Character Evolution

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bella_love3
Learning to Love Green
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Re: Character Evolution

Post by bella_love3 »

wow i never thought of the characters that way. i knew that in breaking dawn there seemed to be something different about the character and i really couldn't pin point it. now it seems all clear. the characters really do unevolve as all the problems are solved. their reasons for exsitence in the book decrease. thank you Ellie ibis and amivera for clearing that up.
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Destani
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Re: Character Evolution

Post by Destani »

I also didn't feel that there was a lot of character evolution in BD which was one of the reasons I'm "in the middle" on it. Yes, some of the characters did change but they did not evolve in my opinion. They either reverted to a simpler state or acted very uncharacteristcally with no clear reason for their change.
i.e. Bella accepting a car and credit card from Edward in the beginning just because they were now engaged. I didn't feel the engagement was a valid reason for her to suddenly change her mind about accepting gifts. She seemed to lose some of her personality by letting Alice plan her wedding, Edward pick her cars and then later succumbing to Alice's wardrobe choices.

I do believe there was character evolution in the first three books though. Jacob evolves a lot when he becomes a wolf and his change makes sense because of the new world that has suddenly opened up to him. Edward evolves after believing he has lost Bella in New Moon. When he returns with her, he is more willing to let her do the things she wants, like hang out with Jacob, even if he's not happy about it. His evolution progresses through Eclipse until he even befriends Jacob to an extent.

Leah really did evolve for me in BD. She was bitter and angry when she was in Sam's pack, but when she was able to leave and join Jacob's pack it gave her the opportunity to grow as a person. She saw hope for her future and started making plans to get away completely. I really liked her character in BD.
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Immy93
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Re: Character Evolution

Post by Immy93 »

wishiwerebella010 wrote: Edward changed alot, in Twilight and the beggining of New Moon Edward's mind was just so set on he was the sadistic vampire that was the worst thing on this planet for Bella no matter how she felt about him. Edward finally realized in the end of New Moon that no matter what his nature told him to do his love for her could NEVER be broken. It wasnt until Breaking Dawn that Edward truely got to see that Bella loved him with the same intensity. Edward always doubted Bella's love, thinking he could love her more but it was just so great, and it just jumped off the page when you got to see that Edward finally realized that she loved him just as much.
I think Edward's charcter got worse for me! In the beginnign it was so romantic and nothing mattered but their love but he complicated things and wanted to wrap Bella up in cotton wool and try and give her everything which wasn't goig to work!
The pinnicle for me came when he asked Jacob to give Bella a child! I mean, COME OFF IT!! Do you really do that? I actually switched sides to Team Jacob after Eclipse! I felt the romance had gone! All that Edward cared about was keeping ehr safe! He only mellowed out a bit at the end when he saw how much she truly loved him. he should have seen that from the start!

Does anyone agree?
xx
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JoanneMaria
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Re: Character Evolution

Post by JoanneMaria »

No, I'm sorry, I don't agree.
I feel that Edward's character grew from young boy, not understanding the human world he was taken from to a man understanding that Bella could and does love him.
For me, Edward was always romantic, even in BD.
When first meeting Bella in TW, he didn't know what those feelings inside of him were, he had never experienced them, pretty much like an average 17 year old boy.
In NM, he did what he did because he loved Bella and wanted her to be happy. He believed that by leaving her, eventually this would lead Bella to a happy life. In NM Edward didn't believe in himself enough to believe that Bella could love him. Bella too, didn't believe in Edward's love, that is why she let him leave, no questions asked.
In EC, Edward was trying to make amends for hurting Bella, he felt he owed her (and Jacob) that much. Edward couldn't believe that Bella really forgave him for leaving her.
In BD, Edward asked Jacob to offer himself to Bella because Edward wanted to save her. Why is it so difficult for some to understand this. When you really love someone you would do anything to save them, I would, wouldn't you???
"Life sucks, and then you die." BD 143
Amivera
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Re: Character Evolution

Post by Amivera »

Immy93 wrote: The pinnicle for me came when he asked Jacob to give Bella a child! I mean, COME OFF IT!! Do you really do that? I actually switched sides to Team Jacob after Eclipse! I felt the romance had gone! All that Edward cared about was keeping ehr safe! He only mellowed out a bit at the end when he saw how much she truly loved him. he should have seen that from the start!

Does anyone agree?
I agree. It seemed that in SMeyer's quest to find the happy ending, she turned Edward into an entirely *too* protective character, to the point where he became just a piece of angst in the middle of a number of other cardboard characters.

I understand what you're saying JoanneMaria, and you make a good point, but I think, ultimately, there was not a great deal of character evolution throughout the series.
And I found Edward's proposal to Jacob demeaning. To think he had enough control over his wife to sell her body? Disgusting. No matter how desperate he was— the themes in the series can be a little... putting off. :?
Blackwater. <3

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JoanneMaria
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Re: Character Evolution

Post by JoanneMaria »

He wasn't trying to sell her body. He was trying to buy her life.
"Life sucks, and then you die." BD 143
Amivera
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Re: Character Evolution

Post by Amivera »

Haha. Here's the dictionary definition of:
Sell one's soul ( to the devil) do or be willing to do anything, no matter how wrong it is, in order to achieve one's objective.
Blackwater. <3

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Immy93
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Re: Character Evolution

Post by Immy93 »

I agree to a point with what everyone's saying but asking Jacob to get Bella pregnant is insane! I really didn't see it coming either!
In Eclipse Edward told Jacob he was jelous of him and all the things he could do with Bella without killing her and he knew that Jacob had the advantage in that field. Edward knew that Bella and Jacob had a bond and he also knew that Jacob could satisfy Bella in ways that he couldn't so why ask the person you feel threatened by to do the thing you really want to do but can't?!?
There's no logic whatsoever!

I love this site! The banters unbelieveable! :lol:
ImageEdward Cullen
Hearts in red ink.
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Re: Character Evolution

Post by Hearts in red ink. »

I didn't like the fact that Edward tried to give Bella to Jacob. I thought it was crazy, didn't see that one coming at all.

I do understand his reason though. It was out of love, really. Jacob was someone he was threatened by yes, but at that point I think Edward was more concerned with the thought of him living without Bella and also of her not existing anymore. His whole purpose in life after meeting Bella was to keep her safe..alive, that's what he was trying to do. He knew the baby would kill her and he was insane enough to do anything to stop it.

And I think he also realized how much less of a threat Jacob was too, Jacob and Bella had a bond but it wasn't like the one he shared with Bella.

The thing that Edward hadn't realized, which bothered me a bit was the fact that it wasn't that Bella wanted a child so badly she wanted there child. :roll: So him asking Jacob that was pointless.
EmmettCullen534
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Re: Character Evolution

Post by EmmettCullen534 »

Bella at first sees none of the negatives in becoming a vampire. But as the stories progress, she begins to question and see what she is sacrificing in becoming a vampire. This made her so much more interesting, but it was taken all away when Bella became a vampire because life was TOO PERFECT for her. All the negatives of being a vampire didn't matter for her.
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