| MTV Name/Nickname | Girl Teen 6, Dawn |
| Fandom Names | Dawn |
| Stock/stereotype | Normal (Introvert) |
| Classmates | Daria and Jane |
| Speaks? | No (but sings in "Daria!") |
| Frequency seen | Occasionally |
| Based on real person? | Yes (see below) |
| Alter egos? | Yes |
Dawn is an overweight (obese, really) teen with orange-blonde hair and a vacant, detached look. She constantly wears a small headset attached to a Walkman-like device on her left side. A brown jacket is worn over her (white? pastel blue? aqua?) shirt, topping off her gray pants and light gray (Velcro?) sneakers. Not once does she appear to care what anyone thinks of her. Not once does any teacher tell her to take the earphones off.
Dawn's name came from her resemblance to an MTV staffer named Dawn (see caption for image #1, below). It is not known if the resemblance was intentional.
Depending on the quality of the image, Dawn's hair appears to be either yellow, tan, orange, beige, or olive drab.
Dawn is one of those characters that the MTV animation artists were clearly fond of, probably because she was based on a former MTV staffer. Dawn's appearances in the series make you wonder about her interior life. She seems introverted but content, if that is the right word. She lives in her own little world that little can disturb.
Dawn rarely if ever stars in fanfiction, but is often found in a minor or supporting role. (Do not confuse this Dawn with other characters named Dawn in fanfiction, such as Dawn the cheerleader, an original character in Dennis's "Turnabout Confusion" series.)
In "A Hard Days' Night," Dawn is the "owner" of J.B., the talking bulldog who helps fight supernatural invaders in the Lawndale area. She does not speak in the story and does not know of J.B.'s crime-fighting adventures, but she is very fond of her four-legged best friend.
 1 |
 2 |
 3 |
 4 |
 5 |
 6 |
 7 |
 8 |
 9 |
 10 |
 11 |
 12 |
 13 |
 14 |
 15 |
 16 |
 17 |
 18 |
 19 |
 20 |
 21 |
1. Line drawing of Dawn, from an online MTV Daria flipbook called "Oh, The Obscurity!" (This flipbook, which existed in 2001, has since vanished from the MTV site.) The caption with the picture read: Officially known as "Girl Teen 6," this self-contained cutie is said to resemble a former office production assistant who quit to join the police force. Dawn was her name and so... (First appeared in "Esteemsters")
2. In Mr. DeMartino's history classes, Dawn sits behind Brittany Taylor, imperturbable with her Walkman on ("Esteemsters"). This is where she first appears in the series. Notice that her cowlick is reversed and hangs over her left eye, not her right. It even flips back and forth when she turns her head. After "Esteemsters," Dawn does not appear in "The Invitation," "Cafe Disaffecto," "College Bored," "Malled," "Road Worrier," or "The Teachings of Don Jake."
3. Seating arrangement of the right side of Mr. DeMartino's classroom in "Pinch Sitter" (second season).
4. In "Prize Fighters" we see Dawn seated alone in the school cafeteria, having lunch. Compare with the picture beside it: As the Fashion Club (not shown in foreground) discusses college options in Is It Fall Yet?, Dawn eats lunch in the school cafeteria alone, listening to her Walkman. It is difficult to find images of her sitting and eating with anyone, much less having a conversation.
5. Dawn expresses shock as Brittany does a split and falls on her face in "See Jane Run." Note the other girls in Ms. Morris's phys-ed class with her.
6. The Daria Database includes a photo section from the Lawndale High yearbook, with a photo of many girls lying exhausted in the gym after a grueling workout from Ms. Morris. Dawn (sans headset) is among them, catching her breath in the bleachers.
7. Dawn walks past Daria and Ted as they talk in "The New Kid," proving that Dawn is on the school yearbook staff.
8. The rearranged seating order in Mr. O'Neill's class in "The F Word"; Dawn appears behind Daria. Dawn's cowlick is again reversed.
9. Dawn finds her reading assignment, Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, hard going in "The F Word."
10. Applauding as the floats and marching band go past, Dawn stands on the sidewalk in downtown Lawndale among other school students in "I Loathe a Parade."
11. As they watch the on-stage modeling antics near the end of "This Year's Model," Dawn sits placidly in the audience next to Angel. No one else sits near them, so perhaps they are friends. Angel does not seem to mind a little crowding.
12. Dawn and Angel enter the fair together in "Fair Enough." Friends, most likely.
13. In this aerial view, we see Tananda and Dawn (far right) sitting together in the school cafeteria (episode unknown).
14. Dawn and Tananda appear to be lab partners in Ms. Barch's science class, sitting in the row behind Brittany and Kevin ("Too Cute").
15. In "Esteemsters" we also see Dawn opening her locker in the hallway while Quinn Morgendorffer talks to No Chance. This is the moment when Quinn says she's an only child. Dawn is listening to her earphones and is not likely to have heard that.
16. Dawn helps pack items in Mr. DeMartino's class, as a school year ends at the beginning of Is It Fall Yet?
17. By chance, Dawn and Shaggy are eyewitnesses when Daria blurts out that she has kissed Jane's boyfriend in "Dye! Dye! My Darling."
18. Dawn is barely visible behind Daria in this graduation picture from Is It College Yet? And lo! She took off her earphones!
19. Dawn and other students sway and sing a wordless tune in the fantasy episode, "Daria!"
20. One of only two alter egos of Dawn, this one a late-series picture from the flipbook "Daria: Alter Egos" at the current MTV Daria website. Dawn is shown as the astrological sign Libra, which could imply something about her birthday and personality, or maybe not. The caption for the image reads, Dawn weighs her options as Libra. Note the bulge under her toga where the Walkman is.
21. The second alter ego of Dawn, from the same source as #20 above. The caption reads: Dawn lights up as a jack o'lantern.
Daria Fandom Blog II: "Burnout Girl's real name was... Burnout Girl" (12/08/08): Analysis of contents of "lost" MTV Daria flipbook, "Oh, the Obscurity!"
DariaWiki: character page
Daria Character Database: character page
Sick, Sad World: character entry
Daria Fandom Blog II: all DFB2 posts that discuss Dawn
Daria: Alter Egos flipbook (accessed 01/06/09), on MTV's Daria website
Return to BACKGROUNDERS Index Page