Hotblooded Jacob in Eclipse

This posting has a good bit on how Jacob the Quileute Indian represents lust, passion, physicality--i.e., everything a good Mormon like Stephenie Meyer disapproves of.

Why Team Jacob always has to lose in TwilightTeam Don't Date The Guy Who Wants Sex As Much As You Do

In Eclipse, as in the previous two films, Bella is full of sexual desire--for Edward primarily, but also for Jacob, whose shirtless body is put on display for us pretty much every time he's on screen. There is a terrific moment in Eclipse where Jacob has to carry Bella through the forest, and he tells her he can feel how nervous he makes her--he knows she wants him. And she has to admit it's true. We know that if Bella were to choose Jacob there would be no icky faces when she tries to have sex. He doesn't reject her sexual desire--he welcomes it.

Rejecting Jacob is a way of rejecting the consummation of her desire. It's a rejection of the man who finds her unambiguously appealing, and isn't horrified by his own desires either. (Edward is always insisting that if he had sex with Bella it could kill her.) "Being with me would be as easy as breathing," Jacob tells Bella. But she doesn't want to breathe, or even be alive. She wants to remain frozen in unrequited desire, lusting after a man who finds lust disgusting.More on the primitive, animalistic nature of Jacob's "feelings":

Werewolf winning out in popularity stakes

Taylor Lautner has reached global heart-throb status through his role as werewolf Jacob Black in The Twilight Saga franchise. As the third installment, Eclipse, is released next week, Taylor reveals how extreme some of his fans are and what it was like kissing his co-star, Kristen StewartJacob’s love for Bella is more than just a passing whim–it’s deeply rooted in his animal instincts. Wolves mate for life in a process called imprinting.

As Stephenie Meyer, author of the bestselling Twilight books, explains: “When they find the person they’re meant to be with, they’re bound to them.”

Jacob’s feelings are returned by Bella, but she loves Edward more and is determined to become a vampire so she can be with Edward forever.

“Jacob feels like he should be imprinting on Bella, he’s like, ‘What’s going on? This is the girl I love. This is the girl I want to be with, why am I not imprinting?’. It confuses Jacob,” explains Lautner.

With Edward having to keep his distance from Bella to protect her, Jacob gets to spend more time with her–and there’s a scene where they listen to his father, leader of the Quileute tribe, telling stories around the campfire.

“Bella’s a lot closer with the pack now, even though she’s a vampire girl. Now she fits in, we’ve invited her into the pack and accept her for who she is,” says Lautner.Comment: Is it just a coincidence that the Indian is a Lothario-style wolf as well as an actual wolf? No, it's a basic theme of the series. White = noble and civilized; brown = lusty and savage.

And the whole imprinting is pure animal biology. Is it a coincidence that Meyer associates this with Indians? Again, no.

Since Meyer invented the rules for her world, she could've made the vampires the ones who imprinted on humans. That would've explained Edward's unaccountable interest in Bella.

But no...that would've contradicted the theme of vampires--or at least the Cullen clan--as the best representation of humanity. I.e., virtuous, self-restrained, and sparkly white. And the theme of Indians werewolves as the base side of humanity. I.e., insular, protecting their own, raging with unbridled passion.

Wolf = savage

A wolf protecting its cubs may seem honorable in some sense, but it's still a snarling beast. It's not someone you're going to turn to when you need a doctor, lawyer, or leader of the free world. In other words, a noble savage is still a savage. It's still someone good only for physical tasks such as protecting people from vampires.

Even the name "Jacob Black" seems suspicious. "Black" for the dark-skinned Indian...really? I wouldn't be surprised if Meyer named her protagonist "Edward White" in her first draft. Before someone told her that "Bella Swan" and "Jacob Black" were already heavyhanded enough.

Anyway, I can hardly wait to see how the Breaking Dawn pair of movies deals with Jacob's imprinting on a child. That should give us even more to analyze. Jacob the inferior Indian gets a consolation prize...yay!

For more on the subject, see Are Good Native Werewolves Okay? and Noble Savages in Twilight.

Below:  "I don't have time to find a cure for hunger or disease. I'm too busy chasing a girl!"