NOTES/THOUGHTS/REACTIONS:
Some people have probably heard that Twilight is racist (I've even mentioned in my blog that it's slightly racist) and Twihards are probably denying it with every breath in their body. Yet, how can they overlook the fact that the number of minoritys in these books can be counted on your hands? Or that the minoritys present are terribly stereotyped (see Ben, see La Push inhabitants). Also notice, there are no black people in this. Not a one. Before you all point to Laurent...he was black IN THE MOVIES. He's not black in the books and even then he's the bad guy so black people=evil. Tyler was also not black either just so you know. Then there's the obvious favortism/double standard that Bella gives the Cullens as opposed to the Wolf Pack. The Cullens are all sophisticated and wonderful whereas she sees the Wolf Pack as wild and uncivilized (but grows to love them despite this, according to her anyway). Then...there's THIS chapter.
I was all set to hear Jasper's back story. I've been rather curious about him and how he and Alice met and got together and sadly it all turns out to be racist and boring and sexist too.
Jasper goes into how explaining how not all the covens are like the Cullens (duh, we know) and how not all like the rules that the Volturi set up. These covens are more bloodthirsty and uncivilized and where do they reside you ask? The southern hemisphere, aka South America, Africa. Probably Austrailia too. In other words places that aren't North America and Europe. These covens who reside in the North are the "civilized" covens. Who abide by the rules and are all together decent folk. Don't even try and tell me this isn't thinly veiled racism and if it isn't, it's most definitely ignorance on Meyer's part because I can't believe she or the editors reading this didn't pick up on this glaring issue. Probably all of them are white. But that's no excuse, I myself am white and am raising an eyebrow at this.
Even if it's not the intended racism that I'm picking up, Jasper is most definitely being racist by saying all these covens are the same and are dangerous and uncivilized as opposed to the ones in the North who are all civilized and wonderful. Either way, the way Meyer is painting this picture reeks of black and white mentality with no moral gray areas and lumping people together and I don't like it and can't believe more Twihards don't take issue with this. It does however explain why there are few fans of Twilight who are minoritys. Don't believe me? Look any picture taken of screaming fans of Twihards sometime. My guess is you'll be able to count the minoritys on one hand, maybe both if you're lucky.
Moving on from the nastyness of this subject because it'll make me get angry all over again, Jasper goes on to relate what we already know: newborns are dangerous and out of control. These "uncivilized" covens in the South used newborns to take over territory and start wars and such, some how Volturi had no control over this (considering they reside in Europe, color me shocked). Jasper was evidently turned in 1961 after he joined the Confederate Army (and notice no big deal is made of the fact he joined an army known for condoning slavery). Anyway, long story short, he was helping the army when three women show up and decide he'll make a wonderful vamp (he's not afraid of them cause they're WOMEN, you know?) and he's turned. Even when saying they're beautiful there's racist junk in the description:
"They had such pale skin. I remember marveling at it. Even the little black-haired girl, whose features were clearly Mexican, was porcelain in the moonlight."
From Eclipse, Chapter 13
Yes, even a mexican girl is beautiful, imagine that! Though I love how it's implied she's beautiful because her skin is now pale. UGH. So Jasper goes around reaking havoc with these women, taking over territory and whatnot until...he gets sick of it or something. So he goes north (the "civilized" country) and meets up with Alice who naturally had a vision of them being together and thus they are together. I love how Meyer doesn't bother with blossoming romance in these books. The people see each other and boom, that's it. That's the way it was for Esme and Carlisle, for Roselie and Emmett, Alice and Jasper, and Bella and Edward, and even the wolf pack gets insta-soulmates!
So the Cullens decide well now they have to go up against the newborns because it appears they're after the Cullens (I'm still fuzzy about WHY THEY DIDN'T DO THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE). Volturi won't be any help because Aro wants them killed so he can have Edward and Alice in his group (Edward apparently saw this when he was in Italy and is just now bringing it up...okay). So Carlisle calls up the Denali clan, but opps, turns out the leader isn't happy that the wolf pack killed Laurent and now holds a grudge against the wolf pack for killing him. Chapter ends with Bella realizing there's going to be a fight. Finally, some excitement...
WORD LIST: None
GENERAL ANNOYANCES: the ignorant/or possibly deliberate outright racism going on in this chapter.
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