moon tide

The “moon tide” is Bane’s metaphor for the attraction he feels toward Adrienne, which he compares to the pull between Earth and Moon. In the same breath, he invokes the full moon to explain a supposed loss of control; Adrienne rejects that explanation and insists that any harm he causes would be a choice.

Meaning and Use

Bane calls it “the moon tide” as he tells Adrienne that Earth and Moon are attracted to one another just as he is to her. The image makes his desire sound like a natural pull, larger than either person’s will. He links that pull to the full moon and warns that, with Adrienne the only female nearby, he would have no choice but to take her—even if she were pregnant. This is Bane’s account of his compulsion, not an independently established rule of the story.

Tension in the Scene

The metaphor appears while Bane is explaining why he brought Adrienne panties: he says they would keep him from smelling her scent. His explanation moves from managing that sensory temptation to presenting the moon’s influence as an eventual force he cannot resist. Adrienne directly challenges the logic, telling him that he has control over his body and that harming her would therefore be something he wanted to do. The exchange leaves “moon tide” suspended between attraction and excuse: Bane describes desire as a force acting on him, while Adrienne holds him accountable for what he chooses to do.