I don't really like Pet's body for Wanda either...however Wanda is a strong soul! I think that gven enough time and getting through the adjustment phase (again) that we will see her become what she once was with Mel and what she longs to be again. One thing I love about Wanda is that she is no quitter! I can't see her sitting idley by not trying to make herself what she wants to be.

Ian said it wasn't Mel's body he liked, it was what Wanda did with it. I don't like Pet either, but with time, I think Wanda will figure it out and make it hers. For example, Pet has this HAIR. Remember how Wanda cut off Mel's. And Wanda brought Mel's body from soft back to strong. I'm sure she can make Pet strong, too.

I agree, I think Wanda will do good things with Pet's body and make it hers. Without having the extra voice in there, she may take on a little different persona. You never know.

queenofmycastle, I LOVE your jar picture with Edward. That is hysterical!!

I agree with you all, I am not too thrilled with Pet's body.
I think her body is not as physically conditioned as Mel's because she became a Host at such a young age, she did not have to go through rigorous physical work as Mel in hiding had to go through. I recall reading that Wanda's memory when she was coming around in Pel's body was floral- girly-girl bedroom with frills (or something to that effect)...which I didn't think Mel was all about who seems to be on the tomboyish side (she was into soccer and fitness). Not to say that a girly-girl cannot be sporty. You all know what I mean.
BUT, I am hoping Pet can start "buffing up" a bit, considering she now has to work a lot under their living conditions.

How much of the body stays when a new soul is introduced? Was Pet the soul girly, or was her host body girly? Does that mean Wanda will always be giggly and girly?

That is a really good question. It seems that the only things carried over are the emotions that are extremely intense (love i.e. Mel/Jared, Wanda's comforter and spouse, Sunny) or the ingrained characteristics (Seeker/Lucy's temperament, Kevin's desire to be a mechanic).

Is girly-ness an ingrained characteristic?

For you, Rae, girly-ness is definitely NOT ingrained. . . J/K

I agree that Wanda will make this new body her own. But I also think that she was always "softer" in a lot of ways that Mel was.

I'm also sure that her new body will become accustomed to the conditions she's now in. . i.e. buffing up.

Ha Ha Ha...

That is the truth, but for other girls...you know....the girly ones.....is it something that they become or is it something that is inherent to their nature? Are they born that way?

Or was it part of Pet that came from her human host?

Yes. You are right. But I think that is what Stephenie was trying to get across. People who may think they are so good and perfect, may on a closer look find their hypocrisy.

I think we don't like Pet's body for Wanda, because we just spent 600+ pages seeing her as Melanie. If Stephenie writes a sequel and keeps her in Pet's body, we will probably learn to love her.

On a different note:

The thing I love about the way Stephenie wrote Wanderer's character, is that you get to see the world completely from her point of view, and how she grows, and later sees the same world from a more experienced and open point of view. It is so much like the human condition. I love that when she sees the carnage of the souls taken from the two hosts in Doc's operating room, I was just as horrified and angry. I felt like they were monsters too. Her initial reaction was instantaneous emotion without reason. That's how I would see it if I were to walk in on an "operation" where I saw human carnage. However, as time wore on, she was able to mourn, and then reason and see it as the humans saw it. While she was still horrified, she could understand why they did it. As she came to this realization, I did too. I am like this too. When something really upsets me, initially my reaction is solid emotion. It is after that I can come down from my emotions and reason through the situation in order to understand it better. Stephenie writes "people" well.

The souls didn't do anything to us that we humans haven't been doing to each other throughout our history--invading, taking over, forcing "improvements" on others' lifestyles. I think that's one of the most important points Stephenie is making. In that sense, we ARE the souls and maybe we need to examine ourselves in that light.

What I really love about Wanda is how she comes to embody what makes souls soulful (compassionate healing, communal giving, love of peace) with what makes humans human (ineradicable hope, self-determination, individuality) and by combining them, she improves on both species and becomes a nearly perfect being. I believe the message here is that we can do all this for ourselves; we can make ourselves the soul of compassion, of giving, of peace, while maintaining--in fact, probably increasing--our ability to hope and decide and create in our lives. There's no reason we can't be Wanderer. The only thing holding us back is ourselves, and that's also the only thing that can move us forward. It's up to each of us to be that or not.

Do you think Wanderer could have taught us so much about ourselves, that she could have been as perceptive of humanity, if she hadn't been to so many other worlds?

See, that's what I'm wondering--how much of her perception is due to her native (and unusual in a soul) empathy for other species, how much is due to her multitude of experiences, and how much is because she has the benefit of sharing human emotions through her connection with Melanie? I'm sure it's a combination of all three, but I'm not sure which is the most influential. Which do you think is the most indispensable component in developing empathy: natural sensitivity, experience, or connection to others? Or do they have to be present equally for true empathy to develop?

BTW, there is a thread in the Host General Discussion forum about Empathy. I may have to ask this question there instead....You're not going to ~zap~ me with your new powers, are you? Oh, oh, oh, we could have a ~ZAP~ duel, like Obi Wan and Darth Vader but without the lightsabers. Well, I have one, but it's at the cleaners. And anyway, you probably won't want to be Vader. Nobody ever wants to be Vader....And he has the best sound effects, too. Go figure....

Well, at first she is very upset that she is not able to quiet the host body's voice. But then when she tells the story of the plants that chose to die (sorry, I don't have the book in front of me), there is an empathy for what can become of the host body. And an outright anger over the fire planet. As she starts to see the good in humanity, she knows there is much to worth saving.

I believe Pet's body will be a wonderful tool for Wanderer to *find* her own way. Finally on her own...to grow, and learn. She will be able to manage. That is what she does best!!! And looks like the angel she truely is too boot!!!

Just my 2 cents...