First: These "underlying" themes that ya'll seem to be picking up on, such as being abusive, isolating someone, and manipulating, they're not "underlying". They're RIGHT IN YOUR FACE! The author didn't just have that happen out of accident, she actually had them target it head on. With Edward making the statement "I'm selfish" (forget which book), he pretty much makes it a point that he will try to keep Bella for himself and cause the whole "isolationism" that you guys talk about. Which in some way is not true because who's to say that Bella hasn't hung out with her other friends at any given point throughout the books. She obviously kept in touch with Angela cuz now she sits at the Cullen's table with Bella. And she worked during the summer, I pressume, with Mike or Eric or whoever. Just because it is not mentioned in the book head on, doesn't mean that it hasn't happened (it's what leads to the "spark of the imagination" and what-not. Why do you think so many fanfics can be made? She let that be imagined as opposed to writing it all down, cuz really, it is pointless and kills trees). I also happened to have mentioned the Alice thing (of Edward keeping Alice from seeing Bella thing), back in some other post, so I'm done with that. Also, it is because Bella chooses not to be with those people, not because Edward keeps her from them, like he could (though he is being selfish, but that's because he wants to spend time with her, which is what every boyfriend wants, or should want, though he doesn't realize he's doing it, at least he points out that he is indeed selfish, so the problem is recognized, now it just needs a solution), so Bella doesn't spend time with them because she's just another infatuated teenager that wants to spend every minute with her first boyfriend (tackled the realistic thing, cuz seriously, how is this NOT realistic?), and she just does that without realizing that she's dismissing a lot of other people in her doing that (still, every regular teenager's mistake. If the author had made it the "perfect" way, then we would have a Mary-Sue situation). And also about the event in the car when they are going after the bad guy (something Aldorel mentions), Edward was disregarding Bella's words because she was human. It was his vampire-ism and also the fact that he's a guy (no offense) that he did that. Had it been any other human there besides Bella, even Charlie or whoever, he still would have addressed only Emmett and Alice (or whoever, I forget who was present) because they were vampires too, not because he didn't care about Bella's feelings. It is the vampire superiority complex taking over, nothing more, so it is expected (and it's his character flaw, in case you didn't notice)
Second: He's manipulative skills come from the fact that he's, not just a vampire, but a mind-reading vampire at that. Who's to say that after 100 years as a mind-reading vampire, he's suddenly gonna stop his manipulative ways because of a girl. It's his first (though I can't quite remember if that one is true, but I think it is) girlfriend, so he doesn't know how to do that. He's had a hundred years to practice he's manipulational skills, but not his being sensitive skills, and that's not gonna change in the wink of an eye, which is why there is going to be more than one book. Their problems are still to be resolved. And it's not like he hasn't warned Bella (in turn warning the readers), that he will somehow make mistakes, so don't expect him to not make mistakes, it is engraved in him because he was a teenager when he transformed. So he's gonna make those mistakes because it is the first time in his life that he has to watch out for someone else besides himself (he may watch out for his family, but they're just like him, so it doesn't count) and that is not the easiest thing to do.
Third: It pretty much just jumps right at you that this couple is anything but perfect when the following statements are made: "What a stupid lamb" <---Bella; "What a masochistic lion" <--- Edward. She is not gonna make the right judgement and he's not gonna keep himself away from her because, apparently, he enjoys the pain (like every self-injuring person in this world; what more do you want for realistic?). So it pretty much points itself out that way, and if you're not the kind of person that thinks that that form of writing has place in society, then go jump off a bridge for all I care (that was just weird). But it just means that they're gonna be in "love" (though it's just teenager infatuation, but who's to say that they didn't fall in love as the story progressed (the parts that we didn't see and will remain fanfic material)), no matter what the consequences are, because... who can prevent that? (I don't think I explained myself right on this one, and I had it all just a few minutes ago!!! I should write things down more often).
Fourth: The writing was particularly YA, meaning anyone from a 10-year-old to an adult could get it, so the writing can't be based on regular standards. And the plot, though it doesn't seem to show that it has one, it is lying beneath all those random events that Meyer has added, mostly because this is a very long story, and had it been condensed in one book, it would have to be in very tiny writing and around 2000 pages long (like any teenager can stand for that!). The plot is just thickening at the moment, and she also wrote it this way to spark our imagination and make predictions and just base a whole "life-story" perhaps on this book. It is not over, this journey.
Fifth: Finding something wrong with the characters' appearance, like Edward's, that is called "personal preferences" not character flaws. If you had a problem with the book because the characters sparkled, then that's your problem, not the author's, because there are a few that actually like it, seeing as I've noticed an icon in photobucket that says "I like my men cold, dead, and sparkly." It is just based in your opinion, nothing else, so the book can't be bad because of that, or because the author decided to change around the myth, that is just her own preference.
Sixth: Fine! Someone decided that this book should teach a lesson. I'm thinking "don't become infatuated so easily because of looks and what-not because it could lead to danger" is a very good moral. "Don't let your guards down so easily," or "don't judge a book by its cover" (I should learn that one, but I won't!). So there is something to learn from it, whether you see it or not (and I've yet to imagine what I'm learning from the other books I read other than new vocabulary and that some mythological creatures can be nice or mean).
Look how much I'm getting from only having read the first two books, instead of getting that from Edward's POV!!!
Seventh: Though he decides to threaten Bella with suicide, what's the matter with that? That if he kills himself she doesn't have him anymore? Which in turn it's "good" for her (that's just what Edward would think). I just think that he "threatens" because if she keeps hanging out with him, she will get hurt, and if she kills herself, then he can't live without her (my thoughts on this have led me to associate this with Romeo & Juliet, therefore, the connection made in the past). And once again, I don't see the part when he threatens to kill himself, in front of Bella, because she was gonna do something stupid. I don't remember that.
Eighth: The writing could have been vague 1) because she at times thought that the reader would already know what's going on without her writing it, so she didn't go on to explain, and 2) because I can imagine that at times it was 1:00 in the morning and she could not exactly remember all the details and also because once you go back to editing, the details are not there anymore because they might just be flitting (sp?) and she can't remember them anymore. It is something that may happen to the inspired authors, as opposed to the authors that write for money and stuff, because an amature might probably come up with the story but not really retain it in their heads long enough to keep all tidy and perfect. (It happens to me, which is why I can't always write more than a few pages until the idea is gone).
Ninth: (I had more stuff in my head, but going back to eighth, my ideas leave me in an instant but I can't help it cuz I can't stop to write them down in the middle of dinner) Oh yeah. No conflict? There are a gazillion conflicts brewing, you're just probably too blind to see it. AND it relates to real life completely. Bella dismissing her friends because she's in a relationship (it happens in real life, just maybe not to everyone). She's caught between two guys now (more into New Moon, but that applies because the story doesn't end with Twilight, it's barely beginning). There is someone that wants to kill Bella. Or many someones. She also has to decide if she's gonna be a vampire or not, because when the time comes to it, she's not gonna be all that excited as she is now. So really, there are many conflicts, even minor ones, that are not jumping to you right now, but that is because the story is anything but over.
Tenth: Their weakness, I would think it obvious, is humans. They can't be too close or have a regular life (he can't be in a simple science class because of bloodthirst and they keep moving around the world because of things like that) because they might hurt them and get themselves in danger. And there are still ways to kill a vampire, so they're not completely invincible. A human has done away with Edward's unbeating heart, so the family is even in more peril (BAM! a conflict!), and they are in risk of being found out in their community. I think that's a bigger weakness than sunlight.
Eleventh (man I'm on a roll): I don't get how watching someone in their sleep is such a bad thing. I've seen plenty romantic movies and read many books where that is completely acceptable and not put off as creepy. I don't really think that it makes it bad.
So I think I'm done and I hope I cleared things up for people and I hope some feedback cuz this can't be the end and I need to hear what people say, mostly cuz I don't think I explained myself all that well (I think I should write an essay on this).
It was pretty long, but I think it has meaning for what I'm directing it at (the Anti-Twilights) Lol. Bye!
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