Again and again in the Twilight series, Edward and Bella reflect on the fact that they cannot live without each other. In the very first novel, just moments after Edward admits to Bella [SPOILER ALERT!...no wait, its on the back of the book] that he is a vampire, he also tells her that she is his own personal brand of heroin.
How a Twilight fan reacts: 'HOW ROMANTICCCCC!!!! THEY ARE SO IN LURVEEEEE!!!! BELLA+EDWARD 4EVERRRRRRR!!!!!'
How a normal person reacts: 'Hmm, heroin, you say? But sir/madam/talking duck, heroin is a horribly addictive drug! It creates physical dependency to the point that a person cannot function at even a basic level without the drug. This sir is in no way love, this is sickness and obsession!'
I cannot stress this enough, Bella and Edward are not in love. Love is not a crazed need to control the other person, love does not demand one person give up their whole life to be with someone, love never hurts those around you in a selfish bid to get what it wants. Funny thing though, Edward and Bella do all of those things.
Whenever Bella wants to go see Jacob (who deserves his own posting so don't you fret) she has to ask Edward's permission. He rarely grants it. When she sees her friend, it's on her boyfriends terms. Bella tries to sneak out one night to see Jacob only to discover that Edward had tampered with her truck so she was left house bound. But even after five seconds fury, she melts under his perfect golden-eyed stare and realizes Edward's probably right. NONE OF THESE THINGS ARE GOOD! These are all signs of a dominant/abusive partner, and my advice to anyone in a relationship like that: GET OUT. Bella is putting herself at the mercy of someone who can and does use whatever means necessary to bend her to his will. He manipulates her, guilts her, makes demands of her, and physically prevents her from acting outside of his wishes. While Edward and the reader justify it as him protecting her, the justification becomes a bit funny when we realize that its him causing all the danger! And even when he tries to back out of her life, he goes about it so horribly and only causes her more pain and puts her in MORE danger. Yet, rather then do the one thing that would remove the danger and keep his empty-headed love interest alive (change her into a vampire) Edward is constantly digging in his heels. He only consents when he has no other option after she nearly dies giving birth to their baby (oh yeah vampires can have babies now, who knew?! [yes vampire baby will get its own post])
Ultimately, after 3.5 books and only inches from death, Bella is made into a vampire. She had been begging practically from their first meeting to be turned. She wanted to be as much like Edward as possible so that he would accept her and love her. Oh, and what did Edward have to do to earn Bella's love? Ha, that's right.....nothing. That's right! All the changing was solely on Bella's side, from the very start of the relationship she isn't good enough for him! She's clumsy while he is graceful. He's smart enough to know the right people to associate with, she makes friends with every Tom, Dick, and Werewolf that comes along. He can protect her from the eeevil vampires that seem to have a GPS tracking collar on Bella, but she is forever blundering blindly into their eeevil schemes. But Edward remains adamant, Bella is NOT to be made into a sparkly vampire. Ever, if he can help it. Even as he slowly comes around to the idea of making her into a vampire, he still throws up impediments. We have to finish High School (Bella: waaaaahh I don't care about HIGH SCHOOL I want to be like yoooooooou) , we have to go to college for at least a semester (Bella: I'm a dumb stupid woman I don't need college because I have no aspirations beyond being live yoooooooooooooooooou), we have to be married first (Bella: I disagree with marriage because my parent marriage failed in what seems to at least have been a passive divorce but I want to be like yooooooooooooouuuu so OK!). She never thinks for herself because she has her wonderful vampire to think for her! Bliss! *Please excuse me for a minute while I shudder in the corner. Again, this topic is gonna get its own post*
The final point of this post is also the most frustrating for me, personally. When Bella is abandoned by Edward, she plummets into a horrible depression that lasts for MONTHS. Pick up a copy of New Moon and flip around the first few chapters. You'll notice there is a sudden break in the narrative as there are several pages with just the names of months on them. Four pages, four months. As Bella grieves over the abrupt severing of hers and Edwards relationship, she spirals into a dark depression. Depression is bad enough, but Bella refuses to cope with her new life situation. She shuts down and puts her father through the wringer to piece his daughter back together. But despite the best efforts of her father and friends, Bella remains firm in her decision to make sure EVERYONE IN THE WORLD KNOWS SHE IS SAD. I understand depression, and as loyal readers of my blog will know I've been dumped once and broken up with once. It sucks, but you have to get over it. Bella, however, is a stupid teenager. And stupid teenagers think that if you are sad now you will always be sad. Boo-frikin-hoo. Bella puts her father, friends, and newly remarried mother through months of stress and worry....all because she and Edward have imagined themselves as characters in a most epic love story.
And that isn't love.
Meh, not as pleased with this one as the previous post in my Twilight series. If you missed the first post, click here.
As of now, I'm planning to do at least two more Twilight-based posts, one about Jacob being the better choice, and one about why you can't mess with vampire mythology (featuring a special guest: SCIENCE!). Maybe more. We'll see. And if you think I'm wrong on any of these points, please let me know in the comments, I'd love to hear some good defense of these books.
Ultimately, after 3.5 books and only inches from death, Bella is made into a vampire. She had been begging practically from their first meeting to be turned. She wanted to be as much like Edward as possible so that he would accept her and love her. Oh, and what did Edward have to do to earn Bella's love? Ha, that's right.....nothing. That's right! All the changing was solely on Bella's side, from the very start of the relationship she isn't good enough for him! She's clumsy while he is graceful. He's smart enough to know the right people to associate with, she makes friends with every Tom, Dick, and Werewolf that comes along. He can protect her from the eeevil vampires that seem to have a GPS tracking collar on Bella, but she is forever blundering blindly into their eeevil schemes. But Edward remains adamant, Bella is NOT to be made into a sparkly vampire. Ever, if he can help it. Even as he slowly comes around to the idea of making her into a vampire, he still throws up impediments. We have to finish High School (Bella: waaaaahh I don't care about HIGH SCHOOL I want to be like yoooooooou) , we have to go to college for at least a semester (Bella: I'm a dumb stupid woman I don't need college because I have no aspirations beyond being live yoooooooooooooooooou), we have to be married first (Bella: I disagree with marriage because my parent marriage failed in what seems to at least have been a passive divorce but I want to be like yooooooooooooouuuu so OK!). She never thinks for herself because she has her wonderful vampire to think for her! Bliss! *Please excuse me for a minute while I shudder in the corner. Again, this topic is gonna get its own post*
The final point of this post is also the most frustrating for me, personally. When Bella is abandoned by Edward, she plummets into a horrible depression that lasts for MONTHS. Pick up a copy of New Moon and flip around the first few chapters. You'll notice there is a sudden break in the narrative as there are several pages with just the names of months on them. Four pages, four months. As Bella grieves over the abrupt severing of hers and Edwards relationship, she spirals into a dark depression. Depression is bad enough, but Bella refuses to cope with her new life situation. She shuts down and puts her father through the wringer to piece his daughter back together. But despite the best efforts of her father and friends, Bella remains firm in her decision to make sure EVERYONE IN THE WORLD KNOWS SHE IS SAD. I understand depression, and as loyal readers of my blog will know I've been dumped once and broken up with once. It sucks, but you have to get over it. Bella, however, is a stupid teenager. And stupid teenagers think that if you are sad now you will always be sad. Boo-frikin-hoo. Bella puts her father, friends, and newly remarried mother through months of stress and worry....all because she and Edward have imagined themselves as characters in a most epic love story.
And that isn't love.
Meh, not as pleased with this one as the previous post in my Twilight series. If you missed the first post, click here.
As of now, I'm planning to do at least two more Twilight-based posts, one about Jacob being the better choice, and one about why you can't mess with vampire mythology (featuring a special guest: SCIENCE!). Maybe more. We'll see. And if you think I'm wrong on any of these points, please let me know in the comments, I'd love to hear some good defense of these books.
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