Everything that I’ve said previously about these characters and their personalities still stands.  The most compelling characters are those that are tucked in the background, somewhere behind Bella and Edward’s single dimensions.  Only now we get to see more of Jacob Black whose mood swings and grumpy tantrums (which would be quite normal in a 16 year old boy) are explained away by the fact that he turns into a werewolf.  See, I like the whole werewolf/chick getting her period thing of the movie Ginger Snaps.  The parallel made there was awesome and eerily accurate.  The teenage boy thing, though, it just seems a little too easy.  Perhaps because it was done with little to no oomph and the parallel were made to interact with family history instead of hormone changes.  The latter might have been purely coincidental.

Aside from the fact that Bella only defines herself by Edward, the way she attempts to get over him is by falling into the arms of yet another boy.  Because that’s healthy.  Because she’s been on the verge of a catatonic depression for months so the only way to get herself out of it is to distract herself by getting into an equally unhealthy rebound relationship with someone else.  Someone needs a psychiatrist.

And on top of all of that, Bella actually becomes delusional and risks her life in order to trigger these delusions.  It’s the only way to hear Edward’s voice.  It’s always good to “cheat” on your werewolf pseudo-boyfriend with the boy that now exists only in your head.  Again, healthy.

Meyers is quick to defend Bella and claim that none of this is misogynistic, that she really is a strong character.  This is what she has to say, from her website–

(Side note: there are those who think Bella is a wuss. There are those who think my stories are misogynistic—the damsel in distress must be rescued by strong hero.

To the first accusation, I can only say that we all handle grief in our own way. Bella’s way is no less valid than any other to my mind. Detractors of her reaction don’t always take into account that I’m talking about true love here, rather than high school infatuation.

I emphatically reject the second accusation. I am all about girl power—look at Alice and Jane if you doubt that. I am not anti-female, I am anti-human. I wrote this story from the perspective of a female human because that came most naturally, as you might imagine. But if the narrator had been a male human, it would not have changed the events. When a human being is totally surrounded by creatures with supernatural strength, speed, senses, and various other uncanny powers, he or she is not going to be able to hold his or her own. Sorry. That’s just the way it is. We can’t all be slayers. Bella does pretty well I think, all things considered. She saves Edward, after all. Side note/rant over. Back to the story.)

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