Discussion Questions for Breaking Dawn

Ice-Breakers

1. What predictions had you made for this book? Which ones turned out to be accurate?

2. Did the title give you any clues as to what would happen in the fourth book?

3. How does the cover art (featuring a white queen and a red pawn on a chessboard) relate to the plot?

4. Which character is your favorite? Did this person significantly change or surprise you in Breaking Dawn?

5. Are there any characters you didn’t like before reading Breaking Dawn? Did the book change your mind about them at all?


Breaking Dawn and the Twilight Saga

6. How does Stephenie Meyer change the familiar legends of vampires (and werewolves) in the Twilight Saga? Do you like these changes or do you feel she is “sanitizing” the vampire to make this creature more acceptable?

7. Bella describes herself as ordinary-looking, clumsy, and accident-prone, but the name Bella (which means “beautiful”) and Swan (recalling the story of the ugly duckling) suggest that she will transform (or perhaps that she’s selling herself short from the beginning). Do you think her metamorphosis takes place entirely in Breaking Dawn or does she begin to transform earlier in the series? What changes do you see in Bella over the course of the series? How does Bella Cullen compare to the Bella Swan we meet in Twilight?

8. Bella is unique in that she has the choice of remaining human or becoming something other. This isn’t the case for the vampires, many of whom were attacked and violated, or for the werewolves, who are bound to the change by tribal tradition. Even those Carlisle “saved” were in no shape to make a decision about whether they’d rather live as vampires or die as humans. How does Bella’s freedom of choice affect the kind of vampire she becomes? Do you support the other decisions Bella makes in the series?

9. A lot of romances depend on the frustrated desire of the hero and heroine to build suspense. Once the characters marry and/or make love, the anticipation is over and it’s difficult to keep the reader interested. Does Meyer keep your interest after Bella and Edward overcome the barriers keeping them apart? How does she do this?

10. Did you like the switch to Jacob’s point of view in Breaking Dawn? What is Jake able to tell us that Bella (or Edward) couldn’t? Did hearing his side of the story change your view of him?

11. Meyer suggests that Jacob imprinted on Nessie even before she was born (possibly before she was even conceived), which might explain why the bond between Jacob and Bella has always been so strong. Do you find this explanation satisfying? Does this mean that the choice Bella made between Edward and Jacob was unnecessary on some level because Jacob’s love for her wasn’t “real”?

12. What do you like/dislike about the final showdown between the united vampire clans and the Volturis? Were the Volturis defeated or did they just make a tactical retreat, which means they might still be a threat?

13. A Mormon acquaintance explained that the Cullen family is trying to “overcome the natural vampire,” which is related to the Mormon belief that people must "overcome the natural man," rising above the normal tendencies toward sin. How are the issues of self-control, discipline, and sin important to this series?

14. Think about the Cullens, the Quileute tribe, Bella’s relationship with her parents, and the gathering of vampires in Breaking Dawn. How does Meyer change the traditional idea of “family” in the Twilight series? Would you call any of these families dysfunctional?


Intertextual Connections

15. Meyer says that one of her inspirations for Breaking Dawn was William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. At the beginning of Shakespeare’s play, a young man named Demetrius is trying to break up the lovers Lysander and Hermia; he doesn’t care that Helena is dying for love of him. Oberon, the fairy king, wants to punish his wife, so he instructs Puck to make her fall in love with something disgusting (a man with the head of a donkey). Oberon also tells Puck to make Demetrius love Helena, but Puck accidentally casts the spell on Lysander as well, so both men now love Helena while Hermia is left out in the cold.

Because this is a comedy, Puck is able to reverse the spells on everyone but Demetrius so that all the characters end up with the right partner. However, Breaking Dawn is not a comedy and the imprinting process is not reversible. What problems are caused by the imprinting? Do you see the imprinting as romantic or as a kind of curse, robbing people of their ability to choose a partner? How would you respond if you were the object of the imprinting?

16. Breaking Dawn also contains several references to another Shakespeare play, The Merchant of Venice. The wily Shylock tries to enforce a contract which entitles him to a pound of the merchant Antonio’s flesh; essentially, Shylock has found a way to commit a legal murder. However, a clever young woman named Portia, masquerading as a lawyer, argues that Shylock may claim the pound of flesh but he’s not entitled to any blood; if Shylock spills even a drop of Antonio’s blood, he will be arrested for murder. Of course, Shylock backs down.

How does this play relate to Breaking Dawn? Who plays the role of Portia in Meyer’s version?

17. In writing the Twilight Saga, Stephenie Meyer has made a number of references to other literary works. She claims that Twilight is based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice; New Moon reworks Romeo and Juliet; Eclipse is her homage to Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights; and Breaking Dawn references A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Merchant of Venice. How do these literary allusions affect your understanding or enjoyment of the Twilight Saga? Has Meyer inspired you to read (or reread) any of the texts she mentions? Does Meyer’s series remind you of any other stories?

18. What other vampire books/series have you read? How do they compare to the Twilight Saga?


Wrap Up

20. Overall, did you find Breaking Dawn a satisfying conclusion to the Twilight Saga? Why or why not?

21. Does Breaking Dawn create any opportunities for a new series featuring some of the Twilight characters?

22. As you probably know, Meyer has promised to write Edward’s version of Twilight in a book called Midnight Sun. What predictions do you have for this book? What questions do you hope it will answer?

23. Until Meyer publishes again, what book(s) would you recommend to Twilight fans?

Change in Reading Schedule

Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks, one of our upcoming books, has been nominated for the Teens' Top Ten List, sponsored by the American Library Association. The Teens' Top Ten is a "teen choice" award: if you've read the nominated books, you're invited to cast your vote during Teen Read Week, Oct 12-18.

In order to give the Gryffindors an opportunity to vote on this book, we'll be reading Evil Genius in October rather than November as we'd originally planned. Please see the box on the right for an updated schedule.

The subtheme for this year's Teen Read Week is "Books with Bite @ Your Library." Check out the nominees for the Teens' Top Ten --you'll recognize some of them!

Twilight and Mormonism

Thanks to all of you who attended the Twilight book talk at Barnes and Noble on Thursday night. We had a great discussion, and I heard some fascinating ideas, especially relating to Mormonism.

Much has been made of author Stephenie Meyer’s religion, usually along the lines of “What’s a nice Mormon girl like you doing writing about vampires?” Two people who came to the book talk identified themselves as Mormon or Latter-Day Saints (LDS) and I thought their responses to the series were very interesting.

Nancy, a grad student in technical editing, hasn’t read any of the books, but she’s heard a lot about it from her husband, an 8th-grade teacher whose female students and colleagues have been raving about the series. Nancy didn’t find the subject of vampires very appealing, but she did become interested when she learned that the author, Stephenie Meyer, is LDS. Not only did Nancy want to support a fellow Mormon, but she felt reassured that this “vampire romance” wouldn’t be frightening or sexually offensive.

John, a genetics major, is the first male Twilight reader I’ve met, although I’ve heard about others. Several young women have told me they gave the book to their guy friends and boyfriends, who became fans. True to form, John read the series because some girls (his sisters) recommended it to him. He said he wasn’t terribly interested in the romance (he couldn’t relate to Bella’s gushing admiration of Edward’s good looks), but he liked the vampire angle and he found that the books reflected familiar Mormon theology.

For example, Mormons believe that we must “overcome the natural man,” that is, conquer our baser instincts and our tendency toward sin. Similarly, Edward and his adoptive family struggle to “overcome the natural vampire”: they deny their thirst for human blood and hunt only animals. John was also fascinated by the idea of immortality, although we didn’t talk about how that might relate to Mormonism.

John and Nancy, I really enjoyed meeting you and I hope to see you again at the book release party on Aug. 1. I'd love to hear more of your ideas!

July Gryffindor Meeting

I just realized I've posted the wrong date for the July Gryffindor meeting!

The correct date is tomorrow, July 15, at 7 p.m. (I've made the change to the schedule at right.) We'll discuss The Spiderwick Chronicles (all 5 books!) by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. See you there!

Spiderwick Woes

The Gryffindors will be talking about the Spiderwick Chronicles (Books 1-5) at the next meeting, but I've gotten stalled after Book 1. I can't seem to find Book 2 at the North Branch or Emily Fowler libraries, even though the card catalog insists there are copies at both locations. I'd really prefer to read the series in order, so I may have to break down and buy the missing book. The sacrifices I make for this group!

As for my reaction so far: I like the concept of Spiderwick, which reminds me of E. Nesbit's Five Children and It, Edward Eager's Half Magic, and Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events. It also reminds me of a book I read a long time ago about a family that moves into an old house and discovers a treasure hunt. The first clue was a note rolled up in a windowshade: "Go to the Room of the Eyes." This was also the title of the book: Go to the Room of the Eyes by Betty K. Erwin (1969).

Spiderwick seems to be aimed at a fairly young set, but I was still disappointed that the first book was so short. The children finally discover a fairy (or sprite) living in their house . . . and then the book ends. What a letdown! I'm hoping the later books will have more meat.

New Gryffindor Schedule

The Gryffindors are beginning a new schedule this year. We will meet on the third Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at Emily Fowler Central Library. Thursday afternoons created a lot of conflicts with school activities, so I hope that the new evening time will fit better into everyone's schedule.

Our first meeting will be Tuesday, Jan. 15, when we will discuss Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief. Join us!

The Gryffindors Have Moved!

The Gryffindor Book Group has a new schedule and meeting venue. Beginning in September, we will meet at 4:30 p.m. on the 3rd Thursday of each month at Emily Fowler Central Library. Check the Gryffindor Book Group Schedule sidebar for dates and books.

Serendipity

Sorry it's been several days between posts, but I had an opportunity to make some very sweet lemonade out of some lemons I was handed last Thursday.

I was really looking forward to talking with the Gryffindor Book Group about Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne, but nobody showed up. Not one person! It's possible that Verne was just too intimidating, even for folks who said they wanted to read him. There is quite a lot of science in his science fiction--he's obviously fascinated with the potential uses of electricity, for example, and he explains exactly how to calculate the amount of pressure exerted on a submarine as it descends underwater. (Interesting stuff, but a little of this goes a long way.)

I also wonder if Thursday night is just not a good time for our teen and tween readers. We'll still plan to meet at 7 p.m. on August 9 to talk about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (5 days to book release--hurray!), but we'll consider changing the day and time for future meetings. If you're in the Denton area and you'd like to join us, please leave a comment about what days and times you'd prefer to meet!

Anyway, I was talking about these issues with Thom Anderson, the friendly Community Relations Manager at the Barnes & Noble store where our group meets, when a man came over and asked if he could sit with us. There was no point in saving chairs for people who weren't coming, so I said sure. It turns out that this gentleman is the managing editor of the Gainesville Daily Register and after we'd talked for a while, he invited me to submit a review of the newest Harry Potter movie. Of course, I said yes! I spent Friday beefing up the preliminary review I'd written for this blog (July 11, 2007), and this morning I drove 30 miles to Gainesville to pick up several copies of the Daily Register. Hurray! (If my review becomes available online, I'll be sure to add a link to it.)

So that's my serendipity for this week. Although I'm still disappointed that the Gryffindors didn't get to discuss Jules Verne, if even one person had shown up for the meeting, I wouldn't have talked with Mr. Osborne or gotten to publish a movie review in his paper.

Have you had a serendipity this week? If so, leave a comment and tell us about it. Be sure to look for serendipity in your own life in the coming week. I bet you'll find it!

Why We Should Take Children's Lit Seriously

As a graduate student, I never took a course in children's literature. In fact, I don't remember even being offered the opportunity. I do remember hearing one professor speak disparagingly of "kiddie lit," which I now realize is a controversial but widely-used term, but I had no idea that this was a field of legitimate study (and indeed, some scholars argue that it isn't). Children's/YA lit has gained grudging acceptance in the academy and I've read some truly outstanding scholarship on the subject, but I've learned most of what I know about this field from much younger experts.

Birth of a Book Group
Two years ago, I was asked to put together a fantasy/science fiction book group for readers between the ages of 10 and 15. I figured I could draw on some of my old favorites--A Wrinkle in Time, The Chronicles of Narnia, Alice in Wonderland--but I wasn't up on any current fiction except Harry Potter, so I went to my public library to do some research. I casually asked a librarian if she could recommend a few books and was overwhelmed by her response--Pat led me all over the junior and teen sections, showered me with lists of award-winning books, and fired authors and titles at me until I begged for mercy. We sat down at a table as I feverishly took notes, stumbling over the spelling of unfamiliar names like Sabriel and Abarat. I wish I could remember which title Pat was talking about when a young woman playing a computer game nearby suddenly turned around and said fervently, "That is SUCH a great book!" That's how I met Julia.

Julia joined us at the table and started rattling off all the books I absolutely had to read. After a while, her sister, Katherine, wandered over to see what we were doing, and soon both girls were darting into the stacks and bringing back armfuls of their favorite books, breathlessly providing plot summaries and arguing over which were the best. I've spent my life among books and people who love them, but it had been a long time since I had heard anyone talk about reading with such passion and urgency. I knew I had to get this book group up and running. Julia and Katherine became the first two members.

Next month the Gryffindors will celebrate our two-year anniversary (yes, I live in fear of being sued for copyright infringement, but we love the name). In addition to facilitating the meetings, I publish two newsletters, The Denton Runes and Dragonbites, to recommend books and advertise special events at the Denton Public Library and at the Barnes & Noble store where the group meets.

Here are some of the things I've learned over the past two years:

1. We are living in a second Golden Age of children's/YA literature, fueled by but certainly not limited to the Harry Potter phenomenon. (The first Golden Age was in the 19th century--more about that later.) There's just a lot of good stuff out there right now, including a number of books with very strong female heroes. I plan to talk about many of these books in more detail in future posts, but let me just list, in no particular order, some of the most impressive authors I've read: Shannon Hale, Scott Westerfeld, Jonathan Stroud, Philip Pullman, Patricia Wrede, Maiya Williams, Louis Sachar, Carl Hiaasen, Justine Larbalestier, Terry Pratchett, J. K. Rowling, Orson Scott Card, Gail Carson Levine, Rick Riordan, Vivian Vande Velde, and Gabrielle Zevin.

2. "Children's literature" covers a lot of territory, everything from soft-cover picture books for infants to racy teen reads like the Gossip Girl series (think Sex and the City for the Clearasil crowd and you've got the idea). This tendency to lump everything together under one umbrella term leads to confusion about what is age-appropriate. Harry Potter and Eragon may be extremely popular, but they're NOT for six-year-olds.

3. Children's/YA lit has a much larger audience than you might think. The Gryffindors was intended for tweens and young teens, but we had so many adults attend the first few meetings that I changed the description to "readers of all ages." Some are parents who come with their children; some are aspiring children's authors or fans of a particular book; others are college-age readers who find that YA books are more thought-provoking and original than adult fiction.

4. They may be writing for young readers, but these authors aren't kidding around (sorry, I couldn't resist that one). They're taking on serious issues and creating real art.

• Cornelia Funke's Inkheart raises the issue of an author's moral responsibility for his or her creation.
• Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game and Terry Pratchett's Only You Can Save Mankind confront the moral complexities of war.
• Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy is a rewriting of Milton's Paradise Lost by way of William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience and "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell."

In her study Kiddie Lit: The Cultural Construction of Children's Literature in America, Beverly Lyon Clark asserts that the study of children's lit raises some fascinating questions about canonicity, commodification, and censorship, but she gives us an even more important reason to take children's lit seriously: "The term kiddie lit captures our culture's ambivalence toward children and children's literature: dismissive? self-mocking? pejorative? ironical?" (2).

Our regard for children's lit has a lot to do with our regard for children, period.