The Glamorization Of Vampires In Vampire Horror Movies

Vampires have been around for centuries, they represent the fear of many things such as sexuality, race, gender, etc. and above all, they stand for the fear of diseases. Vampires have once been the symbol of horror due to their terrific depictions and were described as a threat to the humanity. Throughout time, the image of vampire has changed dramatically from a monstrous, inhumanely creature that doesn’t belong to human society to such an attractive and adaptive figure that expresses more of the human side than the evil. They developed human feelings, senses, and live within our society. Modern vampire movies are often more romantic and “sympathetic” comparing to the past. Vampires have abandoned their horror and evolved to a more

In the world of horror fiction, the “monster” that is the most overtly associated with sexuality and eroticism is the vampire. The blood-sucking exchange between the vampire and the victim is often presented as a type of stand-in for “traditional” sexual encounters, seeing as both create a bond or a unity between two individuals. Dracula and I Am Legend are two key works of fiction in the tradition of viewing the vampire through an erotic lens. Both works play on the concept that vampires are a unity of contradictions for their victims, or more succinctly the victims are simultaneously attracted to and repulsed by the vampires. In I Am Legend this is the key concept for understanding how Robert Neville views the female vampires he experiments

Bram Stoker's Dracula has been reviewed and reflected upon in the literary world for it engaging plot and characters as well as it's hidden undertones. As a modern society, pop culture has reshaped the image of vampires and the image of monsters in general. Today media alters the once threatening figure of blood-sucking overpowering beings into personable, even heroic at times with human flaws that make them more relatable to the average person. Movies and TV have make celebrities out of these fearful creatures. However, the classical tropes of vampirism comes from Bram Stoker’s classic horror novel, Dracula (1897).

Since the beginning of time vampires have been categorized into different "types” and are portrayed in different ways throughout several books. This paper will focus on three vampires from the following books: Dracula by Bram Stoker, and I am Legend by Richard Matheson. Dracula is considered to be the traditional vampire, where it all started, and the vampires in Matheson’s book, follow somewhat Stoker’s concept, but is more of a modern “type” of vampires. Certain vampire elements have been presented, but others have been completely removed or altered. In addition, elements along with appearances are used to infer if the vampire is a form of “the other”. There are two types of vampires; the traditional or modern vampire which can be distinguished based on the elements present in their storyline.

They shun the light and crave the taste of blood. The mere thought of them could make a grown man tremble. But what if a vampire wasn’t just a horrific creature of the night? What if they were completely human, enabling them to hide in plain sight? Wouldn’t that make them more dangerous? Due to popular Gothic literature, vampires are commonly romanticized to be pale bloodsuckers that hide in the dark, waiting for their next meal. This version of a vampire makes them easy to spot in literature, but is also very limiting in that it only lends itself to that specific genre. However, a different version, laid out by Thomas Foster, shows how anyone, whether they be fictional or nonfictional, can be considered a vampire through analysis of

Ever since my middle school friend introduced me to Twilight, I have been obsessed with vampires. With my obsession came a need to share my interest with other people. After my friends got sick of listening to my constant chatter about vampires, I turned to my mom to talk about my interest. When I told my mom about modern day vampires, she laughed and told me that the creatures I was talking about were not vampires. She said that vampires are bloodthirsty evil beings that are not handsome and certainly not sparkly. Through my conversation with my mother, I found out that the views of vampires have changed greatly throughout generations. I found that cultural and societal changes that occur throughout history has changed our image and perspectives of vampires.

Today you may see vampires portrayed as a beautiful person such as Edward Cullen in New Moon, The Twilight Saga movie where he is trying to fit into the high school scene by being strong and sensitive, nevertheless,

Both written and set in the late 19th century, Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula is one of the most pivotal books in horror literature and has since been the forerunner to most, if not all, kinds of vampire fiction. While it is apparent that there are strong themes revolving around the idea of female sexuality in Dracula, whilst being set in an anti-feministic climate as the Victorian era, the addition of vampires has taken it in something of a different direction to the already-standing topic of female subjugation. In the urban Gothic novel, a different kind of sexuality is presented. It is a violent kind of sexuality where the women presented are not only devolved into little more than vessels acted upon by a distinctly male-initiated passion,

The generalization for vampires has been displayed in films and literature for hundreds of years. The stereotypical versions of vampires are that they have long fangs, sleep in coffins during the day, and suck the blood out of humans. Both novels contradict those stereotypes in different ways. To understand the diversity of the vampires described in both novels, one must examine the characteristics that the vampires display and the meaning and purpose behind them. David D. Gilmore’s book “Monsters” analyzes monsters and other mythical creatures. Gilmore describes why humanity invented the idea of

In their article “Why Vampires Never Die” (2009), Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan argue that the appeal and longevity of vampires in a wide array of societies is due to their desirable characteristic, while the common place monster merely reminds us of those things that are mortal in ourselves. Del Torro and Hogan support their argument by illustrating how the vampire from its inception in 1816 has always been an amalgamation of youth, eroticism, immortality, that has allowed the vampire to remain a constant beacon of comfort where we constantly feel dissatisfied and even threatened by the changes in the world around us. Del Torro and Hogans purpose is to persuade the reader into believing that the longevity of the vampire is more than our

“We're beautiful like the diamond-backed snake, or the striped tiger, yet we're merciless killers”; Lestat’s opinion of the vampires’ beauty and strength in Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire. Vampires have branched off from just some monster people disguise themselves as during Halloween and have slowly crawled their way into modern day media; constantly reappearing in many books and have many television shows based on them. People have always been fascinated by vampires because of their beauty, powerful persona, and eternal life. Another thing vampires have often been adored for is their timeless beauty; their beauty is constantly referenced to in books and in movies.

Vampires have aroused a perennial fascination within humanity since their fictional materialization into history. However, it is over the course of the last century that these creatures have become an iconic symbol of mystifying horror and inexplicable desire. Recently, the vampire has undergone a significant reconstruction of physical appearance, behaviour, and surroundings, along with, extensive modifications to its super-natural disadvantages. These distinct character adaptations are imperative when considering two of the most notable vampires ever fashioned: Count Dracula and Edward Cullen. The dissimilarity between Bram Stoker’s 19th century, Count Dracula, and Stephenie Meyer’s 21st century, Edward Cullen, is a complex reflection of the contrasting societies from which these vampires emerged.

Vampires once seen as cryptic monsters of the past but have transformed over the decades, to become an ideal species that make being human seem obsolete. In todays pop culture, vampires have evolved from being the ominous antagonist to compassionate beings that we can sympathize with. Modern vampires such as Edward Cullen from Twilight or Stefan Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries share a common trait: eternal youth. However, humans are not capable of living forever, thus our desire to hand over these traits onto another being, in this case vampires. Everyone has something they fear.

Every year millions of children lose sleep over the fear of a monster laying underneath their beds. This fear is not irrational, as monsters are dangerous and deadly. Although some would argue that there is an attraction factor which comes from the fear of monsters, this attraction is only limited to the modern vampire. Their unique ability to step outside the realm of society and break boundaries which only some could imagine tearing through is exactly what makes them so intriguing to the public. The common theme of vampires in early literature, which captured the public's attention, has always revolved around violence, ugliness, and horror.

The legend of the vampire has emerged countless times within human imagination over the past few centuries. The first available representation of the mythical creature in prose fiction can be found in John Polidori’s “The Vampyre” (1810). It was not until eight decades later that Bram Stoker popularized the existence of this figure with the publication of “Dracula” in 1897. The folklore of the vampire has come a long way since and can be found in today’s popular media more frequently than ever before. However, with due course of time, the representation of the creature has taken alternate routes and today’s vampires are noticeable different – socially and physically – from their predecessors. One effective path to trace this