NOTES/THOUGHTS/REACTIONS:
We start off with Bella whining about her bad week. Or she calls it a bad week. I call it her whining because she doesn't get her way again. You see it's bad because now she knows Victoria is out there (even though she knew before, but now she KNOWS, you know?) and the meanie Cullens won't turn her into a vampire even though she obviously needs to be one because she's a pathetic human. Oh, and now Edward is off hunting so she's left alone on top of this misfortune. Give me a break, THIS is a bad week? Oh, and in case we start to think Bella has actually grown a backbone, she says she has abandenment nightmares when Edward is away but since she's so "selfless" she doesn't tell Edward this. Oh, and he leaves corny love notes when he leaves apparently.
Then in an obvious attempt at symbolism, Bella is messing with magnets for some wierd reason and trying to get them to connect. See, in case any of you are slow, the magnets represent the vampires and werewolves and Bella's internal struggle to get them to get along. So basically, Meyer/Bella is telling us that there's a conflict going on between the wolves and vampires and Bella is frustrated by this. Umm...we KNOW this already! Pointless symbolism is pointless. Just get on with it.
Then we have more pointlessness as Bella goes to her store (I love how she goes on about how Mrs. Newton is the last person you would buy hiking equipment from when Bella herself knows next to nothing about the equipment either so it's not like she's much better and quite frankly has she ever talked to the woman? I bet she knows more about it then Bella does having been around the Forks area much longer then she has). There is obvious foreshadow about dangerous going ons in Seattle (um...gee you think? It's a large city, of course there's danger. That's like saying don't go to New York City because there's murders there). Now, where have I seen this type of foreshadow before? Oh yes, NEW MOON and TWILIGHT. Seriously! It's the same damn thing! Can't Meyer come up with something different?
Bella gets to leave and decides at the spur of the moment to see Jacob. She assumes Alice can't see her doing this because it's a snap decision! Because snap decisions are totally different from other decisions! Just...WHAT? Really Meyer, this is reaching even for YOU. Decisions are decisions, it doesn't matter if they are spontaneous or not. If Alice apparently sees decisions then she should be able to see this one because Bella is DECIDING SOMETHING. Good lord.
Somewhat cute reunion between Jacob and Bella but it's quickly diminished by Jacob's "I am a complete ass about vampires" mode. Jacob starts pointing out things about Edward and Bella certainly doesn't like the implications that he's not perfect and their relationship isn't completely wonderful. I'm serious, she gets defensive everytime someone even implies that maybe there are issues here she needs to think about.
They then talk about stuff we already know and I'm bored already. We don't need Jacob's version of what happened in the woods, Meyer because it doesn't reveal anything new. If it did, then okay, but it doesn't so it's once again pointless dialogue. The thing about why Sam feels betrayed is also pretty obvious to everyone who is not Bella Swan so it's also pointless. The nature symbolism is also pointless and obviously just so you can make Jacob seem like a bigoted jerk.
It then turns to Jacob questioning why Bella even loves Edward. Now, most relationships, you can name reasons why. You get along well, you have similar interests, he makes you laugh, etc. But Bella I notice can't do that. Personally, I think Jacob is right on the money when he says it's looks. But you know Bella can't possibly be that shallow so she goes on into this ridiculous spiel:
"I love him. Not because he's beautiful or because he's rich!" I spat the word at Jacob. "I'd much rather he weren't either one. It would even out the gap between us just a little bit-because he'd still be the most loving and unselfish and brilliant and decent person I'd ever met."
From Eclipse, Chapter 4
There are several things wrong with this. First, there is very clearly a inferiority feeling going on here. In true love, I would think there wouldn't be an inferiority complex. Second, Bella obviously doesn't really know Edward at all. These are just what she THINKS he's like. Because loving? I've seen very little instance of him being loving. Yeah sure, romantic overtures to her. But how about to his other family mothers? Or anyone that's NOT her? Unselfish? Um...he admitted in Twilight that pursuing Bella was selfish of him. Not just to him, but to the Cullens as well and to Bella because look at whats happened to her since they've gotten together. I personally think he's VERY selfish and she's not much better. Brilliant...that's Bella's opinion again, I've seen very little instance of it and that's not really much of a reason to love a person. Decent...to Bella and the Cullens maybe but I've seen little instances of him being decent elsewhere. He's cold to the people at school. He was cold to Jacob even BEFORE the werewolf thing (remember how he belittled him when Bella confessed to flirting with him in Twilight?) and I have to wonder what Bella's definition of decent is.
Now reading this I'm starting to think Bella isn't really in love with Edward himself, she's in love with the IDEAL Edward that she's made up. See, she's made up her mind at the beginning that Edward is perfect, the perfect boyfriend and the one she should be with. Her tunnel vision clearly points to this perfect relationship that she is convinced the two of them have. Heaven help you if you say otherwise. Now, a better writer would have realized this and handled it accordingly. But Meyer also has placed Edward on this pedestal so therein lays the problem and why Bella never realizes that there are issues.
Whatever though, boring conversation ends with Bella accusing Jacob of not being human either and some rot about Jacob being a part of her. God, move on with it already.
WORD LIST: Succinct
GENERAL ANNOYANCES: This whole boring chapter could have been squashed into the next chapter or cut out all together.
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