Reading Breaking Dawn: Chapter 16 (Too-Much-Information Alert)

The song for this chapter is All I Need by Within Temptation

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When a chapter in the Twilight Saga explicitly warns me ahead of time with the title “Too-Much-Information Alert” I can’t help but shudder. After all, if all the other Too-Much-Information scenes I have endured (namely: almost every scene on Isle Esme) were so light in comparison to one that actually needs a warning, what horrible, embarrassing thing lies ahead of me in the sixteenth chapter of Breaking Dawn?

It is nice to see that Leah is beginning to accept Jacob as the Alpha, because at first she appeared greatly against the idea and a bit forced into the new pack. But I have a feeling that all along, she was just doing it for a show of her own independence rather than really wanting to leave Jacob for someone else. It is one of those things about Jacob that I’ve come to realize — that you can’t really understand him on the surface, until you get to know him. I never understood him in the slightest until I got into his head. Similarly, Leah didn’t see him as a good leader until she was in his pack (and, quite literally, reading his thoughts just like us).

I’m also beginning to wonder if there are any romantic feelings from Leah for Jacob? I know she is still bitter about Sam imprinting on Emily. I get a feeling that she might be desperately searching for someone to fill the void that Sam left — even if not so much in a romantic way with Jacob, but just for someone to love her. It also seems that both she and Jacob are very much in the same position: both of them love someone who can never be theirs, who were never meant to be theirs, and are trying to fight against their feelings for what they know is best. If this was any normal romance novel, and Jacob wasn’t so sore over Bella, I would suspect something blossoming between these two, even if no more than a great friendship and understanding.

Still, it is truly hard to feel the pain that Leah is going through: feeling as if she is just a freak amongst her own people. It is like someone who is suddenly incapable of being loved — a werewolf who thinks that no one will ever imprint on her just because she isn’t like the other women. But like Jacob says, waiting for this sudden and unexpected ‘imprinting’ thing to happen isn’t her only hope of being loved. She could always simply turn back into a human, get a job, meet people, and have a relationship like every other normal person.

(Photo Entirely Unrelated)

And finally, I get to the part where the name Renesmee is created. I remember when Breaking Dawn first came out, and I was immediately spoilered, within an hour of the release, by this name (Renesmee is pretty much one of the only things I was spoilered on in BD, fortunately). I remember it specifically because of all the forum posts and emails about being confused as to where it came from, and why Bella was so selfish as to not include all of her family member’s names at once, an example being Renesmettallie Carjalicphil:

Can’t see it? Click here.

Twicurls aside, I see this as a beautiful moment between Bella and Edward: perhaps one of the most beautiful since they first met in Twilight. Up until now, the child growing inside of Bella was seen as this monster — even Edward agreed with Jacob on this. But suddenly, with just that tiny spark of communication and recognition between the two parents and what is growing inside Bella, it is no longer a ‘thing’ but their child.

Someone told me in the comments, back when Edward was desperate to have Carlisle kill it, that a father does not bond with a baby until after he or she is born (I don’t know how true this is– I haven’t researched it any further that what I was told). Could this be advanced before the child is born, since Edward has made a connection with the baby in his mental, mind-reading way? Because it is almost as if he can really speak to his child suddenly, as if the baby has already been born. Because of the connection between Bella and Edward, and their unborn child, it is almost as if in one startling moment they have gone from a couple, into a family.

But now, I can’t even imagine the pain that Jacob is in. Again, can anyone even think of how hurtful and heartbreaking it would be to love someone so much, and then to have to watch her and her new husband and their child, happier than they have ever been? Wouldn’t you wish that at least she would feel some remorse for not being with you, for choosing someone else — that maybe she would give you the tiniest bit of consolation? But no — she happy, and content, without him. In any normal relationship, Jacob would be far away, and not have to suffer watching how happy the girl he loves is with someone else. He is literally tearing himself apart by staying there, and I don’t think any of us would hold it against him if he left and didn’t come back.

As for Jacob Black, this line in the beginning practically horrified me:

“I was only about a mile from where I’d left my clothes, so I phased back to human and walked.”

Whilst visiting Forks, I will remember not to venture into the places where Jacob is known to run completely naked for miles. Especially knowing those super-devoted fans who might try to recreate this scene.

QUESTION FOR THE COMMENTS: Would you rather Bella had a son and named him EJ, or a daughter and named her Renesmee?

——NOTES——

- Peter Facinelli has a huge bet going on with his friend — if he gets 500,000 Twitter followers by this Friday, he gets to keep his chair from TWILIGHT! Along those same lines, if I get 500,000 Twitter followers by this Friday, I will give Peter Facinelli MY chair (har har har).

- During that huge Facebook username craze last week, I managed to snag Facebook.com/KalebNation for my new Facebook page! If you haven’t added me, now you can do it with STYLE and PIZZAZZ!