Fiction is to be enjoyed. Why must people over-analyze everything and destroy the whole point of a fiction novel?
I don't understand why people go to such lengths to destroy a work of fiction. Sure, I understand that you may not like it, but why destroy it for the rest of us?
Your arguement is strong, but I don't agree with it.
#1: Edward is not jealous of Jacob. Jacob is a werewolf: plain and simple. You saw poor Emily; because Sam Uley lost control of himself one time, he completely destroyed Emily's face. Jacob could loose control any time and injure Bella. Though the same goes for Edward, he takes precautionary measures by making sure he feeds before meeting with her. For example, the day before he went to the Meadow with Bella, Edward and Alice went hunting. Jacob can't make any attempt to make Bella safer; if he looses control, he looses control.
#2: When Bella came to Forks High School on her first day, she didn't try very hard to make friends in the first place. She didn't even know Edward that first week, I believe it is, and she didn't make any attempt to get closer to her friends than she already was. (SPOILER) Besides, if you've read the first chapter of Eclipse, Charlie will only take Bella off of groundage if she agrees to spend more time with her friends. Also, according to that first chapter, Angela Weber and Ben Cheney, as well as Mike Newton, to some extent, didn't isolate away from Bella. (/SPOILER)
#3 Edward attempts suicide because he thought Bella killed herself first. If I recall correctly, Bella had gone cliff-diving. Alice had seen a vision of her jumping, but no vision of Jacob resuing her. Rosalie found out and called Edward, telling him Bella killed herself in an attempt to bring him home (check Stephenie's website for that portion of the novel, as told by Edward himself). That didn't work; it actually had the opposite effect. Edward went to Italy to convince the Volturi to kill him.
#4: Edward doesn't encourage Bella to lie; she lies because she chooses to. She created the Seattle story simply because she didn't want to go to the dance. She finally decided she was really going to go to get some books, clothes, et cetra. She told Jessica she and Edward were going to Seattle together. Now, I will admit that once they changed their plans, Bella did lie to Charlie about going with Edward, but only because she chose to lie; Edward wanted her to tell the truth. Oh, you also said that he says the whole thing about bringing her back alive; it's him trying to convice her to tell someone where she is, whereas she does not listen.
#5: At the Meadow, Edward demonstrates his vampiric abilities to Bella. That's the only time she is afraid of him, if I do recall. And, as I said above, he takes precautionary measures to feed before being around Bella for long periods of time, like at the Meadow.
#6: Edward doesn't make Bella's decisions for her. The whole prom thing wasn't his fault; if I am correct (and I probably am, seeing as I read the book for the third time last night), Charlie was in on the prom thing as well. Her whole birthday thing -- she didn't ask gifts from anyone, but Charlie and Renée got her something, too. The whole reason for celebrating her birthday because the last birthday the Cullens celebrated was Emmett's, and it was... a really long time ago, in 1935, to be exact. All they wanted to do was have a little fun with this trival human tradition that they haven't celebrated in over eighty years.
The whole James thing -- everyone was taking steps to ensure Bella's safety. They wanted to get her away from James as soon as possible. If they had not, James would probably have gotten at her. Now, which would be worse? Anyway, Edward was acting irrationally, not remembering Charlie, but once Alice and Emmett realize what Bella's trying to get at, they try to make him stop as well, but he won't listen until they manage to convince him.
When Edward wants to run with Bella on his back, Bella's just being difficult. It's just like when she rides in his car; the ride is easier when she doesn't look until it's over. He tries to convince her of that, but she's just being stubborn. Sure, he manipulated her, but how else were they supposed to get to the clearing? The story would never progress if they just walked.
#7: Yes, Edward watches Bella while she sleeps, but when she does learn about it, she makes no attempt to stop him from staying over. In fact, she encourages it.
There. You have my two cents. I am a fan who likes to think, but the way; if I didn't I wouldn't have gone through the book to rebut your accusations.
8/7/07 is when Eclipse comes out, and it's my birthday. ^^
