Jacob and Leah's friendship

[TNO]

The developing relationship between Jake and Leah was, in my opinion, the best, most healthy, natural-seeming of all the relationships in the book. It was very well done; I think Meyer's writing style improved vastly when she switched from Bella's point of view; Jake had been hurt vastly more than Bella, but he didn't whine or angst nearly as much. He wasn't nearly as passive as Bella's character because he wasn't as physically weak, and he was able to take part in the fighting side of things. This, I think, gave Meyer much more freedom to explore and develop his character. Maybe this had something to do with the excellent relationship development; maybe it didn't.
The point being, Leah and Jake start off not liking each other. They're together for convenience, nothing more. Then they begin to draw solace and strength from their similar pasts; they've both been hurt, badly, so they're able to comfort each other in ways that others can't. They understand each other, and they learn to trust one another and this helps them to begin to heal and move on. Though their conversation is still peppered with sarcastic comments and they still needle each other, beneath it there's a feeling of comfort and friendliness. They still get annoyed with each other, but they've learned to work around it.
Leah and Jake's relationship felt completely natural. It wasn't perfect or instantaneous; it crept up slowly and took them both by surprise. They respected each other despite the sarcasm, as evidenced in the way Leah defends Jake against his "best friend" Bella, and Jake (according to Word of God) makes Leah his beta.
I think it would have been awesome if they fell in love, and then Jake imprinted on Renesmee- but recognized that his relationship with Leah was much healthier than any romantic relationship he could have with the newborn, and resisted the imprint in order to stay with Leah. I would have forgiven Meyer for breaking her own canon with the Dhampir thing if she had done something like that.

[Dovrebanen]

I think it would have been awesome if they fell in love, and then Jake imprinted on Renesmee- but recognized that his relationship with Leah was much healthier than any romantic relationship he could have with the newborn, and resisted the imprint in order to stay with Leah. I would have forgiven Meyer for breaking her own canon with the Dhampir thing if she had done something like that.

I was beginning to think I wouldn't find one thing I agree with you on, TNO But here it is! I would love for Jacob to fall in love with Leah. I actually kind of thought that they would after they were getting progressively closer in Breaking Dawn. At least I hoped they would. Leah deserved happiness after what happened with Sam, and she was someone who totally understood what it was like to loose the one that you loved. But then Jacob just had to go about imprinting on Nessie. The easiest solution of all.
I have great compassion for Leah in the books. But I do not however think it was fair of her to yell at Bella on behalf of Jacob while Bella was practically dying. That was highly uncalled for. And I don't see Jacob liking that very much either, when he knew that every second could be Bella's last.

[TNO]

^^Of course, flaws are what makes a good character. Sure, Leah was out of line yelling at a sick pregnant woman. She probably knew that. However, she did it anyway because she let her temper get the better of her, which is something I can actually relate to (heh...). And she had a point- from her view, she saw Bella getting everything Bella wanted, and she was maybe even a little jealous and angry at Bella, who she viewed as a spoiled brat.

[Dovrebanen]

^^Of course, flaws are what makes a good character. Sure, Leah was out of line yelling at a sick pregnant woman. She probably knew that. However, she did it anyway because she let her temper get the better of her, which is something I can actually relate to (heh...). And she had a point- from her view, she saw Bella getting everything Bella wanted, and she was maybe even a little jealous and angry at Bella, who she viewed as a spoiled brat.

I can definitely relate to being carried away by one's temper
Leah has a point. Bella kept needing Jacob, not letting him just leave and get over her.
And Leah saw herself as a genetic dead end (not sure that she was though), so Bella having a baby might make her a little jealous. But Bella was dying at that point. No one knew what creature she carried inside her, or when her body might give in. So being jealous of that would be a bit strange.
I'm thinking more along the lines that Leah knew exactly how Jacob felt, and that's why she yelled at Bella. She had lost love in a terrible way. And she was also forced to face Sam every day, like Jacob was facing Bella now. Knowing that she was lost to him one way or another.

[holdingoutforjacob]

I don't think it's so much jealousy as resentment. Like, to be jealous means to me at least that you want what the other person has. But to be resentful means that you don't necessarily want it, but you sure as hell don't want them to have it either!!

I think Leah's timing was off. But I also don't think Leah had any respect for Bella, nor any sympathy or pity for her. And I don't blame her.

Plus, from what we know of what she said, I figure she was just about right!

[Pendragon]

I loved how Jake and Leah become good friends throughout the series. I thing them being together as a couple would have been the better, healthier option. When I heard Smeyer's reason for not pairing them up, I didn't like it. I can't help but see Nessie as nothing more than a cheap plot piece to make almost everyone happy. Even though Breaking Dawn is another version of Forever Dawn doesn't mean their exactly the same. I think when Smeyer said that the relationship between Jake and Leah surprised her, she should have rolled with in instead of be so persistent to make Jake imprint on Nessie. There are plot lines that separate Breaking Dawn from Forever Dawn. Thus meaning that she shouldn't feel that need to make everything that happens in Forever Dawn happen in Breaking Dawn. I would have been happy if she left out the Jacob imprinting on Nessie part.

[suzzeeQ]

I think when Smeyer said that the relationship between Jake and Leah surprised her, she should have rolled with in instead of be so persistent to make Jake imprint on Nessie.

I agree. Jacob no longer fit his Forever Dawn ending; his character was too big. She had to squish him to fit his original ending, so much so that he was barely recognizable. He was just a side character in FD. In BD he was a main character. He deserved a way better ending than he got.

[Pendragon]

I think when Smeyer said that the relationship between Jake and Leah surprised her, she should have rolled with in instead of be so persistent to make Jake imprint on Nessie.

I agree. Jacob no longer fit his Forever Dawn ending; his character was too big. She had to squish him to fit his original ending, so much so that he was barely recognizable. He was just a side character in FD. In BD he was a main character. He deserved a way better ending than he got.

Exactly my point!

[Landiana]

i think that the relationship between Leah and Jacob alwaya had a foundation because of the fact that they were both stuck in sucky situations. i mean, misery does love company. but the friendship that grew was a surprise to me, the fact that it grew so intense that Leah felt the need to shout at Bella. i think that is the protective side of Leah comming out, because she is older than Jacob and has been around most of his life. in some ways i do feel that she was justified in what she did, she just had bad timing.

[Pendragon]

i think that the relationship between Leah and Jacob alwaya had a foundation because of the fact that they were both stuck in sucky situations. i mean, misery does love company. but the friendship that grew was a surprise to me, the fact that it grew so intense that Leah felt the need to shout at Bella. i think that is the protective side of Leah comming out, because she is older than Jacob and has been around most of his life. in some ways i do feel that she was justified in what she did, she just had bad timing.

Yeah, though Bella might have been suffering though the pregnancy, Leah hated how she continued to hurt Jacob and kept stringing him along.