I enjoyed the distinction Edward made to the Volturi in front of Witnesses.
I still think of them as werewolves, not shape shifters. I think Stephanie Meyer kinda made them sound like characters from a fairytale or a mythical story that is extremely hard to believe in, like in Jack and The Beanstalk a giant lives in a castle in the clouds and, that’s something that’s impossible. It’s like that with shape shifters.
Stephanie Meyer stretched the whole idea of writing something that is mythical but something you can still believe in. Werewolves are believable because they are dogs and dogs are real! Vampires are believable because what’s so un-human about surviving on animals? But honestly, shape shifters are a bit too make-believe i think.