by Barb Hopkins

Created on: November 09, 2009

Charlie Swan in the book New Moon by Stephanie Meyer is a key character in relation to the book's main character, Bella Swan. The Twilight series focuses on the epic saga of the love between the teenager Bella and the vampire Edward Cullen. We originally meet Charlie Swan in the first chapter of the book Twilight. We learn quickly of his fierce love and protectiveness of his daughter Bella. It is illustrated many times. As Bella's father, Charlie is a continued presence in this second installment of Meyer's hit series.

The Twilight series is set in Forks, Washington a small town of which Charlie Swan presides over as Police Chief. A father, police officer, fisherman and loyal friend to many in Forks and the neighboring La Push, Charlie's basic character does not change much as New Moon begins. If reading the books in order, readers already know the character of Charlie Swan has been pushed to his fatherly limits in the first book.

Just as Charlie was beginning to get used to having a teenage daughter in his house, he had to deal with her first boyfriend Edward Cullen, Bella and Edward's "fight", and Bella's running away which resulted in her almost being killed. Of course, poor Charlie did not know that Edward and his family are vampires or that Bella's fight with Edward was staged to protect Charlie from a different, evil vampire.

Stephanie Meyer puts poor Charlie through emotional upheaval in her first book, leaving us with a wary Charlie at the beginning of New Moon. We had learned quite a bit about his character in the first book and it carries over to the second. We know that Charlie is still not a good cook, loves to fish, enjoys spending time with Harry Clearwater and Billy Black, still has fond memories of Bella's mom and is fiercely dedicated to his work as Police Chief.

In New Moon, Charlie still respects Carlisle Cullen, Edward's "father", as a doctor but does not like Bella dating Edward. He complains to Bella, "He's too old for you." If only Charlie knew that Edward actually was decades older than Bella as well as a vampire, he'd really be opposed. In contrast, Charlie has come to like and enjoy the company of Edward's sister, Alice. It is referenced that Alice helped take care of Bella during her recovery from injuries sustained at the hands of the evil vampire James.

Charlie's tolerance for Edward and affection for Alice come to a screeching halt when Edward abruptly walks out of Bella's life in chapter three. The absolute heartbreak of Bella

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