Bella Swan: A Bird Who Didn't Want to Know How to Fly

[majestamoniet]

Now that you're all stunned by my profound subject line...

A Character Analysis of Bella Swan

Another product from the Town Hall Meeting, this is a post where you can assert your opinion of the character Bella Swan and comment on her role in Twilight fanfiction.  If enough people participate, this post can act as a resource for writers in the future

Comments

[majestamoniet]

I like Bella Swan:I’m gonna say this even though it won’t be popular: I like Bella Swan. I do. I know a lot of J/Bers don’t, but honestly I find that I little bit ridiculous. If I didn’t like Bella, I wouldn’t care whether or not she made healthy decisions, I wouldn’t have read all four books in the series, I wouldn’t have started reading fanfiction where’s she’s the leading lady, and I wouldn’t have wanted her to be with Jacob, whom I adore. Yes, I know the popular counter-argument by heart: “I don’t really know why I want Jacob to be with Bella.I guess it’s because I want him to get what he wants and be happy.” But that just doesn’t cut it for me. If it did I would write about him falling in love with a nice, normal, loving OC. Maybe someone here will have a more convincing explanation to offer in regards to this logic

[majestamoniet]

How Stephanie Meyer Developed Bella From Twilight to Breaking Dawn. Why she did that.Because Bella was so directionless when she met Edward it was easy for her to become attached to Edward. She was lonely and the relationship didn't cost her anything in the beginning. If a gorgeous, mysterious, sensitive guy takes interest in you, of course you're going to be interested back. From there, I think she just got caught up in the whirlwind that was Edward's world. She was young, she fell in love, she didn't think about the consequences

[majestamoniet]

Fanfic Trends Regarding Bella That I Like

I like when Bella has to work for what she wants. She didn't have to sacrifice crap in the series, and I think that just sent an awful message to readers. Yeah, you get your cake and eat it to when you sacrifice your humanity to become beautiful forever. *eyeroll*

I like when Bella follows a path of character development that she could have attained had she stayed with Jacob (and had SM not been the author).

Fanfic Trends Regarding Bella That I Don't LikeBadass Bella. There is almost NEVER any character development to this point. I don't want to read about Bella with a brain transplant. If you really don't want her her to be in any way similar to how she was in the series, create an OC instead of butchering her character and sticking her with a "Bella" name tag

[greeneyed_me]

I like Bella Swan

[audreyii_fic]

(taking a short break from the smut writing to answer these, because discussion threads are neat)

Do I like Bella?
Um. Here's the thing -- like the saga itself, I like the potential in Bella. I actually kind of liked her until the middle of Twilight, even as I saw her for what she was -- an avatar for young, insecure girls. I recognized I wasn't the target audience, and had I read the book a decade earlier, I probably would have really enjoyed it. But for me, nothing can get around the fact that Bella frankly devolved as time went on. So, no, I don't like her. But I like what she could have been, in more capable hands. Hence fanfic.

Her Biggest Mistake
Going to Italy. That's the point at which Bella goes from flawed to irredeemable for me. She cast off Jacob without a second's thought, and I can't sympathize after that with someone so willfully selfish. Though I play in Eclipse-era fic for drabble purposes, I can't write anything real for after she's boarded that plane. I'm done with her then.

Her Biggest TriumphThe facing her

[caramia_darling]

I don't know if I hate the fact that she went to Italy - manipulated like a pawn on a supernatural chessboard - as much as what happens AFTER Italy... Like you said, Bella devolved as a character as soon as the Cullens were reintroduced.

[maria_madalena]

The strengths
Loyalty
Bella doesn't betrays. Even when means she'll be damaged.
Determination
When Bella wants sometihng, she goes ahead, don't matter the difficulties. And what difficulties!
Courage
In a way, she is. Who can stand in front of grim vampires, who want kill you, without cry and beg for your life? Or run away?
Intelligence
Again, in a way, she is. She's knows to be ironic and witty. She's smart, when she wants to be. At least, SM don't create a dump character.
Honesty
Despiste all that "bla, bla, bla, I can't lie", she's honesty about her feelings. She can dissumulate.

The weaknesses
Low self-esteem
That's the largest. She can believes in herself, thinks she's shiftless, inferior to the rest of the human race, that she borns out of action. The others faults are consequences of this.
Selfish
Once she thinks be nothing much, she doesn't worry about the damages she can do.
ObsessiveWhen she thinks something can help her to scape from her "incomplete life", she grasps this like a maniac. She did this with Edward and Jacob

[majestamoniet]

Bella having a relationship with Jacob in the same way that she has with Edward.

Oh, yes. This.

Bella will relate to Jacob in SOME of the same ways she related to Edward because she's the same person, but Bella in the series is very different when she's with Jacob.

[maria_madalena]

Yes! And Jacob isn't Edward. On this fics (plural, because I see many), Jacob assumes portion of Edward personality, become overprotective, and all that.

[audreyii_fic]

I very much agree with this. The times I like Bella are when she's not with Edward -- the first half of Twilight and most of New Moon. Sure, she's got flaws (and she's thinking about Edward a lot), but when he's not in front of her, she's actually pretty decent (as much as any teenager can be).

Ever had a friend who you liked fine, but couldn't stand when he/she is around his/her significant other? That's Bella.

[greeneyed_me]

Bella's Five Greatest StrengthsDetermination- For such an insecure person, she really knows how to get exactly what she wants. Although this is also a kind of flaw in her too

[greeneyed_me]

How Stephanie Meyer Developed Bella From Twilight to Breaking Dawn. Why she did that.
I kind of addressed it previously, but oh what the heck. This (and having my Jacob imprint on a devil child from his own love's womb) is the main reason that I'm disgusted with Stephanie Meyer as an author. It. Made. No. Sense. Bella's character more so underdeveloped, going backwards instead of forwards in time. And then she has her turned into a vampire and fix everything with one big freaking band-aid. I'm not surprised she didn't mention Bella learning the cure for cancer. You just can't suddenly 'grow up' characters like that without some real transition. And sorry...two-three weeks is NOT even close to enough time. Not that Bella was really grown up, but you understand what I mean.

What the Movies Brought to/Took Away From the Role of Bella I like Kristen Stewart as Bella. She brings a little more...edginess to Bella's character than what's found in canon. That is...when she's not blinking too much or stuttering WAY overboard. But I am

[kerame]

Bella's Greatest Strengths

The only one I can think of is her willingness to put herself on the line for others. Though even then, the only time I believe it is when she's emotionally dependent on/romantically adored by them: Edward/Jacob, which is really about protecting herself. In the case of her mom and the third wife stunt, it just came off as being a drama queen and trying to prove herself worthy of Edward.

Bella's Greatest Weaknesses1) SHALLOWNESS: The most shallow lead character I've ever had the misfortune of reading about. She has completely different standards for the beautiful and the ordinary

[majestamoniet]

Fanfic Trends Regarding Bella that You Like

When Jacob tells Bella off.

So, I have to ask what you're doing hanging out on a J/B fanfic comm?

We respect all opinions our members might have, but we ask that you be respectful. This comm does not allow for character bashing--as explained in the community profile--especially when it comes to one of the characters theair_thesun supports. If you are going to make criticisms, we ask that you provide some reasoning and to deliver the criticism respectfully. As explained in the body of this post, this was meant as an analytical, intellectual exorcise. Again, bashing is prohibited.

If this is a problem, maybe this is not the place for you. Please consider this comment your first warning.

[kerame]

So, I have to ask what you're doing hanging out on a J/B fanfic comm?

I like J/B fanfic I don't like canon-Bella.

We respect all opinions our members might have, but we ask that you be respectful. This comm does not allow for character bashing--as explained in the community profile--especially when it comes to one of the characters theair_thesun supports. If you are going to make criticisms, we ask that you provide some reasoning and to deliver the criticism respectfully. As explained in the body of this post, this was meant as an analytical, intellectual exorcise. Again, bashing is prohibited.

You specifically asked for character analysis of Bella. It's not as though I jumped on someone else's post or a fanfic. I gave my reasons. If you mean I should supply examples, there were very few textual supports given in any of the replies

[majestamoniet]

Thank you for going back to add your reasoning.

But, please, in the future assert your opinions in a more respectful manner. The main difference between criticizing and bashing is delivery, and saying that "It got us out of Bella's stupid, shallow, beuaty-obsessed mind so the audience could pretend she had a scintilla of worth" is bashing. It's our goal to promote a thoughtful, welcoming atmosphere, so please keep that in mind.

Thank you.