FAN ESSAY POST: "Real Endings" - thoughts about Bella's possible fate in Breaking Dawn (Twilight)

[flowrs4ophelia]

Eh yeeeaaaah I started to get pissed at this thing and want it out of my face in the middle of writing it because it just would not be any shorter. It's kind of a...manifesto. LOL. Definitely shows what an awesomely big amount of time I have on my hands this break. So I really appreciate anyone actually making the noble attempt to read even one whole section of it. Haha.

A lot of the points I bring up in this essay are actually some of the main thematic ideas in a J/B/E fic I'm working on about Bella having become a vampire called "What Music They Make." I just hope that for anyone who does end up reading that fic, it doesn't sound like a broken record in some parts alluding to the same concepts I've covered more elaborately here. The thing about actually trying to say something in any kind of fiction is that it can be hard not to just make it seem preachy and spoon-feed it to people. It's better to show that war is bad with disturbing scenes of violence that speak for themselves, not write endless dialogue with your characters inserting what sounds like supporting points of an anti-war speech into their otherwise casual talking. This is something I think I might be struggling with avoiding in my fic, so I thought getting a lot of those ideas (plus more) out of my system in a non-fiction medium would help me sort out what belongs here and what belongs or is excusable in a story.



Real Endings:
Why Breaking Dawn Should and Could End With Bella Still Human


If we had happy endings, we'd all be under gravestones now.
Rosalie Hale - Eclipse

John and Mary meet. What happens next?
You'll have to face it, the endings are the same however you slice it. Don't be deluded by any other endings, they're all fake, either deliberately fake, with malicious intent to deceive, or just motivated by excessive optimism if not by downright sentimentality.
The only authentic ending is the one provided here:
John and Mary die. John and Mary die. John and Mary die.
"Happy Endings" by Margaret Atwood



Introduction: Be Careful What You Wish For

It is well-known to any Twilight fan that this fandom is practically a house divided against itself that somehow still stands. The rivalry between the Edward/Bella shippers and Jacob/Bella shippers can get pretty nasty, and though ship wars and wank happen everywhere, the separation of this fandom into Team Edward and Team Jacob isn't quite like anything I've seen in any others. The Team Switzerland people who support both, are undecided, or don't care are a small exception; just about everyone has not only picked a side but is adamantly, vehemently defensive of it.

The essential difference between the shipper rivalry in this fandom and others, I think, is that for a lot of us our choice of ship is about more than just differences in people's personal preference that can be respected. When it comes to Harry Potter ships, I don't ship Harry/Hermione because I just don't see it, but if that's what floats your boat, great. There's no reason to get into a heated debate there. But besides the fact that Jacob Black just does it for me more than Edward Cullen, like many others I ship J/B because it isn't just more appealing to me but also seems right. Because she doesn't feel like she has to change herself to be happy with him, he's a better influence on her. When you see fans trying to support their opinions in discussions about who Bella should be with, it very often becomes a discussion about what is better for her, gives the story a better message, etc.

This is understandable, considering in Eclipse as Bella is faced with having to make the decision between Edward and Jacob, it's made clear that the decision encompasses a lot more than simply who she's going to be in a relationship with. She becomes a lot more aware of what all she has to give up if she picks Edward because that will mean she'll want to become a vampire. She realizes if she picks Jacob, she can grow up and have kids. To be sure, it puts a really difficult and interesting spin on the love triangle conflict that we've seen a million times before in fiction, and the fact that Bella intends to be turned soon if she stays with Edward is good for some extra drama because it means Jacob actually has a time limit to try to get Bella to realize she loves him and choose him.

But guess what? The decision is bullshit. The intensity of the team rivalry is bullshit. The defense of your ship as healthier, more moral, or more compelling as if this makes it the only right choice rather than just your preference is bullshit. Because even if Bella is going to be with Edward, even if she is going to marry Edward and never see Jacob's face again, she doesn't have to become a vampire. It doesn't have to be this way. And in fact, I think there is a chance it won't be.

The opinion I'm trying to defend in this essay has absolutely nothing to do with who I think Bella should be with. It merely explains why I think it would be disappointing and a bad choice for Stephenie Meyer to not have Bella stay human, as well as why I'm inclined to suspect she would actually agree with me and isn't going to end Breaking Dawn that way. By illustrating in detail everything that this kind of fate would actually mean for Bella, hopefully I might bring up points some people may never even have thought about before. I have seen an alarming lack of Edward/Bella shippers who actually do not like the idea of Bella being turned, and some of the Team Ed girls seem to have an idealized conception of what exactly an eternal life together would be like for them, talking about the possibility as if it will mean some perfect fairy-tale kind of ending and will not include some very painful sacrifice along with the happiness, not to mention make kind of a surprisingly dark ending for a young adult series. My hope is to get some fans who want BD to end with Edward and Bella both immortal to at least stop and question if this is really what they want to see happen (just maybe saving them from disappointment in the case that it doesn't).



The Immorality of Immortality

Vampires. They don't have the best reputation for being nice people. In many fiction works they have an aversion to holy objects, and according to some old folk beliefs they were witches or other sacrilegious evildoers risen from the dead. Before Twilight fans read the books, the word "vampire" probably made them think of monsters from horror movies who kill people and are never the sympathetic characters, not a good-natured and sincere gentleman like Edward Cullen. Even in Steph Meyer's original universe, good vampires like the Cullens are a rare exception, and most other ones we meet like James seem to just do whatever they feel like as long as it won't make the Volturi come to kick their asses. Even though he has chosen the morally sound vegetarian vamp lifestyle, Edward often seems to have shame for what he is. He refers to his kind as "the eternal damned" and personally believes they have lost their souls.

Bella herself doesn't see things this way. As far as she's concerned, Edward is a perfect angel, better than any human. Of course it's true he shouldn't be so hard on himself for something he can't even help; he never chose to be a monster. But nevertheless, I believe Edward, as the only central character known to be very influenced by religious faith, often provides an important point of view of some moral dilemmas in the story that at least merits some consideration and may even be more indicative of what kind of message Steph would prefer to give than the ways Bella reacts to everything. Steph has said that Edward is the character who is the most like her as far as how he feels about most things; she usually agrees with him. She herself is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who doesn't watch R-rated movies and was pressured by her editor to write premarital sex in Eclipse but was not comfortable with the idea because of her beliefs. Even if these books have a main character who isn't religious and they are not at all trying to sell God to teens or anything like that, an author's own point of view about certain things that may be influenced by their faith is bound to have some effect on what they write.

But what is actually so bad about becoming immortal? The concept of immortality has been dealt with in countless works of fiction, but looking at a lot of fantasies, it seems that the characters who want to attain the power to live forever are usually not the good guys, but the bad guys. Even if the protagonists seek or consider immortality, typically they eventually learn not to desire it or otherwise somehow change their minds. In Tuck Everlasting, Winnie ultimately decides against staying young forever to be with Jesse. Harry Potter's advantage over Voldemort is that he does not fear death more than anything and share his wish to be immortal. The Fountain, a film about trying to conquer death, in the end is about the acceptance of death and the triumph of love over it. Captain Jack Sparrow, after he has already died once before and been damned to his own personal hell, makes it his primary goal to keep from ever having to die again, but then one of his only truly heroic acts ever is when he gives up the chance for immortality to help someone else. You just don't find many stories that end with the main characters happily enjoying an endless future they have to look forward to after drinking from the fountain of youth, but rather ones in which this is a possibility but instead they end with something learned, something found that is more important than not having to die. And while something new and original is often good to be tried in the world of fiction, usually what you find when writers try radically different approaches to storytelling is that the old formulas you have seen work again and again were always successful for a reason.

After all, if someone wants immortality for themselves or for someone else, it is usually out of some kind of fear. These stories teach us that loss is a part of life and has to eventually be accepted in order for the quality of life not to be completely spoiled. For eternal life is usually portrayed as something that comes at a great cost, involves some very unpleasant downsides, and maybe can hardly even be called "life" at all. These stories show how death humbles us and makes life itself more meaningful, giving us a literal "deadline" for becoming what we want to be or telling somebody how much they mean to us, making all human experience more poignant.

Someone so invincible they do not have to worry about losing anything, on the other hand, has no reason to think very hard about the way they live. Many of the villainous fictional characters you see wanting immortality are ones who have done a lot of bad things and have reason to be afraid of having to pay for it when they buy the farm. Considering this, it is easy to see how there could be religious objections to the fate of a vampire. Whether someone does it to avoid going to hell or not, choosing to become immortal is the rejection of judgment and God, throwing away the opportunity to earn everlasting life in Heaven. Surely vampires like Carlisle and Rosalie could probably be excused from automatically making God's shit list for what they are because they never would have been turned into vampires if ever given a choice about it. But if Steph put her foot down to keep Bells with her V-card until marriage, could she really be okay with making her choose and have complete responsibility for something like that?

Some might agree that yes, this kind of choice could be bad for some people to make, like the Volturi's receptionist who wants to be made one of them, but think that for Bella it is okay because she's doing it for love. Well, Steph has done plenty to show in the books so far that love sometimes has nothing to do with what is right and people will do all kinds of bad things because of it that are not represented as encourageable. Edward is set on committing suicide if Bella dies, which she and his whole family are completely against. Bella asks him to stay behind during the battle in Eclipse out of fear of losing him, never even thinking about the possibility of someone else like Emily or Kim losing the love of her life because the numbers are that less even, and even as she does it she knows this is selfish and wrong of her. In interviews and correspondence with fans, Steph has talked about the relationships in her books in a way that acknowledges how even (or maybe especially) the truest love can have a dark and sinister side; when describing Jasper's deep devotion to Alice she has said, "There would be no limit to who or what he would destroy for her."

This idea that love can make a person sometimes unlimited by any morals and do really bad things is quite different from what we're used to usually hearing about how love is what makes people good, but it certainly can be more useful to apply to certain situations. Just consider the emotions associated with each side of the Force in Star Wars. Jedi are encouraged to have love and compassion for people but discouraged from having a deep attachment to anyone that may cause them to feel fear and anger. What drives Anakin Skywalker to the Dark Side and turns him into an evil person is his inability to let go of the person he loves more than any other.

It certainly doesn't even take a religious perspective on the matter to see it as not such an innocent thing to do if Bella has Edward bite her. Vampires are, by their very nature, predators of humans who are often only secondarily driven by a conscience and primarily driven by instinct. Bella plans to live off of the blood of animals instead of have the normal diet for their kind, of course, but as we very well know, accidents can always happen. Even though they've decided not to hunt humans, several of the Cullens have made mistakes on occasion. It shows how much it's a legitimate concern that Bella could at some point lose control enough to mess up and kill someone that Emmett and Jasper have actually made a bet on how many times this will happen during her first year as a vampire. The family may be especially watchful of her when she is a newborn, but there is no way they can always be sure nothing will happen. Even many years after she is "created," she could encounter someone who is her singer when none of the Cullens are in immediate proximity to keep her from attacking them. When Emmett or Jasper have made such mistakes before, it was not exactly their faults because they were given this life without a choice. But Bella is completely aware of what this kind of existence involves. She had one of her own vampire friends nearly attack her at a party and has seen a newborn crazed with thirst. If she ever ends up killing anybody, she is as much at fault as someone who drives a car while drunk and runs over somebody without meaning to. Call me the evil opposite of a hopeless romantic, but it isn't cool in my book that she's willing to take that risk just because she can't stand to be without Edward or get older than him.



An Already Bad Choice Made For Bad Reasons

If this statement surprises you in the least, you've been reading different books about a different Bella than I have: the girl needs to get some self-esteem. This is a secret to nobody but her. Edward's comment in Twilight that she doesn't see herself very clearly is a colossal understatement. Even though she is smothered with more attention than she can stand at school, especially from males, she thinks of herself as completely "ordinary," certainly not attractive, interesting, or desirable. It's reasonably normal for teenage girls to feel this way about themselves, and a lot of people gain more confidence and a better self-image as they get older. If Bella stays a teenager forever, she probably can't do this.

The books are dripping with reveling, worshiping, nauseating descriptions of Edward's perfect beauty and constant expressions of how Bella can't believe someone like him would ever look twice at someone like her. She feels unworthy of him and practically like he is doing her a favor by being with her. When she looks at a photo of them together, comparing the two of them makes her ashamed.

What she does not seem to realize is that becoming a vampire is not the way to change this. In New Moon after Edward and Alice have to give their word to the Volturi that they intend to make Bella one of them so they'll let her walk out of Volterra alive, she actually thinks to herself hopefully that maybe Edward will want her again once she is "beautiful and strong." To her, the idea of becoming like him makes perfect sense and easily appeals to her because she has no love for herself the way she is. She has glamorized the possibility in her head to mean she will be a different person who she is happier with being, a person defined entirely by how easily she fits with this other person who she almost seems to only need so much to fill a void she has by lacking any self-esteem.

As Edward describes, she has a horror of aging. If it's hard for her to accept that he truly loves her and is attracted to her now as they are the same age, she definitely can't imagine how he could still want to be with her as she grows old. But he has made it clear that this is an option for her and is so strongly against her being turned into a vampire he's done just about all he can do to try to change her mind about it. She is so completely oblivious to the way he really cares about her that she misunderstands why he wants to keep her human, thinking the reasons he explains are excuses and he's just hiding that he doesn't actually want to be with her for eternity. In the narrative she often talks like she feels like she has to become a vampire so that Edward will be stuck with her and she won't ever have to worry about him leaving her. In other words, the notion she has that she needs to do this is absolutely effing crazy. It seems almost certain that Bella's glaringly obvious flaws will have to be addressed more in Breaking Dawn as her character continues to grow and change, and I have hope that she'll become more aware of these things and how they have influenced her desire to change for Edward and realize she doesn't have to.

I've seen some people object to the idea of Edward and Bella staying together as vampire and human by saying this will be bad because Bella's feelings for him would probably change as she grows. This just seems silly to me. If it were possible to freeze ourselves into any current state of mind forever, would it be a good idea for couples to do this to ensure their feelings for each other never change? Although relationships between people with big age differences can often work, I can admit that the mental ages of two people is an important part of their romantic compatibility. Maybe as Bella grew it would result in their relationship becoming less physically passionate and obsessive. But if their love is really as genuine and everlasting as it is presented as being, I don't see why it would not last no matter what. Perhaps under these circumstances, their love for each other would always be just as strong and the most important thing in their lives but may eventually become more platonic, developing into more of a friendship and then involving Bella as more of an older sister and then mother and grandmother to him. Yeah, it's a strange thing to imagine, but also would not be too unlike the way Jacob has described the relationship between Quil and Claire will change as she grows from a child into a woman, only in a sort of reversed process. In the world of Twilight, love is so often very unusual and unlike anything comparable to real-life relationships. Anything is possible. Time and age do not have to separate two people who seem meant to be a part of each other's lives.



Happily Ever After Is Overrated

As far as I understand, this series ending in a way that would let most Edward fangirls get their way would involve Bella marrying him, being turned into a vampire, maybe developing some cool special powers, and having to say goodbye to her parents and human friends forever and deal with the unpleasant adjustment to this new life during the first year but going through this with her husband's intoxicating, spellbinding presence always a sufficient anesthetic to help her be overwhelmingly happy anyway. In this scenario, the hero of the story is Edward's spellbinding presence (in other words, nobody) and the message is that love will overcome anything and always wins (in other words, we are not responsible for our feelings and the consequences of them because they control us and determine our destinies).

When we watch movies and read books, sometimes we're so chiefly concerned with everything reaching a happy ending that we forget that this isn't necessarily what makes a good story. Usually the idea of a happy ending is essentially ridiculous anyway. The "happy ending" of a romance movie often has the couple leaving their wedding in the final scene, when realistically marriage may be the beginning of all kinds of problems, not a real ending at all. Life is full of ups and downs all the time and there is no such thing as being happy all the time for ever after. But one of the things that makes reading enjoyable is seeing how characters face and withstand difficulties, not how they sit around drinking their morning coffee on a completely normal, easy day. Readers are masochists this way, bored by contentment and a complete lack of problems and drama. It's never really the ending that matters, happy where it leaves off or not, but how the story gets there.

This kind of drama that we find entertaining is only possible as long as the protagonist still has power over what happens in the story. What will she do? Perhaps she finds herself in a very tricky situation in which it's hard to say what is the right thing to do. It's especially entertaining if for some reason she changes her mind and surprises us with what she does. Stories never focus on the damsels in distress who just passively have a whole lot of things happen to them but the people who rescue them even though it's not easy to take the initiative and do something.

If you've completely lost me and have no idea what this has to do with Bella Swan, just consider if there is anything about the above scenario as an ending to her story that makes her an admirable character (besides the way you'd sure like to be her just to have an Edward of your own). Bella sure as hell doesn't want to become a vampire because she thinks it's the right thing to do. In fact, to an extent, she knows it's not a good thing to do. She is only planning to do it because she thinks she has no choice. To me, this would make her fate completely anti-climactic and the story practically pointless, about characters whose lives are pre-determined and not even in their own control. Wouldn't it be so much more compelling for Bella to take some responsibility for her life rather than just give in to what seems inevitable and let everything happen to her? It would definitely be very hard for her to accept that maybe it's better for her and Edward never to belong to the same world. That's exactly why it would make her so damn awesome. A more bittersweet ending in which things do not turn out exactly as the characters hoped can be more satisfying than a perfectly happy one when it means the heroes grow a lot and learn something.

The books often compare Edward and Bella to Romeo and Juliet, but as far as we know Steph does not intend to make this love story a total tragedy. Although it is hilariously hypocritical of him to criticize Romeo, Edward is right when he says he causes his own end by not learning and changing but continuing to make mistakes. Hopefully he and Bella will be smarter than that. Romeo and Juliet has plenty of sentimental scenes, but there is nothing romantic about the actual moment that they kill themselves for each other, and just the same, I don't find anything romantic about Bella giving up her human life for Edward. After there have been so many parts of the books comparing their need for each other to a dependence on drugs, this would only give the message that it's okay for someone to succumb to such an addiction, something they know is not good for them but are not strong enough to be without. The way vampire venom changes a human with exposure to their blood can only make me think of immortality as being like a disease they can infect others with, and when Bella has never been very careful while kissing Edward and now wants him to intentionally bite her, I can't help but compare this to someone wanting their lover who has AIDS to give it to them so neither of them has to live on without the other. It is not romantic. I would call it unhealthy and sick.



But Canon Already Shows This Is a Lost Cause! (...Sort Of)

Okay, as much as I can complain about why it would majorly suck (no pun intended) for Bella to be changed into a leech, I can see there's quite a lot of evidence in support of this happening in the books themselves. What gives me the biggest doubts is the way there has been so much interest raised in the question of what kind of special talents Bella could have as a vampire. It seems likely there's a really important reason Steph has made Bella so unique with her closed mind, and just about all of fandom is in assumption by now that if turned she would have some kind of powers. It has gotten to the point that it's something Steph has made people want to find out too much for us never to see it.

But some people's arguments I've seen that she has to be turned to avoid a conflict with the Volturi are actually more in favor of my side. What the heck is BD going to be about if it doesn't have some kind of conflict? Yes, if she stays human that will make the Volturi show up to raise hell in Forks. Sounds like a great way to keep the werewolves involved in the story and include a huge fight like none this series has ever had before. Aren't we supposed to be seeing more of the Volturi anyway, at least to find out what Alec's powers are that make them such a dangerous force?

In fact, several things Steph has said about Breaking Dawn are the opposite of discouraging to me, especially the way she's so certain that with this book she will be finished with Bella's story. It seems to me that her becoming immortal and having easily hundreds more years ahead of her would be anything but a bookend, a beginning of a new story rather than a neat conclusion with complete closure, and leave way too much room for sequels for her to be so sure she'll be done writing about Bella. Surely a lot of fans, at least, would never be satisfied with the books focused on her and Edward ending there.

And one last thing: Do I even need to explain the possible implications of how the last book is titled Breaking Dawn?

Comments

[maraudersaffair.livejournal.com]

I'm taking my time reading through your essay, but how do you know Meyer was pressured into writing the "sex scene"?

I think that's really interesting.

[flowrs4ophelia.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know I read that in an internet article somewhere and thought Woah, how has this information not spread like crazy through fandom? LOL. I'm trying to find it again, if I do I'll give you the link.

[oohdeer.livejournal.com]

Wooww. I can't believe I actually just read all that! Haha

You made a really good point with all of this. And your ideas for Breaking Dawn at the end were very interesting. And in a way I think you are right, it wouldn't be very much of an ending if Bella just became a vampire and her and Edward would live, forever, happily ever after.

Its true that 'happily ever after' stories are somewhat over-rated. But the Twilight series seems to be an acception to that (well.. for me atleast.) It would be just heartbreaking to see Bellas story end with anything that would be the end of herself and Edward. Or anything that would leave etheir one of them eternally unhappy which would mean etheir one of them being without eachother.

Other than that though I really don't think theres very much in here that I don't agree on. Personally, Im Team Switzerland. I don't oppose Bella being with Jacob. And Im not a livid Edward/Bella shipper. I guess you can say I support Bella. Whatever she does is okay with me =]

Anyway like I said, you did a wonderful job presenting all of this! It all makes alot of sense. If someone had just said "Bella shouldn't be a vampire.. because basicly.. it would suck" Im not so sure I would really consider even slightly agreeing with them. But you proved your point quite well. I don't agree 150% with what you said but I give you alot of credit. This is great! <3

[flowrs4ophelia.livejournal.com]

I can't believe you read all of it either, haha. Thanks for looking at it and for the comment. :)

[freothuwebbe.livejournal.com]

I agree with you. I would really like to see Bella stay human, though not for ALL of the reasons that you do. And it's not just because I like Jacob, because I consider myself team Switzerland. I

I would just really hate the book to end in Edward and Bella living forever and ever together yayy happyy. Because I'm a sucker for the bittersweet.

[flowrs4ophelia.livejournal.com]

I'd be kind of shocked if someone could actually agree with all the reasons I say in this, LOL. Thanks so much for reading. :)

[starstruckduck.livejournal.com]

I guess I can't agree with this because of the logic of the story. Bella and Edward want to be together and the only way they can be that was is if Bella is changed. I guess I don't see the horror in it that everyone else does. I agree that she does have self-esteem issues, but the same could be said for Edward. They neither of them feel worthy of the other. Everything they do, they do to make the other happy.

As for Bella going with Jacob... I am slightly more of a fan than Edward. I guess I could say I am Switzerland, actually with a slight Edward lean. ;o) Again, the logic of the story does not lead to Bella with Jacob. I think it would be a very unfaithful representation of Bella.

Good essay, though. Cheers.

[starstruckduck.livejournal.com]

PS: Maybe I'm old and bitter, but I absolutely adore happy endings. There are too many ironic, unhappy endings. Screw that. Life is unhappy. I don't need everything to be like that.

[peripety]

I've only read the first book (and haven't decided if I'll read the rest of the series) so I probably am not qualified to leave a comment. But nevertheless....

Even based on the limited amount I've read it would be a mistake to have Bella become a vampire and change her essential nature. That's irregardless of who she should be 'shipped' with.

[dramaturgy.livejournal.com]

The books are dripping with reveling, worshiping, nauseating descriptions of Edward's perfect beauty and constant expressions of how Bella can't believe someone like him would ever look twice at someone like her.

I think another point to be made here is found in the first chapter of Midnight Sun which I just read from Stephenie's website. It's almost frightening, really, the first chapter of Twilight from Edward's point of view, and it has Edward planning the swift deaths of his other classmates so that he can have Bella's blood. After reading that combined with New Moon I really think it's Edward who has a harder time being without - and ironically, with Bella.

One of the things I enjoy about the series is the tension between Edward and Bella on the becoming a vampire question. Honestly there were a couple of times when I thought this issue was going to be a deal breaker, and I still think that there's a chance that it could go either way. Edward keeps setting conditions, and I don't think that it's an issue that'll disappear any time soon. At least it better not. Another thing I enjoy is Edward's doubt about the state of his soul, the "Carlisle was right" was a moment that didn't hit me immediately, but is one that I love in hindsight.

I can see where your last point come from. I think Bella becoming a vampire would be the opening to a lot of new, interesting problems - for instance, she does find that immortality isn't what it's cracked up to be. As a writer I can't really wrap my head around ever being "done" with characters, but I'm sure that it has to be possible.

[flowrs4ophelia.livejournal.com]

Another thing I enjoy is Edward's doubt about the state of his soul, the "Carlisle was right" was a moment that didn't hit me immediately, but is one that I love in hindsight.

That's a good point to bring up. I think Edward might have just as much changing to do as Bella does. An interesting thing about his determination to never live without her is that I think we can assume he would not be willing to commit suicide if he didn't have this belief that he has no soul anymore, since killing yourself is pretty much an ultimate sin. Even if Bella becomes a vampire, something could still happen to her. We've seen how vampires can kind of easily make enemies and it can never be a guarantee he'll never lose her. It seems like things still need to somehow be resolved regarding how he intends to die if she ever does but that isn't even what Bella would want.

Thank you for reading. :)

[jaleco.livejournal.com]

I am most assuredly Team Edward... however I have NO CLUE how I really want Breaking Dawn to end.

All the options you presented have merit, and I have no doubt Stephanie will pull off whatever ending chooses, with perfection. Even if she abandoned ship and tossed her back with the wolves, I really think she'd make it work.

She states matter of factly that Edward and Bella will be together. So that gives me some hope.

Also while she says Bella's story will be done with Breaking Dawn, she has indicated she would love to continue in other Points of View. So Bella could easily still be around and part of the story... but Bella's story as far as her decisions and choices go, will be over. She will have made her choice, and living (or not so much...) and dealing with it.

I agree on every level that Jacob is the absolute logical choice for Bella. It makes perfect sense for them to be together, they fit, he understands her, and he isn't afraid to hurt her feelings. He's human with her. Her best friend.

But love isn't logical and there is something between her and Edward that goes so far beyond logic, it generally makes no sense. It's more like they are literally part of each other, chemically or something.

I have considered so many ideas with Bella's ending... I almost 100% believe, Edward will have no interest in her as a vampire. So much of what he loves about her is the things that make her human. He could swear up and down that he will love her always, but becoming immortal would change so many of the things he loves best about her. I am rereading elipse and just read the part where they discuss why he doesn't want her to become a vampire. And I still can't believe him.

He has broke promise after promise to her, as much as I adore him, and them together, I do not trust him. Alot of his devotion to her, has a lot to do with his obsession of keeping her safe, and alive. When she is cold, hard, strong, and pretty much dead, I truly believe he will not see her with the same eyes.

I beg Stephanie to prove me wrong tho.

I personally love a happy ending, but I do not see any ending presented that can be considered happy.

If she chooses immortality, she says goodbye to humanity, and all the people she loves.

If she chooses Jacob, she says goodbye to the one thing she cannot live without...

If she chooses nothing... then all 4 books are completely moot.

If she dies... well come on...

Either way no ending will be happy, but it could be enough.

[flowrs4ophelia.livejournal.com]

almost 100% believe, Edward will have no interest in her as a vampire. So much of what he loves about her is the things that make her human. He could swear up and down that he will love her always, but becoming immortal would change so many of the things he loves best about her. I am rereading elipse and just read the part where they discuss why he doesn't want her to become a vampire. And I still can't believe him.

Oh gosh, this brings up so many other ideas I could talk about extensively. Haha. Actually, the fanfic I'm writing that inspired me to do this essay deals with this question a lot. After she's a vampire in it, Edward does not love her any less, but it does make their relationship completely different. Because she's not his singer anymore and he doesn't overwhelm her as a human to the point of almost passing out when he kisses her and everything, there's much less of an immediate kind of physical passion between them, and it kind of makes Bella realize that she thought their relationship was always going to be something that it's not anymore. It would definitely be interesting to see how it might change the dynamic of their attraction to each other if they were both vampires.

I personally love a happy ending, but I do not see any ending presented that can be considered happy.

I think I didn't do a very good job explaining my real point about the "happy ending" idea (this thing is long enough as it is, LOL). I wasn't meaning to generally say that happy endings don't make good ones, just that the sole point of a story should not be just to reach a happy ending, but everything that happens before. I just think that a lot of people like the idea of Bella becoming a vampire only because they think it will make a perfectly happy ending and therefore it only makes sense. I think they are expecting the book to just brush over all of the bad things it will also mean for her. If Steph makes her a vampire, it's true that this could be a more bittersweet than happy way to end it instead of just sickeningly fluffy and fairy tale-ish. But most everyone is discussing it as if she just needs to be with Edward forever in the end and that's all that really matters and all they need to be satisfied, and I feel like they are only wanting it to be an escapist fantasy and sweet love story with nothing more to it, when that's not exactly where I see the story headed.

What I was mostly trying to say with that part is that people should not just be satisfied with where things happen to be where a story leaves off, because the idea of a "happy ending" is kind of fake, and people should be more concerned with seeing the characters go through some kind of problem and handling it in a way that is entertaining before they get to that point. Before I read the last Harry Potter there were things I was absolutely terrified of happening because they would be so sad, but what I knew I would hate even more is for the book to have no emotional effect on me or ever even surprise me. I just happen to think myself that Bella becoming a vampire seems too obvious and predictable at this point and it seems that things going the opposite way would make a better kind of story for Steph to tell up until the ending, whether it ends in a way that is "happy" or not. Therefore saying that BD has to end with Bella a vampire for it to end happy doesn't make sense, because it's everything besides the ending that an author should really be the most worried about. But as some other people have commented, it would entirely depend on how Steph actually does it and if she makes it work either way.

....GREAT

[asherinly.livejournal.com]

Perfect essay...bella to stay human is much more entertaining to her becoming a hapilly ever after cinderella.

[genuinescence.livejournal.com]

As much as I love the series, I am, too, unsure of the ending. At first I thought that changing Bella into a vampire would be such an easy way out for the books... that Bella would give up her life for Edward and they live happily ever after for forever. It's too fairy-tale-esque.

But then again, if Bella doesn't become a vampire for Edward it's not like she can go back to Jacob. So ideally, Bella HAS to end up with Edward in some way and its most likely gonna be Bella turning into a vampire. Because otherwise, what would've been the point of the previous 3 books? So what other choice is out there really?

I'm hoping that if it is gonna be some happy ending with Bella becoming a vampire and living with her love Edward for ever and ever, there better be some unique and original plotline that leads to the ordinary fairy-tale happy ending.

[janaparmajana.livejournal.com]

Im team Edward, i don't like Bella and Jacob together at all. I loved them however as friends, i liked their brother/sister relationship.

This essay really made me think, i still want Bella to become a vampire but i hope that on the way to that, that there will be alot of drama. Edward and Bella have to be together, it wouldn't make sense otherwise.

[kitsunebaba.livejournal.com]

You're really over anylizing these books. It's a romance novel and just because someone's so unsure of themselves doesn't make them a bad person. Edward is perfect in her eyes and she doesn't think she measures up to him, which is a standard human reaction for such a situation unless you have self esteem the size of Africa, which Bella does not.

[oohdeer.livejournal.com]

Agreed ^ Bellas around beyond humanly-beautiful, perfect creatures everyday. I don't think theres anyone who can say that they're self-esteem wouldn't be atlast alittle bit lowered.

[cherise.livejournal.com]

I went into reading this essay as a gungho, Edward/Bella shipper with Bella turned into a vampire at the climax of Breaking Dawn. Why do I want her to be a vampire, exactly? Because in this YA book, it's cool/sexy/romantic, and all of us fangirls want to be fanatically beautiful and immortal. At the Eclipse signing I went to, Stephenie picked someone to ask a question, and right away he shouted 'Is Bella going to be a vampire?' I cracked a grin cos it's what I wanted to ask, though in my mind -- yep, she already was one.

Your essay, however, provides plenty of great points. While on principle I should disagree with a lot of them [due to my position mentioned above] I actually don't. You seriously enlightened me as to why I don't relate to Bella's character at all. I already know that I see her decisions as reckless and uninformed, even outright stupid sometimes. Even with a 'perfect angel' in front of me declaring his love, I know I'd be able to keep a clear head and make sensible, unbiased decisions. But that's why it's so romantic! No. I hate it when people say that. I completely agree with you. As 'romantic' as it seems, Bella making stupid decisions will only lead the readers to realise that her infatuation with Edward has gone a step too far. I have no idea when she'll finally be able to see herself as an equal. I still hate how she won't be able to feel equal next to Edward until she is a vampire. Fans could argue that this only demonstrates how perfectly beautiful and inhuman the vampires are, but I disagree. It's almost all Bella.

Because this story is in the first person, whatever Bella says, goes. It's almost like getting brainwashed. Bella sees that immortality is good, fans see that as well. What most people quote as canon is more often than not Bella's own thoughts. Bella's ideas are by definition canon, but they aren't the be-all and end-all. Perhaps the best thing I like about your essay is that while you write with a J/B angle, you completely remove yourself from Bella's perspective. It's hard to untangle yourself when the novel is in first person, but I do applaud you for doing so. Your essay is well-written with very sound logic and evidence, but the largest reason why many people won't care to delve deeper is because they see Twilight from Bella's view. And the amusing thing is, you're not even anti-Bella. You're just anti-biased.

This hasn't convinced me, per se, that Bella should stay human. I do agree with a lot of your points and such, but I have to say I still want her to become a vampire. I don't know if that's disheartening to hear or not. But I will say that when Breaking Dawn comes out, I'll keep your ideas in mind. My mindset is that Bella will turn into a vampire, but not before she hasn't confronted her glaringly obvious flaws and overcome them. She is too much of a teenager at this point for an immortal life to do any good for her mental age. With Jacob and Edward pulling at her from both directions, I'm convinced that this is possible, if not certain.

Actually, you should explain Breaking Dawn as a title. I would be amused.

[flowrs4ophelia.livejournal.com]

Because in this YA book, it's cool/sexy/romantic

Even I can admit that's true, LOL. The idea has some appeal, too. And I've actually written it in fanfic. A lot. It's bizarre and fun. Haha.

Actually, you should explain Breaking Dawn as a title. I would be amused.

Oh, I just meant it's kind of surprising that it would be called that (a title meaning pretty much the opposite of "twilight") if it's a book about Bella entering the vampire world and being "condemned to eternal night" or whatever the dramatic way Edward described it was. LOL. A lot of us Jacob/Bella shippers have been given some false hope by knowing that title since Jacob is so often associated with light, warmth, and the sun. But even if it doesn't have anything to do with Jake, I thought maybe it somehow signifies that Bella won't be living a life having to hide from sunlight.

Thanks so much for your thoughts on the essay. :)

[teamxcullen.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I completely agree with you. I think you're forgetting that Bella is only a teenage girl who is completely torn and just doesn't know what to do. From what you've written it seems that you think Bella should be doing this and that and making the right choice in each situation. I mean, she's only human, you can't really expect that much of her. Just because these are the choices which you would make if you were her, doesn't mean Bella should make them, because your personalities are completely opposite. It's part of Bella's personality that she isn't self confident, and that's just her character. You're saying that all that should change. Why? That would completely throw the character that we've all fallen in love with and change the story line. Sure, Bella has her flaws, but who doesn't.

I also just could not live without the happy ending. I'm the sort of person who would sit there dwelling on it for hours because she didn't end up with her true love. This is what Disney movies have done to me;] And I just don't do depressing. For me, Breaking Dawn should go like this:

They are planning for the wedding, wedding day comes, Volturi show up during wedding, Edward runs off with Bella to get her away, the Cullen's tell everyone that Bella has pulled a runner to cover up the disappearance of her and Edward, they join forces with the wolves again, another massive fight but this time with the Volturi, they make a truce with the Volturi so that Bella doesn't have to be changed. Then, at the very end, the last line is where Edward bites Bella. In the epilogue she has been a vampire for like, idk, 100 years or something, and reflects on what life has been like since. And of course Jacob should be thrown in there somewhere=]

Although I don't agree with the majority of what you have written, I think you made a few really strong and interesting points and have definitely given me alot to think about.
Thanks=]

[toforgetoneself.livejournal.com]

You should have this published. Hehe.

You made some great points, and actually have me doubting that Bella will become a Vampire. I am definitly an E/B shipper but I think the story could go either way. I still see it leaning to Bella becoming a Vampire.

One thought - If Bella did stay human, do you see her with Jacob? Wouldn't Jacob stay young though, since he is a werewolf? Or since Bella is not a Vampire would the Vampire activity cease and the need for werewolves no longer be there?

[flowrs4ophelia.livejournal.com]

Haha, thank you. XD

Oh no, I've definitely accepted that Jacob/Bella is a sunk ship, though it was not easy to get over. LOL. Steph has pretty much confirmed this. But Jacob won't stay young forever; like he said, once he stops phasing he'll start aging again, but who knows at what age it's normal for werewolves to do that. He could probably start aging whenever he feels like it since he seems to have an unusual talent for self-control in the phasing department. *shrug*

[lyamainu.livejournal.com]

I, though a rabid Edward/Bella fan, have never been comfortable with the idea of him turning her. For Bella to make that choice... well, I don't think a girl who doesn't have the balls and is too scared of commitment to MARRY a guy, shouldn't be able to make that decision.

I don't know how it will end, but I really, really hope it won't end that way.

[main-titles.livejournal.com]

I know! If she wont marry him, why would she want to spend eternity with him? Bella is too immature still; I think she should have gone to college first and then settled down with Edward.

[katie-libertine.livejournal.com]

It would be a complete mistake for Steph to make Bella into a vampire. What kind of ending would that be? I feel like it would be really anticlimactic, even for people that actually wanted it to happen.

The whole religion thing you brought up was really interesting too. I'd never thought about it that way, but you're totally right. If Stephenie wouldn't even include premarital sex, than how could she advocate throwing away your soul?

Also, spending an eterntity with Edward would be horribly boring :(

I think that a way for Steph to keep the Edward fangirls moderately happy while not killing her protagonist would be to find some way to make Edward a human again. I still wouldn't be happy (Jacob is clearly the better choice!) but at least she wouldn't have to die for that loser Edward :P

[flowrs4ophelia.livejournal.com]

I think that a way for Steph to keep the Edward fangirls moderately happy while not killing her protagonist would be to find some way to make Edward a human again.

Oh, if only, right? He's been undead for way too long. I know the poor guy can't help it, but there's nothing more boring than a character who is actually incapable of changing. LOL.

Thanks for reading! :)

[insidethe-lie.livejournal.com]

Okay so wow I read all of that. I was going to read the comments as well but they're all so long, so I'm sorry if I hit something that's already been said.

First of all I think this was really well thought out, kudos to you in sticking with what you believe.

The first issue you bring up about immortality is actually something I've thought about a lot more than most people I guess. I do prefer Edward and I thought about Bellas decision. Would I, in Bella's place, be willing to give up a human life for an immortal one? I am religious and I am also a closet hopeless romantic so it was like clashing of belief systems. I have never really been in love before so I can't really say with authority my opinion, but I think I would stick with my mortal life. Choosing immortality is truly like damning your soul and I agree with Edward that changing Bella would be a very bad idea. And hopefully The Cullens get some sort of credit for the life they live.

As for the happy ending, I think there can still be a happy ending with Bella staying human. In fact I think that would be a happier ending. Though I do like the idea of Edward and Bella being together forever, its unrealistic to think that they would be happy no matter how true and strong their love is.

I'm not gonna go into the self esteem thing because Bella just kills me sometimes. She really does.

But anyway, well done/good points and such... <3

[flowrs4ophelia.livejournal.com]

Bella will still age with Jacob, and Jacob runs the risk of imprinting and leaving her, still.

Well, despite the fact that this essay wasn't necessarily supposed to be arguing that she should be with Jacob at all, I will address this and say that I've always thought the imprinting concept should not be taken too seriously as a downside to being with Jacob. Entering any relationship with someone is always running the risk that they may not always feel the same way and they might end up hurting you. That's how life is. In fact, that relates to a reason I personally find Edward/Bella a less meaningful relationship; their attachment is so strong that they could probably forgive each other absolutely anything and because of being immortal his feelings are completely unchangeable and sort of literally "set in stone." If they're still together in fifty years it won't be much to be proud of when they're a couple who never seriously argue and seem more unwillingly forced together by destiny than together by choice. I know a relationship like that is wonderful to other people, but I guess I'm just bored without a bit of struggle. Haha. And also, once Jacob stops phasing he'll start aging again. If he wanted to do that soon because of Bella I bet he could, since he seems to be particularly good at the self-control it takes to keep from phasing.

All of this is a moot point, though, since Jacob/Bella is quite surely a sunk ship now. LOL.

Thanks for reading and for your thoughts. :)

[alba-holly.livejournal.com]

I do believe that I am a little bit in love with you now. This essay was perfect. I agree with all the points. I have always considered myself Team Switzerland, so it never really mattered to me who Bella ended up with. But I know I won't be happy if Bella ends up becoming a vampire. Stephenie has said in interview that her books are about life, but I don't really see that happening if she kills her protagonist.

[mariposasabrosa.livejournal.com]

I ALWAYS thought the way you did... thanks for this, you express yourself so well! xox

[letxmexlove.livejournal.com]

So, I only got past The Immortality of Immortality. I'm going to finish the rest up throught the week because right now I have to go to sleep but I really feel the need to comment on what you've said.

I really agree on alot of your points. One of them being that Bella really does need to gain some self-esteem. She doubts herself on many occasions and somethings those doubts lead to devastating consequeces. e.x. doubting the extent of love she thought she had for Jacob. If Bella doesn't feel secure in her own skin then how does she expect other people to really understand her? Yes, she still is a teenager and she has every right to feel that way, it's just that under the circumstances she needs to really think through about her decisions and choices and the consequences following them.

So, anyways, to my point. I do too believe that Bella could be happy with Edward as a human. Even though a part of me still wants Edward to change her, but I can't help myself you know? There are pros and cons to Bella staying human just as there are pros and cons of her being a vampire. But whatever SM ends up doing in the end, I know I'll be happy because it's just in me to think through the decisions a person has made and understand their motivations, even if only a little bit.

I'm a E/B shipper myself. I see their love and even thought it has a dark side, I still believe that they are meant to be together, for many different reasons. I won't go into those right now, I need to finish reading your essay first. But, in the end, I do believe that Bella will stay human. Even thought another part of me doesn't want her too. Whatever happens, it's up to SM to decide. And maybe it's out of her control too, when you dedicate yourself to your characters, they start living their owns lives and start making their own decisions, even though you created them. And I don't blame her if that ends up happening. It sounds wierd and...stupid I know, but it just happens and before you know it the story has written it self out, all the writer has to do is type it up.
Okay, I have to go, but I'll get back to this later. I have finals all this week so it will take me a while, but I'll come back and read the rest when I have a break.

[vnfan.livejournal.com]

I think one thing that makes this series so compelling is that at this point, both options -- Edward or Jacob -- are still in play. Bella feels, at the end of Eclipse, that she has made her choice, but she has a Jacob shaped hole in her heart that she must deal with before she can truly commit to Edward. This means she still has to work it out, and there is the chance she'll choose Jake. I have to say that to me, the drift of the series is clearly towards Edward, but Jacob is there for a good reason. She's not choosing between two really great men, she's choosing between two sorts of lives. I agree that Bella is underestimating how much it will cost her to lose her past when she becomes a vampire. I suspect that something will compel her to measure the full cost of it in Breaking Dawn. At the end of New Moon and up until the tent/kiss scene, Bella was still basically a passenger in her own life drama. She was pulled along by fate and luck. She begins to get truly active in her life choices in the end of Eclipse.

I understand what you are saying about Bella's insecurity and near worship of Edward. But I have to say that it seems much less of an issue once she finally reaches that point where she realizes that Edward really is hers to keep and really loves her. Her "he's so amazing and I'm so unworthy" mantra becomes much less of an issue once she has that revelation that he is hers. Keep in mind that during New Moon, when Bella thinks that once she is turned, she may be attractive enough to regain his interest, she has been convinced for months that he doesn't love her, that she as a human is not enough to interest him anymore into 'playing human.' It takes her until the second half of New Moon to get to the point that she feels she can really believe in him:
Option three: Edward loved me. The bond forged between us was not one that could be broken by absence, distance, or time. And no matter how much more special or beautiful or brilliant or perfect than me he might be, he was as irreversibly altered as I was. As I would always belong to him, so would he always be mine.

Was that what I'd been trying to tell myself?

"Oh!"

"Bella?"

"Oh. Okay. I see."

"Your epiphany?" he asked, his voice uneven and strained.

"You love me," I marveled. The sense of conviction and rightness washed through me again.

After that point, she repeats her 'unworthy' mantra much less often. She's still nervous about getting married, but she'd be a highly unusual 18 year old not to be. Her age is an issue she'd have to deal with no matter who she chose, unless it was Mike Newton, since Jacob won't age as long as he keeps phasing.


I have seen many people who object to the idea that Bella has to change herself to be with Edward, as if by doing so then somehow the YA genre is betrayed and the message of Bella being intrinsically good enough is compromised, thereby compromising good self image for young females everywhere. I don't see it this way at all. Life is about choices. Choosing who you love and committing yourself to him/her is a huge choice -- it's not something that happens to you. You have to actively commit to your relationship and the life that you will have. It's time for Bella to choose. Both men have already chosen her, she just has to choose her life or her 'death.' If she chooses Edward, she chooses an immortal life. If she chooses human, she goes with Jacob.

[vnfan.livejournal.com]

As a reader, the thing that stands out to me is the thread of the Volturi which has been running through the books. To me, they smack of deus ex machina -- god on a machine -- that fortunate/unfortunate circumstance that does the dirty work and takes it out of the hands of the main characters. Edward still does not want to harm her soul and for many readers the idea of her sacrificing her humanity for Edward feels like some horrible moral choice. But the threat and pressure of the Volturi, whose unalterable punishment is death or joining them, provides the chance for a plot mechanism that removes the morality of choice from both Bella and Edward. They've had a long time to work through it emotionally so it isn't an extreme trauma and we can see that both are willing to live the life that would require.

Also, I don't see any pure, unalloyed happy ending possible for this series. It will, whatever happens, be bittersweet. Someone or something will be hurt, cut off and excluded by whatever life she chooses. By becoming involved with supernatural creatures, she has essentially done away with her chance for a typical 'happy ever after.' No matter which man she chooses, she excludes the other and they are both necessary to her. Of course, one of them could go and get himself killed in sacrifice for the other, like Tale of Two Cities, but that sort of cliche only worked once. I don't see anyone using it again.

Finally, yes, Bella will struggle should she become a vampire. I think she underestimates how much she will and how shocking that will be for her to experience. But, the issue to me is more about what sort of person you are, rather than what sort of creature you are. Wanting to drain someone's blood is a bad thing, and we can all see that it is a tangible evil. But there are many sorts of evil in existence, such as the men who would have preyed on Bella, or who raped Rosalie. They look like men, but are just as bestial as the worst sort of vampire. It's about choice and motivation.


(sorry for the double post -- length restrictions)

[daydreamrachey.livejournal.com]

Wow, I'm definitely impressed by the essay, and everyone's comments on here. They've really had me thinking, and I'll probably have some nonsensical dream about this tonight x]

I'm all for Bella being transformed, but this essay got me into the mode of preparing myself for her ultimate demise, because now it seems so possible.
I think my favorite thing about the Twilight series is that even though they're about vampires and werewolves, the plot, and the characters are so REAL.
Like someone said earlier, whatever ending Stephenie chooses, she'll pull it off, and some people will love it and some will hate it (much like the ending to Harry Potter, which, fittingly enough, I despised)
I think that of course, we all want happy endings for these characters that have helped us get through so many lonely nights (oh come on, you guys know what I'm talking about)
and we want them to live happily ever after.
However, not everyone gets to.
***SPOILERS FOR HARRY POTTER 7***
I really wanted Harry to end up dead in DH. Because the rest of the series' life lessons were that sometimes you don't always get what you want. Most people said "oh well Harry had such a crappy life before, he deserves happiness."
But, a LOT of people that deserve happiness never get it. That's life, and it's hard, and it sucks, but sometimes that's just now it goes.

I think it would be completely bittersweet to have Bella staying human at the end, thus actually ending the saga of Bella Swan's Adventures with Mythical Creatures (lol)

Again, with Harry, I honestly hoped that JKR would kill him off so that everyone could go "Okay. that's it. there's no more after this." and then she didn't, and people are now saying "Ohh well she should write book 8!"

I don't want it to be like that with Twilight.
Although I'd have to get extremely creative to think of a reason why Bella would actually end up staying human (Because we know she doesn't want to) I'd say that this is a pretty solid sounding theory and I'll probably continue to ramble about this tomorrow. haha.
Great essay!
xo
Rachel

[main-titles.livejournal.com]

Like someone said earlier, whatever ending Stephenie chooses, she'll pull it off, and some people will love it and some will hate it (much like the ending to Harry Potter, which, fittingly enough, I despised)
So true. I really thought I liked happy endings, but you know what, I did not like DH's ending. I'd rather have seen Harry dead, too. This makes think about breaking dawn and how I would enjoy Bella and Edward living together forever.

[flyingspatulas.livejournal.com]

Incredibly well-written essay. You brought up a lot of things I hadn't thought of before, and it makes me want to reread the series with this new perspective. Great job.

[shiiki.livejournal.com]

Found this from lion_lamb.

I belong to the camp that supports Bella ending up with Edward both as vampires. Still, I found this a very intriguing essay with some very valid points, although it didn't manage to convince me.

That, however, is probably because my reasons for wanting Bella changed are more due to support of Edward rather than anything about Bella's choice. I do agree with you that when she made her decision to become a vampire in Twilight, it was truly not thought through, and Edward was right in making her wait. I share your views of Bella to some extent - she is flawed, and not only in the ways that she thinks she is.

Anyway - sorry, may have gone a bit off course there - your essay raised lots of food for thought, and very interesting comparisons. Swayed or not, it was enjoyable reading material for me, and I thank you for writing and posting it.