We've stumbled on to another one of the dangerous ideas that this book series propagates. The first being that control freak sociopaths make good boyfriends, and the second regards depression. I've discussed it several times during the last book that Bella is obviously clinically depressed. Not just a sad sack, but DSM-IV depressed. It's one of the actual appealing things about her character, because at least in this our author is pretty accurate. The repeated feelings of worthlessness, the idolization of anyone that even seems better, and the complete attachment to her boyfriend (who again isn't worth it by a long shot) to the point where she ignores her self; all play into a categorization of someone who is suffering from depression. While such a clinical diagnosis is ought of my expertise, I'm basically comparing her to people that I have known who were diagnosed with depression by a psychologist. It's a little cheap, I admit that, but without shelling out the money for the DSM-IV and at least four years of college, it's about as close as we are going to get.
Yet the depressed Bella that we have come to know and despise also carries with it a strange trope that exists in almost all cases where a form of fictional media deals with a person suffering from certain psychological ailments. First things first though, let's get through the plot until we get there.
Jacob is stripping the bikes apart, which is stereotypical of any gear head. Take it apart to see what's wrong with it, of course, they could...I don't know, try to start the bikes just to see if they work. As they are doing so Jacob is basically carrying the conversation. The first thing he does is describe his sophomore year.
This was confusing to me. Not the sophomore part, we know that because in the last book Charlie yelled at him for driving before he had his license. It's just that I'm not sure where he goes to school. It can't be at Bella's Forks HS, because then she would have had prior knowledge of all of this. Is it a reservation school? I know that such things do exist, but it would be nice here if Meyer would fill us in on at least where he goes. Especially when Jacob's two friends show up for a pop in.
"Quil and Embry--this is my friend Bella.' Quil and Embry, I still didn't know which was which, exchanged a look"
I know the look, it's a guy thing and it surprises me that Meyer is aware of it. It's the he's-with-a-girl-so-let's-give-him-shit look. It's a nice scene that's incredibly realistic, and it would be nice if Quil and Embry don't suffer the Tolkien problem of being introduced just to be dropped. More importantly Bella leaves with the three still in the garage only this time, "I was laughing, actually laughing and there wasn't even anyone watching."
Jacob and his friends forced her to not purposely remember how miserable she's supposed to be. At home it's the usual weird relationship between Bella and her father. He's notably curious about her spending time with Jacob, although not in a suspicious way just a concerned father way. Along with a way of hoping this breaks her out of the funk she's been in. The next morning, it's Sunday. Which is important because it is very rare that we get any notion of time in this story. Although truth be told, this book is a lot better than the last one...so far.
Sunday means no homework, and Bella wants to take a run over to Jacob's to work on the motorcycles. Her dad is going to watch the game. It's kind of lazy writing to have Charlie keep doing this. So far any time Bella needs to be away from her father he's watching the game., "I wasn't sure if the game was just an excuse for kicking me out, but he looked excited enough now."
"The game" falls under the Cain/Hackman theorum; at any given time there's one on as long as you aren't picky about what it is. The thing about this "game" is that since it's Sunday we can't be sure what it is. Too late in the year for football, too early in the year for baseball. All that's left is Hockey and Basketball, and hockey we were told was last night. What could be so exciting that Charlie is ecstatic that Bella is out of the house? It doesn't matter apparently, the big four may not be on, but if you are willing to settle for Thai slap boxing or watching ESPN "the ocho" cover Scrabble you can find some sort of competition. This time the excuse does two things, it gets Bella away from Charlie but it also gets Old Man Black away from Jacob. This way the motorcycle rebuilt can take place in secrecy.
Bella's is happy now, I suppose is what really matters. But this leads us to the original point of the post. The trope regarding mental illness is that it's all in the person's head. Well, duh, I mean that it's not anything serious but rather just a matter of perception if the afflicted person could just get over it, get out in the world, they would realize that being miserable is a choice that doesn't have to be made. For reference see "The Dream Team," "Rainman," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," the episodes of House where he was committed, there's many more but those would be the most popular.
This is a dangerous stereotype to continue. Bella's problem is that she is a self-destructive person with no sense of self-worth. Then her boyfriend dumped her, now she's one or two bad decisions away from a suicide attempt which she's pretty much doing anyway with the motorcycles. Now, though, she's happy and laughing because she is around people who don't view her as being worthless, instead actually respect her. Which would be a good lesson for a depressed to learn, except that Bella isn't doing it right. She is happy because Jacob is happy, not for any reason that she can come up with on her own. Which is too bad because she ought to be, she found people that care about her and make her feel good. Yet she still holds on to that stupid promise she made to Edward, "I still wanted to cheat."
She wants to be miserable because the pain reminds her of Edward. It's the only thing and its disappearing. That's why she goes to bed anxious, she's afraid of losing that last connection. Maybe what I said earlier was wrong regarding her: maybe she is choosing to be depressed, but no matter because it is still a dangerous stereotype to continue.
Yet the depressed Bella that we have come to know and despise also carries with it a strange trope that exists in almost all cases where a form of fictional media deals with a person suffering from certain psychological ailments. First things first though, let's get through the plot until we get there.
Jacob is stripping the bikes apart, which is stereotypical of any gear head. Take it apart to see what's wrong with it, of course, they could...I don't know, try to start the bikes just to see if they work. As they are doing so Jacob is basically carrying the conversation. The first thing he does is describe his sophomore year.
This was confusing to me. Not the sophomore part, we know that because in the last book Charlie yelled at him for driving before he had his license. It's just that I'm not sure where he goes to school. It can't be at Bella's Forks HS, because then she would have had prior knowledge of all of this. Is it a reservation school? I know that such things do exist, but it would be nice here if Meyer would fill us in on at least where he goes. Especially when Jacob's two friends show up for a pop in.
"Quil and Embry--this is my friend Bella.' Quil and Embry, I still didn't know which was which, exchanged a look"
I know the look, it's a guy thing and it surprises me that Meyer is aware of it. It's the he's-with-a-girl-so-let's-give-him-shit look. It's a nice scene that's incredibly realistic, and it would be nice if Quil and Embry don't suffer the Tolkien problem of being introduced just to be dropped. More importantly Bella leaves with the three still in the garage only this time, "I was laughing, actually laughing and there wasn't even anyone watching."
Jacob and his friends forced her to not purposely remember how miserable she's supposed to be. At home it's the usual weird relationship between Bella and her father. He's notably curious about her spending time with Jacob, although not in a suspicious way just a concerned father way. Along with a way of hoping this breaks her out of the funk she's been in. The next morning, it's Sunday. Which is important because it is very rare that we get any notion of time in this story. Although truth be told, this book is a lot better than the last one...so far.
Sunday means no homework, and Bella wants to take a run over to Jacob's to work on the motorcycles. Her dad is going to watch the game. It's kind of lazy writing to have Charlie keep doing this. So far any time Bella needs to be away from her father he's watching the game., "I wasn't sure if the game was just an excuse for kicking me out, but he looked excited enough now."
"The game" falls under the Cain/Hackman theorum; at any given time there's one on as long as you aren't picky about what it is. The thing about this "game" is that since it's Sunday we can't be sure what it is. Too late in the year for football, too early in the year for baseball. All that's left is Hockey and Basketball, and hockey we were told was last night. What could be so exciting that Charlie is ecstatic that Bella is out of the house? It doesn't matter apparently, the big four may not be on, but if you are willing to settle for Thai slap boxing or watching ESPN "the ocho" cover Scrabble you can find some sort of competition. This time the excuse does two things, it gets Bella away from Charlie but it also gets Old Man Black away from Jacob. This way the motorcycle rebuilt can take place in secrecy.
Bella's is happy now, I suppose is what really matters. But this leads us to the original point of the post. The trope regarding mental illness is that it's all in the person's head. Well, duh, I mean that it's not anything serious but rather just a matter of perception if the afflicted person could just get over it, get out in the world, they would realize that being miserable is a choice that doesn't have to be made. For reference see "The Dream Team," "Rainman," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," the episodes of House where he was committed, there's many more but those would be the most popular.
This is a dangerous stereotype to continue. Bella's problem is that she is a self-destructive person with no sense of self-worth. Then her boyfriend dumped her, now she's one or two bad decisions away from a suicide attempt which she's pretty much doing anyway with the motorcycles. Now, though, she's happy and laughing because she is around people who don't view her as being worthless, instead actually respect her. Which would be a good lesson for a depressed to learn, except that Bella isn't doing it right. She is happy because Jacob is happy, not for any reason that she can come up with on her own. Which is too bad because she ought to be, she found people that care about her and make her feel good. Yet she still holds on to that stupid promise she made to Edward, "I still wanted to cheat."
She wants to be miserable because the pain reminds her of Edward. It's the only thing and its disappearing. That's why she goes to bed anxious, she's afraid of losing that last connection. Maybe what I said earlier was wrong regarding her: maybe she is choosing to be depressed, but no matter because it is still a dangerous stereotype to continue.
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