The only argument I would have here is for Ginny being a stronger female character than Bella, and you've probably seen the gif or photo or whatever that I'm (slightly because it's a bit inaccurate) referencing. In the beginning, when Ginny couldn't be with Harry, yeah she was annoying and ridiculous, but when Harry left her so that she would be safe, that girl kicked ass. Even though Hogwarts was being run by Death Eaters, she still re-started Dumbledore's Army and she played a major role in the final battle, whereas when Edward left her for her own safety (although I guess she didn't know that at the time, but still) Bella threw herself into ridiculously dangerous positions that could have gotten both her and Edward killed, because she's such a teenager that she can't move on and realize that there are other fish in the sea.
I guess my whole feminist thing doesn't rely on the outcome. I don't really give a shit if they get married and have kids, because I think you can still be as powerful and as much of a man as you want to be and do all that. I don't think anyone's arguing that Bella's a weak female character because she gets married and has a kid in the end (and if they are, they should probably be shot). It's how they get there. Hermione and Ginny totally won the right to do whatever the hell they want with their vaginas. I don't really know much about Twilight after New Moon, so Bella could totally have earned that right too. But someone who's just sitting around crying and being rescued by men and gives up everything for love really needs to do something REAL to make their life worthwhile.
And I guess to answer your last question, I think anyone giving up everything for love is weak, regardless of gender. Seriously, I suppose it's ok in literature because it's fiction and anything goes in fiction, but in real life, it's a chemical reaction in your brain. It WILL happen again, with the same intensity with which it happened before. No one is worth giving up your whole life. Maybe that's why I'm ok with Ginny. She was like "Eh, fuck it, maybe he'll die but at least I'M accomplishing shit."
*Disclaimer: This comment is neither approving nor disapproving of any pairings in any series (unless they're Snape/Cat). This comment was merely made from a canon point of view. Idk how a H/Hr point of view would have changed my feminism rant. Also I'm like half-asleep.
Hmm. I guess I can't comment as well as I'd like because I never finished the last book. It was too awful.
I have a very different view on love than you do, so my view on Bella is much different. But I would also say that Bella knew all along what she wanted - to become a vampire - and everyone took the choice out of her hands, so she did the best she could.
Hermione was one of the biggest let downs for me as a literary character. She had every bit of being the modern day girl's role model up until HP5 and being one of the best/strongest female characters ever (IMO). Then she had to turn idiot for Ron Weasley. Yes, I'm HP/HG but if Ron wasn't so immature, I wouldn't care. But everything she stood for, he bitched about - her penitent for rules, studying, reading, freeing elves, etc. I can't think of one thing she enjoyed that he didn't bitch about. But she never said one thing about Quidditch except how dangerous she thought it was but she was at every freakn' game (minus when she had the basilisk run in). It's been what, 4 years since the last book? And I still can't get over my disappointment in Hermione's fate.
Bella is...like every other girl in the world. I think most girls can relate to her in one way or another. I'm not sure there is anything defining about her that makes her solely unique. And I do wonder if she wasn't closed off to Edward if he would have been so attracted.
I think HP has a "better" following because it was one of the first modern literary hits that had the whole world captivated. Rowling made a whole world up from words to characters to societies to freakn' food, even if it does run parallel to ours. It does hold a lot of literary devices that reflect the classics. Twilight on the other hand is seen as following the cusps of HP. It's almost like HP did all that first and paved the way for Twilight. Twilight also runs in this world and except for new vampire lore, Meyers didn't really create anything new. The key plot is also different in both stories - HP is an adventure to vanquish evil. Twilight is a love story. Adventures are a lot easier to fall for and have a wider audience range.
I do think, technically, Rowling is a better writer than Meyers. I also think Rowling tries to pack too much in. I have trouble remembering every mini-adventure Harry and the gang went through in the book right after I've finished. Meyer is pretty straight forward; there aren't a bunch of winding turns and circles. Rowling thrived on stringing her readers along and, I think, had a huge power trip because of it.
I'm tired and could go on a "this/that" all night. I'm not even sure where my point is here. I'm crashing so here is the awkward ending.
I guess my whole feminist thing doesn't rely on the outcome. I don't really give a shit if they get married and have kids, because I think you can still be as powerful and as much of a man as you want to be and do all that. I don't think anyone's arguing that Bella's a weak female character because she gets married and has a kid in the end (and if they are, they should probably be shot). It's how they get there. Hermione and Ginny totally won the right to do whatever the hell they want with their vaginas. I don't really know much about Twilight after New Moon, so Bella could totally have earned that right too. But someone who's just sitting around crying and being rescued by men and gives up everything for love really needs to do something REAL to make their life worthwhile.
And I guess to answer your last question, I think anyone giving up everything for love is weak, regardless of gender. Seriously, I suppose it's ok in literature because it's fiction and anything goes in fiction, but in real life, it's a chemical reaction in your brain. It WILL happen again, with the same intensity with which it happened before. No one is worth giving up your whole life. Maybe that's why I'm ok with Ginny. She was like "Eh, fuck it, maybe he'll die but at least I'M accomplishing shit."
*Disclaimer: This comment is neither approving nor disapproving of any pairings in any series (unless they're Snape/Cat). This comment was merely made from a canon point of view. Idk how a H/Hr point of view would have changed my feminism rant. Also I'm like half-asleep.
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I have a very different view on love than you do, so my view on Bella is much different. But I would also say that Bella knew all along what she wanted - to become a vampire - and everyone took the choice out of her hands, so she did the best she could.
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Bella is...like every other girl in the world. I think most girls can relate to her in one way or another. I'm not sure there is anything defining about her that makes her solely unique. And I do wonder if she wasn't closed off to Edward if he would have been so attracted.
I think HP has a "better" following because it was one of the first modern literary hits that had the whole world captivated. Rowling made a whole world up from words to characters to societies to freakn' food, even if it does run parallel to ours. It does hold a lot of literary devices that reflect the classics. Twilight on the other hand is seen as following the cusps of HP. It's almost like HP did all that first and paved the way for Twilight. Twilight also runs in this world and except for new vampire lore, Meyers didn't really create anything new. The key plot is also different in both stories - HP is an adventure to vanquish evil. Twilight is a love story. Adventures are a lot easier to fall for and have a wider audience range.
I do think, technically, Rowling is a better writer than Meyers. I also think Rowling tries to pack too much in. I have trouble remembering every mini-adventure Harry and the gang went through in the book right after I've finished. Meyer is pretty straight forward; there aren't a bunch of winding turns and circles. Rowling thrived on stringing her readers along and, I think, had a huge power trip because of it.
I'm tired and could go on a "this/that" all night. I'm not even sure where my point is here. I'm crashing so here is the awkward ending.
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