The song for this chapter is Human by The Killers
[audio:https://twilightguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/human.mp3]
So, as most of you noticed, I didn’t post on my regular Thursday. My favorite email from yesterday went something to this effect:
Subject Line: EGADS!>What happened? Where are you? Are you DEAD? >I need a post. I wants a post. I must have >its. Give its to usss. preciousss. >
*hides*. This makes me all the more hesitant to actually go check my new PO box, having no idea what might jump out at me.
Anyhow, as I read chapter the eleventh, I realized that there are certain advantages to hanging out with a bunch of werewolves. First, you’ll probably never get that cold. Second, you are pretty much safe from any beast that wants to leap out of the shadows and kill you. And third, you will never, ever run out of food.
Especially if you enjoy hot dogs, chips and root beer, which is all Jacob’s friends seem to eat. It leads me to wonder if werewolves are as stuffed with cash as vampires are. I would hate to be the person who gets stuck with the food bill, especially since they eat in one meal about the same amount normal people eat in a week. Suggestion: why not simply buy a restaurant, get massive discounts on bulk food, and pay for it with the profits? I’m sure Charlie would be a customer — especially seeing that heaping mountain of steaks he had at the diner.
It’s so funny how these werewolves act just like human-shaped dogs. Having grown up nearly my entire life with at least one dog in the house, I can vouch that dogs can be sitting and eating a meal, then leap into a temper, and then leap back into being friendly again. Example (edited to save space):
“Jacob, gimme the hot dog.” Paul said.
“Hale no,” Jacob replied.
Despite the fact that Paul had eaten at least as much as Jacob, he glowered and his hands balled up into fists.
“*Rawr*,” Paul said.
“Sheesh.” Jacob laughed. “Kidding […].”
“Thanks, man,” Paul said, already over his brief fit of temper.
Eclipse pg. 240
It’s like trying to take a toy from a dog: dog wants toy, boy does not give toy, dog growls, boy gives toy, dog licks boy and grins. Even after a scuffle, all is forgiven and forgotten.
I liked it that the group is so welcoming to Bella — I wonder if it is part of a plan to make her feel more warmly towards them, so that Jacob might have an easier time convincing her against becoming a vampire. There seems to be an interesting tribal connection between them all that wasn’t so obvious to me before: all the werewolves seem to be sticking together with their relatives, from Harry Clearwater’s widow, to Billy Black, to Quil and Old Quil (and maybe Even Older Quil?).
The Quileute legends were actually quite interesting. It gave me a bit more depth to their story, and also just how painful and tragic a history is behind the tribe. The loathing and hatred towards vampires runs so deeply within the werewolves that their very history is intertwined with it.
Imprinting is starting to make more sense to me now: and seeing the love between Jared and Kim seems to have cast a new light upon it. The beauty of imprinting is that no matter what Kim looks like, or how insignificant she may feel, Jared adores her more than anything in the world. It is almost the purest form of love between them: that he can love her for any fault she might have, and doesn’t see any imperfection in her, because she was the one who was made for him.
Why does this remind me of Bella and Edward? I know I have said this before — how the truest form of love is showed by Edward in the fact that Bella is a plain, ordinary girl, and has so many faults, and yet he loves her more than anything; not in spite of them, but because he loves her just the way she is. There is a beauty to a love that is not based upon how someone looks, or how rich they are, or how many sweet words they might say. It is easy to understand why Bella loves Edward. What is harder to understand is why Edward loves Bella — it’s because he doesn’t love her for superficial reasons, he love her for who she is. In this same way, Jared has imprinted on Kim.
I read the passage from Wuthering Heights three times, in an effort to make it sink in, and on the third reading I realized who the characters were in this scene. Readers of my previous chapter post know that I’m having a hard time understanding why Edward lets Bella see Jacob, when they are supposedly in a relationship, and Jacob is obviously trying to jump between them. In one strange moment, I realized exactly what is going through Edward’s head, and why he seems to have become a somewhat unstable ally with Jacob:
“I never would have banished him from her society as long as she desired his. The moment her regard ceased, I would have torn his heart out, and drank his blood! But, till then […] I would have died by inches before I touched a single hair of his head!”
I don’t know about you, but I can clearly hear Edward’s voice saying those words.
Question for the comments: would you rather be loved by a werewolf who has imprinted on you, or a vampire who loves you like Edward?
——NOTES——
– Thanks to the people at MuchMusic in Canada for mentioning my site! I don’t get the channel in the US, so if anybody recorded the clip, I’d love to see it.
– So, the Twilight Youtube Contest Of Awesome was the #2 most commented video on all of Youtube for 2 days in a row. Way to go Twilighters! Since it’s only been TWO DAYS (for crying out loud!) I’m sure the number of entries will continue to rise steadily, until I announce the winners (time TBA) 😀
190 Responses
Hmmm. I think I would prefer a vampire like Edward. I guess you could argue that Edward had no choice about loving Bella because they were made for each other, but while I find the imprinting love werewolves have very beautiful, they didn’t have a choice. As much as they throw themselves into caring for the person they’ve imprinted on, who they end up with is something they have no control over. Edward’s love seems more voluntary. I don’t know, maybe I would see it differently if there were multiple cases of Edwards like there are of imprinting werewolves.
Vampire, hands down!
you used “rawr”. . . =)
YAY a post hehe i missed you yesterday even though i know you need your sleep! lol i like the comment about the resteraunt sounds like a good plan to me lol!
your question to night is a hard one, both forms of love are so pure that either would be a breathe of fresh air if they could be true, but im leaning a little more toward the vampire. Only because i don’t know that i could stand my soul mate turning into a over grown dog although the heat would be nice, it just seems a little to creepy for me. 🙂
Yeah, I’m not a fan of dog’s, so I’m going to go with Vampire here. 🙂
“Why does this remind me of Bella and Edward? ” When I first read about imprinting, my first thought was that Bella and Edward had imprinted in their own way and that Jacob should understand because of that. I am so happy to see that someone else had that thought!
I would go for the vampire…
Imprinting doesn’t have any free agency attached, so I would go with the vampire. He has a choice.
When you started reading Eclipse (my favorite of the published books), I decided to read along with you. This chapter is a good example of why I think the Twilight saga is so awesome. You will learn much more about all of the characters at the bonfire as you continue to read, but when I read this chapter again, it was the comments about Leah that took on a different tone, and it finally brought into focus why I am so obsessed with these books.
I’ve never been one to read a book more than once, until Twilight. After I finished Eclipse (for the first time), I wanted more, but Breaking Dawn wasn’t out yet, so I picked up Twilight again. I was thinking that in a story this involved, Stephenie had to have developed the characters and mythology in a linear progression as she wrote the books, and I might be able to find some discrepancies that didn’t get cleaned up as the story progressed. I didn’t find what I was looking for, but I did discover (to my great delight) that the story read differently now that I knew all of the characters from the outset. I was now in on some of the ‘inside jokes’. I found that Stephenie is always planting seeds in the story that sprout later on, but that she is always in control of the details and maintains the integrity of her characters. I’ve read all of the books more than once (some more than others), and I am still amazed that I can find something ‘new’ every time.
This is my answer to your question. I would most definitely have to go with vampires. Not because I am extremely biased to vampires 🙂 but because of this:
The vampire would love you because of who you are. With the wolf, maybe they hated you very deeply once before, but as soon as they imprinted all that hate is gone. To me, imprinting is like being forced to love someone. They don’t love you because they want to necessarily love you, but because their nature demands it. That’s how I feel 🙂
I don’t know, really.
Would be lovely to have a werewolf like that. You know, always there for you. Would love to have a vampire too.
And for the werewolves, they aren’t FORCED to love you, I think. They just haven’t realized that you’re there before then. It opens their eyes.
Vampire like Edward…no contest. Also, I’m somewhat of a “Team Edward” gal so given the choice, mine is obvious. (Don’t get me wrong; I love Jacob too.) But that’s not to put down the love of an imprinter either…I just can’t find it in myself to say that their kind of love doesn’t mean anything. I can’t really explain why… I think I’d be pretty lucky either way…
Can’t I have both? 😉
Hahaha. I am pretty much Team Switzerland (with just some SLIGHT Team Jacob leanings), so I am gonna stay neutral on this one!
And I don’t think that when you imprint you’re necessarily “forced” to love the person…
Imprinting is kind of explained more in Breaking Dawn and I don’t want to give anything away to you, Kaleb… But I think you pretty much already knew this… When you imprint, it basically means you’ve found THE person who you are meant to be with (even if, like with Quil and Claire, you’ve gotta wait a few years)
It’s pretty much what Edward and Bella have, only on a more mystical level (as Stephenie has said herself on several occasions, Vampires are more “scientific”, whereas Werewolves are more “magical”)
I actually have a theory that Imprinting plays a large role in the fact that Werewolves don’t age… Edward had to wait 100 years before he found Bella… So doesn’t it make sense that the wolves may have to wait a few decades before they find THEIR soulmate?
(I’m sorry that was so long… I went on an imprinting tangent for a moment! Hahahaha)
Glad you’re enjoying Eclipse, Kaleb. It’s my favorite book in the series.
Edwards Vampire love
plz&thankyou
🙂
I just started reading your blog and started reading the Twilight books about 2-3 months ago.
I find your thoughts on the chapters refreshing? I’m not sure exactly what it is but it’s kind of nice to see a male opinion on the books. I don’t think I fit into the normal role for these books either though. I’m a 32 year old mother of 4. My kids and husband think I’m nuts, though I am nothing like some of the fans out there. I just really enjoy reading the books enough that I’ve read them all several times now.
Anyway that was off subject.
I could answer your question and it would be the same if it was for my self or say my daughter. Honestly I think I would have to choose the vampire. Especially if he showed the devotion Edward does to Bella. I just have issues with the imprinting thing. I realize that the wherewolf basically is whatever the girl needs wether a brother, lover, etc. but it just still seems to much like he is forcing himself and in the end why wouldn’t she? Well if she had that person there all her life like in Claire’s case, she doesn’t really know anything else does she?
Vampires definitely.
I’m a little biased though :D[but who isn’t?!]
I feel that imprinting hardly gives you a choice to choose your partner.
I’ve always wondered about the relationship between the werewolves and their partners. For example, Jared imprints on Kim but does Kim actually love Jared at first? Or does Jared follow her around until she falls for him too?
Will Claire be able to date and choose who she will spend the rest of her life with or is she ‘destined’ to be Quil’s partner and have no say whatsoever on her own future?
Kinda scary don’tcha think? Destined to be with someone you have just met for … oh i don’t know, 5 seconds?
At least vampires love you for you you are… 😀 😀
I’d go with the vampires.
Maybe it’s just because I’m such a winter person (the whole humidity and sweating summer season does nothing to my pale british skin).
Or perhaps its just that with imprinting, the werewolves don’t seem to make the choice in terms of who they love.
Edward met Bella, became fascinated by her personality and traits, and fell in love 😀 With the wolves, its more of a BAM BAM your in love situation. I like the whole idea of building up that tension and suspense of falling in love.
😀
A girl can dream…. lol
A werewolf? Hale no! Ahaha. Thanks for using that, by the way. Made my evening.
Anyway, I figure a vampire would be way cooler, even if it does seem to put a target on your head. I mean, vampire speed and all. Life would be much easier… when you’re not being hunted down by other vampires. Plus, vampires don’t eat human food. As you mentioned, those wolves eat a LOT. Which makes me wonder (just as you did) where they get the money. I mean, Jake clearly doesn’t have much. *snicker* Ahaha. I’m so mean.
Great post. I like that excerpt from Wuthering Heights. Made me laugh the first time I read it. Which kind of makes me seem mentally unstable. Ah well. 🙂
Vampire because their choosing to love you and kindda means more, that out of all the people in the world they could spend their life with they still want you, it’s not fate.
Gah! That’s such a tough decision! I think I’d choose the vampire, though. Because, well, it seems more like they can control there tempers better than the werewolves can. Take what happened to Emily for example. So yeah, vampire.
Haha. I would most definitely go with the vampire. Wolves are too rough, and the imprinting thing…ya, not for me. 🙂
Neither of them. I mean seriously – in real life I don’t want to have a boyfriend who wants to drink my blood or turns into a werewolve and doesn’t age.
Nah, I want to have an Edward in human form 😀
I wouldn’t want either, honestly. Vampires have such strong emotions, that once they experience an emotion, it is extreme, and that’s how Bella changed Edward so much. The intensity of the emotions of a werewolf that imprinted and a vampire aren’t very different.
Vampire! Oh… he used Gollom talk at the beginning!!!
Wow, that’s a really hard question.
There doesn’t seem to be anything stronger than the love of imprinting but still, Edwards love for Bella is so powerful it is overwhelming.
I think I would go for being loved by a vampire with a love as strong as Edwards. With werewolfs you know it is some other force that makes them drawn to you but in Edwards case it is pure love out of choice.
I’d want to be loved by a vampire like Edward loves Bella. Why? Because imprinting really gives you no choice, as Jacob clearly states in Breaking Dawn. Also, the wolf could hate a person, and then imprint (BD), so it’s not really love.
Vampires all the way… no scratch that. Edward all the way! 🙂
I would wanted to be loved the way Edward loves Bella.
I suppose my blind Edward love is really clouding my ability to make an unbiased opinion but I’d go with vampire. I’m not so sure about the “choice” position people take on this issue since I don’t think Bella and Edward ever really had a choice either. Remember Twilight: Edward just couldn’t manage to stay away from Bella, try though he may. Recall New Moon: being apart will literally kill them. It’s not something they can do.
I’m glad Edward’s motivations are becoming clearer to you. As you will see quite, quite clearly later on, Edward cannot truly hate anything that loves Bella. And remember, Edward sees himself as a monster. A monster who swept in with no right to upset Bella’s life with his presence and his world but he did so anyway. He knows she’ll never have a shot at a normal life with him and the last thing he wants in the world is for her to become a vampire. A big part of Edward wants Bella to choose Jacob. Jacob can give Bella everything Edward wants so desperately for her to have but can never give Bella himself.
P.S. Kaleb, has anyone ever told you that you look like Dave Franco? The resemblance is definitely there!
I would want to be loved by a vampire because I would prefer to have a protector and confidant who doesn’t turn into a dog. Vampires are beautiful, strong, fast, intelligent beings while werewolves are out of control animals who can’t contain their anger.
I would definitely prefer to be loved by a vampire.
Personally I found the Quileute legends dull. I don’t know, when I was first reading it I had bad Twilight fever and I just wanted to know what happened between Edward, Bella, and Jacob so I felt the legends detracted from the action too much. I know it’s important to see how deep their vampire hatred runs, but I personally didn’t enjoy it.
Yes, that little Wuthering Heights passage explains absolutely everything about how Edward is acting, and how much pain he is in (especially if you read Wuthering Heights and the paragraphs around that quote…Heathcliff is in a lot of pain). I wish Bella wouldn’t have dismissed it, like “oh Edward couldn’t have been reading that section, I must be mistaken.” No Bella! Pay attention! Jeez I want to slap everyone in Eclipse.
As for your question…I probably would want a vampire like Edward. Imprinting is too magical…like it’s wonderful sounding to have that much love for one another but…I think it’s more magical that Edward and Bella love each other the same amount as imprinting puts out, or even more, and they love each other that much without magic. It’s more normal…weirdly enough lol.
Vampire, hands down. I mean imprinting sounds nice but loving Bella was Edwards own choice and I prefer it that way =].
And plus, Edward is more sweeter than Jacob.
As much as I want to say vampire hands down I honestly think imprinting. Sure Edward choose his love and sure Bella is insignificant compared to him which makes it even more lovely but the imprinting…it seems like so much more. How could you not want someone who not only loves you no matter what but is fits with you…like a puzzle piece? I think either would be fine…fire or ice.
I would rather be loved like Edward loves Bella! There is no better kind of love then that! It is so sweet and pure! Imprinting I think would be an interesting way to fall in love. I am not sure I would like it very much. I really liked how Edwards and Bella loves grew into what it is.
i would have to say werewolf… there’s just something about imprinting– that you were literally MADE for each other. that whatever you need that person to be, they are, and it’s right for them, too. there’s something about that level of commitment and compatibility that even a vampire relationship can’t touch.
^_^
I agree with Elizabeth. Fire or Ice. How do you choose? I am very much in LOVE LOVE LOVE with vampires, but to be honest I think I would rather have the imprinting. To me it doesn’t seem like they have no choice, it’s something that would’ve happened eventually, it just… it’s hard to explain. It’s the puzzle peice thing…they fit together, they want it just as much as Edward wants to be in love with Bella.
None of this implies that I would ever refuse a vampire- or his deepest love. Ever. haha
Umm, probably a vamoire, as he wouldn’t be forced to love me. Also, the werewolf imprinting thing freaks me out slightly, so yeah. Defiantly a vamp for me!!:-)
Hey great post!
I completely agree about the WH part being completely Edward-like. I read it in contex, after about my 5th read through Eclipse, and the entire scene is very Edward/Jabob-ish.
About the werewolf/vamp question, I think that in love, it wouldn’t matter what species they were, as long as I knew that they were the one for me, I would be ok. I mean, just because someone doesn’t imprint on you, doesn’t mean they don’t love you for who you are. Take Sam and Leah pre-imprint, for instance. They were in love, and if Emily had never shown up, they would have been happy together. I know that pretty much sucks as an example, but it was the best I could come up with. I know that was quite lengthy, but I tend to ramble on, just like I’m doing now.
Ttfn,
~JL
I would have to say a warewolf. I like the idea of someone’s goal in life is to make sure I am happy. And I know that Edwards love for Bella is unconditional, but he has hurt her before. Also though I would love to for a couple of hunderd years, I don’t want to live forever. So that means if I were to choose the love of a vampire, I would be old an wrinkled, why he would still be young and beautiful.
Definitely Vampire – The whole imprinting thing kind of freaks me out and would probably annoy me.
Hmm…if you read Midnight Sun, Edward didn’t have much of a choice, either. I would prefer to be loved how Jacob loves Bella.
I had Human by the Killers stuck in my head all yesterday! So it was kind of funny to see that it was the song for the chapter. Now I’m singing it again.
I agree with Kim. I don’t think that Edward did have a choice. Their relationship is just as much imprinting as Sam and Emily. They fit together, Bella was made just for Edward. He just had to wait to find her.
As for what I would want, either will do! (Vampire in the summer, and werewolf in the winter!) I don’t think that anybody really has a CHOICE over who they fall for. I mean that all-consuming, passionate kind of love. Sure, you can grow into loving somebody, but real passionate love is more like a chemical reaction. It smacks you in the face, it doesn’t let you make a choice.
That’s a hard question!!! Seth is neck-and-neck with Edward when it comes to my favorite character. They’re both amazing!!! And I know this will sound incredibly girly, but I think Edward is more romantic. Haha 🙂 I don’t know. Things like that don’t really matter in a relationship. So…it just depends…that’s a really tough question because I know Edward feels the same about Bella as an imprinted person. Maybe stronger. If he didn’t, I would choose to be imprinted upon. Hehe. I really don’t know!!! Agh! I can’t decide!
And one more thing. Hehe why do I keep doing this? I forget things 🙂 Anyhoo, I was reading the other posts, and I agree with them. You really don’t have a choice about who you fall in love with, anyway. It’s exactly like falling. Which makes it easier for me to answer the question: If I was imprinted upon, then I’d definately choose him. Like Jacob said, imprinted people are so perfect together, there’s really no point in resisting because you can feel the draw towards that person. But, if I fell in love with a vampire, then I’d choose him, obviously. So there! Yay, you got a straight answer out of me. Tehe 🙂
A vampire of course, but only if he was like Edward. 🙂 I think Jacob is ok, but he reminds me of an ex boyfriend of mine who is nice, but so annoying in letting me know he still likes me. Edward is so …mature about his love. I definitely prefer him. If I was Bella, the whole Edward vs. Jacob thing wouldn’t even have been an issue.
The fact that Edward waited 108 years for Bella amazes me! I would have to pick the Vampire for sure.
A vampire of course!!A vampires love is real, a werewolves love is forced beacause of the imprint.Even if they don’t want to love you, they HAVE to.And I’ll choose Edward over anybody else no matter what:D!
The answer to this is sooooooooooo obvious! Edward!
imprinting is flattering, sure, but always being adored like that.. i think i wouldn’t like it so much if i wasn’t in love that person (Rosalie, however, would love it).
but Edward is attached to Bella without ANY supernatural force involved. it is purely pure. there’s a draw to her that he can’t control but that is because he loves her sooooo much not because he imprinted on her. that is my opinion 🙂
♥ Edward!
I agree with (what is that, more than half?) of the comments above me, I would go for Vampire love.
The reason being that despite the love that Emily and Sam obviously feel for each other, werwolves dont really have a choice. Its true, there is something wholly mystical and wonderful about knowing YOU are the one who was put on this Earth for this person (Shall I use Embry for my example?), but lets say that you dont feel the same? What if Embry told you all the legends and you learned EVERYTHING, but at the end of the day you didnt feel the anything for him beyond platonic love? I, for one, would feel completly and utterly trapped. If I actually loved the person that imprinted on me, well, that would be different.
I favor the love of Edward for Bella because of that. They’re love is pure and they each have a choice to end it and move on (Not that they would!). Im not insinuating that werwolf love is the kind you find in the gutter, but Edward’s love for Bella just strikes me as…better.
A question. How can you possibly keep yourself from reading more? Do you keep your Twilight books under lock and key at all times other than when reading to reduce temptaion? 🙂
Good luck with everything, Kaleb!
great post kaleb! this is probably one of my favorites. i read that wuthering heights passage soooo many times, but now i finally understand. wuthering heights is a great book, 2, one of my favorites. i would want edward, a vampire to love me because he would love me unconditionally and irrevocably, not because some stupid supernatural love at first sight thing. i mean jared barely even knew kim or talked to her before he imprinted on her and suddenly he loves her and can give her any thing she wants in the world and love her so much. but why? not because he loves her for her…..
Gramatical blunder. Omit the ‘the’ between feel and anything. And ‘They’re’ should be ‘Their’
😀
i dont know…i love edward and dont really like jacob, but none of that has to do with what species they are. if edward came in werewolf form and jacob in vampire form, i would be for werewolves. i would rather be a vampire than a werewolf, but i dont know about who i would want to fall in love with. it depends upon the person.
i love that quote from wuthering heights. it is one of my favorite books, and i have read it several times. it shows how much edward truly loves bella to let her spend time with someone who hates edward and is trying to steal bella. i love edward.
Chapter 11 is one of my fav chapters just because i thought stephenie was genius to come up with all these legends and i love how it explains where the werewolfs originated from. I am team jake but i also love vampires so i wouldnt mind either one 😀