Few things that I thought of about twilight..

Why Edward over Jacob?

I just finished reading the twilight saga yesterday (so the "just"actually doesn't count as I have spend another 26 hours hovering around the books and online videos) and I was very interested in knowing what I thought of Edward and Jacob and why I would choose one over the other.

Eclipse by far is my favourite in the series as it was very strong emotionally and brought out shades in the characters that seemed very human (for Edward too) and left you loads to think about. Though "Breaking Dawn" pretty much made it black and white and all perfect with everything balanced out (not that I am complaining about it- loved the end) I want to talk about Eclipse and what to think about a few things.

Firstly, can I person be in love with two people at the same time? The whole " I have two soul mates" and "if there was probably no magical world Jacob would be the right one for me" kinda made me dislike Bella a bit. But if one probed about it a little longer, I would say, probably there is a way to love two people at the same time for two very different reasons- here the reasons are laid out pretty clearly- Jacob and Edward are like "fire and ice" different yet complimentary.

By the end of the book I was and still am totally "Team Edward" (probably he is my kind of guy or maybe my guy is that way) but I couldn't help but think more on this. Though I am trying to stick to the fantasy world here, this draws get parallel in our real lives. What is it that makes Bella like Edward so much? And what is it that makes her like Jacob? And most crucial of all, how can she like Jacob at the end of Eclipse when she's already spent so much time with Edward? (I am okay with her liking Jacob in new moon, but Eclipse? That made it kinda cheating for me.)

My first answer to all of this was, falling in love is probably not that hard. When you spend time with someone long enough, especially with someone with whom you can connect- the fondness pretty much grows. Bella did lead Jacob on, but would you hold that up against her? Her guy left her and was never coming back. In the process, she met someone who was super fun, caring , easy going, loveable, warm and at the same time made no efforts to hide his love for her. The confidence a character like Jacob radiates is almost as enduring as the physical attraction for Edward. That made me think- was the love for Edward real love or pure fantasy? What did she know about Edward before dreaming about him? She was dazzled by his looks, his feel and as the book goes along it turns out that loads of vampires in their human life died simply because they were equally dazzled. So was that really love? Jacob said it himself "he's your drug"- an addiction, something you cannot live without because you are addicted to how it makes you feel. Luckily for her, that love grew to be a lot more than just plain attraction. (I often find myself forgetting that attraction is very important in love as well. Physical attraction definitely plays a role but when it's the only thing or the main thing- it could falter. Guess ugly people keep forgetting that beauty is important, outside as well!:P)

Back to the old question- Why did Bella love Jacob? Honestly, what's not there to love about him? and she met him at a point in her life where she truly needed him around- he was her only way to heal.But did Bella really love Jacob? Initially I thought it was more of a confusion. Since there is nothing wrong with character like Jacob (infact he makes life easier to live and of course you can't ignore the fact that you have to be a lot less careful around him-even physically) there is no way to not like him. I thought it was liking with a little which wa more than mere friendship mixed with the sympathy you felt when you broke the heart of someone like that. At the same time, for all that time that Edward had gone, he was hers. He loved her and cared for her and I believe that was the real reason to have him. Like she had a hold on his life and din't want to let go of that love.

And then why do I like Edward? Firstly, he's beautiful and a hardcore romantic. His love requires great personal sacrifice and testing in every which way possible and he manages it all. His protection, his passion, his madness in addition to his mystery make him a charmer for me. To be able to sit in a tent and let a boy hold your girl and still be okay with it takes some strength. He has it in him to kill but won't. He has all the reasons to feel confident but he isn't smug. He has everything yet in front of bella he feels like he's a nothing. I just find it more pure, more deep and something I can connect to.

In case of Edward, it's the love of a boyfriend with a shade of a fatherly protective,cautious love to it. In case of Jacob, it's the love of a boy wherein you feel like the older one and your love takes a shade of a motherly love as well.

I find great solace in Stephanie's words "love has many shades and you can't love two people in the same way though you can love a few at once"

At the end of the day, I think with love it's the pure commitment, the loyalty and the underlying fact that I may always get someone better but this is a choice I have made knowing that I want no better that truly keeps it going. I am glad Bella chose Edward. It just seems very right J

Few other things I thought of:

I guess in case of Human beings- feelings are so volatile and dynamic and that they can change quite dramatically with time. Probably because we are programmed to just adjust to our surroundings. And if that's the case why do we stick to one person alone? Maybe that's where commitment, loyalty, will and determination come in. Yes Bella was broken and probably a part of her always would be but I do think Jacob could have gotten her back on track if Edward had not returned. Am glad he did though. Probably that's what he means when he said "I left you broken and Jacob stitched you back. Guess those stitches just don't go away that easily". Amazing Edward actually understood it.

In case of a vampire, they are so fixed in their ways of "life" that when something in them changes, it's very clear and very permanent. Maybe that's why Bella didn't feel the same love for Jacob when she changed into a vampire. Edward and her love was kinda like imprinting in a way- magical and impossible to let go and you can see Jacob becoming a bit Edwardish in his love for Nessie. Not that jacob's love for Bella was not true but the imprinting kind of love seems something like you can't get away from which is probably why it's magical and too non-human to exist in our lives