Dying "For" Other People and Twilight

The ultimate expression of love is supposed to be giving up your life for someone else. It's a huge part of Christianity, and it also plays a large part in Harry Potter with Lily's sacrifice, so I've basically had that idea drilled into my head since birth.

And this post isn't going to be me dissing that idea. However, I get really angry sometimes when I see that exact idea twisted into something that it is not at all supposed to be. I'm talking about the instances where someone dies "for" another person in ways that aren't saving the other person's life.

The biggest example I can pull up to talk about this is Twilight. I'm not one to typically insult Twilight online. I'm actually writing a Twilight fanfiction right now, so generally speaking, you can call me a fan. However, I hate Bella and Edward's relationship (as well as various other aspects of the series). A big reason for that is their multiple instances of almost dying "for" the other person even though they're not actually doing anything for the other person.

At the end of Breaking Dawn, for instance, Bella talks about how if Edward dies while battling the Volutri than she will too:

It was not going to be the end of the world. Just the end of the Cullens. The end of Edward, the end of me. I preferred it that way – the last part anyway. I would not live without Edward again; if he was leaving this world, then I would be right behind him.

Um, no? She doesn't even leave the option of living without Edward open?

This has always been a huge set off point for me. They have a daughter! A daughter! And Bella is just going to die if Edward does because she loves him and then leave Nessie with Jacob. No! This has nothing to do with me doubting that Jacob would take care of Nessie, but Bella is Nessie's mom. She should be planning to say alive if at all possible in order to raise Nessie even if that means living without Edward.

You have no idea how angry I get when I read that part of the book.

We don't even have to bring Nessie into it. Let's pretend they never had Nessie. She still shouldn't be dying just because Edward is dying. That's not how that works. You don't do that. You just don't. I may hate that vast majority of Bella's actions over the series, but that one comment really tops the cake for me. There is never a moment where I'm more tempted to reach into the book and yell at her. There really isn't.

This felt really good to get out though. You have no idea how long I've been holding this anger inside, especially since I started working on my Twilight fanfiction. (It comes through in there a bit, but I didn't actually address this exact issue in there.) I feel a lot better now that this is off my chest.