What if Bella isn't actually in love with Jacob?

[Pink4Ever]

Throughout the books Bella keeps saying how Jacob's pain is her pain and his happiness is her happiness. So what if the feeling of love she has for him is actually his love for her that shes feeling. I mean Jacob does state in the book that they don't know all the werewolf things so what if thats one of them. What do you guys think?

[joyd]

I KNOW!! The love Bella has for Jacob is much more like a brother/sister sort of thing...complicated because he is really in love with her!
You think that her feeling love for him is just like a mirror image of his love for her? Like she's reflecting it or something?

[Pink4Ever]

Thats exactly what I'm saying. I think what happend at first was that she really did love him as a brother but the more time she spent with him the more in-tune she became to his feelings. So when he became in love with her she felt that feeling. Just like she was able to feel his sadness ("When I saw his face drop in agony a sharp pain ripped through me"), his happiness ("Whenever Jacob is excited its hard not to get excited with him"), and his anger ("Seeing him angry at Sam made me angry"). I'm pretty sure I didn't get the quotes right on but I'm sure you get what I'm thinking.

[extinah]

I don't know...

In real life AND in books, people fall in love with their best friends. All of my boyfriends were friends to begin with, then turned into those that I fell in love with. Feelings DO evolve.

She always felt like she SHOULD only feel a sisterly love towards Jacob. Why can't, as time goes on, she fall in love with him? If Edward wasn't there, I'm positive she'd be with Jake.

She alawys felt like her love for him was just as friends--until she REALIZED that she was in love with him, too. That's pretty well spelled out, right?

I think that it's totally possible to be in love with different people at the same time--it's just that the way you're in love with one person is different than the other.

[Pink4Ever]

I did think of that. And your right because I have fallen for my guy bestfriends also but I just can't shake the feeling that thats whats going on. Also I want Edward to have Bella's heart. I love Jacob to but I think he can do better and theres always that imprinting thing. Jacob will never be truly happy with Bella because he'll always feel Edwards presence and Bella will never be truly happy with Jacob because she'll always have that what if thing on her mind.

[joyd]

I think so too. Even in book 2 when she was together with Jake more or less, the shadow of Edward hung over them the whole time...she wouldn't get over him, no matter what. I have a feeling she would miss her friendship with Jake but she could live without him if necessary.

[Pink4Ever]

Exactly. In New Moon she couldn't get over Edward no matter how much time she spent with Jacob. Even when Jacob made her happy she still tried to think of dangerous things to do so she could hear Edwards voice. When Edward came back she forgot about Jacob and only when someone reminded her of him (Charlie) did she get sad and miss him. So I think she can live without Jacob and only miss him every once in a while but she wouldn't be able to do that with Edward. She would probably die from depression.

[goodygirl_93]

Jacob was sad throught out the book and Bella only wanted him happy thats why she kept going back to him because of Charlie pressure and he have been there for her in New Moon. I really don't think there is no affection there because they only got closer in Ecplise and they really did nothing in New Moon and she thought nothing of him in Twilight and the only reason is because I think is he was sad that he couldn't have Bella. What does Bella love about Jacob for her to be in love with him for life? It wouldn't be right and plus she can live without Jacob. what I think is a friend/brother relationship they have. The things she does with Jacob is she can let go and do crazy things. So what does Bella love about Jacob for her to be in love with him for life?

[extinah]

If Edward wasn't there, I'm sure they'd have a wonderful life together.

What does Jacob have?

1. He's her best friend
2. Bella can be completely herself around him and not be self conscious
3. He would do anything for her
4. He's conscious of her reactions--and is smart about them
5. There is both a mental and phsyical connection
6. They love each other
7. They care about each other's feelings
8. He's good hearted (and has a beating heart...lol.)
etc etc etc

All of these things would make a wonderful friend and significant other.

I'm not saying Edward doesn't have all these things as well--I'm just saying Jake HAS these things, too, and it would make sense for Bella to be in love with him, too. Hell, I love Jake...in my imaginary Meyer world. :]

BUT since Edward is also in the picture, I don't think Bella will fall for Jacob. I hope they can still be the best of friends (minus Jake's crush) at the end of it all. I think Edward and Bella have a little more in common and they attraction is greater for one another.

Maybe the Cullens and the werewolves will have more than a treaty--maybe they can be allies.

[extinah]

from meyer's website:

Q. What’s the deal with Bella just falling in love with Jacob in the eleventh hour of Eclipse? Don’t you believe in true love anymore? What happened to blacken your soul, woman??

A. First of all, let me say that I do believe in true love. But I also deeply believe in the complexity, variety, and downright insanity of love. A lucky person loves hundreds of people in their lives, all in different ways, family love, friendship love, romantic love, all in so many shades and depths. I don’t think you lose your ability—or right—to have true love by loving more than one person. In part, this is true because you never love two people the same way. Another part is that, if you’re lucky, you learn to love better with practice. The bottom line is that you have to choose who you are going to commit to—that’s the foundation of true love, not a lack of other options.

Next, Bella does not fall in love with Jacob in Eclipse. Bella falls in love with Jacob in New Moon. I think it’s easy to understand why this fact doesn’t occur to her. Bella has only fallen in love one time, and it was a very sudden, dramatic, sweep-you-off-your-feet, change-your-world, magical, passionate, all-consuming thing (see: Twilight). Can you blame her for not recognizing a much more subtle kind of falling-in-love?

Does this love devaluate her love for Edward? Not for me. For me, it makes that perfect true love stronger. Bella has another option. She has a really good one. An option that’s easier in many ways, that takes nothing—like her family, present or future—away from her. She would have love, and friendship, and family—an enviable human future. But she chooses Edward over all of this. This makes it real for me.

http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/ecl_faq.html

[joyd]

I just think that if the roles were reversed and it was a guy who was in love with 2 girls we would cut him less slack; it's because we relate to Bella that we don't blame her for feeling that way...

[Sephyra]

I think it makes sense that Bella does really fall in love with Jacob, we get to know ourselves better after each difficult decision and that she chooses Edward just kind of cements things in place. I think it adds a bit to her maturity.

[extinah]

Seph: I agree. She can love them both at the same time--but she has to choose, and all along she has chosen Edward.

That means I get Jacob, right? I mean, just as friends of course. Don't want to make my bf jealous. :]

[goodygirl_93]

I disagree Bella has nothing for Jacob to be the love of her life even if Edward wasn't there extinah. If he wasn't there it would have only been a friend/relationship as her bf. Though Jacob loves her he never imprinted on her because if you go back and read on Ecplise near the beginning when she first visit him he tells her about imprinting. Though he said it haven't happened to him yet when she asked him. So if he imprint on someone else he will leave Bella it would be like the situation with Sam. Plus if she do pick Jacob, if she changes it in Breaking Dawn. What was the point of Twilight? But I agree with you extinah what you said 8-27-07 so there really isn't much to say though. I really don't think she fell in love with him in New Moon though I disagree about that one because she was still missing Edward. Jacob is like a brother and always will be and I think that you can love two people at the same time but you can have different feelings on each guy you have feelings about. Like I said Bella and Edward have been through thick and thin and I think they won't be separted. So really it doesn't make sense for Bella to love Jacob and choose him over Edward plus she is giving up everything for Edward and thats true love there.

[paulgoatallen]

You guys, great thread here – it's all fascinating but the bottom line is that in fiction – and in life – love just isn't rational. How many couples do you know where you're just like, "why in the world are those two people together?" That's why Bella is such a great character – she's real and the issues she has – aside from her love interests being dead and a shapeshifter – are real as well. I love reading novels where the predictable relationship doesn't always come to fruition. That's why I am so psyched for Breaking Dawn – call me crazy but I just think that somehow Bella is going to end with with Jacob...
Paul

[extinah]

LOL! I was thinking the same thing--but is it blasphemous to tell everyone?

I was thinking maybe (only maybe!) there was a chance that meyer brings jake and bella together at the end...

I keep remembering that Jake didn't (or couldn't) imprint on Bella...and his true love should be someone that he imprints on.

We shall find out...in a year. I can't wait that long!

[joyd]

Paul and Ex-

I am SO disappointed in both of you!!! Jacob is nice and all, but Bella has no where near the passion for him as she does for Edward! In book 2, she considers the idea of him being her "Paris" ie second choice!!! Why oh why would you want to see her with her second choice???

I personally hope Jake imprints on Leah- I think she's misunderstood! And Bella just belongs with Edward-and his family- sorry, but that just makes the most sense!!!

Why do y'all prefer Jake to Edward?

[extinah]

In one or Meyer's personal correspondances, she says that Jake hasn't imprinted on Leah (or Bella) because it would have happened the first time he saw that person after becoming a werewolf.

I think Jake's misunderstood--even Stephenie can't figure out why people don't like Jake. lol. At that time, that's how she saw Jake. It's since progressed from there.

To each their own. It's undebatable since we have our own opinions. :]

I 3 edward & jacob.

[Sephyra]

I wouldn't say I prefer Jake to Edward but Jake gets my sympathy, that's for sure. How's a 16 year old supposed to compete with a guy who's had a hundred years to cultivate himself and observe humans? Not to mention the smoldering, the dazzling, etc. The more I reread the series, the more I like Jake. One can only read so many descriptions of Edwards perfection... Jake gets an "attaboy" pat on the back from me

[goodygirl_93]

I disagree Jacob couldn't have won even though he was 16 and Edward had more experiance well not really he never had a gf neither did Jacob. though Plus Edward was really never competing with Jacob; Jacob was the only one competing. Edward was just being calm and mature about it because he wanted Bella happy after reading more in the book. Your not suppose to fight over love. That’s why Edward told her he was going to give up when he was in the tent with her. Edward said be happy to who you want to be happy with. What was the point of fighting in the book she should love him and not want him to fight over her and stop being so evil? Edward do have the experience of dazzling but he never founded someone that he found attractive and if you read Twilight he never putted his talents on humans like when he was talking to Jessica in Twilight the morning after they came back from Port Angles with Bella when he said hi to her. I think that was the first time he tried dazzling. Edward loves Bella and she loves him she is giving up everything to be with him through eternity. I hope that she doesn’t change the relationship with Bella and Edward in Breaking Dawn. What was the point of Twilight???