Leah Clearwater

[Joanne Maria]

I find Leah to be an intriguing character. I wish I knew much more about her past as well as her future.
I know Leah comes off as a very nasty, mean girl but I think there is a lot to be learned about her.
I also think she is capable of loving others greatly.
I think she is cautious.

[DestinyMN]

I find Leah to be an intriguing character. I wish I knew much more about her past as well as her future.
I know Leah comes off as a very nasty, mean girl but I think there is a lot to be learned about her.
I also think she is capable of loving others greatly.
I think she is cautious.

I really hope that SM revisits Leah in the future I would love to read a book from her perspective.

[chickie]

I find Leah to be an intriguing character. I wish I knew much more about her past as well as her future.
I know Leah comes off as a very nasty, mean girl but I think there is a lot to be learned about her.
I also think she is capable of loving others greatly.
I think she is cautious.

I really hope that SM revisits Leah in the future I would love to read a book from her perspective.

Recently, SM had mentioned if she were to write more TW books, she would write from the prospective of Renesmee and Leah Clearwater. Obviously, SM agress w/many of the posters on this thread that Leah's story would be interesting and worth visiting!

[scoundrel]

In Eclipse Leah appears as a very unattractive personality. No amount of reasons disguises this; she has the appearance of a very selfish character, unable to rise above her self pity; a bit like Rosalie Hale at her worst. In Breaking Dawn I felt as though we got to know Leah better and to see what makes her tick, to see that she has a point of view. Leah is liberated by her defection to Jake's pack; being away from Sam is extremely good for her, and her better side becomes clearer to see. She is actually not selfish at all when she isn't actively being tortured by mind-communion with her former lover and his whole pack. In a much smaller pack, she has to fight to place and status much less, and she demonstrates that she reciprocates when her pack shows her appreciation, that she is loyal to her pack, and that she is a valuable friend and ally. It is a shame she can't get over the Cullen smell; she does find some of her prejudices impossible to sink. But she recognises that she has a duty to the Cullens, which goes with joining Jake's pack, and so she does it.

I found her spontaneous decision to enter the Cullen house, a place she detests and still superstitiously fears I think, in order to reprimand Bella for unreasonable behaviour, was significant. Someone had to tell Bella that she was not playing fair with Jacob Black and never did play fair with him; she needed to be told. It did interest me that Leah is the one who did it, showing that she sees the situation in straightforward terms of right and wrong (I don't think Leah has a very nuanced view of anything) and that she has the courage of her convictions. It also shows that she is protective; protective of Jacob on that occasion as she was protective of Seth later, after Bella's newborn vampire lid-flipping episode.

I don't think I like Leah all that much, but I respect her point of view.

[havera_7]

Maybe someone who follows SM's interviews knows if she ever explained how she picked a name for Leah's character? I mean, is it just a random name, or did SM name Leah after the biblical Leah? I want to say, it kind of fits: in the Bible Leah is an unloved woman, forced to watch her rival's happiness every day... . I don't know if it's a coincidence or intentional. Did SM say anything about it ?

[scoundrel]

Maybe someone who follows SM's interviews knows if she ever explained how she picked a name for Leah's character? I mean, is it just a random name, or did SM name Leah after the biblical Leah? I want to say, it kind of fits: in the Bible Leah is an unloved woman, forced to watch her rival's happiness every day... . I don't know if it's a coincidence or intentional. Did SM say anything about it ?

I am not aware that Ms Meyer has ever publicly commented on the choice of Leah's name, but I would be astonished if her bible knowledge is not vastly more detailed and comprehensive than mine. I read the whole thing, once, a long time ago; I confess that I found large sections of it offended my own sense of ethical right conduct. I might be one of those gentiles without the law, who are a law unto themselves.

For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves. ~ Romans 2:14

At least the bible explicitly recognises that the urge and desire to do right and live well (in spiritual terms) is found in all races and all communities and should be honoured and respected everywhere where we find it. This is a crucial factor in the gradual coming together of the Cullens and the Quileute werewolves; each sees in the other behaviours and motivations which are honourable and exactly as they themselves would behave for exactly the same honourable reasons. They have much more common ground than they would ever have expected and this is why, by the Gathering scene in Breaking Dawn. they accept that they must hang together or hang separately. They will never quite love one another, but they do feel bonded and show respect, sometimes downright admiration.

Poor Leah is always going to be slightly apart, a werewolf but not quite a 100% fully paid up werewolf, just a little bit out of synch, and bizarrely dependent on the intensely disliked Cullen family for her most comfortable slot, a senior place in Jake's "crappy little renegade pack." BTW I also enjoyed that acid little comment, directed by Leah at herself as much as at Jacob and Seth; objectively she frowns on herself for joining the rebels and considers her own conduct to be thoroughly bad form. Leah is one of the least treacherous characters in the saga, and a very unlikely rebel; but the chance to be away from mind communion with Sam was an overwhelming inducement. I think she sees collaboration with the Cullens as an exceptional bitter pill and we always see her choking on it, but even the mere fact that she felt physically able to enter their house, even if only to tear Bella Swan off a strip a mile wide, was a clear indication that she is adjusting, that they creep her out and offend her less and less as she grows more familiar with them and starts to know them as individual personalities. She even starts to identify with Rosalie Hale a little bit, not liking her, but seeing quite perceptively what makes Rosalie tick and showing some signs of empathy towards Rosalie. In Leah's eyes, Rosalie's conduct makes sense and she respects Rosalie. Once again, see Romans 2:14 quoted above.

Without a doubt, Leah starts to blossom away from Sam's pack, and I think this is exactly and precisely because she has at last escaped from the trap of her biblical namesake and is no longer an unwilling witness to the happiness of her ex-lover and her rival, every single day.