Breaking Dawn: Chapter 3 - Big Day

[zelda_queen]

ZeldaQueen: Why are all of these titles so freaking short and nondescript? And does something actually happen in this part?

Projection Room Voices: Resuming Media in 3...

ZeldaQueen: Figures they won't answer.

Projection Room Voices: 2...1...

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Chapter 3 - Big Day

Bella wakes up from her terrifying dream and finds that it's very early on the day of her wedding. She opts to calm her nerves by...cleaning the house and fixing breakfast. Darling, I think that one would be allowed to skip that on one's wedding day. You yourself said that the rooms are already clean and I'm sure Charlie can fix his own breakfast. Apparently Bella doesn't think so, or indeed think her dad capable of very much, since she continually reminds him when he comes in that he has to bring the minister to the wedding and look presentable. He mutters something about a "monkey suit" under his breath and again, I can't help but feel kind of fond of him because I sort of like that character - a guy who is dashing and elegant when cleaned up, but still has a fun, outdoors-ish personality which leads him to dislike dressing up. Seriously, Bella needs to start to appreciate her dad more. Like now.

Bella then leaves with Alice, who will be getting her made up for the wedding. Alice gets all annoyed that Bella looks tired from staying up late and then mentions that she'll at least have time to sleep on the plane ride tomorrow. Bella is intrigued by this.

"I raised one eyebrow. Tomorrow, I mused. If we were heading out tonight after the reception, and we would still be on a plane tomorrow… well, we weren't going to Boise, Idaho. Edward hadn't dropped a single hint. I wasn't too stressed about the mystery, but it was strange not knowing where I would be sleeping tomorrow night. Or hopefully not sleeping . . ."

ZeldaQueen: Erm, I'm not 100% familiar with the other books, so if any viewers could help me out on this - why would Bella think that they would be honeymooning in Boise? The Cullens have unlimited money and we established before that Edward only ever gives her ridiculously expensive presents. Wouldn't she at least assume that they'd be going to New York, or Los Angles, or Palm Beach, or the Bahamas, or Paris or something? I mean, that's the choice for plenty of couples who are well below the Cullens' means. And yes, we are reminded that Bella is horny. Although to be fair, they are getting married and made a deal with Edward, so it's not like there's no reason for her not to anticipate a good sexing.

Anyway, Alice worries that she's let the cat too far out of the bag and quickly starts talking about how she's already packed Bella's stuff for the honeymoon. Wah - ? PEOPLE! LET BELLA DO SOME THINGS BY HERSELF! AS RIDICULOUS AS SHE CAN BE, SHE IS NOT AN INFANT! SHE IS, IN FACT, CAPABLE OF WALKING PLACES AND PACKING THINGS ON HER OWN! Bella herself is rightfully indignant that Alice did that and Alice replies that it would ruin the surprise if Bella saw what was being packed. Then why didn't you let Bella pack and then hand her a separate bag with the "surprise" stuff in it? Or stuff that extra stuff in after she packed? Gah! Oh, and Bella correctly deduces that Alice also just wanted an excuse to shop and Alice tells her "You'll be my sister officially in ten short hours… it's about time to get over this aversion to new clothes." Nice to know that you'll be letting your new sister-in-law pick out her own hobbies and likes and dislikes there, Alice. *rubs head*

They reach the Cullen house, which has been decked out in the old graduation decorations. Bella notices a powerful blend of smells - orange blossoms, lilac, roses, and...freesia. Ha ha, I c what u did thar!

Projection Room Voices: Please refrain from internet slang.

ZeldaQueen: Well you're no fun anymore. So Bella is led into the bathroom, where she falls asleep a bit while Alice does her up.  Rosalie shows up to fix Bella's hair and Bella goes off into a fit of depression because Rosalie looks so beautiful with her hair piled up and a silvery gown on. Then she feels happy because she gets word that Edward is in the house. That girl is bi-polar or something, and it is not healthy. After being fawned over and having her hair and make-up done, and getting the gown put on, Bella goes back into panic-attack mode and leaves to see her mother, who has been having a grand old time helping Esme decorate. Renee is thrilled by the sight of her daughter in a dress, looking like she came out of an "Austen movie" and Alice and Bella exchange glances while Bella mentally comments on how her mother was a hundred years off on the dress style. For Christ's sake, your mother is supposed to be your best friend! Act like it! Oh, and her parents give her a present before she goes off, a pair of her grandmother's old silver combs with Bella's birthstone (sapphires) set in them. And apparently it was Alice's idea (GAH! LET SOMETHING HAPPEN THAT IS NOT CONNECTED BACK TO THE CULLENS FOR ONCE!) to go with the dress and this is all completed with Alice loaning Bella her garter belt and putting it on for her. Okaaaaaay...

So the wedding starts and Bella is freaking out and waiting with her father and everyone gets into place. The wedding march begins and Bella asks her dad not to let her fall and I actually kind of like this part, just because it's a very brief moment of bonding between Bella and her dad that this book seriously needed more of. And then it's all dropped the instant Bella catches sight of Edward waiting for her. Then she gets all eager and practically races down the aisle to get to him. They go through the vows with "Until death do us part" being replaced with "As long as we both shall live". Erm, what? Either they're both dead as vampires (in which case they still aren't held to their vows) or they're both living immortal as vampires (in which case, it wouldn't matter if "until death do us part" is used, since they're never going to die). It just...it makes no sense. Go figure.

Then they have a long, passionate kiss and everyone cheers and hugs them and there was much rejoicing.

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Onward to: Chapter 4: Gesture

Back to: Chapter 2 - Long Night

Return to: Table of Contents

Comments

[aikaterini.livejournal.com]

/She opts to calm her nerves by...cleaning the house and fixing breakfast. Darling, I think that one would be allowed to skip that on one's wedding day. You yourself said that the rooms are already clean and I'm sure Charlie can fix his own breakfast./

You think that MEN can fix their own breakfast? You think that men can clean houses? Don't you know that that's women's work? Even on a woman's wedding day, she must make sure that everything is neat and tidy, otherwise the house will become a pigsty! Who else is going to do it? Not a man, that rugged, majestic creature who is completely separated from such mundane, feminine chores like cooking and cleaning! *sarcasm*

Man, I hate the misogyny in this series.

[zelda-queen.livejournal.com]

I think the worst thing is that Charlie is written to be absolutely useless at anything domestic. I mean, he's been living alone for years, without anyone to dust or cook.

That to me is what makes it so offensive. I could understand if Bella finds cleaning or cooking to be a comforting thing and just does it because. But it's made pretty obvious that her dad's useless and she's the only one who can do those things. *gonk*

[aikaterini.livejournal.com]

Same here, my mother cooks for my family and even though sometimes it feels like a chore for her because of issues of time and whatnot, it's not so bad because she *enjoys* cooking. She watches so many cooking shows for fun, for new recipes, and for tips on how to improve her cooking skills: whether it be from Martha Stewart, Emeril Lagasse, Lidia Bastianich (not Rachael Ray though, my mother doesn't like her for some reason). One of her favorite gifts for Christmas this past year was a copy of one of Lidia's new cookbooks. The same goes for my grandmother, who also loves to cook.

So, if Bella cooked a lot because she enjoyed it as a hobby, yes, I would be fine with that. In fact, it would be very sweet and touching if Stephenie Meyer had written scenes of Bella and Charlie cooking together. But Bella *doesn't* enjoy it; she only does it because she feels *obliged* to because she's a girl and her father must obviously be hopeless in the kitchen because he's a man. D<

Whenever Charlie ever offers to help Bella cook, either Bella scoffs at him or Meyer has him mess up. The reader is supposed to laugh at his efforts: "Ha, ha, look at the sad, puny man, thinking he can get around in a kitchen!" You failed, Ms. Meyer, for I am not laughing at Charlie, I am laughing at your sadly outdated views and your sexist gender roles for men and women.

Wolfgang Puck and Emeril Lagasse would like to have a word with you, Ms. Meyer. As would all of the male contestants on "Top Chef," "Iron Chef," "Hell's Kitchen" and other reality shows about cooking.

[zelda-queen.livejournal.com]

Same at my house. My mom does the cooking and stuff, but it's because of time. My dad's not home too much. When he is home, he does clean and vacuum and cook and stuff. And I agree, a Charlie and Bella cooking scene would be very sweet and good to show bonding, even if it was her showing him some pointers. It also really doesn't help that we have no idea of what Bella's life was like back in Forks besides "I did everything for my ditzy mom". It would give us some basis for comparison again, if we saw her and Renee doing chores together or something.

Heck, my boyfriend would like to have a word with her. He cooked for his entire family (four brothers, dad, and mom) and apparently trained his younger brother to cook for them when he left for college.

And yeah, Meyer really needs to move out of the 1950s. She does know that "Pleasantville" was a dystopian satire, doesn't she? Ah, who am I kidding, she probably doesn't. She missed the point of "The Princess Bride".

[melissatreglia]

"As long as we both shall live".

My mother's church has a version with this to replace the traditional "until death do us part" wedding vow. I've gotten used to hearing it, since I've been to quite a number of weddings there (my mom is a lay minister, so... yeah).

And I think the "Boise, Idaho" thing was supposed to be a joke.

[zelda-queen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know. It just doesn't make sense. If she as boggling at the over-the-top decorations and said something like "Going off of this, I guess we're not settling for Boise", I could see that. Going for the idea that the honeymoon location is far away, Bella could just as easily said "We weren't going to Los Vegas", which would have been more appropriate as a stock honeymoon location.

Also, I just realized that Meyer could have just said "Boise" and that adding "Idaho" after was unnecessary. (Erm, I was trying to figure out why that phrasing came across as clunky ^^;;; )

Stupid Honeymoon Destinations

[(Anonymous)]

When you're a young, broke just-married Mormon couple living in Utah, (I think Meyer lived in Provo?) Boise is the fallback destination. Wendover (Utah-Nevada border, closest place to gamble) is out, because you don't drink and you don't gamble, and Boise is close enough to drive without being too expensive.

It's a local culture joke that doesn't translate very well at all.

This has been your "And Now You Know More Than You Ever Wanted To" moment.

Re: Stupid Honeymoon Destinations

[zelda-queen.livejournal.com]

Oh, that makes sense! Thanks. :)