Stephenie Meyer

"Breaking Dawn"

The fourth book of the immensely popular series, The Twilight Saga, titled Breaking Dawn, was penned by Stephenie Meyer and experienced a staggering success in the United States, selling over a million copies within the first 24 hours of its release. This final installment delves into various themes, such as love transcending racial boundaries, the hardships endured for one's convictions, and the essence of motherhood.



Part 1 of Breaking Dawn commences with the central character, Bella Swan, behind the wheel of her car, plagued by a sense of paranoia, believing that people are scrutinizing her every move. As with the previous books in the series, Breaking Dawn continues to be narrated by Bella, who grapples with a multitude of anxieties. Among these concerns are her prospects of being admitted to a prestigious school and the apprehension surrounding her parents' reaction to her marriage with Edward Cullen, a vampire.



Edward's transformation into a vampire transpired in 1917 when he contracted the Spanish Influenza and was on the verge of death. Despite being more than a century old when he encounters Bella at their high school in the first book, Twilight, Edward retains the physical appearance of a 17-year-old. Residing alongside the vampire who turned him, Dr. Carlisle Cullen, who bears a youthful visage akin to a 23-year-old, Edward assumes the role of Carlisle's adopted son. Bella and her family resided next door to Edward and his "family" in the small town of Forks, Washington.

Bella Swan, the protagonist of the story, was brought up to be an independent and brave woman. However, she struggles to reconcile her own self-image with the idea of marriage. In her experience, Edward, her vampire love interest, has always been somewhat of a rebellious figure. She finds it difficult to imagine the strong and fierce vampire who has repeatedly saved her life as a submissive and meek husband.



Despite these reservations, Bella ultimately decides to marry Edward. Their honeymoon takes place on Isle Esme, a beautiful island on the Brazilian coast that was purchased by Dr. Carlisle, Edward's adoptive father, as a gift for his wife, Esme.



During their honeymoon, Bella's joy is overshadowed by a startling discovery - she realizes that she is pregnant. To make matters worse, the growth of the fetus is much more rapid than that of a human fetus. The physical pain inflicted by her pregnancy becomes unbearable for Bella. As a result, thenewlyweds cut their honeymoon short and hastily return to their hometown of Forks, Washington.



Part 2 of the story is narrated by Jacob Black, a werewolf who had previously been in love with Bella. Upon hearing that Bella is supposedly sick, Jacob immediately jumps to the conclusion that the vampires have broken their promise to protect Bella and have instead transformed her into a vampire.



Filled with concern and anger, Jacob rushes to the Cullens' house to confront them about Bella's condition. However, upon arriving, he discovers that Bella is not actually ill but is facing an extraordinarily challenging pregnancy. Jacob engages in a heated argument with Bella regarding her decision to keep the baby. He firmly believes that if she continues with the pregnancy, it will ultimately lead to her demise.

Despite his pleas, Bella remains determined to carry the child and expresses her desire to be turned into a vampire. Frustrated and upset, Jacob storms off, leaving the Cullens' residence.



As Jacob's anger intensifies, his wolf pack senses his turmoil, and he undergoes a transformation into a werewolf. This transformation only occurs when he is enraged. Jacob discloses to his pack members that Bella is pregnant, which deeply concerns them. Due to the longstanding animosity between vampires and werewolves, the pack fears that Bella and Edward's unborn child will be another supernatural creature, posing a threat to their existence. Consequently, the pack reaches a consensus that both Bella and her baby must be eliminated. However, Jacob staunchly refuses to partake in the plan to harm Bella and her unborn child. In a bold move, he races back to the Cullens' house to warn them of the impending danger posed by the werewolves.



In this part of the story, a werewolf named Seth Clearwater aligns himself with Jacob, breaking away from the authority of the pack's leader, Sam. Unlike the other werewolves, Jacob and Seth are not bound by the commands of the pack leader. Together, they hurry to the Cullens' house to deliver the warning about the approaching werewolves. The Cullens express their gratitude for the warning, and Jacob and Seth volunteer to patrol the area surrounding the house. Later on, Seth's older sister, Leah, joins their renegade pack, adding to their numbers.



Meanwhile, it is revealed that the fetus growing in Bella's womb requires a diet of blood to survive. To properly nourish the baby, Bella finds herself drinking blood, which provesbeneficial for both her and the unborn child. However, the exact timing of the birth of the vampire-human hybrid remains unknown to everyone, including Dr. Carlisle, as such a combination is exceptionally rare.

One day, Bella experiences a fall, which unexpectedly triggers the onset of labor. The birth proves to be excruciatingly challenging, leading to Bella suffering a broken spine and losing a significant amount of blood. Fortunately, Edward intervenes and saves her life by injecting his venom directly into her heart. This transformative act turns Bella into a vampire, ensuring her survival.



In this section of the story, Jacob becomes a witness to the events unfolding around him. He initially believes that Renesmee, the newborn baby, has caused the death of his former love, Bella. Driven by grief and anger, Jacob contemplates killing the infant. However, his intentions abruptly change when he experiences a spontaneous "imprint" on Renesmee. This imprinting is a unique characteristic of shapeshifters like Jacob, where they form an unbreakable bond with their soulmate upon encountering them.



Moving on to Part 3, Bella, now a vampire, shares her perspective on her transformed life. One day, a vampire named Irina catches sight of Renesmee and mistakenly assumes that she is an "Immortal Child." These children are individuals who have been turned into vampires at a young age, often against their will. However, the existence of such children is strictly forbidden by the Volturi, the supreme vampire court. Vampire children are perceived as uncontrollable and pose a threat not only to humans but also to other vampires. In response to the alleged presence of an Immortal Child, the Volturi dispatch representatives with the mission to eliminate Renesmee and any members of the Cullen family who dare to challenge their decision.



Fortunately, the Cullen family manages to gather enough witnesses who can confirm that Renesmee is not an Immortal Child but the offspring of a human and a vampire. Since Bella's transformation into a vampire, she has acquired a unique ability to shield others from having their thoughts read, which proves instrumental in their defense when the

representatives of the Volturi attempt to probe the minds of the witnesses.



Ultimately, the Volturi decide to punish Irina for her past transgressions in a previous book and her misguided attempt to provoke a war within the vampire world. She meets her fate at their hands.



To further solidify their case, a vampire-human hybrid named Nahuel, who is150 years old, arrives to testify that beings like himself pose no threat to either humans or vampires. The court acknowledges this fact and eventually departs. For the time being, the Cullen family is deemed safe from harm.



The novel concludes with Bella granting Edward access to her thoughts and emotions, allowing him to finally experience the depths of her innermost feelings.