"In New Moon when he takes a leave of absence what’s a girl to do? Find something in them self? NO! Find another man! Enter Jacob, another troubled male figure who helps her cope with her loss and then leaves her hanging."
In New Moon Bella actually dealt with the depression a lot better than Edward did. Edward curled up in a ball and did nothing for 7 months, whereas Bella tried to overcome the depression, though she failed she at least put in an effort. When Bella is changed into a vampire, she's on equal grounds with Edward physically and isn't always protected. I don't think your points are wrong, but this is just the other side of the argument.

"She has no identity of her own, and literally loses her mind without the constant influence of vampire boy. At the end of Twilight, when Edward attempts to leave her in the hospital, she almost gives herself a stroke. Again in New Moon, when he tells her he has to go (because he’s a danger to her), she’s shown on the ground in the fetal position, looking a junkie whose about to kill herself."
Jacob fell into a state of depression when Bella married Edward, and Edward curled up into a ball for 7 months, fed off rats, and tried to kill himself without Bella. I don't think its Bella without a sense of identity, I think all of these characters lack depth.

"Bella isn’t a strong character and shouldn’t be revered for her behavior in these films. She’s nothing more than a shadow for a man rather than a pillar for herself and not only is that dangerous but it’s a discouraging message to send to girls."
So the point of these books to tell a story or to show the ideal role model?

Anyways, I don't find Twilight a "nightmare" to feminism, it's definitely misanthropic but not misogynistic. The point of feminism is to give women equality right? To view women as equal to men. If you tell a woman she can't do something because she's a woman, then that's sexist and "anti-feminist." Bella made the choice to be a mother and a wife and to not go to college, no one forced her into anything. In fact, Edward constantly asked her to apply to more schools, and experience her life as a human instead of giving up her mortality. Bella chose to be what she is, she's not a role model, she's just making her choices for her.

IRT _Little Women_, I could not read that flock of fluttering twits without gagging and throwing the book across the room. My mother handed me her Nancy Drews after that, and basically gave up on breaking me of being a tomboy.

That said, Bella is a girlie-girl. She's also the type of uncoordinated klutz who can trip on a nickel and break her wrist. In the books, she always has some minor injury from this. As she tells someone, it does her no good to run, since a 5yo could catch her and beat her up. This informs her entire personality. She is utterly fearless, because being afraid is a waste of time. None of this is very well portrayed in the movies.

Yes, she uses and abuses Jacob's affections and ditches her friends for a boy. So do most teenage girls. They're teenagers and thus self-absorbed. Yes, she at first knows nothing about mechanics. Then she rebuilt those bikes with Jacob's coaching and learned to ride them. Again, the movies screwed this up, because in the books, she continued to ride them after her accident.

Is Bella admirable in all ways? Hell, no. But then, who is? Is she a character that I can see as a person doing things that she wants to do? Yes. Not the decisions I'd have made (Team Jacob!), but right for her.

The "anti-feminism" rantings I've seen here deny the aspect of feminism that says that a woman should be WHATEVER SHE WANTS TO BE. Whether that be a physicist, a neurosurgeon, a fighter pilot, a martial arts competitor, a business mogul, a cop, a nurse, a therapist, a "human resources" sneering snip, or a housewife. All of you demanding that every woman MUST fit inside your restrictive little pigeon-hole of "proper feminist" are as bad as the patriarchal jerks who caused the invention of feminism.

I can't believe that a woman would write this sexist crap. Heck, all Bella does is cook and clean. Yeah, totally not sexist at all.

Many of us are tired of taking the lead and being the strong one, the protector and provider. A man like Edward, to some degree, would a welcome change to the weak men feminism has created (sons of hardworking single moms who without a male role model where coddled too much and expect their women to do the same). Many of us would love for a guy to open the door for us once in a while, pick up the check, take our coat, protect us from harm. Its not because we cant do it ourselves.

As for vampires… vampires in a book may be cool. However, the sorts of real life people they represent are unhealthy, and if you think young girls won't search out these unhealthy, vampire-esque individuals you are mistaken.

It wouldn't be a big deal if it weren't so popular. It's everywhere, though. Young girls (not to mention grown women) everywhere are idolizing these characters. These characters are unhealthy, disfunctional individuals who really shouldn't be idolized by anyone, let alone thousands of anyones.