Love Triangle-Bella, Edward, Jacob

General Discussion on the Twilight Universe

Moderators: December, bac, Bronze Haired Girl, cullengirl

Forum rules
Click for Forum Rules
PetiteSageHibou
Settled in Forks
Posts: 16
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 9:50 pm
Location: Aboard the Thousand Sunny~♥

Re: Love Triangle-Bella, Edward, Jacob

Post by PetiteSageHibou »

Ok, here we go *big breath* :D

The first few times I read the series (especially Eclipse) I absolutely hated this triangle! I couldn't decide whether it was Bella's fault or Jacob's, but I hated it :lol: 'Used to think that if Bella truly loved Jacob as much as she seemed to (eg. in the part where she and Jacob kiss, and she sees him as an option, and imagines their life together), it took away from her love of Edward, and ruined the fairytale. All this changed very recently when I read the situation from S.M's point of view on her website. From this perspective, it enriches the story so beautifully :) If anyone would like to read it, here's a link! (it's the 5th question down).

holdingoutforjacob wrote:Hey Rings!
ringswraith wrote:Just because Bella falls even a little bit for Jacob does not make her... an "easy woman." She's human. It happens. Now, comparing her to Edward and saying that he'll never kiss another girl or fall in love with someone else? Guess what? He's not human. That's not a fair comparison to Bella.


Agreed. Bella certainly has her faults, and does her fair share of hurtful, stupid, selfish, and wrong things, in this love triangle situation and in life in general. But she, like Jacob, is human, and young. To truly compare either of them to Edward, who's NOT human, and who's not young is utterly unfair.


I agree that it's unfair to compare Bella to Edward in this respect, but for slightly different reasons :) Firstly, Edward is quite old :P He knows himself so much better, and he's encountered so many people, he knew very quickly that Bella was perfect for him. Bella, on the other hand, is 17. She's never given much thought to that kind of thing, and is completely swept off her feet by Edward. She can hardly be blamed for taking a little time to realize that it's Edward she can't live without. She's only a child, after all :) Also, it's an impossible situation! I'm sure that if Edward had also been presented with someone else he loved, he would have had difficulties. Of course, being much more matured, he probably would've handled it better :)

It turned into a bit of a novella, sorry :lol:
ImageImageImage
HopelessRomantic
Settled in Forks
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2010 2:01 pm
Location: With my Edward Cullen :)

Re: Love Triangle-Bella, Edward, Jacob

Post by HopelessRomantic »

Openhome wrote:I truly loved the triangle - which wasn't much of a triangle no matter what the fanfiction writers write. I loved that Bella's character was deep and rich enough to love two men two very different ways.
I agree with Openhome in that the so to speak "triangle" wasn't really much of a triangle at all; the way that Bella loves Edward was never comparable to the way that she loved Jacob and vis-versa.

I do absolutely love how Stephenie resolved the whole issue- Jacob imprinting on Renesme?? Genius! It provides for a much more positive note of closure to the outstanding saga- the knowledge that It's still Edward and Bella, but Jacob will always be there, and honestly if I were Bella I think I would be relieved to know that Jacob imprinted on my child; she knows that she can trust Jake (she knows him inside and out), she doesn't have to worry about who her daughter is going to end up with (whether or not she will choose the wrong guy), and though she seems to have forgotten the particulars of the whole imprinting phenomenon, Jacob had explained how the whole thing worked quite some time before Renesme was even conceived, so she should've known from the get-go that really she had the ultimate babysitter, her daughter's best friend, a protector from all that would harm her, and (when the time came) a dedicated, loyal, and trustworthy boyfriend -> husband-- all from day 1. What a stress reliever!! :D :D
~Mirrors are sensitive windows; they allow you to see into the depths of your own soul.~

Image
Silver Rose
Wandering Through Town
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 6:19 pm
Location: Lone Star State

Re: Love Triangle-Bella, Edward, Jacob

Post by Silver Rose »

I hate love triangles with a passion. Why would you start off a book series with a nice, loving relationship between two people and then, all of a sudden, throw some new person in the mix. Edward and Bella were perfectly fine on their own, but then Stephenie's editor wanted so badly to put more Jacob in the books, so now we have to go through a whole book (Eclipse) of this pointless love triangle. There was no doubt that Bella would choose Edward. You can see that very clearly when reading the book. So what was the point?

But now, since Jacob is such a big character, you just have to give him his happy ending as well. And Stephenie just had to have Jacob imprint too, huh? I think it would have been fine if he had just gotten together with Leah. They're both bitter, angry people, who weren't able to be with the person they wanted first, so why not?
Image
Thanks to Eclipsed.by.Love for the sig and avi
babynessie_18
Wandering Through Town
Posts: 43
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 7:35 pm
Location: On a date with Emmett and Rosalie
Contact:

Re: Love Triangle-Bella, Edward, Jacob

Post by babynessie_18 »

I really love Bella and Edward, their love for each other is truly extraordinary.. But I have some weird thoughts regarding this ''triangle''.. You see, if Bella ended up with Jacob everything is just so easy, it'll be just like breathing.. But then, since Bella is madly inlove with Edward, she's willing to take the risk of being with and becoming like him.. What I really want to imply here is that, "What if Bella did ended up with Jacob?" I mean, can anyone else agree with me? I have nothing against the Edward and Bella team, it's just that I'm trying to think creatively, knowing Jacob's feelings for Bella.. I really hope they could make a version of Jacob and Bella..

Lastly, how could Jacob imprint on Nessie when the first time he sees her he's in his human form.. That's something to discuss, right??
-babynessie_18-
Tornado
Member: LaPush Cliff Diving Team
Posts: 3610
Joined: Sat Jun 18, 2011 7:06 pm
Location: The Land Down Under

Re: Love Triangle-Bella, Edward, Jacob

Post by Tornado »

I have often imagined what it would have been like if Jake and Bella had ended up together. Having looked at their personalities, what they have in common, their strengths and weaknesses, I have come to this conclusion:

A relationship between them wouldn't be anywhere near as easy as Jacob thinks it would be.

Remember, it is Jake who says that. Jake gets things wrong. Jake wants Bella. Of course he's going to think that. But I honestly don't think the information we have on their characters leads us to that conclusion.

Let's say Edward doesn't come back at the end of New Moon, or at least, by the time he does, Bella has settled for Jake, she seems reasonably happy, so he goes away without her ever knowing he was there. With that in mind, let's look at Bella and Jake and see what they like to do together:

1) Bella likes to sit in the garage and watch Jake while he works.
Fair enough. She likes to spend time with him. He's a nice guy, and they like to talk. But honestly, how long is her enjoyment of sitting in the garage watching him work going to last? How many relationships start out that way, with the girl just enjoying hanging out while her boyfriend works? How many times does it wear thin eventually?
Down the track, I see Bella taking a book in to read while Jake works. I don't think Jake's particularly into books, so he probably wouldn't be too interested in what she was reading. But maybe he would talk to her about it a little. I think he'd make a few jokes about it. He does that. Would she like that? Would she want him to show real interest in what she's reading? I certainly think he would try, seeing as it is important to her, but I think it would be hard for him to be interested in something like that long term.
And then if they had kids, she's probably going to be inside the house more looking after them. As time passes, Jake would keep spending his time in the garage, and I see Bella spending more time in the house doing whatever needed to be done there. After all, she can't really help him in the garage. She's too clumsy. She'd be likely to break whatever he was working on more than help out with it.

2) Bella and Jake ride motorcycles together.
This is bad before it even starts. Because what is the reason Bella wants to do this? To see Edward. This is classic rebound relationship stuff. It brings an unhealthy tone to their relationship from the start. You don't do things with your friend/future lover in order to see your ex and think it's going to lead to a healthy relationship.
But it's clear that Bella enjoys it. They like doing it together. But we strike similar problems. Bella is clumsy. Is she really going to be able to keep it up long term and not do herself some major injury? Charlie objects to it. Can she keep it up in the face of his objection? Even if she does, again, once she is pregnant, she will have to give it up. It's too great a risk to the baby. And after the kids are around, will she keep it up then? What if they want to ride the bikes? What if one of them is as clumsy as she is? Will she let them ride it if their lives are at risk? Not from what we know of her character. So will she keep it up under these circumstances? Not if it stops her kids from wanting to ride the bike. So no more motorcycle riding.

3) Bella and Jake go hiking together.
Although this is a good family activity, it has the same problem as point 2. Why does she take it up? Because she wants to see Edward. Again, not a sign of health in the relationship. And although it is something I could see her doing with Jake and their kids long term, again, she is very clumsy. This is one of the reasons she doesn't do it a lot anyway. It's always going to be a bit of a struggle for her when she's tripping and trying to keep up with everyone else. I'm sure she'd still do it for her family, and she'd probably enjoy it, but I can see self-sacrifice in it at least some of the time.

And from the information in the books, these are the only three things Jake and Bella have in common. It's not a lot, and all of them she will struggle to keep up because of her clumsiness. What's more, if they have sons (or even daughters) who grow up to be werewolves, how will they cope reading their father's thoughts, and knowing through them that their own mother was in love with a vampire, and probably still is? This would cause massive problems for them. Also, I think there would always be doubt in Jacob's mind that perhaps Bella was still in love with Edward. It would be somewhere behind her eyes. Would she leave him if Edward came back? That would put a strain on their relationship down the track, I think.

Okay, so maybe Edward doesn't exist. Maybe Bella never meets him, and doesn't get killed by Tyler Crowley's van, or by those men in Port Angeles. Maybe she and Jake just hang out, and fall in love.

Well, my argument for point 1 still stands. She's too clumsy, and not interested enough in cars for her to want to do that for too long of her own free will. In fact, the interest in cars is about the only thing she and Edward don't have in common. And as for point 2, with the motorcycle, would she ever have been interested in doing that without the desire to take risks to see Edward? I don't think so. She's too clumsy. So if Edward didn't exist, then she would never have taken it up in the first place. They could certainly hike together, but as I said, she's clumsy. It's always going to be that little bit difficult.

Bella is a bookish, pseudo-intellectual, anal-retentive type; a deep thinker. Jacob is a creative, build things with his hands, active, outdoorsy type of guy. Most of the things he likes to do she will find it difficult to do long term. There is no evidence that he has any real interest in the things she likes to do. Now, I'm sure they could still find some common ground, some compromise that could make it all work, but I think that the two of them holding a relationship together long term is not going to be as easy as breathing.
Image
babynessie_18
Wandering Through Town
Posts: 43
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 7:35 pm
Location: On a date with Emmett and Rosalie
Contact:

Re: Love Triangle-Bella, Edward, Jacob

Post by babynessie_18 »

Tornado wrote:I have often imagined what it would have been like if Jake and Bella had ended up together. Having looked at their personalities, what they have in common, their strengths and weaknesses, I have come to this conclusion:

A relationship between them wouldn't be anywhere near as easy as Jacob thinks it would be.

Remember, it is Jake who says that. Jake gets things wrong. Jake wants Bella. Of course he's going to think that. But I honestly don't think the information we have on their characters leads us to that conclusion.

Let's say Edward doesn't come back at the end of New Moon, or at least, by the time he does, Bella has settled for Jake, she seems reasonably happy, so he goes away without her ever knowing he was there. With that in mind, let's look at Bella and Jake and see what they like to do together:

1) Bella likes to sit in the garage and watch Jake while he works.
Fair enough. She likes to spend time with him. He's a nice guy, and they like to talk. But honestly, how long is her enjoyment of sitting in the garage watching him work going to last? How many relationships start out that way, with the girl just enjoying hanging out while her boyfriend works? How many times does it wear thin eventually?
Down the track, I see Bella taking a book in to read while Jake works. I don't think Jake's particularly into books, so he probably wouldn't be too interested in what she was reading. But maybe he would talk to her about it a little. I think he'd make a few jokes about it. He does that. Would she like that? Would she want him to show real interest in what she's reading? I certainly think he would try, seeing as it is important to her, but I think it would be hard for him to be interested in something like that long term.
And then if they had kids, she's probably going to be inside the house more looking after them. As time passes, Jake would keep spending his time in the garage, and I see Bella spending more time in the house doing whatever needed to be done there. After all, she can't really help him in the garage. She's too clumsy. She'd be likely to break whatever he was working on more than help out with it.

2) Bella and Jake ride motorcycles together.
This is bad before it even starts. Because what is the reason Bella wants to do this? To see Edward. This is classic rebound relationship stuff. It brings an unhealthy tone to their relationship from the start. You don't do things with your friend/future lover in order to see your ex and think it's going to lead to a healthy relationship.
But it's clear that Bella enjoys it. They like doing it together. But we strike similar problems. Bella is clumsy. Is she really going to be able to keep it up long term and not do herself some major injury? Charlie objects to it. Can she keep it up in the face of his objection? Even if she does, again, once she is pregnant, she will have to give it up. It's too great a risk to the baby. And after the kids are around, will she keep it up then? What if they want to ride the bikes? What if one of them is as clumsy as she is? Will she let them ride it if their lives are at risk? Not from what we know of her character. So will she keep it up under these circumstances? Not if it stops her kids from wanting to ride the bike. So no more motorcycle riding.

3) Bella and Jake go hiking together.
Although this is a good family activity, it has the same problem as point 2. Why does she take it up? Because she wants to see Edward. Again, not a sign of health in the relationship. And although it is something I could see her doing with Jake and their kids long term, again, she is very clumsy. This is one of the reasons she doesn't do it a lot anyway. It's always going to be a bit of a struggle for her when she's tripping and trying to keep up with everyone else. I'm sure she'd still do it for her family, and she'd probably enjoy it, but I can see self-sacrifice in it at least some of the time.

And from the information in the books, these are the only three things Jake and Bella have in common. It's not a lot, and all of them she will struggle to keep up because of her clumsiness. What's more, if they have sons (or even daughters) who grow up to be werewolves, how will they cope reading their father's thoughts, and knowing through them that their own mother was in love with a vampire, and probably still is? This would cause massive problems for them. Also, I think there would always be doubt in Jacob's mind that perhaps Bella was still in love with Edward. It would be somewhere behind her eyes. Would she leave him if Edward came back? That would put a strain on their relationship down the track, I think.

Okay, so maybe Edward doesn't exist. Maybe Bella never meets him, and doesn't get killed by Tyler Crowley's van, or by those men in Port Angeles. Maybe she and Jake just hang out, and fall in love.

Well, my argument for point 1 still stands. She's too clumsy, and not interested enough in cars for her to want to do that for too long of her own free will. In fact, the interest in cars is about the only thing she and Edward don't have in common. And as for point 2, with the motorcycle, would she ever have been interested in doing that without the desire to take risks to see Edward? I don't think so. She's too clumsy. So if Edward didn't exist, then she would never have taken it up in the first place. They could certainly hike together, but as I said, she's clumsy. It's always going to be that little bit difficult.

Bella is a bookish, pseudo-intellectual, anal-retentive type; a deep thinker. Jacob is a creative, build things with his hands, active, outdoorsy type of guy. Most of the things he likes to do she will find it difficult to do long term. There is no evidence that he has any real interest in the things she likes to do. Now, I'm sure they could still find some common ground, some compromise that could make it all work, but I think that the two of them holding a relationship together long term is not going to be as easy as breathing.

Wow, that was a great point of view. But I still hope they'd make a version of the movies where Bella ends up with Jake;I just wanna know what could it be like if Bella never meets Edward and she falls for jake instead.
-babynessie_18-
Tornado
Member: LaPush Cliff Diving Team
Posts: 3610
Joined: Sat Jun 18, 2011 7:06 pm
Location: The Land Down Under

Re: Love Triangle-Bella, Edward, Jacob

Post by Tornado »

I honestly think she'd have to be a different character for that to work. I think it would be far more normal (and by that I mean boring!) and the kind of thing you'd probably see in the house over the back fence.
Image
Emmettroselover
Jump Starting Bella's Truck
Posts: 179
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:25 pm
Location: Jasper's Old Hunting Grounds
Contact:

Re: Love Triangle-Bella, Edward, Jacob

Post by Emmettroselover »

I think that the way the triangle was handled in the books was way better than in the movies and it was needed to a certain extent. I think Jacob forced her to really make a decision she was dreading and it was the big elephant in the room. He refused to let her have it both ways, even if in the long run she did get to keep her best friend and her true love. It made Bella mature and actually made me fall in love with Edward even more because of how he handled it. I do not know many men who would have been so noble and understanding. The only thing that annoyed me is that even after Eclipse was over and the choice was made, Jacob was still just as persistent. I know in a way it stayed true to his character, but it would have been nice if he would have developed into a mature young man.

When he showed up at the reception and lost his cool, it disappointed me because I felt it was over and while he loved Bella, he did not have to show up if he could not handle it. Him chasing after the car just irked me even more and it did not make me feel like Jacob was being determined by that point, I just felt annoyed. She made her choice and was a married woman so to cause a scene and almost ruin her moment because it did not happen with him just felt wrong to me, but I understood the need to give Bella choices and options. It would have felt too fake if she was just with Edward and they did not have any type of trials as a couple and Jacob did make it realistic as far as making sure that when she chose Edward and their life together, she did that while knowing she had other choices. I think that is why I can appreciate Jacob at times and want to get a crowbar at other times.
Image
Tornado
Member: LaPush Cliff Diving Team
Posts: 3610
Joined: Sat Jun 18, 2011 7:06 pm
Location: The Land Down Under

Re: Love Triangle-Bella, Edward, Jacob

Post by Tornado »

Did he chase after the car? I always thought that they just heard him howling from somewhere in the forest as they were passing by.

I was glad they toned him down a bit in the movies. He was just so annoying in the books! I think if I ever had a chance of meeting book Jacob I'd definitely have that crowbar handy! I'd be sure to need it! Although, considering how tall he is, I probably wouldn't be able to do much more than bruise his kneecaps! ;)
Image
Emmettroselover
Jump Starting Bella's Truck
Posts: 179
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:25 pm
Location: Jasper's Old Hunting Grounds
Contact:

Re: Love Triangle-Bella, Edward, Jacob

Post by Emmettroselover »

You're right, they never say if he chased or if he just conveniently happened to be close enough for them to hear, but after the scene he caused at the reception and how fast Edward drives, I kind of assumed he followed at first, especially since Edward sped up. Either way, it annoyed me that he was being so vocal and blatant about the whole situation. I felt bad for Jacob at times, but at other times I really just wanted to tell him to get over himself and let her be happy. That was one of the differences between him and Edward though. Edward would sacrifice his own happiness as long as Bella was happy. I do believe Edward would attend the wedding of Jacob and Bella and not cause a scene if he did, but that just was not Jacob's style. He was not that noble and at first when he arrived at the reception I thought he was going to get closure and make amends but yet again he had to disappoint me with his childish behavior.
Image
Post Reply