Archive: Breaking Dawn

Breaking Dawn is the fourth and final novel in The Twilight Saga written by author, Stephenie Meyers. The novel is divided into three parts, the first and third sections are written by Bella Swan and the third is written in the perspective of Jacob Black. The novel directly follows the events in the previous novel Eclipse where Bella and Edward marry, leaving behind a heartbroken Jacob, who is in-love with Bella. Bella comes face to face with an unexpected situation causing her to endure the ultimate transformation and fight the final battle to save her love.

Meyer finished an outline of the book in 2003, but developed and changed it as she wrote New Moon and Eclipse, though the main and most significant storylines remained unchanged. Little, Brown and Company took certain measures to prevent the book's contents from leaking, such as closing forums and message boards on several fansites and providing a special e-mail address for fans to send in links to leaks and spoilers online.

Breaking Dawn was released on August 2, 2008 at midnight release parties in over 4,000 bookstores throughout the US.[1] From its initial print run of 3.7 million copies, over 1.3 million were sold in the US and 20,000 in the UK in the first 24 hours of the book's release, setting a record in first-day sales performance for the Hachette Book Group USA.[2] The book was highly successful, selling over 6 million copies in 2008, and was the third best-selling novel of 2008 behind Twilight and New Moon.

Breaking Dawn received mixed reviews from critics and is the most controversial book in the series, as it explored more mature themes and concepts. However, the novel was awarded the British Book Award for "Children's Book of the Year". The book was translated in 38 languages with rights sold to over 50 countries. An upcoming two-part film adaptation of the novel is scheduled for release November 2011 and November 2012 respectively.

About the Author


Stephenie Meyer's life changed dramatically on June 2, 2003. The stay-at-home mother of three young sons woke up from a dream featuring seemingly real characters that she could not get out of her head.

"Though I had a million things to do, I stayed in bed, thinking about the dream. Unwillingly, I eventually got up and did the immediate necessities, and then put everything that I possibly could on the back burner and sat down at the computer to write—something I hadn't done in so long that I wondered why I was bothering."

Meyer invented the plot during the day through swim lessons and potty training, and wrote it out late at night when the house was quiet. Three months later she finished her first novel, Twilight. With encouragement from her older sister (the only other person who knew she had written a book), Meyer submitted her manuscript to various literary agencies. Twilight was picked out of a slush pile at Writer's House and eventually made its way to the publishing company Little, Brown where everyone fell immediately in love with the gripping, star-crossed lovers.

Twilight was one of 2005's most talked about novels and within weeks of its release the book debuted at #5 on The New York Times bestseller list. Among its many accolades, Twilight was named an "ALA Top Ten Books for Young Adults," an Amazon.com "Best Book of the Decade...So Far", and a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year.

The highly-anticipated sequel, New Moon, was released in September 2006, and spent more than 25 weeks at the #1 position on The New York Times bestseller list.

In 2007, Eclipse literally landed around the world and fans made the Twilight Saga a worldwide phenomenon! With midnight parties and vampire-themed proms the enthusiasm for the series continued to grow.

On May 6, 2008, Little, Brown and Company released The Host, Meyer's highly-anticipated novel for adults which debuted at #1 on The New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. The Host still remains a staple on the bestseller lists more than a year after its debut.

On August 2, 2008, the final book in the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn was released at 12:01 midnight. Stephenie made another appearance on "Good Morning America" and was featured in many national media outlets, including Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek, People Magazine and Variety. Stephenie headlined the Breaking Dawn Concert Series with Justin Furstenfeld (lead singer of Blue October) to celebrate the release in four major markets across the US. Breaking Dawn sold 1.3 million copies in its first 24 hours.

The Twilight movie, directed by Catherine Hardwicke and starring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, was released on November 21, 2008. Twilight debuted at #1 at the box office with $70 million, making it the highest grossing opening weekend for a female director.

Stephenie lives in Arizona with her husband and three sons.

Plot Summary
Breaking Dawn is split into three separate parts. The first part details Bella's marriage and honeymoon with Edward, which they spend on a private island, called Isle Esme, off the coast of Brazil. Two weeks into their honeymoon, Bella realizes that she is pregnant with a half-vampire, half-human child and that her condition is progressing at an unnaturally accelerated rate. After contacting Carlisle, who confirms her pregnancy, she and Edward immediately return home to Forks, Washington. Edward, concerned for Bella's life and convinced that the fetus is a monster as it continues to develop with unnatural rapidity, urges her to have an abortion. However, Bella feels a connection with her unborn baby and refuses.

The novel's second part is written from the perspective of shape-shifter Jacob Black, and lasts throughout Bella's pregnancy and childbirth. Jacob's Quileute wolf pack, not knowing what danger the unborn child may pose, plan to destroy it and kill Bella. Jacob vehemently protests this decision and leaves, forming his own pack with Seth and Leah Clearwater. The fetus in Bella's body grows swiftly and Bella soon gives birth, but the baby breaks many of her bones and she loses massive amounts of blood. In order to save her life, Edward changes her into a vampire by injecting his venom into her heart. Jacob, who was present for the birth, almost immediately "imprints"—an involuntary response in which a shape-shifter finds his soul mate—on Edward and Bella's newborn daughter, Renesmee.

The third section of Breaking Dawn shifts back to Bella's perspective, describing Bella's painful transformation and finding herself changed into a vampire and enjoying her new life and abilities. However, the vampire Irina misidentifies Renesmee as an "immortal child", a child who has been turned into a vampire. Because "immortal children" are uncontrollable, creating them has been outlawed by the Volturi. After Irina presents her allegation to the Volturi, they plan to destroy Renesmee and the Cullens. In an attempt to survive, the Cullens gather other vampire clans from around the world to stand as witnesses and prove to the Volturi that Renesmee is not an immortal child. Upon confronting the gathered Cullen allies and witnesses, the Volturi discover that they have been misinformed and immediately execute Irina for her mistake. However, they remain undecided on whether Renesmee should be viewed as a threat to vampires' secret existence. At that time, Alice and Jasper, who had left prior to the confrontation, return with a Mapuche called Nahuel, a 150-year-old vampire-human crossbreed like Renesmee. Nahuel demonstrates that the crossbreeds pose no threat, and the Volturi leave. Edward, Bella, and Renesmee return to their home in peace.

Main Characters
Bella Swan

Isabella Marie "Bella" Swan (later Bella Cullen) is the fictional protagonist of the Twilight series, written by Stephenie Meyer. The Twilight series, consisting of the novels Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn, is primarily narrated from Bella's point-of-view.

In Twilight, Bella moves to her father's home in Forks, Washington, meets the mysterious Cullen family, and falls in love with Edward Cullen. However, she soon discovers that the family is a coven of vampires. Bella expresses a desire to become a vampire herself, against Edward's wishes. In the second novel, New Moon, Edward and the other Cullens leave Forks in an effort to keep Bella safe from the vampire world. Jacob Black, a member of the Quileute tribe who is also a shape shifter taking a wolf form, comforts the distraught and severely depressed Bella. She comes to care deeply for Jacob, though less than she loves Edward. In Eclipse, Bella becomes engaged to Edward, and they marry in Breaking Dawn. Edward then transforms Bella into a vampire after she nearly dies giving birth to their daughter, Renesmee. Bella has the ability to shield her mind (from mind reading, attacks, etc.), an ability she's had from the beginning. But once she is transformed into a vampire, her ability is enhanced to where she can also expand her shield to protect others from mind control.

Kristen Stewart plays Bella in the Twilight film series.

Edward Cullen

Edward Cullen (born Edward Anthony Masen) is a major character, implicated in all of the Twilight Saga films and books. As stated in the first and second novels, he was born on June 20, 1901, in Chicago, Illinois, and was frozen in his 17-year-old body while dying of the Spanish influenza, when he was changed into a vampire by Dr. Carlisle Cullen. As shown in Twilight, he only did so because Edward's dying mother, Elizabeth, begged him to save Edward. A member of the Olympic Coven, Edward only drinks animal blood and has the special ability to read minds. He falls in love with Bella soon after she arrives in Forks. Edward knows that he could kill Bella easily, a fact that torments him so much that, in the book New Moon, he decided to leave Forks with his family so they wouldn't be able to hurt her. He returned because he realized he cannot live without her. Edward marries Bella in Breaking Dawn and they have a daughter, Renesmee.

Robert Pattinson plays Edward in the Twilight film series.

Jacob Black

Jacob Black is Bella's best friend. He is a Quileute Native American and a werewolf. In Twilight, Jacob plays the minor role of a forgotten childhood friend of Bella's, and he develops a crush on her. In an attempt to learn more about Cullens, Bella flirts with Jacob, and he tells her tribe legends about "the cold ones", or vampires. After Edward leaves Bella in New Moon, she spends much of her time with Jacob. Though she only considers him a friend, Jacob falls in love with Bella. Although he spends most of his time in Eclipse trying to win Bella, in Breaking Dawn he imprints— an involuntary process in which a werewolf finds their soul mate— on Bella and Edward's daughter, Renesmee.

Taylor Lautner plays Jacob in the Twilight film series.

Carlisle Cullen is Esme Cullen's husband and the adoptive father of Edward, Emmett and Alice Cullen, as well as Rosalie and Jasper Hale. His first appearance was in Twilight and his physical age is 23. Carlisle is described to look like a model; he has blond hair, and is slender but muscular. Carlisle theorizes that when a human is turned into a vampire, they will have an enhanced ability from their previous life. He believes he brought compassion from his human life. Carlisle has had centuries to perfect his medicinal talents, therefore making him an excellent doctor. Unlike most vampires, he is not at all tempted by the scent of human blood, due to the over 300 years he has spent holding back his temptations. Carlisle Cullen was the son of an Anglican pastor, born in 1640s London, England, during a time of religious upheaval. His father and other pastors hunted creatures such as witches, werewolves, and vampires, often mistaking humans for them. As his father grew older, Carlisle assumed his role. One night, he was attacked by a vampire and left to die on the streets. Knowing he would be rejected by society, he hid himself and silently endured the painful transformation, emerging as a vampire. Horrified by what he had become, he tried killing himself many different ways, but all failed due to his power. One night, unable to endure hunger any longer, he fed on some passing deer. Subsequently realizing he could avoid feeding on humans, he committed himself to resisting his blood lust and to becoming a doctor.

For a short time, Carlisle lived with the Volturi, though he eventually left and traveled to the New World. While treating patients with the Spanish Influenza, he met an ill woman who begged him to save her dying son, Edward. Out of loneliness, Carlisle transformed Edward into a vampire, and Edward became his companion. Soon after, in 1921, Carlisle moved to Ashland, Wisconsin where he treated Esme after her failed suicide attempt brought on by her infant son's death. Carlisle felt compelled to save her and transformed her into a vampire, subsequently falling in love with her, and later marrying her. Carlisle then transformed Rosalie Hale, a young woman nearly killed by her drunken fiancé and his friends in Rochester, New York, and left in the street to die. Later, while hunting, Rosalie found a young man named Emmett who had been mauled by a bear, and carried him over 100 miles to Carlisle. Carlisle then transformed Emmett, since Rosalie was unwilling to do it herself, fearing her blood lust would overwhelm her. After Carlisle changed Emmett, Carlisle and his family moved to Hoquiam, Washington where the Quileute Native American tribe offered the Cullens a treaty: the Quileutes would leave them alone if the Cullen family never attacked any humans or trespassed on Quileute land. The Cullens agreed and lived in relative peace until they had to move on. Between the Cullens' first and second stay in Washington, Alice and Jasper joined his coven as well, having found Carlisle on their own. Throughout the Twilight saga, Carlisle works as a doctor, acting as the coven leader and offering medical advice and help when Bella is pregnant in Breaking Dawn.

Forbes magazine claimed in its 2009 Fictional 15 list of the wealthiest fictional characters that Carlisle is the richest of them all, using 370 years of compound interest and timely investments to amass an estimated fortune of $34.5 billion.[2]

Peter Facinelli plays Carlisle in the Twilight film series.[3]

Esme Cullen(born Esme Platt and later Esme Evenson)is Carlisle Cullen's wife and the adoptive mother of Edward, Emmett and Alice Cullen, as well as Rosalie and Jasper Hale. She enjoys restoring old houses and her physical age is 26. She has no special power, but has a strong ability to love passionately. Esme is described as having caramel-colored hair; she also has a heart-shaped face with dimples, and her figure is slender, but rounded and soft. Esme was born in 1895 in Columbus, Ohio, where she was treated at the age of 16 by Carlisle after breaking her leg when climbing a tree. She married Charles Evenson, but he abused her. After finding out she was pregnant, she ran away and gave birth to a son, who subsequently died a few days later. Grief-stricken by his death, Esme attempted to kill herself by jumping off a cliff. Presumed dead, she was brought to a morgue. Carlisle, who remembered treating her years before, was able to hear her faint heartbeat and transformed her into a vampire. Esme fell in love with and married Carlisle soon after. She loves her adoptive children, including Bella, as if they were her own and has the most affection for Edward, but she still grieves that she is unable to bear children.

Esme is present throughout the entire Twilight series, revealing her past to Bella during the Cullens' baseball game in Twilight. Esme treats Bella as her own daughter, comforting her after several traumatic events. In the film adaptation of Eclipse, Esme participated in a battle against the new-born vampires but in the book series, it is stated by Sam in the Breaking Dawn that she is not a fighter. In Breaking Dawn, it is revealed that Esme owns a South American island named "Isle Esme" that Carlisle purchased for her, and where Edward and Bella spend their honeymoon.

Elizabeth Reaser plays Esme in the Twilight film series.[3]

Alice Cullen(born Mary Alice Brandon) is the adopted daughter of Carlisle and Esme Cullen, adoptive sister of Edward and Emmett Cullen, as well as Rosalie Hale and the wife of Jasper Hale. Alice is petite and pixie-like, with a graceful gait and hair that is short, spiky, and black. Her special ability is to see the future, an enhanced version of her ability to have premonitions as a human. Her ability is limited; she is only able to see the outcome of a decision once it is made. Due to this, decisions made in the spur of the moment can not be foreseen. Alice can see futures involving humans and vampires, but is unable to see those involving half-breeds, such as Renesmee and the werewolves. In Breaking Dawn, Alice theorizes that she can see vampires very clearly because she is one, can see humans somewhat less clearly because she was one, and cannot see werewolves or half-breeds because she never was one. Alice is bubbly and optimistic, and she loves and cares for Bella like a sister. She is also close to her brother Edward, and enjoys shopping, make-overs, and throwing parties. Alice's early history is vague, as she remembers nothing about her human life and woke up alone as a vampire. It is eventually revealed that she was born around 1901 in Biloxi, Mississippi, and was committed to an asylum because she had premonitions. Alice was transformed by an old vampire who worked at the asylum to protect her from James, a tracker vampire who was hunting her. After some research, Alice found her grave and discovered that the date on her tombstone matches the date of her admission to the asylum. Through her research she additionally discovered that she had a younger sister named Cynthia, and that Cynthia's daughter, Alice's niece, is still alive in Biloxi.

Throughout Twilight, Alice uses her ability to see the future and help Bella when she is in danger. The two soon become friends, loving each other like sisters. In New Moon, Alice foresees Bella jumping off a cliff and assumes she is trying to commit suicide, though Bella actually was cliff diving. After discovering the truth, Bella accompanies Alice to Italy to prevent Edward from killing himself. They are successful, but are taken to see the Volturi, who police the vampire world. Through Alice's premonitions, Aro is able to see that Bella will eventually become a vampire and invites her, Alice, and Edward to stay with them; it is later mentioned that Aro especially covets Alice's gift. In Eclipse, Alice, who proves to be an adept fighter, joins the fight to destroy a group of rampaging newborn vampires, created by Victoria in an effort to take revenge on Edward. Alice acts as Bella's maid of honor at her wedding in Breaking Dawn and helps care for Renesmee until leaving to search out a crossbreed after the Volturi plan to destroy Renesmee, believing her to be an immortal child. Alice is successful and the Volturi, convinced there is no threat, leave.

Ashley Greene plays Alice in the Twilight film series.[3]

Emmett Cullen

(born Emmett Dale McCarty) is Rosalie Hale's husband, Carlisle and Esme Cullen's adopted son, and Edward and Alice Cullen, as well as Jasper Hale's adoptive brother. Emmett is tall, burly, extremely muscular, and, to most humans, the most intimidating of his adoptive siblings. He has curly dark hair and dimpled cheeks, and despite his physical attributes, he is actually the joker among the Cullens. He is always eager to engage in fights, and is often described as Edward's favorite brother.

Emmett was 20 and living in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, in 1935 when he was mauled by a bear. The injuries from the attack were severe and he was found by Rosalie, who had been hunting in the area at the time. Rosalie, who was reminded of her friend Vera's baby by his dark curls, dimples, and innocent appearance, carried him over a hundred miles to Appalachia where Carlisle was, asking him to spare Emmett's life by turning him into a vampire. Emmett joined Carlisle's coven but initially had trouble adjusting to the family's diet of animal blood. In Twilight, Emmett is at first wary of Bella but soon warms up to her, treating her as his younger sister. He often teases her for her clumsiness, criticizes her old truck and constant blushing, and votes in favor of her becoming a vampire in New Moon. In Breaking Dawn Emmett jokingly makes innuendos about Bella's sex life until he is silenced when she defeats him several times in arm wrestling matches; he later helps train Bella to fight in the oncoming battle with the Volturi.

Kellan Lutz plays Emmett in the Twilight film series.

Rosalie Hale is the adopted daughter of Carlisle and Esme Cullen, adoptive sister of Jasper Hale as well as Edward and Alice Cullen, and the wife of Emmett Cullen. Her physical age is 18, and she was born in 1915 in Rochester, New York. Rosalie is described as exceptionally beautiful, even for a vampire; she is tall, statuesque, and has long, wavy blonde hair. While she was human, she was said to be a woman with elegance, class, and eyes the color of violets. In Eclipse, she describes her human self as vain, self-centered, and shallow, pleased with her physical beauty and forever desiring attention. A wealthy young man named Royce King II took an interest in her and soon the two became engaged, with Rosalie eager to have a fancy wedding, live in a big, expensive house, and have children of her own. While visiting her friend Vera, she one day noticed that she did not share the same loving relationship with Royce as her friend Vera did with her husband. Dismissing it, Rosalie later walked home and met an intoxicated Royce and his friends, leading to her being beaten, gang-raped, and left to die in the streets. Carlisle, coming across her, pitied her and changed her into a vampire with the secret hope that she would become Edward's mate, though the two of them are never more than brother and sister. After her transformation, she tortured and killed those who had attacked her, including Royce, but did not drink their blood, a fact that she is proud of. Apart from Carlisle and Edward, she has the most self-control and appreciation for human life, and has never tasted human blood.[5] Rosalie is bitter that her life as a vampire prevents her from having children and experiencing the normal changes of life, and her desire to be human is so strong that she would give up her immortality and beauty for it.

When Rosalie first appears in Twilight she is hostile toward Bella and jealous of her humanity; she is also irritated that Edward could be attracted to Bella, a mere human, when he had never shown the slightest interest in Rosalie, who has always been desired by men. In New Moon, she mistakenly reports to Edward that Bella is dead after supposedly committing suicide. She is guilty and apologetic upon Bella and Edward's return from Italy, and later opposes Bella's choice to become a vampire, stating that she wishes there had been someone to say "no" for her. In Eclipse, Rosalie reveals her past to Bella with the hope that Bella will choose to stay human, and she later joins in the fight against Victoria's army of newborn vampires. In Breaking Dawn, Bella contacts Rosalie after finding out she is pregnant, knowing that Rosalie has always wanted children. She stays by Bella's side throughout the pregnancy, defending Bella's choice to keep the baby; this ultimately brings the two of them closer together, and by the end of the novel they have become friends. Rosalie later helps care for the child, Renesmee, while Bella is undergoing transformation into a vampire.

Nikki Reed plays Rosalie in the Twilight film series.[6]

Jasper Hale(born Jasper Whitlock) is the adopted son of Carlisle and Esme Cullen, adoptive brother of Rosalie Hale, as well as Edward and Emmett Cullen, and husband of Alice Cullen. He takes the name Hale to pass as Rosalie's sibling. He was born in Texas and joined the Confederate States Army in 1861 to serve in the American Civil War. Due to his extremely charismatic personality, he ascended through the ranks quickly. Jasper was turned into a vampire in 1863 by a vampire named Maria when he was 20 years old. After transformation, he gained the ability to sense and manipulate the emotions of those around him. Recognizing his high rank in the army, Maria decided to change him into a vampire to help her claim territory in Monterrey. Jasper's responsibility was to train young vampires and then kill them when they were no longer useful. After about a century of this, he grew weary of the lifestyle and joined an old friend, Peter, and his mate Charlotte. Jasper left the two eventually, not wanting to feed on humans because he could feel his prey's emotions as they died. Alice, foreseeing that they would be together, met him in a half-empty diner in Philadelphia, and together they sought out the Cullen family. Due to his past, where he was able to feed on humans whenever he chose, Jasper lacks strong self-control. In Eclipse it is suggested that the "vegetarian" lifestyle is not Jasper's first choice and that this also affects his self-control. It is also suggested that he remains with the Cullens mainly for Alice's sake and that while he is fond of them all, he is not as attached to them as she is.[7] He is described as tall with honey blond hair, and is muscular but lean. His face and body are covered with crescent-shaped scars, after his years of fighting and training newborn vampires.

In Twilight, Jasper accompanies Alice and Bella when they are hiding from James, using his ability to calm Bella when she is stressed or afraid. In New Moon, he loses control and attacks Bella when she gets a paper cut, prompting Edward to leave Forks in order to protect Bella. In Eclipse, Jasper teaches the werewolves and vampires fighting techniques to defend themselves against newborn vampires. In Breaking Dawn, he leaves with Alice to find a vampire-human hybrid, and returns with her to defend Renesmee and the rest of the family against the Volturi.

Jackson Rathbone plays Jasper in the Twilight film series.[3]

Renesmee "Nessie" Carlie Cullen

is the dhampir daughter of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, born on September 10, three days before Bella's nineteenth birthday in Breaking Dawn. Her name is derived from the amalgamation of the names of Bella's mother, Renée, and Edward's adoptive mother, Esme. Her middle name, Carlie, is a portmanteau of the names Carlisle, Edward's adoptive father, and Charlie, Bella's father. She has the same facial features and hair color as Edward, but has her grandfather, Charlie Swan's, curly hair, and brown eyes like Bella. Her heart pumps blood, giving her a blush, and her pale skin slightly glows in sunlight. Her skin is warm and soft to the touch, but it is as strong as a vampire's. Only minutes after she is born, she is imprinted upon by Jacob Black, who becomes her soul mate and acts as an older brother figure to her. Renesmee can survive on either blood or human food, though she prefers blood, and she does not produce venom. Her special abilities are transmitting thoughts to others by touching their skin and penetrating mental shields, the opposite abilities of each of her parents. She rapidly grows both mentally and physically, is able to speak only seven days after her birth, and by the end of the novel can read, run, hunt, and perform other tasks at advanced levels for her young age. Her intelligence stuns everyone, and she is able to understand what is happening around her when the Volturi arrive. Jacob nicknames her "Nessie" because he considers her full name to be a mouthful, though Bella strongly dislikes her child being nicknamed "after the Loch Ness Monster." By the book's end, however, all of the characters have adopted this shortened version. She will reach physical maturity after about seven years, when her appearance will be around 17, and then stop aging.

Weeks after Renesmee is born, Irina, a vampire from the Denali coven, sees Renesmee and believes she is an "immortal child", a young human child who had been changed into a vampire. She informs the Volturi, as immortal children are not permitted to exist due to their unpredictable nature. Intent on killing Renesmee and the other Cullens, the Volturi travel to Forks. The Cullens gather witnesses from around the world to testify that they have seen her mature and grow, and so she is therefore not an immortal child. Alice brings another half-breed, 150-year-old Nahuel, who explains that half-breeds pose no danger to the vampires. Convinced that Renesmee is not a threat, the Volturi leave, and Renesmee and her family are left in peace.

Werewolves
According to the Twilight, the Quileute tribe legends holds that chiefs could leave their bodies and wander as spirits, communicate with nature, command nature (weather, trees, insects, animals) and hear each other's thoughts, however, besides the latter many of these techniques appear to have been forgotten. In Twilight, members of this tribe can still phase in and out of their shape-shifting forms, transforming independently of the lunar cycles. Members are able to regenerate, talk to one another telepathically, and possess superhuman strength, speed and stamina with the ability to cover 1.67 miles in just 1 minute, outrunning vampires. Werewolves skins are durable and their regenerative abilities allow them to heal within seconds. As long as they phase, they do not age. Their body temperature is around 108° Fahrenheit which Bella as a vampire in Breaking Dawn, describes like "touching an open fire". Jacob is Alpha male thus possesses the unique ability to command the clan telepathically and forcibly, regardless of individual resistance. They possess immunity to vampire bites and some vampire special abilities - such as Alice's premonitions. In human form shape-shifters can use the style of free running to get to hard to reach places.

In the Twilight universe, werewolves claws and teeth can tear through the “marble hard skin” of a vampire at ease. Each werewolf has a different look and different specific quality, whether size, speed, agility, stamina, durability or strength, Jacob being the strongest of the pack. All shapeshifters senses are very sharp (ophthalmoception, audioception, olfacoception, equilibrioception etc). Within the series, they can also imprint which channels all their affections towards a single person and most likely-to-be spouse. A shapeshifter in human form retains many enchanced abilities and in human form is described as lifting Bella like an "empty box". The Quileute tribes shapeshifting werewolves are typically dark haired, dark skinned, dark eyed in the series and prefer to eat animal meat. Genetically, Carlisle discovers that they have 24 pairs of chromosomes, the same as vampire hybrids like Renesmee sparking speculation on Jacob and Renesmee having children, both of whom had human maternal parents.[25] At the end of the fourth book, it is revealed that they are indeed shape-shifters. Aro claims shape-shifters can take other mega animal forms and Edward says that Caius is terrified of true werewolves because of an encounter with one centuries ago, leaving him almost obliterated. These true werewolves are called the "Children of the Moon" and these involuntarily phase in the full moon. Not much is revealed in the series, however in Breaking Dawn the distinction is briefly explained.

Sam Uley is the Alpha, or leader, and oldest member of the La Push pack. He is first introduced in Twilight, where his aversion toward the Cullens eventually leads Bella to discover that they are vampires, but is given a larger role in New Moon. His father, Joshua Uley, abandoned him and his mother when he was young, and Sam was thus forced to assume much adult responsibility at an early age. He is 19 when he first appears in the series, was the first wolf to phase, and is described as the calmest and most mature of his pack brothers. Before transforming, he dated Leah Clearwater, whom he is said to have loved. But because he was forbidden to tell her what he had become, their relationship fell apart and ended when he imprinted on Leah's cousin, Emily Young, and broke every promise he had made to Leah. According to Jacob, Sam feels guilty for betraying Leah and responsible for the bitter person she has become; he is also pained that his lack of control over his phasing one day led to the deep scars on Emily's face. All of this causes him to hate the Cullens, whom he blames for both his transformation and for causing him to break Leah's heart. The oncoming army of newborn vampires in Eclipse, however, forces him to work together with the Cullens, and at the end of the novel it is suggested that he has begun to trust Carlisle.

His fur is pure black when he phases, and he was the largest wolf until Breaking Dawn, in which it is noted that Jacob has grown taller than him. He is not Alpha by blood; that role belongs to Jacob, who initially refused the position although Sam willingly offered it to him. Sam's status as pack Alpha technically makes him, as Jacob explains in Eclipse, the chief of the whole tribe. It also makes his pack brothers subject to any direct commands he gives them, though he dislikes taking their free will away from them and does so only when necessary, such as for coordination during fights. He proves to be highly protective of not only the tribe, but of all humans, and even goes so far as to plan an attack on the Cullens in Breaking Dawn because of the threat he believes Bella's unborn, half-vampire child presents. This sparks a conflict between him and Jacob, causing the latter to split from the pack. At the end of the series, Quil, Embry, and the Clearwaters join Jacob's pack, leaving Sam to lead the remaining wolves.

Solomon Trimble was credited as "Jacob's friend" in the Twilight film, but was widely recognized as playing the role of Sam.In The Twilight Saga: New Moon and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Sam is portrayed by Chaske Spencer.

Quil Ateara V has chocolate-brown fur and is Jacob's best friend and second cousin. He is 16, and is described as muscular and loud. Upon meeting her, he takes an instant liking to Bella, who notes that he has a mischievous grin, and flirts with her. He first appears in New Moon but does not become a wolf until Eclipse. In New Moon Bella notes his depression over being abandoned by Embry and Jacob, who joined the pack and were not allowed to tell him what was going on. Unlike most of the other pack members, he was happy about becoming a wolf because it allowed him to join his friends. Near the end of Breaking Dawn Quil, along with Embry, joins Jacob's pack.

In Eclipse, Quil imprints on Emily's two-year-old niece, Claire. Although this appears to cause a scandal, Jacob explains that there is currently nothing romantic about his feelings, and that Quil will be whatever Claire needs him to be at each point in her life, whether it be a brother, friend, protector, or lover.

Quil is portrayed by Tyson Houseman in The Twilight Saga: New Moon and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.[31]

Embry CallEmbry Call is a wolf with gray fur and dark spots on his back, and is another one of Jacob's best friends. He is described as tall, thin, and shy, and is 16 when he first appears in New Moon. He calls Bella "vampire girl" because of her relationship with the Cullens. His mother is of the Makah tribe, not the Quileute, and she moved to the Quileute reservation while she was pregnant with him; until he joined the pack, it was assumed that she had left his father behind. But because the shape-shifting wolf traits are inherited from father to son, he is therefore the half-brother of Quil Ateara, Jacob Black, or Sam Uley. This causes some stress within the pack, since all three of those boys' fathers were married before and at the time of Embry's birth. Near the end of Breaking Dawn Embry, along with Quil, joins Jacob's pack.

Embry is portrayed by Kiowa Gordon in The Twilight Saga: New Moon and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.[30]

Paul LahotePaul Lahote is a dark gray wolf who is prone to angry outbursts that cause him to burst into his wolf form. At 16, he was the third wolf to phase. He is the most volatile pack member, and becomes so enraged when he learns that Jacob has told Bella about the pack that he bursts into his wolf form and tries to attack her. He later seems to have no ill feelings toward Bella or Jacob, though Jacob, Leah, and some of the other wolves find him annoying. In Breaking Dawn, it is revealed that Paul has imprinted on Jacob's older sister, Rachel. This irritates Billy and Jacob because he is always at their house eating their food, but Billy is happy that Rachel visits home more often because of Paul.

Paul is portrayed by Alex Meraz in the The Twilight Saga: New Moon and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.[32]

Jared CameronJared Cameron was the first wolf to phase after Sam. In Eclipse he imprinted on Kim, a girl he sat next to in school who had always had a crush on him. Before he was a wolf he never paid attention to her, but after his transformation he looked at her once and imprinted.

Bronson Pelletier portrays Jared in The Twilight Saga: New Moon and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.[30] Though Jared's personality is never really explored in the novels and he remains somewhat of a background character, it has been noted that Jared's portrayal in the films reflects Pelletier's own joking, light-hearted personality.

Leah Clearwater is the only known female shape-shifting wolf in the history of the Quileute tribe. She is the smallest wolf, has light gray fur, and is the fastest in the pack. At the age of 19, she transforms into a wolf during the events of New Moon, around the same time as her younger brother, Seth. This transformation is believed to be what caused the heart attack and subsequent death of their father, Harry. She dated Sam Uley for years until her second cousin Emily came to visit and Sam imprinted on her. Sam thus left her for Emily, leaving Leah broken-hearted. She puts up a brave face, though, and in Eclipse it is suggested that she intends to serve as bridesmaid at Sam and Emily's wedding. Despite this, she is disliked by her pack brothers for her very bitter and cynical attitude. She constantly antagonizes the pack by thinking about things that make the others uncomfortable, such as Embry's paternity.

In Breaking Dawn, Leah joins Jacob's pack with the intention of breaking free of Sam, since she is still heartbroken. She helps to protect Bella and the Cullens, despite her extreme hatred for vampires and her open dislike for Bella. She shares her insecurities with Jacob, such as the reasons for Sam's imprinting on Emily, her regrets that she might be menopausal due to her transformation, and her inability to rise higher in pack rank due to her gender. As she spends more time in Jacob's pack, she becomes happier, makes notable changes in her attitude, and is less negative. Later in the book, Jacob and Leah's feelings toward each other become a trusted comradeship, though they conceal their fondness for each other by constantly bickering.[33] She displays quite a bit of loyalty to him, and even angrily confronts Bella about her unfair treatment of Jacob and the pain she has caused him. By the end of the novel, Leah has replaced Seth as Jacob's second-in-command.

In The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Leah is portrayed by Julia Jones.[34]

Seth Clearwater is Leah's younger brother. He transformed into a wolf during the events of New Moon, around the same time as his sister, Leah. He has sandy-colored fur, and at 15 he is among the youngest of the pack. In New Moon and Eclipse he is shown to idolize Jacob Black and is said to remind Bella of a younger Jacob. Like Quil, he is excited by his ability to transform into a wolf and not unhappy with it, as his other pack brothers are. During the newborn attack in Eclipse, Seth stays with Bella and Edward due to his youth and acts as a connection to the pack because of the wolves' telepathic ability. When Victoria and Riley appear, Seth fights and destroys Riley with Edward's help. In Breaking Dawn he is shown to have developed an unlikely friendship with Edward, and attends his and Bella's wedding. Seth remains a constant presence throughout the final book in the series. He is initially the only wolf to feel completely comfortable being around the Cullen family, and becomes friendly with them by the end of the series.

Although young, Seth appears to have sharp mind and quick thinking as he was the first to oppose the assault towards the Cullens because the pack refused to consult with the Elders (which they were supposed to do and initially aborted the mission due to lack of offensive force) and he was the first to recognize that Jacob isn't thinking properly when he wanted to attack the Cullens after Bella's arrival from Brazil due to the treaty without proper investigation. Seth was also the first one to discover that different pack has their own mental link and convinced both Jacob and the Cullens that Sam's pack will not launch an assault due to lack members because it will be a suicide mission for Sam if he did. He also has, according to Edward, very honest and pure thoughts, something that endears him to the Cullens, and Edward in particular. When Jacob splits from the pack, Seth quickly joined him because he opposes Sam's plan to attack the Cullens, whom he has become fond of. For most of Breaking Dawn, Seth is Jacob's second-in-command, until he is replaced by Leah at the end of the novel.

In the The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Seth is played by Boo Boo Stewart.[34]

Collin Littlesea and Brady FullerCollin Littlesea and Brady Fuller are two of the youngest wolves in the pack. In Eclipse, they are said to have phased at the age of thirteen, and they later make an appearance in Breaking Dawn as part of Sam's pack.

Others There are seven additional wolves present at the end of Breaking Dawn. These unknown wolves are believed to be very young because of their oversized paws. The reason for their transformations is the presence of many visiting vampires at the Cullen residence.

Ephraim Black, great-grandfather to Jacob Black, was the last chief of the Quileute tribe. He was a shape-shifter himself, and the Alpha of a pack of three which included Levi Uley and Quil Ateara Sr., the great-grandfathers of Sam Uley and Quil Ateara, respectively. He created a treaty with the Cullen family which maintained that the wolves would not expose the Cullens as vampires as long as they did not bite any humans.

Background
The story takes place in Forks, Washington. Forks, Washington isn't very large. This small city was established on August 28, 1945. Many people recongnize Forks as the logging capital of the world. The population is the film Breaking Dawn is 3120 people. Forks economy was based on a local timber industry which has recently been declining. However, many more individuals are touring Forks, Washington because Stephene Meyer made her Twilight series take place here. Also, many fishers come here due to salmon and rainbow fish. Forks also has an oceanic climate which means there is mainly heavy rainfall in Forks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forks,_Washington Courtney.darnell 18:35, 10 November 2011 (MST)CourtneyDarnell14

Development
Originally, Meyer wrote a book titled Forever Dawn, which was a direct sequel to Twilight. While the basic storyline remained the same, Forever Dawn was narrated completely from Bella's point of view, the werewolves and Jacob were "only sketchily developed", Victoria and Laurent were both alive, and there was an epilogue. Meyer went on to say that she "may post some extras someday if I ever have time to go back through the Forever Dawn manuscript—it's just as long as Breaking Dawn."

The part which took Meyer the longest time to write of Breaking Dawn was the half-chapter describing the 3 months after Bella's transformation into a vampire because "the amount of time per word put into that section was probably ten times what it was in any other part of the book" and Meyer liked to write minute by minute, but didn't think it would be exciting.

Meyer decided to include the pregnancy in her story while she was researching vampires, early in 2003, and came across the legend of the incubus, a demon who could father children.Bella's insistence to not let her child die was inspired by Meyer's reaction when asked if she would let one of her children die so she could live, which was to deliver the child no matter what the consequences were.Meyer said in an interview with Shannon Hale, published in The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide, that the birth scene published is a little less grotesque than the one she wrote before editing due to her editor, agent and publisher's requests to "tone down the violence a little". She stated that Bella's pregnancy and childbirth, for her, were "a way to kind of explore that concept of what childbirth used to be" in the past and acknowledged that they were "taking Bella in a new direction that wasn't [as] relatable for a lot of people."Concerning the subject of the relatibility of Bella, Meyer admitted that she lost some of her relatibility to the character when she became a vampire and said, "every point up until that point in the story [the transformation] I would say I could step into this story right here and I could do everything she could do which made it really fun." Meyer wanted to experience Bella's vampiric experiences and "enjoyed very much writing" about them and wanted to end the book from her perspective, but still thought it was "a little bit harder" as she couldn't step in into the story anymore.

In regard to Renesmee's unique name, Meyer wrote that she "couldn't call her Jennifer or Ashley. What do you name the most unique baby in the world? I looked through a lot of baby name websites. Eventually I realized that there was no human name that was going to work for me, so I surrendered to necessity and made up my own."

Meyer states in regard to ending the series that:

"The Twilight Saga is really Bella's story, and this was the natural place for her story to wind up. She overcame the major obstacles in her path and fought her way to the place she wanted to be. I suppose I could try to prolong her story unnaturally, but it wouldn't be interesting enough to keep me writing. Stories need conflict, and the conflicts that are Bella-centric are resolved."

Influences
The plays The Merchant of Venice and A Midsummer Night's Dream both influenced Breaking Dawn. Meyer decided that Alice would write her instruction to Bella on a page from The Merchant of Venice to give a clue that the final confrontation at the end of the book would be a mental one—not a physical battle–like the one at the end of the play. It also hints that the novel would have a happy ending for the couples, as in The Merchant of Venice. Originally it was Jane Eyre that Alice tore a page from, but Jane Eyre had nothing to do with the story, so Meyer changed it.

The idea of imprinting, which existed in Forever Dawn, was inspired by A Midsummer Night's Dream. Meyer described it as "the magic of setting things right—which doesn't happen in the real world, which is absolutely fantasy", and decided to introduce it earlier–in Eclipse–so she wouldn't have to explain it later.

Cover art
Meyer described the cover as "extremely meaningful" and said that she was "really happy with how it turned out".The cover is a metaphor for Bella's progression throughout the entire series; she began as the physically weakest player on the board, the pawn, but at the end she becomes the strongest, the queen.The chessboard also hints at the conclusion of the novel "where the battle with the Volturi is one of wits and strategy, not physical violence.

The title, Breaking Dawn, is a reference to the beginning of Bella's life as a newborn vampire.Originally, Meyer wanted to title the book Forever Dawn, but she thought the name was very "cheesy". Wanting to add a "sense of disaster" to the title to match the novel's mood, she called it Breaking Dawn. Another reason for giving the book this particular title is that it matches the book's plot, which centers around "a new awakening and a new day and there's also a lot of problems inherent in it".

Release
Marketing Entertainment Weekly magazine released an excerpt of Breaking Dawn on May 30, 2008. Stephenie Meyer also revealed a 'Quote of the Day' from Breaking Dawn for about three weeks prior to its August 2, 2008 release. The first quote was released on Stephenie's website on July 12, 2008. The first chapter of Breaking Dawn, "Engaged", was released in the special edition of Eclipse.Breaking Dawn was officially released on August 2, 2008 through midnight release parties in over 4,000 bookstores,most of which involved costume and trivia contests, crafts, and face painting.Godiva also made a Twilight-themed chocolate bar, which was released in Barnes & Noble book stores at the release parties.A four-city Breaking Dawn Concert Series, featuring Stephenie Meyer and Blue October's Justin Furstenfeld, coincided with the novel's release. The concert series sold out three of its four locations on the day that tickets went on sale, selling out in under an hour in one city.

Publication
Prior to the novel's release, the first three Twilight books had already sold 8.5 million copies throughout the US and over 2 million copies in the UK.Breaking Dawn was one of the most anticipated books of 2008 with The Guardian noting, "Teenagers across the world are anxiously awaiting the next instalment of author Stephenie Meyer's vampiric series of novels."To meet the high demand, Little, Brown Books added a printing of 500,000 additional copies just prior to publication of the title, bringing initial print run to 3.7 million.

The book sold 1.3 million copies in the US and 20,000 copies in the UK in its first 24 hours of release, as well as 100,000 copies in Canada during its first weekend. Breaking Dawn debuted at #1 on USA Today's top 150 best sellers list and has gone on to spend over 58 weeks on the list. It was also the biggest-selling children's book of 2008 with over 6 million copies sold.

A special edition of Breaking Dawn was released on August 4, 2009, containing a DVD of the Breaking Dawn Concert Series and an interview with Meyer.

Film Adaptation




Summit Entertainment announced in November 2008 that they had obtained the rights to the fourth book in Stephenie Meyer's series, Breaking Dawn.The studio greenlit an adaptation of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn in April, 2010. The film is to be split into two parts, the first of which is scheduled for release on November 18, 2011. Then, on Friday, August 6, 2010, Summit Entertainment announced that the second part of the movie will be theatrically released on November 16, 2012. Bill Condon will direct both parts; The Twilight Saga author, Stephenie Meyer, will co-produce the film along with Karen Rosenfelt and Wyck Godfrey.In July, 2010, Summit announced that the movie will be shot in Vancouver, Canada, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Actress Maggie Grace has signed on to play the part of Irina in the movie, and Mackenzie Foy has signed on to play Renesmee, Edward and Bella's half-vampire, half-human child.

Reviews
For many, Breaking Dawn will be a mixed read. The final installment in Stephenie Meyer’s saga ventures further afield than ever before, incorporating incredibly ‘out there’ elements—even for a vampire romance. The various plot threads which Meyer has been spinning since the beginning of the series find themselves a little too neatly tied up here. This leaves Meyer to explore one final, fresh (though anticlimactic) conflict before closing the saga with nary a sad note.

Pros

•Many fans of the series will likely be glad to encounter positive resolutions •Jacob’s narration lends a fresh feel to the story •Despite its length, Breaking Dawn keeps up a quick pace, and is a page-turner

Cons

•Certain developments feel more horrifying and bizarre than even the fantastical world calls for •The quick and painless resolution of conflicts leaves one wanting more •The final showdown results in an anticlimactic end to the series

Description

•'Breaking Dawn' was published in August 2008. •Publisher: Little, Brown •768 Pages

Guide Review -

'Breaking Dawn' by Stephenie Meyer - Book Review Reading Breaking Dawn must feel a lot like the diet of animal blood which sustains the vampires central to the story. It slakes one’s thirst, yet it doesn’t appeal quite like the "real thing"—it lacks the tantalizing scent, the desirable taste, of the authentic.

Barely more than halfway into Breaking Dawn, all the open issues which have been gathering over the course of the series have been resolved. Though this should be satisfying for the reader, it comes too easily and quickly. What’s more, Breaking Dawn arrives at these resolutions via the frightening plot vehicle of Bella’s horrifying pregnancy. To a somewhat redeeming effect, this portion of the novel is told through Jacob’s incredulous eyes.

With an entire series worth of plot points neatly out of the way, Meyers brings yet another circumstance of impending doom upon the beleaguered vampires of Forks, Washington. But for all the tense build up, this final conflict also dissipates too easily. In effect, it mirrors the arc of the entire saga.

The book closes without sacrifice, loss, or the pain of difficult decisions. Bella and Edward’s concluding bliss is not without appeal for followers of the series, yet can one reach the peak of true happiness without experiencing the valleys of true loss?