Twilight
If you wrote the birth scene, what would you have done differently?
Rosalie wouldn’t have lost focus. That was totally unfair to her character. She had the best record after Carlisle. Would Carlisle have lost it in that scene? No. So why should Rosalie? I understand she was thirsty, but Bella’s pregnancy only lasted 3-4 weeks and the Cullens routinely go 2 weeks between hunts. It’s not like she was starving for months. And she’s been to medical school; she’s had exposure to blood in a clinical setting.
But if we wanted to keep the drama up, ALICE could have been in the room and ALICE could have lost control. She doesn’t have a perfect record like Rosalie (she has killed people, and her early attempts at vegetarianism met only with ‘sporadic success’) and did have to leave in New Moon. (Rosalie left in New Moon too, but that’s because she and Emmett dragged Jasper out. She was obviously in control of herself enough to take control of Jasper). Alice hasn’t been to medical school. Alice doesn’t have practical experience with blood in a medical setting. And then Jacob’s actions couldn’t be interpreted as being malicious/getting back at her, because he and Alice had a good or at least neutral relationship.
Rosalie and Edward are the only two with any medical training, they should have handled the birth. Jacob really had no place there other than he had to be there to narrate that section of the book. So Alice is there helping them and loses her self-control, Jacob goes for Alice to stop her from hurting Bella and drags her out of the room (rather than kicks her around) while Rosalie and Edward deliver the baby. Rosalie takes the baby and handles the clean-up and assessment of the newborn, and Edward frantically tries to save Bella. Jacob can come back to help him with that (CPR) I suppose.
I just really don’t like that Rosalie had her greatest strength and source of pride stripped from her like that. I mean sure, technically she didn’t actually hurt Bella so her record is still ‘clean,’ but I think it was unfair to her established ‘tenacity’ and iron-will to lose her cool like that. IT could have easily been Alice or even Jasper (if Jacob wanted to get physical and violent, imagine him trying to fend off The Major!) who was tempted by the blood and it wouldn’t have violated their characters in the same way.
My problem with the birthing scene isn't only that Rosalie lost her agency, it's that it was taken from her. It is an established fact that she has enormous willpower, and self control. If she didn't she wouldn't have a mate, or the blood of her rapists on her hands. Their deaths alone are proof of her strength, but these things are discarded so that a man can be glorified. His assault was malicious in nature, if he wanted to stop her without hurting her he could have. Let that sink in.
Thank you! You articulated it better than I have. That’s exactly what makes me so uncomfortable about this scene.
And again, it’s not character bashing. It’s not about what Jacob or Rosalie did or did not do, it’s about why SM chose to write it that way.
I never saw Jacob attacking Rosalie as heroic. If Edward her mate and who has equal vampire instincts doesn't try to stop Rosalie but instead tries to prop Bella up so she can breathe didn't drop kick Rosalie why did Jacob have to slam her into the door and buckle it? It was silly just like the dog bowl, blonde jokes, etc.
Jacob always got the last laugh. She makes a dog reference, he makes a blonde joke. She feeds him in a dog bowl, he throws it at her head. She assists with the birth, and he kicks her across the room. She dotes on the baby, he imprints on her so Renesmee loves him best.
I don’t know, I just feel bad for Rosalie. She’s supposed to be one of the good guys but she’s always getting blamed for everything and yelled at by everyone. In Twilight she’s demonized for thinking that letting Bella into their lives is dangerous (she was proven right time and time again). In New Moon she’s blamed for the Volterra disaster when it was Bella who jumped off a cliff, ALICE who didn’t bother calling to tell anyone that Bella was alive for TWO DAYS, and Edward who overreacted. Did Rosalie have a part in that clusterfudge? Sure. There was plenty of blame to go around. But it was NOT all her fault, and Alice and Edward acting like it was (when really I feel like Alice NOT TELLING ANYONE BELLA WAS ALIVE is the most to blame, I mean really!!) was not fair. In Eclipse Bella dismisses Rosalie’s sincere warnings and then in Breaking Dawn she’s made out to be the bad guy for doing exactly what Bella wanted her to do.
I just feel bad for poor Rosalie, mostly. lol.
Why ‘is Kristen Stewart’s Bella a Good Role Model?’ is an irrelevant question.
By Cathy Lomax | May 19, 2012
‘She (Stewart) plays a character who is a terrible role model in Twilight, but in person is a blessed relief.’
Click here to article
Interesting little article…
I'm with you on this one; if it had been Alice or Esme SM would have written that scene much differently since both characters are team Bella. Neither of them would have lost control and would have pushed through their thirst to support whom they both love so very much (and who SM cares for far more than Rosalie) through that difficult moment.
I just can’t imagine SM allowing anyone to kick Esme across the room. Nor Alice. I just don’t understand why she had to humiliate Rosalie in this way. It’s like her comeuppance for putting the baby’s life ahead of Bella’s, but THAT WAS WHAT BELLA HERSELF WAS DOING and what BELLA HERSELF WANTED. So why on EARTH should she be punished for it?
Rosalie should have been there with Edward delivering that baby. This was supposed to be her triumph, but instead she was humiliated. Rosalie has been to medical school, Rosalie wants this baby more than anything, Rosalie has iron-will and incredible self control—she killed humans as a newborn and didn’t drink their blood. The way it played out made it sort of seem like “yes! Jacob finally got to kick Rosalie’s ass!” rather than “Jacob heroically got between Bella and a vampire.” Because the vampire WAS Rosalie, it was hard to tell if it was pure instinct on Jacob’s part or if it WAS personal retribution. If it had been Alice or Esme he flung around, we would have known for sure it was simply protective instinct and nothing more. With Rosalie… it’s ambiguous.
