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((Don't worry, it was a good thing to point out.))

1)Yes this is true. Stalking is wrong and it was wierd that he did that. Although we can't ignore the fact that there are stalkers in the world, and I'm not saying we should accept it either. I don't think she is personally telling people to constantly follow the one you like, or encouraging it, but it's apparently a secondary subject that isn't really focused on. I'm not sure it's that big of a deal compared to other things

2) I can't see abuse, or anyone taking the time to actually do this to someone. You can only feel trapped if you want to. Bella's choices shouldn't effect yours unless you are seriously shallow. You don't have to drive yourself everywhere, there are buses.

3) No, I do not believe this is acceptable, BUT i also don't believe it should be taken this way either. Bella only put those things on the back burner at first with the belief that she'd have forever to do it, and considering the books theme, she would. This can only be reflected on back her because that was her decision in which i don't think is all Edwards fault but also her frame of mind. Also Edward used up over half their time together to try and reverse her thinking which in Breaking Dawn was actually beginning to happen. She was actually going to live life a while longer with school and such, until the unexpected pregnany. But yes she did start spending less time with her friends. Couples do that to be quite honest, although not to such an extreme as bella and Edward, but remember this is a love novel. So it's of coarse going to be a little out there and contradicting. Although they did at least try to put the Cullens and her original friends together. Also with a friend like Jessica I wouldn't want to spend all my time with her particularly.

4) Now I have to say this is particularly true for most of the books. Although in sad defense to vampires, they had found their absolute life partners, and I can understand how it can be hard to go on without a particular someone when it'd one of the only things you have. It may start as a way of weak-will and lack of self-sufficiency but they stand up strongly when it is something they have to rise to the occasion to, and I did see it in various incidents within the book. Such as protecting family. Of coarse they were obsessed with the superficial, look at the common teenage girl today. It it quite sad really, and I wish it wasn't this way, and hopefully it will get better in the future.

Life, Love, Death, and Family are 4 of the biggest points in the series. I could even see that, and I'm only 15. I can't even begin to understand the emotion of being pregnant and having a child nor am I ready to, but I do know that when I am ready to have a child that most of the things I do will probably be dedicated to the well-being and better life for my child. I can understand why Bella put her life in danger for the purpose of her child. And sure this could be an outdated belief in a seemingly selfish world such as this, but I seriously doubt teen pregnany and protection issues was the meaning here. They were actually married to be truthful, and committed marriages don't often require protection.

It isn't like the males don't care about this, especially Sam. I could feel his total resentment, but in the moment it couldn't be helped, and we don't exactly know how Emily felt after this had happened. It isn't like he did it with a cold blooded intentions either, abuse isn't right, but this also wasn't EXACTLY the issue on their part. Bella is a foolish little girl in a way, but that doesn't mean everyone who reads the book is. Everyone has their right to opinion, and if deep down they feel some series should run their life, then all we can do is prevent the worst from happening.


It's nice of you to point this out, I can see it, and I saw it before, and it didn't really change me. I know these themes are present, but I also believe it is us who thinks up what we want, and believe what we want, and so because we aren't Stephenie Meyer we won't be able to see what she meant through the whole book series, but to do our best not to let everything we read effect us as people, and not just women either. just because these themes are present in the books, and I'm sure in a million other books over the world, we shouldn't let it push down the height of our excitement for reading a good book

When you are typing a long reply, it's generally a good idea to copy before you send it, in case you're logged out or something else happens.

I don't agree with Prop 8. I don't agree with Mormons or any other fundamentalist religious group. I believe that there is a seperation of church and state, and that it needs to be upheld. I also believe that someday the supreme court will overrule all of these states that have taken away the rights of gays to marry. It may not be in my lifetime, but I very much hope I'll live to see it.

However...Stephenie Meyer made that money and has every right to spend it as she sees fit. She didn't write up Proposition 8 herself, so I hardly think she's a demonic psychotic cow or whatever. She's just a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints and donates money to it. Many Christians believe in donating 10% of everything to their church. That in and of itself isn't some radical idea.

Anyway, this was originally a thread that made some valid points. Bashing Stephenie Meyer, her beliefs and her writing in a Stephenie Meyer guild is going overboard. If you hate her and her books so much, just leave the guild.

A series of popular books is not going to result in the loss of women's rights. Promise. You're being overdramatic.

Alright, now for my re-reply.

This is mostly a reply to Shortee.

1) No, SMeyer is not directly telling people to go out and stalk potential girlfriends. She is however romanticizing the act of stalking. She is downplaying the fact that it is illegal and buffing up that it is an act of love and is therefore alright. This is programming readers to think that it is sweet, thoughtful and ideal, to the point where I know three people who have said that they would go weak at the knees if a boy followed them without their knowledge. (Really personal experience here) I have been stalked, twice. Once by my biological father, and once by a boy at school. Let me tell you, I have never been more scared or felt more violated in my entire life.

2) Okay, yes, this is most certainly abuse. Let's get all quotey, "An abusive relationship is an interpersonal relationship characterized by the use or threat of physical or psychological abuse. Abusive relationships are often characterized by jealousy, emotional withholding, lack of intimacy, infidelity, sexual coercion, verbal abuse, broken promises, physical violence, control games and power plays."

Now to put this theory into practice. Edward disables Bella's car to ensure that she can't go anywhere he doesn't want her to go. It is his way of keeping tabs on her. When he has to go hunting he kidnaps Bella and keeps her forcibly in his house under the watch of Alice. These are examples of very abusive acts performed by Edward to ensure he is always in control of Bella. As for being done in real life, yes it happens, a lot. Many girls at my school are in those sorts of oppressive relationships. A girl in my school has a boyfriend who looks through her phone, doesn't let her go out with friends and doesn't let her talk to guys. This is so that he can keep tabs on her at all times. He treats her like a badly behaved child rather than a partner. So does Edward.

This behaviour should make anyone feel trapped, and it isn't the girl's fault. The fact that Bella accepts it is the issue here. Instead of running away, or telling Edward to shove it she accepts that he is in control. She believes that she should be treated like this by him and that she deserves nothing better. A message like this can only breed more girls like the one at my school. A girl who will defend her boyfriend for hitting her and excuse him for controlling her life. Just because I care that these women are letting themselves be walked on doesn't make me shallow. I believe it makes me rightly concerned.

3) As I mentioned previously about the friend situation. Bella DID make good friends that she wanted to spend time with, like Jacob, Leah, Emily etc (Only after Edward was out of the picture though). There were people in Forks for her to spend her time with other than Edward. Spending all your time with your boyfriend is unhealthy, it is vital in a relationship to have interests other than your boyfriend/girlfriend.

I see where you are coming from with the Life, Love, Death and Family themes throughout the books. To me however, these are far too generalized and inconsistent for me to see them as proper positive themes in the books. The only theme I agree that could be seen as a positive one in the books is that of Choice. However, since the last book, I believe this is now completely shot down.

Speaking of the last book, lets get into detail on the whole pregnancy issue the way I see it. I didn't want to get into this topic, but seeing as it was brought up I am going to.
Okay, first of all. The difference between you and Bella is that even though you are fifteen you appear to be a lot more mature than her at 17/18. You are also already talking about children as a possibility. Bella, during the three and a third books she wasn't pregnant had never even thought about children as a possibility. Bella is also a very selfish character. The ridiculously short amount of time she was pregnant was not enough for her to decide a baby was what she wanted, or decide that her baby's life was more important than her own. Throughout the entire series Bella had consistently put herself ahead of all others, except perhaps Edward.

Alright, now to get into the details of the pregnancy (Perhaps best to skip if you find talk of sexual fluids/functions offensive)

Edward is seventeen and in a relationship. It is very safe to assume that he would have gotten an erection at some point during his time with Bella, or thinking about her. It is also reasonable to gather that at one point he would have ejaculated, therefore becoming aware of the fact he would produce sperm. Even if he didn’t ejaculate, the fact remains that the Cullen couples have sex like rabbits on fast forward. It is a certainty that they would be aware that male vampires produce sperm, those magical little baby makers. I highly doubt that they would not tell him that he could produce sperm, as it directly effected Bella when they consummated their marriage. Now, Edward is a very over-the-top cautious person. Due to the special circumstances of their marriage, I doubt that Edward would have not used protection. He would have worn a condom to protect Bella from any harm his venom-sperm may have done to her, and of course of any accidental impregnation with a thought to be unknown offspring.

Due then to the illogicality of Bella getting pregnant, I have to believe that Smeyer used this simply as a way for her to force her personal beliefs on Pro-life and that every woman needs to have a baby to be happy. I believe that forcing her stance on abortion, marriage and children was exactly Smeyer’s meaning. Because logic says that the plot device of the baby shouldn’t have reasonably occurred.

And yes, it is horrible and a depressing thing that so many young women are so shallow and superficial, and that the world continues to be a sexist place. However, telling yourself that it isn’t important to you, that it is someone elses problem or simply trying to ignore it won’t make it go away, won’t make men treat us any better, won’t make women more empowered. If we want the world to be a better place we have to take an active role. We can’t ignore blatant sexism because it’s in a book with two sexy guys in it. Does everyone remember Shaik Al Halily? The Muslim leader who said it was a woman’s fault if she was raped because she dressed “promiscuously?”. The man who likened women to pieces of meat? The world was in uproar over his views on women. Why should Smeyer get away with it? Why should any woman compromise her own dignity and selfworth in order to continue reading a series about fictional characters who treat women as objects? By continuing to make excuses for her and defending her you are saying it is alright for her to insult her own sex, but that a man has no right to do so, which is ludicrous and hypocritical.