Since gender equality makes up a miniscule of our history (50-60 years in comparison to 2000 years+ of women’s oppression), do u think our male protagonists will still hold some of this view? E.g: objectifying Jessica and imposing traditionally held gender expectations (obedience etc..) on her? It seems unrealistic for these ideologies to just vanish after being so deeply ingrained into their heads. The philosophies on women’s rights from a 21st century American female will surely cause conflict
No - the female vampires are as equally strong as male and some of the strongest vampires in the world are female i.e. Jane, Siobhan who was known to be strong beyond many human male and this ability were more visible as a newborn.
Even in Volturi, the vampires that are the cornerstone of the coven are females: Heidi, Chelsea and Corin. There's Renata who is Aro's personal bodyguard, Jane who are tasked to be the leader of important missions and Aro chose Sulpicia who was just as ambitious and cunning as himself and Didyme went against her brother by choosing Marcus over her clan and family.
The positions of the women they surround themselves with are in anything but the traditional role people expected women to be in the past and even now.
But when it comes to their desire for Jessica's obedience stems from their superiority as vampire and from position of someone with more life experience, wisdom and insights because Jessica need to realise that the moment she became involved, her decision and choice are not bound to her own anymore - it will also affect them and she needs to understand this.