The Fluid Nature of Vampires in Literature and Film

Hansen, Bjørn Nørgaard

4. term

English, Master

2016

Vampyrer har været en fast del af litteratur og film i over hundrede år, fordi de følger med tiden. Denne afhandling argumenterer for, at forfattere gør vampyren relevant ved at trække på publikumsspecifikke kulturelle frygter, så monstret opleves som aktuelt og vedkommende. Vampyrens rolle er ændret fra en ødelæggende skurk til, i mange moderne fortællinger, en tragisk helt eller en figur, der blot forsøger at overleve. Studiet fokuserer på Bram Stokers Dracula (1897) og sammenligner victorianske (sen-1800-tallets britiske) fortolkninger med nyere læsninger for at vise, hvordan den oprindelige vampyrroman bevarer sin betydning. Tre temaer styrer analysen: seksualitet og hvordan synet på den har udviklet sig; homoerotik (spor af tiltrækning mellem personer af samme køn) i teksten; og omvendt kolonisering (datidens frygt for, at udefrakommende kunne true eller overtage det Britiske Imperium og traditionelle engelske værdier), som ses i Grev Draculas indtrængen i England. Ved at placere disse temaer i deres historiske kontekst diskuterer afhandlingen, hvorfor Stoker kan have valgt at inkludere dem. Konklusionen er, at vampyrfortællinger forbliver populære, fordi forfattere løbende opdaterer vampyren i takt med aktuelle bekymringer, hvilket skaber periodiske popularitetsspring, når publikum genkender elementer fra deres eget liv.

Vampires have remained central in literature and film for more than a century because they change with the times. This thesis argues that writers make vampires relevant by drawing on the specific cultural fears of their audiences, which makes the monster feel timely and persuasive. The vampire’s role has shifted from a corrupting villain to, in many modern stories, a tragic hero or a figure simply trying to survive. The study focuses on Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) and compares Victorian (late-19th-century British) interpretations with more recent readings to show how the original vampire novel stays meaningful. Three themes guide the analysis: sexuality and how ideas about it have evolved; homoeroticism (suggestions of same-sex desire) in the text; and reverse colonization (a contemporary fear that outsiders could threaten or overtake the British Empire and traditional English values), as reflected in Count Dracula’s intrusion into England. By placing these themes in their historical context, the thesis discusses why Stoker might have included them. It concludes that vampire stories have remained popular because authors continually update the vampire to match current concerns, leading to periodic surges in popularity when audiences recognize elements of their own lives.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]

Download
View record in AAU Student Projects

Hansen, Bjørn Nørgaard:

• The Fluid Nature of the Vampire in Literature (2016)