The Breaking Dawn Controversy – Does It Suck Or What?
I’m not going to make the obvious corny joke because you know where I was going with that. For the record, I liked it, but it seems to have torn the fandom in even halves. It seems appropriate, one year and one day after Breaking Dawn’s birth into this wonderful fandom of ours, to revisit – why the controversy?
Breaking Dawn is what I had expected Twilight to be from the beginning. I think I’ve written before about how much of a total and utter shock it was for me to fall in love with this series. Part of the reason for that is that I have an intense dislike for genres like the vampire genre. The reason I tend to dislike these types of novels is because they are all about the paranormal element – vampires and werewolves and witches, oh my!
Twilight was always different. Through Bella, you are introduced to this incredible world in an almost nonchalant fashion. Bella sees these fantastic abilities and accepts them as part of who Edward is. Instead of a story about a vampire we are left with the story of this boy and this girl, fighting for the simple right to be together. In other words, because Bella is able to interact with all the Cullens (and later the werewolves) as easily and naturally as she would if they were all human, we forget to concentrate on the fantastic element and are able to just enjoy the story.
Breaking Dawn takes the entire rest of the series and flips it on its axis. Instead of being in the human world – the world we’re used to- we are plunged into a world that doesn’t exist. Yes, it’s what we’ve wanted for Bella, but it’s a case of be careful what you wish for for some.Breaking Dawn is ALL about the paranormal element.
One of the hardest moments in my life came when I packed up one of my best friends, hugged her and sent her on her way to New Mexico. Most of me was happy for her – it’s what she desperately needed to get back on track with her life, but also I was heartbroken. I knew I was losing a part of her, and that I would never get that back. We would never be as close as we were in that moment. That’s how I feel about Bella’s transformation. Gone is the girl we could all identify with and in her place was a pristine, perfect creature – just like our Edward. It was the right thing for her, finally being Edward’s equal, but she was no longer our equal and I think some of us felt a little…left behind.
Additionally, the vampire world is difficult for some to actually deal with. Case and point – the impromptu vampire cesarean that Rob is so looking forward to (oh, Rob). I find most of the Breaking Dawn naysayers find that scene difficult to cope with. But to do that scene any other way would have been a cop-out. Stephenie created this little vampire world and was bound by the parameters she set down: vampire skin is impenetrable by normal means. Yes, it’s gross but in the world Stephenie created, there was no other way to get the baby out.
I don’t find this any different than the real world. How often we gloss over things that, in reality, are difficult and gross and painful. Birth in the human world is filled with blood. A needle entering the spine. A vag full of stitches. Pooping, peeing, bleeding and screaming in front of a room full of strangers who will not hesitate to stick their hands up your most intimate orifices. Surely Edward having to bite through Bella’s uterus with his teeth isn’t so monumentally more disturbing than any of the things a normal mother has to endure.
And let us not ignore the white elephant, or rather pale vampire-human hybrid baby, in the room.
I really understand the Renesmee factor and the bad fanfiction comparison. If you’re at all familiar with any fanfic world you’ve seen a thousand stories where the characters get married, pregnant and have babies, usually twins (one boy and one girl, natch) and everything is super duper amazing.
I think that dismissing Nessie as nothing more than a girlish notion of happily ever after is a huge injustice to the character and Stephenie’s world. Rather, I think Nessie is a culmination of the theme of fate throughout the book. From the moment Bella steps foot in Forks, fate is pushing her towards where she needs to be – part of the vampire world. Nessie accomplished what James, Victoria, The Volturi and an army of newborns could not – she pushed Bella into the arms of immortality.Yes, Bella gets to be a mother, and she gets forever with her beautiful, adoring, passionate husband – but both of these things came with a huge price. Bella spends the first three books paying for one and the fourth book paying for the other, so to speak.
Not only that but we had to expect that Bella’s entrance into the world of myths had to have some sort of conflict. We all knew she would eventually be a vampire, but then what? Without conflict there would be no fourth book at all (hush, naysayers, you know you wouldn’t have been satisfied if the series ended at Eclipse). You knew in New Moon that eventually the Volturi were going to crash the party. Why NOT because of a vampire baby?
If you really can’t deal with any of this, I have a hard time thinking Breaking Dawn could be a total wash for any Twilight fan. I recommend concentrating on the really good things.
Bella and Edward’s wedding – specifically the kiss at the end that Alice has to drag Bella away from. The rightness of the whole event. From Edward’s breathtaking smile at the alter, his lingering jealousy of Mike (I LOVE that entire arc in the series), to the wonderful image of Renee in Phil’s arms, holding hands with Charlie – I just love it.
Isle Esme – I know we looked away for the good parts, but Edward sweeping Bella into his arms and carrying her off to make sweet looooove to her? Come on, you know you loved it. Also, “hearing” Edward say “Sex” is ALMOST deliciously risque.
Jacob’s book – The hilarious titles, getting to know Seth and Leah, Lizzie (Because “Hey you with the stolen car!” always makes me laugh) Jacob vs Rosalie.
Bella as a vampire – making Edward say ow, their real honeymoon, Emmett’s sex jokes, Bella beating Emmett at arm wrestling.
That’s just way too many good moments to be a total waste, isn’t it?
Posted in Breaking Dawn
August 5th, 2009 at 5:27 am
k i love the way this post is written and all the fun little pics (especially that first one)
there were parts that i didn’t like about BD, but as a whole i loved it!
the one thing that i would change given the opportunity, would be to have the volturi fight scene be more than just a battle of wits. People needed to die.
If Meyer wanted to reach out to a greater audience, she should have killed off a Cullen or a Were.
Personally, i’m glad she didn’t – but Meyer had me at Twilight, she didn’t need to do anything so extreme to keep me lol
That being said, she still could have killed off some minor characters. Or had a major Volturi member die. Perhaps betrayed by one of his own after his decision to walk away from the Cullens.
It just didn’t seem fair that after a build up of four novels, and a huge scene with the Volturi and all of Italy that they’d all just walk away, unharmed… minus one lady with a big mouth…. big freaking deal
August 5th, 2009 at 9:47 am
hehe Actually, I agree with you for the most part – it was the single thing that disappointed me about Breaking Dawn. Stephenie ramped us up for the mother of all fricken vampire fights and then she backs down!!?
But the more I thought about it, the more it couldn’t have ended any better. Honestly, Twilight isn’t Harry Potter. Twilight always NEEDED a happily ever after, and it wouldn’t be a happily ever after if any of the Cullens died. It’s one of the very few stories that’s actually better off talking all the protagonists out of a grisly death.
And honestly – to be even remotely realistic, if that ENTIRE fricken Volturi army were to have gotten in a fight, they were targeting Bella and Bella alone. If it had been realistically written and they HAD gotten into a fight it’s Bella who would have died.
And then Edward would have been like, “Ok, well this has been fun, but hey Demetri can we get to the ripping and tearing, I’d best be going now.” And that is definitely not a happy ending!
Lol and BD buttons kill me.
August 7th, 2009 at 8:21 am
yep, after the whole thing was said and done i liked that all the Cullens lived happily ever after
but it wouldn’t have been so terrible if one of the bad guys died.
Imagine one of the volturi turning on their own. the war would have nothing to do with the Cullens and they could leave
also, it would open the field for future books – like what would happen in the vampire world if a new reign was in place?
August 7th, 2009 at 8:41 am
Jac Star, I am kinda hoping that Stephenie decides to go the Anne Rice route and start exploring the back stories of more of her characters. I would love to hear more about some of the other vamps mentioned in the series. – Mike
August 7th, 2009 at 9:11 am
Well, Stephenie DID leave it open for the future. Like they said, eventually the Volturi would stop licking their wounds and figure out how to come after everyone – especially the Cullens.
I would gladly read book after book about any of the vampires…even prequels. For instance – I’d love to actually SEE Alice and Jasper’s story… or Edward’s early days with Carlisle.
August 19th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Very intelligent commentary, Kristina. I loved Breaking Dawn and thought it the perfect ending for the series. A couple of my favorite parts were the fact that Bella took to drinking blood so easily for the sake of her baby when the sight of it had made her faint previously — it struck me as quite humorous the way that was brought in. Also, I laughed out loud when soon after she became a vampire Bella exlaimed, “Geez, Jake, you really do stink! Now I know what everyone was talking about!” (paraphrase)
August 19th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Yay! I love people who love BD. There are so many great moments…especially after Bella becomes a vampire. She’s hilarious with that stuff.
November 7th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
im in luv with the series but some part of the BD disappoint me……..
hheello why did Stephenie didnt continue the volturi fight? almost half of the book concentrate on preparing for the it………and they will just back off like that?
November 20th, 2009 at 9:01 am
I thought Breaking Dawn was an excellent book, beautifully written and very clear and concise. It was the perfect next-step after Eclipse and volturi fight?? No thanks, Carlisle’s gentleness and the Volturi’s obsession for upholding the law combined with Bella’s (awesome) gift was the perfect combination to stop the fight. YAY STEPHENIE MEYER!!!
November 21st, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Hi Great post. I agree with most of you that the fight scene … or not fight scene was kind of a flop but I think BD is great. Except for the fight I wouldnt have it any other way. I love how it all comes together even for Jacob. It works out how things are supposed to work out. Fall in love get married then have baby. BD answered alot of questions for me that I had in the other books. I know Meyers seems to be tired of the vampire story but if she ever decides to publish another book related to the twilight series I will buy every book or movie associated with it.
November 22nd, 2009 at 1:32 pm
i really actually liked breaking dawn, i had no idea that no-one didnt like it untill i came on the internet. i was pleased with ALL of it. every aspect, its has more humour and everything, its very romantic, and its were edward becomes more of the backbone, more of the optomist. i liked the renesmee idea. i liked it all! everyone saying that stephenie took too long talking about the preperation for fighting the volturi.. if you have really read the books, you will know that NO-ONE has ever beaten the volturi and the Cullens dont fell they can either. i just think people are really nit-picking. its silly, i loved it and loved the ending it made me smile at the last two pages
. and wow.. stephenie included ‘sex’..shocker. we all knew something like that would happen, you just have to read the way that they kiss in the first 3. i really think that people just need to stop judging.. i mean at the end of the day stephenie couldnt have pleased EVERYONE, its how she wanted the series to end, and if she’s happy with it then why are everyone going on and on? i think you just all need to move on and really look at the good points of the book. as you so rightly point out in this post.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:22 pm
Ok. I liked the way that the book ended… BUT that is only because my heart could not take it if Edward or Bella really did die and the other one was forced to die as well. Such as they think the fight is over, Bella lets down her guard and someone gets Edward anyway. I really did not want anyone to die in a “fight” as I feel vampired/wolf fights are pretty discusting and nobody deserves that type of death. But I would have done more than just Bella blocking the torture. I would have interlocked more into using the superpowers. Such as have Benjamin make the sun shine, Zafrina conjure up a mirage for the Valturi from Renesme’s memory of the humans she knew (like Charlie) “catching the vampires” and instead of just protecting the good guys from harm, Bella is able to reflect the torture back to the Volturi. And yes, I thought we would see a new alience began where the Vulturi is not able to come back to bother the “good vampires” and maybe go more in depth about the “soul” issue…not just forever. It just leaves you hanging, you know?
I was bawling my eyes out by the end of the Jacob section because I thought for sure he was going to kill the baby and then find out later that Bella lived. Didn’t see the imprinting coming.