Births and rebirths are present both literally and metaphorically through Breaking Dawn. In the beginning of the novel, Bella and Edward are married. She is transformed from a single woman to a married woman, recreating herself as Mrs. Edward Cullen rather than Bella Swan. Not long after the marriage, Bella finds out she is pregnant. She gives birth to their daughter Renesmee. This is a literal birth that produces as a child, as well as another rebirth for Bella: she has transformed from a woman into a mother. Another rebirth that takes place at this point in the novel is Bella’s transformation from human to vampire. She, literally, almost dies in the birthing process. However, rather than killing her, it ultimately makes her stronger. Bella must endure through the violent pain she experiences during her transformation, but when it is complete, she has been fully reborn as a vampire.

Another rebirth that occurs within the novel is Jacob’s transformation from member of the pack to alpha male. When Jacob refuses to agree with the leader of the werewolf pack, he breaks away and forms his own pack. By breaking away, he also breaks the telepathic bond the werewolves use to communicate among themselves. In this way, Jacob is dead to the pack because he is completely shut off from them. However, by enduring this “death” he is able to be reborn as the alpha male.

Family is extremely important throughout Breaking Dawn. It is stressed throughout the entire Twilight series that families can be created in all sorts of ways. Bella, for example, is lacking a stable family—her parents are divorced, her mother is remarried and involved more in her newlywed life than her daughter’s life, and her father is nice but generally clueless. Edward, on the other hand, should not have a family at all--as a vampire, he should be a nomadic loner. Instead, he is part of a created family—the Cullens—that exhibit bonds as strong, if not stronger, than a traditional human family.

Jacob Black is also a member of a created family. He has his father, but again, is generally without parental guidance. Once he changes into a werewolf, however, he becomes part of a pack that is so tightly bonded, they are even able to speak to one another through telepathy. There is nothing the pack does on their own; they work as a single unit. When Jacob breaks away from the pack, he is amazed by the sense of loneliness he feels when his mind is no longer connected to another’s.

Edward and Bella also are an example of created family. Although they marry, they are not supposed to ever be able to have children. However, Renesmee is born, and the idea of family is once again recreated, this time a hybrid human-vampire family.

The strength to stand up for what one believes in comes through on both a small scale and a large scale in Breaking Dawn. The first instance is for Bella to make the choice the marry Edward. Although she is aware of the dangers, as well as the disapproval from some, she stands strong and does what she believes is right for her. Bella’s strength through adversity surfaces again after finding out she is pregnant, and the fetus is harming her body. Although many of the Cullens want to terminate the pregnancy, Bella does not back down from her belief that the child should be brought into the world.

Jacob is another character that shows great strength when faced...