A Literary Analysis of Stephenie Meyer’s "Breaking Dawn" from a Gender Perspective: Female Emancipation or False Liberation?

Abstract

This essay takes as its starting point John Stephens’ schema of masculine and feminine traits. The main character in Breaking Dawn, Bella and Edward, will be analysed according to Stephens’ description of masculine and feminine character traits. I will also draw on an analysis of one of the earliest novels about vampires, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, to see how Meyer’s characters compare to Stoker’s. Several essays analysing the Twilight series are also used.