Twilight Lexicon Discussion Forums

akire wrote:HOFJ, I agree that Bella had difficulty making friends in general and more specifically human girlfriends. Why do you think that is? A product of her close relationship with her mother? Too shy to befriend girls like herself (Angela) and uninterested in the shallower girls (Jessica & Lauren)?

I think it's a bit of both. Bella, at least for me, seems kind of geeky. More interested in classic books than in going to the mall. I really don't see her and Jessica having much to talk. I think Angela and Bella are more alike and they enjoy each other's company, but Bella has to keep a certain distance from Angela. Because she can't be 100% honest with her. She has to be quite seletive about what she's going to say.

And about Bella lack of friends, in my opinion, it's just a matter of finding your crew. And they are the Cullens.

Lunna-san wrote:

akire wrote:HOFJ, I agree that Bella had difficulty making friends in general and more specifically human girlfriends. Why do you think that is? A product of her close relationship with her mother? Too shy to befriend girls like herself (Angela) and uninterested in the shallower girls (Jessica & Lauren)?

I think it's a bit of both. Bella, at least for me, seems kind of geeky. More interested in classic books than in going to the mall. I really don't see her and Jessica having much to talk. I think Angela and Bella are more alike and they enjoy each other's company, but Bella has to keep a certain distance from Angela. Because she can't be 100% honest with her. She has to be quite seletive about what she's going to say.

And about Bella lack of friends, in my opinion, it's just a matter of finding your crew. And they are the Cullens.

Lunna-san~ Well stated. This was my feeling as well. It wasn't so much about her not knowing how to make friends, but of not feeling like she fit with any of them. Bella is an old soul. Much like Edward is bored and irritated by the trivialities of the Forks High School population, I honestly think Bella was as well. She is very mature for her age and the latest drama about who's kissing whom and what so and so wore is really beneath her concerns. She is also a genuinely good person, so those kind of snarky issues can grate on the nerves very quickly. I think that is why she got on so well with Angela from the start. Angela is also exceptionally kind and quiet. They are very much alike in that. Plus, Bella hated being the center of attention and almost everyone, everyone save Angela and the Cullens, were all trying to figure out how to buddy up to her. I think that was a huge turn off for her.

I think it was not that she didn't know how, but that she hadn't found who she wanted to be with. When she did, she didn't really hesitate to at least try and have a conversation, open the lines of friendship.

I agree, Bella was very mature for her age. She had to grow up fast b/c she was the parent at her house. She had to take care of her mother. I don't think it was b/c she was emberassed of her mother that she didn't have any friends but that she just wasn't into hanging out at the mall or gossiping about everyone. She was obviously very smart (I think it mentions something about her being in Acelerated programs back at Phoenix). If it was anything like my school, us kids who were in AP classes usually hung out together b/c we were a little...shall I say eccentric...ok, ok, we were nerds lol. It usually seems the kids who are more into studies/literature are less likely to sit around gossiping or go shopping like the Jessica's of the world. No offense to those type of people. I think that's how Bella was. Between taking care of her mother and just being more interested in studies/literature she didn't fit in with normal kids her age.

I agree, Bella is beyond her true age. I, too am like that. I'm always told I'm a 40 year old at heart(which I'm not. Not even close. ). Especially by my parents and friends. I've always been beyond the whole "He said, she said" "OMG" "He's going out with her and she's going out with him" kinda thing. It's always bothered me and those topics bring me beyond bored. Bella grew up fast and knew her stuff. She had to raise her mother, in turn for her mother's love and support. Bella has always been mature and beyond the standard set for her age. Edward, is the same way. As am I. Except my parents actually raise me rather than, I take care of them.

Mrs.Edward_Cullen<3 wrote:I agree, Bella is beyond her true age. I, too am like that. I'm always told I'm a 40 year old at heart(which I'm not. Not even close. ). Especially by my parents and friends. I've always been beyond the whole "He said, she said" "OMG" "He's going out with her and she's going out with him" kinda thing. It's always bothered me and those topics bring me beyond bored. Bella grew up fast and knew her stuff. She had to raise her mother, in turn for her mother's love and support. Bella has always been mature and beyond the standard set for her age. Edward, is the same way. As am I. Except my parents actually raise me rather than, I take care of them.

Wow, you & I have alot in common, Bri. I have been told I'm such a "44 year old" at heart. Huh, wonder why that is.

I wonder and think about that too Christy. Hmm...just mindboggling.

To bring up a new topic that went over at the Jacob thread..
How much of Bella is in Renesmee? How much did Bella's humanity affect Renesmee?

Mrs.Edward_Cullen<3 wrote: I wonder and think about that too Christy. Hmm...just mindboggling.

To bring up a new topic that went over at the Jacob thread..
How much of Bella is in Renesmee? How much did Bella's humanity affect Renesmee?

Well, as I have said, I think she is a pretty good mix of both. But, there is clearly a very human part of her. I think the most important part of Bella that she got was her eyes. There is just something about Ness with those same beautiful deeply brown eyes that I think is so wonderful and important. But, also, physilogically, blood, heartbeat and warmth indicate more human physiological processes. She can also eat regular food, so it would seem that she has other human physilogical processes. So, this goes back to the key question that lead to this, that she will be able to have children. I also think she sort of inheirited Bella's "middle-aged child" characteristics. She is born mature and just gets older. I also see Bella and Ness having a very close relationship. Not like Renee and Bella, as Ness won't be in that parent role. But, because of her accelerated growth and her maturity, she and Bella will be very close as mother and daughter.

JG, beautifully stated.
I agree Ness does have a very human part of her, but she is vampire just as much as she is human. She can eat regular food..but prefers blood to food. And the fact that she grows at a rapid pace and has a temperature higher than a human's(which I find more werewolf-like characteristics rather than vampiric characteristics but never mind that.), makes her beyond the human and vampire norm. And of course her amazing ability to show others her thoughts.

Caryn, good point about Ness having Bella's "middle age child" characteristics. Of course it's obvious that Ness matures way faster than normal but I never connected it with how everyone says Bella was born middle age and just kept getting older.

MEC<3, I also have always wondered why, since she has a human mother and a vampire father, that her temperature is higher than normal humans. You would think that her temp would be a little lower than Bella's but not as low as Edward's.

vampirenerd wrote:Caryn, good point about Ness having Bella's "middle age child" characteristics. Of course it's obvious that Ness matures way faster than normal but I never connected it with how everyone says Bella was born middle age and just kept getting older.

MEC<3, I also have always wondered why, since she has a human mother and a vampire father, that her temperature is higher than normal humans. You would think that her temp would be a little lower than Bella's but not as low as Edward's.

It could be her heart beats at a higher rate and thus the higher tempurature. Her human parts is over compensating for the vampire parts in her.