Contains some oblique spoilers
I've been reading some of the customer reviews (at www.Amazon.com and www.bn.com) of Stephenie Meyer's Eclipse, and I have three responses to those readers who accuse Jacob of manipulating Bella.
1. Yeah, he does.
2. She deserves it. I'm not defending his choice to kiss her without permission--that was clearly over the line--but Bella's been playing mind games with Jacob since she met him, and it's about time he called her on it. Bella's always known how he felt about her, even before he openly declared his love. The fact is, she took shameless advantage of him, particularly when she was so devastated by Edward's leaving in New Moon. Bella calls Jacob her best friend, but the closeness they share--the time they spend together, the wordless intimacy, the frequent hugging and hand-holding--goes well beyond simple friendship. What Bella has demanded of Jacob in the past is the emotional intimacy of a romantic relationship without any strings attached. As someone who's been on both sides of such a relationship, I can tell you that this is not only blatantly unfair but cruel.
3. Edward is every bit as manipulative as Jacob, but of course Bella and the reader adore Edward, so his manipulation appears romantic and forceful or, at worst, endearingly annoying. I'm reminded of the film Say Anything, in which John Cusack fights for the girl he loves by standing outside her house with a boombox blaring out "their" song. When I first saw the film, I thought this scene was breathtakingly romantic and I wished someone would do that for me. Several years later, someone did stand outside my apartment, ringing the doorbell, calling my name, and throwing things at my window. I didn't find it at all romantic; I found it terrifying, as did my roommate, who called the police. I had a very different perspective on the guy-on-the-sidewalk-with-the-boombox scene after that.
Unfortunately, the line between romance and manipulation is a very subjective one, and it all comes down to whether, in her heart of hearts, the girl really wants the guy to be out there on the sidewalk, refusing to take no for an answer.
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1 comment:
Wwweeeeellll....you've FINALLY said something i agree completly with! *teasing* He did manipulate her, she did deserve it (even though I've not been big on Jacob from the start), and Edward doesn't "fight fair" as they keep saying...it's kinda sweet and unsettling that they would fight like this over her. But in the end I would still have to go with Edward because I think he was sincer in that he would give up his happiness for hers if she decided to go the other way. AMAZING book...
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