Many of the typical characteristics of vampires, and vampire slayers, in entertainment media can be traced back to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. How has Bram Stoker impacted the way vampires are portrayed in the media? To support your response, describe three of the characteristics as they appear in the book (referencing the page number/s) and offer an example of each trait as it appears in another vampire-centric movie, TV show, or book.
There are those evident characteristics of vampires that are afloat in the media today. Some examples of these are: fangs, bloodsucking, nauseated by garlic, cannot go near crosses or silver, sleep in coffins, etc. Through the centuries, society has changed their perception on vampires. Numerous beliefs are shared with us in our textbook “The Everything Vampire Book”. Zeus, who was from Greece, started one of the first bloodsuckers of all. Greece’s legends are strong and they believe in “the existence of their gods and their supernatural designs for humankind” (11). Like we learned in class, they believe babies born on a holy day had a great chance of becoming a vampire. So how does the media portray vampires in our day?
ReplyDeleteIt seems that most women and young girls have an obsession with vampires. Twilight has had a major impact on this perception. Stephanie Meyer made her vampires dangerous yet sexy; they will save you and even go against their own nature to be with you. Some vampires are even living among humans (TrueBlood). However, Bram Stoker has impacted the way vampires are portrayed in the media more so than any other author/producer.
Bram Stoker has portrayed vampires in the media to be handsome, seducing, dark creatures. On page 2 of our textbook it says we imagine vampires to be “tall, dark, handsome…clothed in a fine black tuxedo.” In Dracula, Stoker made the vampire all of these. He explained Count Dracula as “tall…clad in black from head to foot, without a single speck of colour about him anywhere” (Dracula 16). Another book that reminds me of this characteristic is Breaking Dawn. The Volturi is the group of vampires who rule the vampire world. They are dressed in all black and are the pure representations of vampires (besides glistening in the sun). If “vampire” or “volturi” is typed into Google images, black clothing will be seen from from beginning to end.
Another characteristic that Stoker portrays vampires in the media is bloodthirsty. Every vampire wants to suck on the victim’s neck. In Dracula, Lucy was always put her under a spell while the vampire would suck her blood. Then the next day she did not remember what happened but felt so weak. In the TV series TrueBlood the vampires feed off humans during sexual encounters. Some of the vampires drink blood from a bottle instead of humans (Bill Compton). In the media, all vampires have fangs that are used for biting their victims. In our Everything Vampire Book, the page numbers on the bottom are even dripping with blood. Throughout the first couple pages we picture a vampire about to feed off us (2). Overall, the “I vant to suck your blood” is a famous saying for vampires. Bram Stoker did a great job describing what vampires need in order to stay immortal.
Lastly, Bram Stoker impacted the way vampires sleep in the media. I say this because Dracula never came out during the daytime. Nor did Castle Dracula have any windows. The vampires in Dracula slept in coffins, which went out of style in the media today. However, in TrueBlood the vampires go under ground or in a dark cupboard during the daytime so they do not burn. Of course in Twilight, the vampires stay indoors or glisten in the sun. According to our textbook, some vampires would “cling onto their feeble existence and simply crawl out of their graves to spitefully harass the living” (10). Overall, Stoker’s characters obviously have become the most famous within the supernatural world (28). Stoker changed the development of vampires and good verse evil.
Part 1
ReplyDeleteBram Stoker’s Dracula has greatly affected the portrayal of vampires. Almost all the characteristics of the vampire in Dracula can be seen in some way in current media. These range from the methods of killing to the overall appearance of the vampire.
One characteristic or trait that is particularly interesting is the lack of reflection. Jonathan Harker notes in Chapter 2 (page 25 in Borders edition), “This time there could be no error, for the man was close to me, and I could see him over my shoulder. But there was no reflection of him in the mirror! The whole room behind me was displayed, but there was no sign of a man in it, except myself.” This is supposed to represent the lack of the soul in vampires and shows they are not meant to be among the living. This characteristic isn’t the most prevalent in more modern interpretations of vampires but can still be seen. It was seen in the film Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire (2000) and Joss Whedon included it in his shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Lack of reflection was also significant in Van Helsing (2003). It was featured in the ballroom scene and also explained the method to get to Dracula’s castle. Yes, this movie involved Dracula so it would make sense there would be the same characteristics as the source material but Van Helsing continues to develop these and even removes or further develops many of the typical characteristics of the vampire. The Dracula’s are different from each other but they still share the lack of reflection.
A second characteristic found in Dracula is the vampires’ ability to turn into and control mist. In Chapter 21 (pages 265-266 in Borders edition), Renfield explains, “When he did slide in through the window, though it was shut, and did not even knock, I got mad with him. He sneered at me, and his white face looked out of the mist with his red eyes gleaming” and “the mist seemed to steal away under the door.” This was the method for Dracula to enter through closed windows and doors once he had received his invitation. This characteristic played an important part in the graphic novel Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wolves at the Gate. In this novel some vampires ‘stumbled’ onto the ability to turn into mist and used it to steal some important items. Interestingly, the vampires did not need an initiation to enter the home like in Dracula, possibility because the property was technically open to the public. Needless, this is a very Bram Stoker characteristic, which did make the vampires harder to kill for the slayers and forced them to rely on other methods.
Part 2
ReplyDeleteWhat stands out as an important characteristic in the novel is the changing of Dracula’s eyes. The above mentioned quote by Renfeld mentions Dracula’s red eyes, which was also previously stated in Chapter 8 (pages 86 and 89 in Borders edition) by Mina Harker and Lucy Westenra during the recollection of the cliff incident, "His red eyes again! They are just the same." The changing of the eyes, like the lack of reflection, can suggest lack of humanity in the vampire since this change does not normally occur in living beings. It also suggests that there is another side to them and the changing eyes indicate the switch between the human façade and the true vampire form and/or power. Numerous vampires in media undergo a change in the eyes, but it is not always to red. In the Underworld series, the vampires take on ice blue eyes when they are about to go into battle or feed. It isn’t as powerful an image as the red eyes in Dracula, but it still shows the change between the more human appearance and the true abilities of the vampire. Other works have also included changes to yellow eyes or even gave the vampires permanent red eyes, like the vampires who feed on human blood in the Twilight series. The eye color may be different, but this change still traced back to Dracula.
There are many other characteristics seen in Dracula that are used today in vampire stories. Many of these were even based on characteristics seen in earlier vampire fiction or in folklore. Either way, many of the characteristics seen today, such as lack of reflection, turning into mist, and changing eyes are attributed to Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
Samantha Howard
ReplyDeleteModern day perceptions of vampires in the media have been greatly influenced by Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Dracula encompasses many of the archetypal and stereotypical characters associated with supernatural movies, television shows and books especially concentrating on vampires. Throughout the times with evolving social conventions the image of vampires and the supernatural has changed, but it is obvious modern day vampire tales got their roots from Bram Stoker.
The novel of Dracula begins with entries from Jonathan Harker’s journal. Stoker uses these journal entries as a literary tool to emphasize the emotional turmoil existing within the plot as well as in Transylvania at this time. Readers are not only given a glimpse into Harker’s head, but also other characters that appear in later chapters of the book. This is a common technique used in supernatural and vampire writing, and it is also a good way to convey the development of emotions between humans and their encounters with vampires. Another vampire series that uses this technique is the Vampire Diaries by L. J. Smith. Smith’s approach differs from Stoker’s because she only shows the main character Elena’s perspective. In both of these cases human characters write these journals as they move from the realm of ignorance to being fully aware of the existence of vampires.
Dracula also set some of the archetypal and stereotypical traits of vampires. In chapter one, Harker has the strange encounter with the elderly woman where she forces a crucifix on his neck. In chapter two we are introduced to an array of common vampire traits. First in the library, Dracula makes a dramatic, hasty exit at the crow’s call of morning. This alludes to the ever so popular notion that vampires are night walkers and cannot be “alive” during the daytime. Many modern authors have their own take on this aspect of vampires for instance: in True Blood the vampires must be in light-tight areas during the daytime, in Twilight the vampires avoid the sun because they sparkle in direct sunlight, and in The Vampire Diaries the vampires wear a ring spelled by a witch which allows them to walk in the sun. The next day, Dracula walks in on Harker shaving and the reader is introduced to the fact that the Count’s reflection can’t be seen in the mirror, he lunges towards Harker’s neck at the sight of blood, and the effect of the crucifix on Dracula’s demeanor. I find it interesting that in True Blood, Bill Compton, tells Sookie that many of these “commonly known” traits about vampires were made up so that vampires could prove themselves to be human. That is an interesting take on the stereotypical traits of vampires, but nonetheless Dracula influenced it.
The third element found in Dracula that has influenced modern day vampires in the media is perceptions of vampires being mysterious, intriguing and deadly. When Harker is approached by the three young women in the castle, he thought to himself “there was something about them that made me uneasy, some longing and at the same time some deadly fear” (Chapter 3). Dracula shows the dangerous, sexy side of vampires who normally prey on vulnerable, innocent humans. It seems that over the years, because of their dangerous yet sensual qualities, vampires have evolved from characters in nightmares to characters in romances. True Blood maintains the nightmarish elements while also focusing on paranormal romance. Twilight and The Vampire Diaries, however, are more teen-geared which changes the vampire character into the protector instead of the predator.
It is obvious, even for someone with limited vampire knowledge that the commonly known traits of vampires have evolved from Bram Stoker’s characters in Dracula.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula is truly a frame for what we know today as vampire media. He set the bar for defining what or who a vampire is, characteristics that describe them, and why they act as they do. Through the character Count Dracula, Stoker is able to portray a stoic, bloodthirsty, practically immortal creature that can appear seemingly normal, yet has a lot more to him than meets the eye.
ReplyDeleteModern day media sources depict vampires in ways much similar to Stoker’s original Dracula, but also with some variation. Personally, I am most knowledgeable on Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga, and know a bit about HBO’s TrueBlood. In looking at the characters in these series, it was easy to draw direct comparisons back to Stoker while reading through the selected chapters. There many times intertextuality
rooted in Dracula appears in modern day media.
The first example that comes to mind is when Jonathan Harker first shakes hands with Count Dracula in chapter 2. He writes, “…he moved forward and grasped my hand with such strength that he hurt me. His hand felt cold as ice, more like the hand of a dead than a living man” (20). This is very similar to scenes in the first book/movie of the Twilight Saga. Bella Swan is walking through the school parking lot when a van comes barreling her way. Out of no where Edward Cullen appears and jumps in front to protect Bella while stopping the van with his arm; his superior strength is noted by Bella, as well as all those who witness the scene. This is direct link back to Harker’s handshake with the Count. Second is the ‘ice cold’ hand. While in the car with Edward, Bella’s hand grazes his when reaching for a knob in the car. She instantly pulls back and remarks on how icy he feels.
A second example is the alluring feature that vampires possess. Stoker describes the three women that appear before Harker on page 42 with sex appeal saying: “All three had brilliant white teeth that shone like pearls against the ruby of their full lips. They made me feel an uneasy mix of emotions. They were lovely, and I felt a kind of deadly fear. In my heart was a wicked, burning desire that they would kiss me with those red lips.” The way Harker feels makes it clear that he was very attracted to them. Similarly enough to the way the vampire Victoria from Twilight uses her sex appeal to lure in innocent humans and use them for her thirst and nothing more. She is very attractive and uses it to her advantage in order to get what she wants. The same goes for the characters in TrueBlood. The cover of Rolling Stone perfectly portrays the sex appeal that vampires currently have, and apparently have always had since Stoker created Dracula. The cover was meant to be sexy, scary, and plain engaging, which I think sums it up perfectly.
Lastly there is the idea of vampires sucking blood. This is, in my opinion, one of the most recognizable traits. At the conclusion of chapter 21 there is much discussion on Dracula’s bloodsucking habits when he forces Mina to comply with his strange behaviors. He recalls Dracula sucking her blood in saying, “He opened the neck of my gown open and said ‘First I will have a little snack…’ He put his mouth on my throat. I felt my strength fading away and I was nearly fainting” (325). This gruesome image is one seen over and over in any vampire media that exists today, or at any point over time. Whether its Twilight, TrueBlood, Buffy, or Blade Trinity there is always going to be blood-sucking action that fuels a vampire’s thirst.
There are very distinct characteristics that we think about when the word ‘vampire’ is mentioned. We can attribute Bram Stoker for the images and descriptions that we have seen in the media as a result of his original work, Dracula.
Stoker, Bram. Dracula. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003. Print.
Bram Stoker’s literary masterpiece, Dracula, has become the ideal model for vampire literature, films, television throughout the years. After reading the assigned chapters of the novel, I can see why this is so apparently true: the book inevitably haunts the reader, drawing him or her in with its play on fear. The novel provides enthralling descriptions of bloodlust, death, and coldhearted, eternal creatures who were once loved and full of life, but who now only possess the passion to kill and suck blood after becoming another link in Count Dracula’s deadly chain of immortality and murder. It is hard to forget a novel such as Dracula, and many of the stereotypes suggested in Stoker’s classic have remained prominent pieces within vampire media.
ReplyDeleteThe most evident example I can find in Dracula that relates to how vampires are portrayed today, is the description of Count Dracula himself. In Chapter 2 of the novel, Jonathan Harker relates his first impression of his soon-to-be master: “His face was a strong—a very strong—aquiline, with high bridge of the thin nose and peculiarly arched nostrils; with lofty doomed forehead. . . For the rest, his ears were pale, and at the tops extremely pointed; the chin was broad and strong, and the cheeks firm and thin. The general effect was one of extraordinary pallor” (p. 165, Three Vampire Tales). This early description is very similar to one I had already had in my mind, featuring paleness, evident bone structure, and strong facial features. Although Count Dracula is not visually appealing, these are the features that present themselves in the characters of Twilight. Edward Cullen and the rest of his family are identifiable by their paleness, sharp eyes, and their hard bone structures. The only difference is that in this modern age, the Cullen family is portrayed seductively because these features make them extremely good-looking, and undeniably desired in the eyes of American consumers. Dracula’s ability to seduce others lies in the sole fact that he is a vampire with natural bloodlust, as scary and unappealing as he may appear to be.
Part II
ReplyDeleteThe second trait in Dracula that I found to be most useful lies in Count Dracula and his victims’ immortality. Count Dracula’s immortality is intertwined with history, and the fact that he has lived through centuries, ages, and the changing of the society around him.In Chapter 21, after being attacked by the Count, Mina relates this idea about vampires to her protectors by quoting Count Dracula himself: “You know now, and they know in part already, and will know in full before long, what it is to cross my path. They should have kept their energies for use closer to home. Whilst they played wits against me—against me who commanded nations, and intrigued for them, and fought for them, hundreds of years before they were born—I was countermining them” (p. 386, Three Vampire Tales). There is bitterness to Dracula’s tone, and a need for redemption for his years of mortal combat before he became the vampire he is in the novel. This sense of immortality, and a frustration with it, is evident in Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire. Louis, the main character, has been a vampire for 200 years, and not by choice. After pleading with Lestat to simply murder him after his brother’s death, he is forced to become Lestat’s companion instead. The centuries of attempting to find peace as a vampire, escape Lestat, and find true companionship are detailed throughout the book, as well as the movie. Louis tried to find such peace by relating his story to the interviewer, yet still continues to live his life alone by the story’s end.
Lastly, Dracula’s ability to morph into a bat and his need to sleep in a coffin represent the most cliché, and almost campy, elements of the vampire genre. In Chapter 4, Jonathan Harker writes in his journal the discovery of these coffins in an old chapel, writing, “Into two of these I went, but saw nothing except fragments of old coffins and piles of dust; in the third, however, I made a discovery. There, in one of the great boxes, of which there were fifty in all, on a pile of newly dug earth, lay the Count!” (p. 190, Three Vampire Tales). This event reminded me of a movie from my childhood, Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire (2000). In this campy film, the children of a single mother must keep her from falling in love and falling victim to her new boyfriend, Dmitri, who they discover is a vampire. Stereotypically possessing and Easter European name, he can turn into a bat at night and sleeps in a coffin in his mansion (another element derived from Dracula, where the main vampire is of an aristocratic, lofty background).
Many see the vampire phenomenon as something new, following the immense success of recent movies such as Twilight. What these people don’t realize is that this phenomenon has been going on much longer than just the past couple of years. In fact, we can date this movement back to the release of Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1897. Stoker has had such a great impact on the vampire culture that his image of Dracula has stuck with readers and is how many have pictured vampires over the past 100 years.
ReplyDeleteWhen thinking of vampires, one of the most classic characteristics connected to them is that they dress in all black. From Halloween decorations, the character of Nosferatu, and even Count von Count on Sesame Street, most typical vampires are seen dressed in black. This characteristic can be traced back to the description of Count Dracula by Bram Stoker,“…clad in black from head to foot, without a single speck of colour about him anywhere” (Dracula 22). Besides the outfit, other classic characteristics such as white sharp teeth, pointed ears, and pale skin have been imprinted into our minds as to what vampires look like thanks to Bram Stoker.
Stoker also laid down the foundation as to how to kill a vampire. Most often we see that vampires have to be hunted or slain by someone or something else. In Stoker’s novel the doctor Van Helsing is the person who knows how to kill and ward off vampires. Even though Van Helsing uses things such as garlic and the catholic host to keep vampires away, these things won’t kill them. The only thing that will is a stake through the heart, “Take this stake in your left hand, ready to place the point over the heart, and the hammer in your right” (Dracula 256). This idea of staking was then adopted by many after Stoker and can now be seen in many different movies and TV shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Trueblood.
As the years passed on many authors and producers have pulled away from the classic appearance of the Dracula character, but have used many of Stoker’s other vampire characteristics. An example of this is Stephanie Meyer, the author of the Twilight series. In the book Twilight, Bella asks Edward about some of the characteristics that many people associate with vampires, and he states that these are not true. These vampires don’t wear black all the time, sleep in coffins, or are afraid of garlic. Even though Meyer doesn’t use these classic characteristics, she does incorporate other characteristics of Stoker’s Dracula to give her characters some vampire features.
When Jonathan Harker first meets Dracula they greet each other by shaking hands, “…and holding out his hand grasped mine with a strength which made me wince, an effect which was not lessened by the fact that it seemed as cold as ice- more like the hand of a dead than a living man”(Dracula 22). In Twilight, Meyer describes the Cullens as if they were made of stone and have cold skin. When Bella first touches Edward’s hand she too uses a form of the expression “as cold as ice”. Also Meyer gives her characters great strength which is what makes Edward able to stop the moving van from hitting Bella.
Even though the vampires of today may not look or act exactly the Stoker’s Dracula, he still has had a huge influence over current vampire culture. As our text book states, Stoker’s Count Dracula character “became synonymous with the word ‘vampire’ in that his portrayal struck a chord in the collective consciousness of society in Victorian England and , eventually, the entire world.” (page 38) No matter if you love or hate vampires, when you think of them Stoker’s image of Count Dracula will most likely pop into the minds of millions.
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ReplyDeleteWhen one thinks of the word “vampire”, many words come to mind. Blood. Fangs. Pale skin. Seductive. These images and adjectives are what comes to our minds because of what we see in the media about vampires, whether it is through film or television. We also see this imagery through books. In the first book that set the tone for vampires, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, we are exposed to both personality traits and physical features of vampires and the supernatural that paved the way for the vampires we see in the media today, such as Edward Cullen of the Twilight series.
Let’s begin by discussing the relationship between Dracula and Jonathan Harker, which we see in the beginning of the book. It is strikingly similar to the first encounters between Edward Cullen and Bella Swan in Twilight however, less romantic. Immediately both Harker and Swan notice the cold hands of their opponents. In chapter two of Dracula, Harker discovers the cold hands at their first greeting. “’Welcome to my house! Enter freely and of your own will!’ He made no motion of stepping to meet me, but stood like a statue, as though this gesture of welcome had fixed him into stone. The instant, however, that I had stepped over the threshold, he moved impulsively forward, and holding out his hand grasped mine with a strength which made me wince, an effect which was not lessened by the fact that it seemed cold as ice—more like the hand of a dead than a living man.” (Stoker 16) Harker is immediately frightened by his strength and more importantly, his especially ice cold hands. However, he is calmed due to Dracula’s serious, yet considerate, kind personality. In the first film of the Twilight saga, Bella Swan feels Edward’s cold hands when she and Edward reached for the heater in the car to turn it off and notices his super strength when he saves her life by pushing a car away from her with his just his bare hands. However, she too was also calmed because for some reason she could tell he would never hurt her. The personality of many of the vampires we see today in television and film are portrayed as serious and quiet while they lure mortals in with their calming and trusting personalities.
Appearance. We all have seen images of what many people believe vampires are “supposed” to look like. But, why is that they are always portrayed this way? For example, their pales skin and their blood red eyes. In the journal of Mina Murray in chapter eight of Dracula, Murray is dreaming when she sees someone with vampire-like features, “I called in fright, ‘Lucy! Lucy!’ and something raised a head, and from where I was I could see a white face and red, gleaming eyes.” (Stoker 95) In Twilight along with many other vampire films and television shows, vampires usually are seen as pale skinned. This is because they are to appear to be more dead than alive, reason being their skin is so cold.
Part 2:
ReplyDeleteAlong with the physical qualities and personality traits of the vampires we see in the media, I would like to take a moment to discuss the writing style Stoker has used that we still see in today’s vampire media. The stories seem to be told usually from someone’s perspective who is not a vampire. This writing style is seen in the Twilight series as well. Both Dracula and Twilight were both written from mortals’ perspectives in a diary-like format. It is very personal. The reader becomes worried for the narrator’s safety but also is intrigued to learn more about the vampire character.
Bram Stoker has clearly set the eerie, mysterious tone of the vampire novel. He includes the physical features of vampires and their personalities. He also points out how the supernatural female also uses her sexuality to get what she wants. We see these elements being used constantly today in our vampire-driven media. Today, people, especially women, love vampires. Whether it is reading about them through novels or watching them via television or film, people are intrigued. They want to learn more about them and their relationships with humans as well as other supernatural beings. For this blog entry, I have used Twilight, as my comparison to Dracula. In Twilight, we see the red, gleaming eyes and pale, cold skin through the Cullen family. These elements were first displayed and followed the prime example said by the vampires in Dracula. Today many writers and television/film producers follow the format that Bram Stoker set for them however, many are beginning to change the stereotype of the vampire to make individual characters more complex.
Since I was a little kid I can remember around Halloween time the tale of vampires circulating through school, on TV shows, and the classic movies. Reading through Stoker’s book I was pretty astonished to find that all the classic tales I had heard as a child were composed of the same characteristic described in his chapters. It was these characteristics that once frightened me, keeping me up at nights hoping an image with fitting these descriptions wouldn’t appear beside my bed. I guess I have Stoker to thank for my sleepless nights as a child around Halloween.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be that all the characteristics the Stoker talks about in his book have really become the backbone of all things vampire in today’s media. The first area that really stood out to me as being big in TV shows and movies is the “innocent” mother, maid, or friends that comes rushing into a room all jittery exclaiming they must leave at once or there is no time you must get out fast. ““Must you go? Oh! Young Herr, must you go?””(4). ““Do you know what day it is?” I answered that it was the fourth of May.” “It is the eve of St. George’s Day. Do you not know that tonight, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway? Do you know where you are going, and what you are going to?”” (5). Out of all the horror movies that I have seen which is not many to be honest that deals with the supernatural I can remember most if not all of them having a seen where someone if distraught asking why must they go or telling the main character they must leave now and quick. I believe producers put these in their movies because it adds suspense to any story; it means there is something bad coming and it could barge in at any moment, adding to the overall fear experienced by the viewers. Harker’s journals depict this type of fear and suspense in a few of his stories.
part II
ReplyDeleteNot sleeping. An area in the media that I believe is extremely overlooked when it comes to the supernatural but most importantly vampires. Vampires as we all know are not creatures of the day but that of the night. I believe Harker experienced the fear and almost sixth sense of feeling as if something or someone is in the room with you at night. The fear keeps you from sleeping as we seen in many scary movies when someone suddenly awakes either from a bad dream, or because they get a feeling as if someone is there. “11 august, 3 A.M. – Diary again. No sleep now, so I may as well write. I am too agitated to sleep. We have has such an adventure, such an agonizing experience. I fell asleep as soon as I had closed my diary…. Suddenly I became broad awake, and sat up, with a horrible sense of fear upon me, and of some feeling of emptiness around me.” (94). Although I have not seen really any specific vampire movie or TV shows I am pretty confident in saying that they have shown a part where someone suddenly awakens from their sleep as they sense something is wrong around them.
“… and from where I was I could see a white face and red, gleaming eyes.” (95) This has to be the most known characteristic of any vampire that shoots into your head when a vampire is mentioned. The pale white skin and harsh red eyes staring back at you. Every kid on Halloween when they dress up like a vampire they get the white face paint and outline their eyes in red, along with that is usually a cape but that is not described here. From the few trailers of twilight that I have seen on TV, Edward has the pale skin and his eyes have the red tint to them making many viewers, even if you haven’t seen the movies like myself, make the assumption that he is a vampire. These characteristics are just so recognizable and portrayed in many movies when talking about vampires. “His eyes flamed red with devilish passion; the great nostrils of the white aquiline nose opened wide and quivered at the edges; and the white sharp teeth, behind the full lips of the blood-dripping mouth, champed together like those of a wild beast.” (297).
Reading through the chapters I really was shocked to find that all of the characteristic that we hear about vampires in today’s media are exactly those described in Stoker’s book. With vampires being such a hot topic in today’s media I don’t see their characteristics changing any time soon.
Many characteristics are synonymous with the word “vampire.” In fact, last week’s class exercise demonstrated how apparent and unanimous the ideas surrounding vampires are. We were able to quickly call to mind the themes of blood, immortality, black, red, biting, slaying and more. How is it that in such a diverse media landscape, the shows, films and books regarding vampires all exude the same characteristics? In other words, it is apparent that media creators derive these distinct traits from the same source. It is arguable that Bram Stoker’s Dracula serves as the origination of vampire folklore.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it is an early depiction in history, Stoker’s account of vampires in Dracula is what we have come to know as the quintessential vampire. The current portrayal of vampires in the media clearly and precisely draws inspiration from the characteristics described in Stocker’s Dracula. For instance, in Chapter 2, Stoker illustrates Dracula as “a tall old man…clad in black from head to foot, without a single speck of colour about him anywhere.” These descriptions have become typical features of the stereotypical vampire in today’s media. That is, pale skin and wearing all black are common physical qualities of vampires in films, TV shows and books. For example, the Twilight Saga (film) demonstrates a clear distinction between the complexion of the vampires and that of humans. Similarly, the vampires in TV shows like The Vampire Diaries and Buffy The Vampire Slayer are typically dressed in black or dark colors to adhere to this stereotype. Advertisements for TV shows about vampires also present the characters in dark colors, eliciting Stoker’s early correlation between vampires and the color black.
Another element that is often associated with vampires is the idea of immorality. Stoker takes this a step further by cleverly describing Dracula’s hand as, “cold as ice, more like the hand of a dead than a living man” (Chapter 2). This archetypical feature of vampires is seen throughout all types of vampire media. In books, TV shows and films today, vampires are depicted as immortal as in the sense that they live forever. In the synopsis of Twilight on imdb.com, it says that, the main vampire character, Edward Cullen, “hasn’t aged since 1918.”
In Chapter 2, Stoker describes Dracula’s castle and asserts that, “in none of the rooms is there a mirror.” This reference alludes to the early idea that vampires cannot see their reflection in mirrors. Interestingly, this characteristic was built into the The Sims 3: Late Night game. The vampire characters in the game were also characterized by pale skin, red eyes and protruding teeth; an identical description of Dracula in Stoker’s book. Like Stoker’s representation of Dracula’s immortality, vampire Sims characters live longer than the other characters. In Chapter 2, Stoker also points out Dracula’s unusual strength as he states that, “his hand actually seemed like a steel vice that could have crushed mine if he had chosen.” Similarly, in the Sims game, vampire characters are given superior strength.
These media examples clearly provide evidence of Stoker’s early descriptions of the ‘vampire’ character. Stoker’s illustration of Dracula’s appearance and lifestyle have both survived the times and are continuously depicted in films, TV and books about vampires. As Barb Karg points out in The Everything Vampire Book, “Bram Stoker’s seminal 1897 masterpiece, Dracula, set into stone the very depth, depravity, seduction, and spiritual subtext that lives on to the present day” (6).
Lindsay Walker
ReplyDeleteThe portrayal of vampires within various media outlets has undoubtedly changed through the years. As with any phenomenon, the perception and image of vampires has evolved with the passing time. Although slight changes have been made to appearance and portrayal, the typical characteristics that many attribute to classic vampires still appear in the media today. That being said, it is evident that although the media has instituted some changes, the key characteristics traced back to those in Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” are still seen in media sources today.
One of the most prominent characteristics of vampires is their love of blood. Blood is in a sense, a weakness for vampires. Not only do vampires rely on blood to sustain themselves, but when exposed to human blood vampires have the uncontrollable desire to taste it. It takes every bit of strength and resistance to not feast on blood. This is demonstrated in Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” when Jonathan Hanker states, “But at the instant I saw that the cut had bled a little, and the blood was trickling over my chin. I laid down the razor, turning as I did so half round to look for some sticker plaster. When the count saw my face his eyes blazed with a sort of demonic fury, and he suddenly made a grab at my throat” (pg 50, Bram Stoker). Here, Jonathan describes the count’s striking reaction to the sight of his blood. Although the count does not follow through with the attack, it is clear that the blood tempted him. A similar situation is seen in the Twilight series when Bella accidentally cuts her finger opening a birthday present. In being exposed to this blood Jasper, (one of the vampires present in the room) lunges toward her, unable to resist the temptation. His success is hindered by other vampires that trained themselves to resist the temptation. Nonetheless, his attempt is enough to demonstrate a typical vampire trait.
When people think of vampires a very specific image usually comes to mind. Typical features include fangs, pale skin, dark hair etc. Some of these features are mentioned briefly when Jonathan Harker describes the appearance of Count Dracula. One feature however, that really stands out is the temperature of his body. Jonathan Harker explained that, “Holding out his hand [Count Dracula] grasped mine with a strength which made me wince, an effect which was not lessened by the fact that it seemed as cold as ice- more like the hand of a dead than a living man ( 41, Bram Stoker). This coldness of the Count’s body can be associated with the paleness of his skin because both represent the same thing- death. The count does not appear or feel mortal. This image appears once again, in Twilight. As Bella’s curiosity about Edward grows she begins observing such unusual characteristics. She comments on the paleness of his skin and his facial features. In class on one of the first days of school Edward and Bella accidentally tough hands and she is completely startled by the iciness just as Jonathan was startled by the Count.
A final characteristic of vampires is their lack of a reflection in mirrors. Jonathan Harker addressed this very unusual trait during his incident with the Count in the bathroom. Harker stated, “This time there could be no error, for the man was close to me, and I could see him over my shoulder. But there was no reflction in the mirror. The whole room behind me was displayed; but there was no sign of a man in it, except me” (50, Bram Stoker). Although this characteristic is not apparent in the more popular media outlets today such as the Twilight series and TrueBlood it was addressed in the very old Disney Channel Movie My Mom Has a Date With a Vampire. I do not remember the movie all that well but I believe that this is one of the “clues” that has the children believing their mother’s date is a vampire.
Although the portrayal of vampires varies among media outlets, and time period there are always characteristics that reflect those in Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”.
Dracula has impacted the way the world views vampires and has set the tone for how they will continue to be perceived. From the fangs to their physical abilities, Bram Stoker has illustrated the appearance as well as other characteristics of the vampire that are still evident today.
ReplyDeleteWhen Jonathan Harker was heading out to meet Dracula, his landlord’s wife insisted that he took her rosary. “She then rose and dried her eyes, and taking a crucifix from her neck offered it to me…she put the rosary round my neck and said, "For your mother's sake," and went out of the room. (chapter 1)” Harker was unsure of what the gesture meant, but the presence of a holy symbol was believed to ward off any vampire for it was a weakness. In the following chapter, Dracula accidently touches the rosary and retreats from attacking the narrarator. Most modern vampire interpretations don’t use holy symbols as ways to repel vampires. Other items and conditions are used such as silver, the sun, staking and decapitating.
Harker reaches Dracula’s castle and notices something strange as he is escorted out of the cab. “When the caleche stopped, the driver jumped down and held out his hand to assist me to alight. Again I could not but notice his prodigious strength. His hand actually seemed like a steel vice that could have crushed mine if he had chosen. (chapter 2)” He then continues on to meet Dracula and experiences a grip similar to that of the driver, “…and holding out his hand grasped mine with a strength which made me wince, an effect which was not lessened by the fact that it seemed cold as ice, more like the hand of a dead than a living man... (chapter 2)” Vampires are known to have super human strength and other super abilities such as speed, reflexes, healing, mind powers and immortality. In the True Blood series, the vampires cover large areas of ground in short time spans.
Inside of the castle, the narrarator describes the features of Dracula. The most notable of these attributes are his fangs, “The mouth, so far as I could see it under the heavy moustache, was fixed and rather cruel-looking, with peculiarly sharp white teeth. These protruded over the lips… (chapter 2)” The fangs are what vampires are notorious for. In today’s entertainment, vampires are able to retract their fangs. “The Count smiled, and as his lips ran back over his gums, the long, sharp, canine teeth showed out strangely.”
Geordie Geller
ReplyDeleteBram Stoker’s Dracula created a media phenomenon that has lasted over 100 years. Part of which are the characteristics of a vampire. Dominant characteristics of a vampire as described by Stoker include no reflection, drinking blood, pale skin and red lips, super strength. Dracula was tall, dark and handsome with the ability to seduce women and then drink their blood. While vampires have changed in TV, film and print since the introduction of Dracula, no one since Stoker has captured the entire essence of the vampire. Stoker did leave room for adaptations to what a vampire should be, allowing the mythical creature to grow.
Jonathan describes an unusual event in his journal. While shaving, Dracula appears behind him without showing his reflection in Jonathan's shaving mirror (Ch.2). During the course of the story Dracula drank Mina’s blood several times by taking the form of an animal.
The Lost Boys (1987) centers on brothers Michael and Sam who move to California and end up fighting a gang of teenage vampires. Michael meets David (the leader of the group) and eventually begins an initiation into the group. Unknown to him, part of the initiation is drinking blood from a wine bottle. As the transformation continues to progresses Michael attempts attacking his dog. When Sam finds that Michael has been attacked by the dog, he sees there is no reflection of Michael in the mirror. Since he had not yet killed, he could be transformed back into a human in the head vampire was killed. In the end Michael impales David on mounted deer antlers.
The Blade Trilogy took vampire to a new direction by making Blade (a half-vampire) the protagonist of the films. Blade has the characteristics of all vampires (drinking blood, super strength) however he has the ability to go out during the day. He does not want to harm humans and must drink blood from animals. This opened the door for the Twilight films to have a vampire as the protagonist which has only helped to boost the popularly of vampires in today’s culture.
Emily Sarnoff
ReplyDeleteWhile reading Bram Stoker’s Dracula, it does not really seem like it is a work from 1897. The details and descriptions of the situations, the setting, and more specifically, the details about the Count all seem too familiar. Stoker’s original illustration of the vampire has really stuck, as there are numerous characteristics in this text that are relevant to vampires in the media today.
Religion constantly plays some sort of, if not significant role in basically anything surrounding vampires and the supernatural. The crucifix that the woman gave to Jonathon Harker at the beginning of this journey showed itself many times throughout the reading. The old woman forced it upon him, saying to not go without it, and luckily he listened. (Ch. 1) It stopped Dracula’s reaction to the blood after Harker accidentally cut his face, and wound up keeping him out of harms way. (Ch. 2) Harker also reported feeling thankful for the crucifix in Chapter 3. Religion can play many different roles in situations regarding vampires, yet it always sprinkled in there somehow.” In just the intro to TrueBlood this theme of religion is seen, as there is the billboard that reads “God Hates Fangs”. However, it is interesting that religion always seems to go hand in hand with vampires who are very much associated with violence and sex. Yes, it is most likely due to the fact that vampires correspond with death, but having religion, violence, and sex all in the same sentence together makes for quite the mix.
Vampires have always been seen as such seductive creatures. Not only sexually, but the air about them is so enticing. They seem to lure not only their victims, but really anyone in with their charisma and charm. Although one may feel discomfort and fear while in their presence, it is almost as if one just cannot resist the charm of a vampire. Dracula greeted Harker in such a welcoming manner. He made sure he was comfortable, fed him, and made conversations with him that would make him feel right at home. Harker kept recording his fears and uneasiness, yet he still kept going back for more. (Ch. 2) The way that Dracula spoke, excused himself, and asked for forgiveness when he left the castle, one could not help but buy into anything that he said. It could even have had to do with his intonation and the way he spoke. Everyone can sit and recite, “I want to suck your blood” or picture him speaking of “the children of the night” in that same voice. There is something about that voice that we find so intriguing. Although in a slightly different, romantic context, this can be seen in the Twilight saga. When Bella and Edward had their first encounters, she felt nervous and uneasy. Even when Edward said nothing to her and just stared, she was so intrigued by him; she could not help but be interested. There is something about these creatures that makes them literally irresistible on so many different levels.
The importance of family and loyalty also is prominent regarding vampires. They stick with their kind, and assist each other when they need help. In Chapter 3, Dracula speaks of his family and his pride of their past. “Whenever he spoke of his house he always said "we", and spoke almost in the plural, like a king speaking.” (Ch. 3) The ideas of family, pride, and loyality, are also relevant in vampire media today. Once again, to mention Twilight, the Cullens are so close to each other, and in many other films and television shows, the vampires tend to stick together. Betrayal is highly frowned upon.
The list could really go on and on, as it is so clear how much the media has taken from Stoker to create what we know as a vampire today.
It doesn’t take a supernatural fanatic to list the unwavering characteristics of vampires and their environments. Also, whether the vampire exists within the past or present, many of us could rattle off the most prominent parts of the vampire persona. Ultimately, these images have been conjured up because of the vivid descriptions within Bran Stoker’s Dracula, which has caused a snowball effect and created the vampire that we know, and are still enamored with today.
ReplyDeleteAs Stoker starts to unveil his image of Dracula, tell tail vampire signs arrive. The first prominent sign that Stoker’s vampire will be ultimately the image of the vampire in popular culture is because of a brief conversation within the first chapter. Here, a woman gives Hacker a silver rosary with a large cross. She knows of his journey to come and blesses him with this item in order to protect him. This sets up our belief that the common vampire has some sort of weakness to the cross and other religious symbols. This theme is reoccurring with many of the present vampire urban legends or myths.
Additionally, Stoker created other lasting vampire characteristics, one of the more prominent being the wardrobe of vampires. Stoker stated that Dracula was standing stone like and dressed from head to toe in black (Stoker 1). This has remained a constant in the recreating of vampire throughout television, movies and literature. One of the initial examples that came to mind were the characters of the best selling Twilight books. Although the main characters attempt to dress as commoners, some supporting characters that appear in volume three, the Volturi dress as Stoker had described. These vampires are the governing agents of all the vampires existing within Stephanie Meyer’s supernatural world. The Volturi are stone like, as are all vampires, but are dressed in black capes, and what most would consider, tradition vampire garb.
Stepping into a quality that is more general but has become the defining characteristic of vampires is their teeth. This of course is the quality that has solidified them as the bloodthirsty creature of the supernatural world. Stoker describes Dracula’s initial appearance within the novel with, “as he spoke he smiled, and the lamplight fell on a hard-looking mouth, with very red lips and sharp-looking teeth, as white as ivory” (Stoker 1). Whether the vampire be from the hit series TrueBlood, the made for television movie Mom Has A Date With A Vampire, or the costumes that come out just in time for Halloween, all of the vampires featured have razor sharp teeth that are used for sustaining immortality from the blood of human victims. This feature is without a doubt the most iconic in reference to the vampire.
There are many examples of trending themes that stemmed from Stoker’s Dracula. Fortunately for Stoker and the lover of the vampire, there is much interpretation and ability to grow and adapt from this classic character. Vampires have evolved through the ages from being evil creatures of the night to at present, being portrayed as strong, sexy and figures that you just hate to love. With vampire culture continuing to cause chatter and popping up more and more in today’s media, it is fair to say that our thirst for these blood-sucking beauties is far from being quenched.
(1/2) When I think of vampires and vampire characteristics, two things come to mind. The first thing is the iconic pale skinned, long fanged image that we normally associate with vampires. When you browse the aisles at a Halloween store, you will inevitably see the “vampire kit” that includes fake fangs, white face paint, and a long black cape. This is the image we know and the ghoul that many decide to parade as every year; would we know that someone was dressed as a vampire if they didn’t have these accessories? The second thing that makes me think of vampires is more comical. Growing up in an Italian household, my mother always cooked with fresh garlic. It was in her sauce, her meatballs—everything. The reason I bring this up is because she would always say “There’s garlic in everything—we will be sure to keep the vampires away tonight after this meal”. I always understood my mother’s reference that garlic supposedly wards off vampires, but it makes me wonder how these ideas got ingrained in my memory over the years. I had not read Dracula prior to this class, but after doing so it is quite evident where the vampires I grew up watching in movies, on television, or even just as Halloween decorations developed from.
ReplyDeleteStoker described the Count as a man who had hands that “seemed cold as ice, more like the hand of a dead than a living man”, he juxtaposes this trait by also highlighting how the man’s “remarkable ruddiness showed astonishing vitality in a man of his years”; throughout the story he continues to paint this vampire image as the tale of Dracula unfolds (Stoker 14-15). Stoker’s idea of a pale man with cold skin, a thin nose, and a strong chin that is “clad in black from head to foot” has become an iconic vampire image appearing in various forms of the media over the years (Stoker 14). The most important of this image is without a doubt those long “canine teeth”; how would a vampire suck your blood without those teeth (Stoker 25)? This image of the teeth seemed to be portrayed perfectly when Stoker described Lucy as someone who seemed to be more like “a nightmare of Lucy as she lay there,[with] the pointed teeth, the blood stained, voluptuous mouth” (Stoker 170). As a huge Are You Afraid of the Dark? fan, I figured it would be appropriate to use the three vampire themed episodes as my points of comparison. In “The Tale of the Night Shift”, “The Tale of the Nightly Neighbors”, and “The Tale of Midnight Madness”, there are characters that portray this vampire likeness which include things like the long fangs, pale skin, and dark clothes. Of the three episodes, the vampire from “The Tale of Midnight Madness” is the most similar to Dracula. This episode is about a movie theater that plays a special copy of the 1922 film “Nosferatu”; the vampire from the film comes to life and roams the theater. Even though Dracula was not as hideous as Nosteraftu, he was still more like him then the more “modern” vampires that were present in the other two episodes.
(2/2) Another characteristic that Stoker develops in Dracula is the routine of a vampire. These vampire habits become quickly noticed by Harker in the beginning of the novel; he records that “It is strange that as yet I have not seen the Count eat or drink” or that “I have not yet seen the Count in the daylight” (Stoker 22, 36). Harker even finds that the Count sleeps in a coffin and describes it by saying “There, in one of the great boxes, of which there were fifty in all, on a pile of newly dug earth, lay the Count!” (Stoker 37). Aside from these habits, we also learn from Stoker that vampires have no reflection in mirrors and drink the blood from their victims by biting their necks leaving two tiny circular wounds behind. All of these habits can also be seen in Are You Afraid of the Dark? episodes I mentioned above. For example, in “The Tale of the Night Shift” a vampire comes out only during the night shift to feed on victims in the hospital. Also in “The Tale of the Nightly Neighbors”, the two main characters think that their neighbors are vampires because they are only around at night and they collect blood; their thoughts are confirmed when they find the coffins they sleep in.
ReplyDeleteThe last vampire characteristic that I took away from Stoker’s novel was the effect that vampires have on their victims. They have this mesmerizing control that makes their victims weak to them. This control is evident many times throughout the novel. In the beginning, we see Harker fall victim to the Count when he explain why he can’t seem to go against anything the Count tell him to do; Harker makes remarks such as “I am absolutely in his power” and “I was hypnotized” showing the effect that the Count had over him (Stoker 31, 34). Another good example of this spellbinding power is made evident is one of the final interactions between Lucy and Arthur. Lucy states "Come to me, Arthur. Leave these others and come to me”; Arthur is so influenced by this that Stoker describes his reaction as though “he seemed under a spell, moving his hands from his face, he opened wide his arms” towards Lucy (Stoker 168). This mesmerizing power of vampires represented in Dracula is parallel to the idea of “glamouring” that the vampires in series True Blood use to hypnotize the humans.
The vampire character that Stoker created in Dracula has developed the pop culture icon of the vampire as we know it today. Whether one is watching True Blood, reading Twilight, or simply walking down the aisle at a Halloween store, the characteristics of vampires like Dracula are common.
Stories of the supernatural have become increasingly popular in our media the past few years. Although the idea of the supernatural in novels and films may be interpreted as new phenomenon, it has been around for centuries. Even as a child I was exposed to vampire content around Halloween. Many of the interpretations of the characteristics of vampires in current and older vampire media can be traced back to Bram Stocker’s Dracula from 1897. This novel paved the way for current vampire media and gave them a base to create their content from. This novel sent the message that vampires were evil blood sucking demons to the reader to instill a fear within them. Although much of the characteristics of vampires in current media are very similar to Stocker’s Dracula they do at times have creative differences.
ReplyDeleteFrom Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series we were introduced to the Cullen family. After spending some time with Edward Cullen, Bella soon discovered that he was very cold and strong. The idea of vampires having great strength and low body heat is not a new idea. It actually can be traced back to Stocker’s novel when Jonathan Harker first encounters Count Dracula. “He made no motion of stepping to meet me, but stood like a statue, as though his gesture of welcome had fixed him into stone. The instant, however, that I had stepped over the threshold, he moved impulsively forward, and holding out his hand grasped mine with a strength which made me wince, and effect which was not lessened by the fact that it seemed cold as ice, more like the hand of a dead than a living man” (Stoker 14). From this passage in the novel much vampire media has followed the same description Dracula was given, ice cold and strong.
Stoker also incorporated another description of vampires from her novel into present day vampire media; the idea of red eyes, a white face and the ability to vanish in an instant. “…something raised a head, from where I could see a white face and red, gleaming eyes. Lucy did not answer, and I ran onto the entrance of the churchyard. As I entered, the church was between me and the seat, and for a minute or so I lost sight of her. When I came into view again the cloud had passed…”(Stoker 73). Again in Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight we were shown that vampires that drank human blood had red gleaming eyes, yet the Cullen’s who fed off of animals did not. Stephanie Meyer altered the characteristic of vampires having red eyes to only vampires that drink human blood having them. I feel she did this to portray the Cullen’s to not be a demon that vampires are usually associated with. The Cullen’s too had pale skin, and were very fast.
Dracula also set the ways that vampires could be killed for vampire media. "Take this stake in your left hand, ready to place to the point over the heart, and the hammer in your right. Then when we begin our prayer for the dead, I shall read him, I have here the book, and the others shall follow, strike in God's name, that so all may be well with the dead that we love and that the UnDead pass away…Arthur placed the point over the heart, and as I looked I could see its dint in the white flesh. Then he struck with all his might. The thing in the coffin writhed, and a hideous, blood-curdling screech came from the opened red lips. The body shook and quivered and twisted in wild contortions. The sharp white teeth champed together till the lips were cut, and the mouth was smeared with a crimson foam” (Stoker 171). In HBO’s original series TrueBlood we often see the staking of vampires as a method to kill them, or in the case of TrueBlood meeting the “true death” by going into the sunlight. Although the concept of staking the vampire is the same instead of the vampire being staked in the coffin and with the remains, in TrueBlood adds a different twist of the vampire exploding into blood immediately after they are staked. They also can be staked with a wooden bullet.
ReplyDeleteBram Stoker’s Dracula definitely influenced our perception of the vampire to date. Although current vampire media authors have altered some characteristics they generally have stuck to most of the original characteristics. With some current vampire media they have attempted to humanize the vampire and have successfully done so by changing some of these old characteristics slightly.
Vampires and vampire slayers are nothing new to the media despite the big hits that recent vampire movies have become. Vampires appear in media, no matter what the age range is. Sesame Street is a classic example of how little children get exposed to the vampire craze. There is even a cereal with a vampire on it. As we grow older, we are now exposed to less friendly vampires that are displayed in horror movies. The only time that we see friendly vampires is as a child, despite the fact that they look scary. However, it has always been easy to spot a vampire. The vampire look can be traced to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. There are three characteristics that are common in vampires that were mentioned in Stoker’s Dracula.
ReplyDeleteThe first characteristic that is commonly seen today was mentioned in chapter one when Jonathan Harker describes one of the drivers. The description that he gives is, “As he spoke he smiled, and the lamplight fell on a hard-looking mouth, with very red lips and sharp-looking teeth, as white as ivory. (Stoker Ch 1)” One of the main telltale signs of knowing when a character is a vampire is seeing those fangs in their mouth. All you have to do is start a Google image search for the television show, True Blood, and you will see a picture of a woman with bright red lips, a pale face, and a fanged tooth. Bram Stoker’s Dracula laid out the blueprint of how to easily spot a vampire.
Another characteristic that is found in Stoker’s Dracula that is common in today’s vampires is the red eyes. In chapter eight, Lucy is describing to herself what she saw before she was hurt. She said, “His red eyes again! They are just the same. (Stoker Ch 8)” A few characters from the new hit movie, Twilight, are shown with red eyes to make it more obvious tell that they are a vampire and that they are on the prowl. It may seem like an unimportant characteristic but it really is an easy way to spot a vampire. Bram Stoker made this a subtle point in Dracula but it is still commonly used today.
Perhaps the easiest way to tell that a character is a vampire is by seeing the pale body. Jonathan Harker described Dracula, “The great nostrils of the white aquiline nose opened wide and quivered at the edge, and the white sharp teeth, behind the full lips of the blood dripping mouth. (Stoker Ch 21)” Since Vampire cannot be in the sunlight, they are portrayed as pale beings. This characteristic is shown in Twilight but it is a very common detail used in almost all vampire stories. The skin color, or lack thereof, is evident in other movies, such as Interview with the Vampire.
If you were to ask someone to name three characteristics of a vampire, they will most likely say: fangs, red eyes and very pale. These are the details used in the media that make it very easy to tell when a book, movie or television show has a vampire in them. Bram Stoker’s Dracula is the one to thank for that. He had all of these characteristics in there and it has taken off ever since then. There are, of course, films or books that break away from Stoker, but it just seems like the better idea to stay with what he had created. I think that it is very cool to see these characteristics still used strongly today. I just saw a preview for a movie that I did not understand the plot at all, then that showed one of the main characters smile and show his fangs. That immediately caught my attention and put everything together easily. These characteristics have become the foundation of what vampires are and it can all be traced back to Bram Stoker.
Although the Twilight Saga is definitely one of my guilty pleasures, I almost wish that I didn’t read the books or see the movies before taking this class, because my view on vampires is solely influenced by the vampires portrayed by Stephanie Meyer. Of course, the way Twilight has taken over the media, it’s inevitable for anyone connected to some form of media and or entertainment to feel the same way about vampires. But contrary to the beliefs of the American youth, vampires have been portrayed in the media before Meyer wrote about the Cullens. Vampires have always had a set image in global culture, with the characteristics we discussed last class—fangs, pale skin, immortality, cape, no appetite, etc.
ReplyDeleteBram Stoker depicts these characteristics in the beginnings chapters of Dracula. For one, Stoker places an emphasis on sleep, or lack thereof, at the Castle. Harker is instructed to never sleep in another room, and to never enter any other room. Harker makes his way to Dracula’s room, where he finds nothing but darkness and gold. “Then I looked around for the Count, but, with surprise and gladness, made a discovery. It was empty!” (Three Vampire Tales 189) This reminded me of the first book of the Twilight saga, where Edward shows Bella his house, ending in his bedroom where this is actually no bed for Edward—for he simply doesn’t need one, as he doesn’t sleep. Dracula would ‘sleep’ in a coffin, and never appear in the daytime—another common characteristic of vampires.
Another characteristic that Stoker portrays through Dracula is the oversexualisation of females—whether that is female vampires or females in general. When Harker comes into contact with the three women, he is taken aback by their sexual appeal and attraction. This also relates to the general sexual appeal of vampires, as well as the way females use their sexual appeal for manipulation efforts (which is not only the case for vampires, but human beings in general) Stoker portrays this sex appeal in chapter 3 when Harker comes across the three women. “There was something about them that made me uneasy, some longing and at the same time some deadly fear. I felt in my heart a wicked, burning desire that they would kiss me with those red lips.” (Three Vampire Tales, 181) True Blood portrays these rather sexual scenes throughout the whole series, but True Blood reinvents the vampire sexual attraction by showing females as the predators, as well as the prey. This theme of vampirism is modified and reinvented to modern times as the different vampire media texts portray sex in a violent way, towards what some may call rape. Yes, True Blood is known to be overly sexual, but the vampire genre of media texts was created at a time when it was impossible to openly write—let alone talk—about sex, and since then, times have changed, and True Blood is a perfect example of the outcome.
Lastly, I couldn’t help but take note of the scene where Dracula walks in on Harker shaving in a mirror, and Harker cuts himself and Dracula throws the mirror out of the window. “This time, there was no error, for the man was close to me, and I could see him over my shoulder. But there was no reflection in the mirror! The whole room behind me was displayed’ but there was no sign of a man in it. (Three Vampire Tales, 171) Vampires cast no reflection, as Harker soon realizes when he does not see Dracula in his mirror—a characteristic that signifies the lack of soul and life in the immortal vampires. The use, or lack of use, of mirrors is not portrayed in Meyer’s Twilight saga, as the last scene of the first book takes place in a ballet studio, covered in mirrors. It’s is unfair to compare any vampire text to Twilight, as Meyer has adapted many vampire characteristics as well as making new ones for the Cullens on her own. Perhaps these characteristics will live on as other vampire texts are created in the future.
Vampires are the “creatures in the night”, the uncontrollably seductive men and women of the black and shadows, they swoop you up in the blink of an eye and all they do is suck you dry. Vampires have been seen throughout history, in every single culture, language and continent. But the “founding father” of the vampire myth is Bram Stoker’s Dracula. For so long vampires have been seen as monsters, villains and the dreadful undead. But, in recent years vampires have become the main focus in romance novels. Everyone wants an extremely attractive immortal to crawl into bed with them as the sun sets. In Bram Stokers world vampires are deadly, without reflection, blood thirsty, the hunted, gothic, cold and inhumanly strong. But today is that how vampires are seen?
ReplyDeleteThe first time we experience the persona that is Dracula he is inviting Johnathon into the confines of his eerie, vast and dark abode. “‘Welcome to my house! Enter freely and of your own will’. He made no motion of stepping to meet me, but stood like a statue, as though this gesture of welcome had fixed him into stone. The instant, however, that I had stepped over the threshold, he moved impulsively forward, and holding out his hand and grasped mine with a strength which made me wince, an effect which was not lessened by the fact that it seemed cold as ice---more like the hand of a dead than a living man” (Kindle Location 230). The inhumane strength is a common factor in pretty much every vampire novel, movie, and television show. In the Anita Blake vampire hunter series she constantly recounts the strength of her lover Jean-Claude and her numerous foes. I remember when she fought Nikolaos. Nikolaos was only a child when she died, not yet through puberty, but she was the strongest and oldest vampire Anita had ever encountered. She could have moved and ripped her throat out in the blink of an eye without even second guessing it. In the Trueblood series Sookie is constantly reminded how strong her lovers are, since they get in battles and wars every five minutes. Lastly, in Twilight Edward is so nervous to be sexual with Bella in the fear he will not be able to control his strength. I believe the strength and the blood sucking qualities are the two main staples for the vampire.
Bloodlust, every vampires nightmare and instant caller of the beast within. In this passage Bram Stoker recounts the Counts bloodlust: “But at the instant I saw that the cut had bled a little, and the blood was trickling over my chin. I laid down the razor, turning as I did so half round to look for some sticking plaster. When the Count saw my face, his eyes blazed with a sort of demoniac fury, and he suddenly made a grab at my throat. I drew away and his hand touched the string of beads which held the crucifix. It made an instant change in him, for the fury passed so quickly that I could hardly believe that it was ever there.” (Kindle Locations 381-385). I am not going to sit here and recall the time in which Jasper almost killed Bella because of a deep paper cut, that is too easy. I remember in the Vampire Diaries when Stefan falls back on his decision to not drink human blood. He almost kills Elena because he is so blood thirsty. His eyes glaze over and turn to the beast within him, letting the urge take him over. He is about to bite through her throat when she suddenly is able to calm him. But a lot of other people have not been so lucky. Sookie could barely hold off Bill and Eric when they were so blood deprived, they have both almost sucked her dry on numerous occasions. The blood thirsty vampire is something that cannot be taken lightly, but nowadays they will just turn you into a “vegetarian”. Go figure.
But here is the thing, vampires still have enemies, those who want them to meet the “true death”, those which want to send them back to hell or burn them in the sun or flames for their indiscretions. Van Helsing is the resident vampire killer in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. In the book he tells Arthur what to do. "Take this stake in your left hand, ready to place to the point over the heart, and the hammer in your right. Then when we begin our prayer for the dead, I shall read him, I have here the book, and the others shall follow, strike in God's name, that so all may be well with the dead that we love and that the UnDead pass away." (Kindle Locations 3141-3143). In Anita Blake’s life she uses a stake, a sawed off shotgun and other guns with silver ammunition, her trusty cross and holy water to tame her beasts. In Twilight you must rip the body apart then proceed to burn the remains. In most vampire killing situations it always involves a stake or fire, but I have to say this modern day vampire love story has changed my idea about the beasts. But I guess we will have to discuss that when the time allows.
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ReplyDeleteBram Stoker’s Dracula has definitely affected the portrayal of vampires. Many of the characteristics that are in Stoker’s book can be seen many different media outlets. Whether it’s bloodsucking or the fear of crosses most of the modern media tend to exhibit one or more of the characteristics Stoker gives vampires if his book.
ReplyDeleteIt is very interesting to see how Jonathan Hacker describes the way people perceive Dracula and everything that has to do with him. In Chapter one (35) of Stoker’s book, Harker writes, “I found that my landlord had got a letter from the Count, directing him to secure the best place for me; but on making inquiries as to details he seemed somewhat reticent, and pretended he could not understand my German… He and his wife the old lady, who had received me, looked at each other in a frightened sort of way” (36). This is eye-catching because it shows how the residents in the area fear this character and how they obey everything, he says. This characteristic is one that can be seen in some modern media. The fact that people are portrayed as either followers or servants of these supernatural creatures. It gives the illusion that people have no choice but to follow the commands and desires of these creatures. This is interesting because this characteristic can be seen on books like Twilight. In this book, Stephanie Meyers sets the scene to create this fear of vampires from people in surrounding communities. She does this throughout her books. It is also interesting how in other medium the same things are displayed. An example is also portrayed television programs that are related to the supernatural but have nothing to do with vampires and when there is one the same things happen.
An additional characteristic that is prevalent in this book, which can be associated with modern media, is the lack of food or beverage consumed by the vampire. In chapter three (60-63), Harker states that during his stay at the Count’s castle he has not witnessed the count eat or drink anything. Harker’s thought about this is that the Count is a very peculiar person. We can associate this with the modern stereotype of vampires in modern media.
Stephanie Meyers uses this as a central theme in her books. She makes it obvious in her books that vampires do not eat or drink anything. Perhaps is because since Stoker’s book people have the perception that vampires do not eat because they are preying on people in order to survive. It also ties back with the previous characteristic of people fearing vampires and obeying them. The notion that they have to do whatever they are told to because they fear becoming victims of the creatures.
Finally, various other characteristics of vampires that are portrayed in Stoker’s book include pale skin and deathly red eyes. Harker describes these things in Dracula. Harker states, “Never did I imagine such wrath and fury, even to the demons of the pit. His eyes were positively blazing. The red light in them was lurid, as if the flames of hell-fire blazed behind them. His face was deathly pale…” (72). These characteristics can be seen in throughout different media outlets in most modern portrayal of vampires. In the show Wizards of Waverly Place there is an episode where vampires appear and these are the most dominant characteristics in the supernatural creatures. This can also be observed in other shows like Scooby Doo and in movies like Blade.
Overall, many of these characteristics vary when portraying a vampire. However most if not all of the vampire stories in the media have borrowed ideas from Stokers book. This book has the one that set the standard for these stories.
Part 1
ReplyDeleteBram Stoker’s “Dracula” has within it elements that resonate in most modern vampire stories today. The Eastern European lineage of vampires, their aristocratic charms, their seductive nature, their aversion to sunlight and food, their immortality allowing them to be beacons of living history, their demises brought forth with devices such as stakes and holy items – all these are present in Stoker’s book, and can be seen echoed in modern interpretations of the vampire mythology.
In chapters 1 and 2, Jonathan Harker twice describes the characteristics of Count Dracula without actually knowing who he is. He mentions his red eyes (Stoker Chapter 1) while Dracula is the driver and how he is “clad in black from head to foot, without a single speck of color about him” (Stoker Chapter 2). Thereafter, anytime he notices Dracula, the Count seems to be wearing nothing other than the color black. Black, a color often associated with the night, mysteries, death and evil, is a predominant issue in “Dracula” – the castle is black, the night they travel in is black, the horses that Dracula and Harker ride back to the castle is black. In modern vampire tales, the color black is almost seen to represent vampires. In the movie “Underworld”, for instance, the vampire Selena, a Death Dealer, is always seen in a skin-tight black leotard and trenchcoat. The vampire antagonists turned protagonists Angel and Spike from “Buffy: The Vampire Slayer” (and later the spin-off series “Angel”) were mostly clad in black attire – Angel wearing a black trenchcoat while Spike was never seen without his black bomber jacket on. Even Count Chocula, the face of the breakfast cereal, is seen donning a black cape in his images.
In “Dracula”, female vampires are described as almost seductive creatures. When Harker first encounters the three “sisters” in Dracula’s castle, he describes the female vampires as having “voluptuous lips” while expressing a fear that they had a “burning desire [to] kiss me with those red lips” (Stoker Chapter 3). One vampire, seen as the fair-haired one, had a definite “coquettish” voice and mannerism. Harker also notes that when she was about to “kiss” his throat, there was something “both thrilling and repulsive” in the act (Stoker Chapter 3). When Lucy Westenra first appears to the party as a vampire, Dr. Seward notes how “the sweetness was turned to adamantine, heartless cruelty, and the purity to voluptuous wantonness” (Stoker Chapter 16). The book suggests that the act of turning into a vampire changes not only their physical nature but even the essence they exude, turning those known to be sweet and innocent into seductive creatures. The sensuality of vampires is a theme played out constantly in modern mythologies. The entire book (and movie) series “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer stems from the uncontrollable attraction the girl Bella has for the vampire Edward Cullen, and his obsession over her. In the TV series “True Blood”, vampires often attract humans willing to have sex with them, the so-called “Fang Bangers”. In the first few seasons, the human Sookie Stackhouse was in a relationship with the vampire Bill Compton but had recurring sexual dreams involving another vampire, Eric Northman, who was often seen having sex with vampires and humans alike, regardless of gender. In “Buffy: The Vampire Series”, the slayer Buffy falls in love with Angel, the vampire, before falling for Spike, another vampire, throughout the show while Angel himself was turned when he was seduced by the vampire Drusilla a century or so ago.
Elisabeth Keasler
ReplyDeleteTo many today the notion of this supernatural eighteenth century living may be a new phenomenon. Inevitably, this “new thing” in the media has sparked from Stephanie Myer’s recent collection of the Twilight series. What many people are unaware of is that much of the hoopla of vampirism today, are the derivatives or secondhand works mirroring Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, Dracula.
Let’s face it, the recurrent themes today of the “undead” are immediately touched on in Dracula. In Chapter 2 Stoker jumps right in to introduce the common stereotypes of these creatures. “His eyes were positively blazing. The red light in them was lurid, as if the flames of hell fire blazed behind them. His face was deathly pale, and the lines of it were hard like drawn wires. The thick eyebrows that met over the nose now seemed like a heaving bar of white-hot metal.” Stoker, Bram (1995). Dracula (Kindle Locations 579-582). Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition.
Stoker uses imagery to familiarize his audience with the physical appearance. Its true, when you think of a vampire that you might see on a TV show, a movie, or read in book, you see these characteristics. You might also relate vampires to traditionally wearing black as you see with Clad as he is dressed from head to foot without a single speck of color anywhere. The Twilight series makes a prominent distinction of the physical appearance between vampires and humans as done in Dracula. You might also see this on television. I know personally, that I couldn’t name a specific commercial but when I see them, these dark features are always seen.
Another very important association you might make to vampires it their immortality. Stoker does a very swell job in making this known, when Van Helsing explains in chapter 16 that vampires become these creatures and all they do it keep killing and killing. But are they really immortal? The “immortals” have a certain air about them, if left untouched they may live forever, but if agitated they can die together. In the underworld movies they make it very clear how immortal they are. Viktor and the other "masters" have been around since the beginning of time, and even Selene has been around for many years. The vampire is a solitary creature that is not easily killed. It is not immortal more than impossible to catch. If you are another supernatural being however you have a chance of taking over the undead, but if human like you or me, well you will need some heavy artillery. Unless you have a stake in hand or a sawed off shotgun like Anita Blake, you do not have a chance to kill any vampire. But she has something else on her side, she is a necromancer, she can control the dead. This is also a topic that has been brought up in the media as of late. Trueblood has been having a character who is a witch with a soul of a woman named Antonia within the head of the coven. She has maimed, controlled, burned and decayed many of the vampires in Louisiana. I have a feeling that this facet of killing vampires with magic is something that will be looked into more frequently. If you had to kill a vampire what would you want on your side a tree branch that’s sharpened to a point or a woman that can control the mind of the beast? Obviously I am not talking about the romantic vampires that we want to keep in bed with us, more so the ones that are overcome with bloodlust that will not think twice before ripping out our organs on live television. Yes another Trueblood reference, but it is completely necessary.
You might also remember “…he moved forward and grasped my hand with such strength that he hurt me. His hand felt cold as ice, more like the hand of a dead than a living man” (20) The media today views vampires as cold in temperature but hot within their hearts. There is an epidemic of vampire romances from twilight to the black dagger brotherhood no aspect of the human-vampire relationship is left untouched.
Part 2
ReplyDeleteIn “Dracula”, it is noted that Count Dracula himself is never seen during the daylight. In the first four chapters of the book, Harker notes that Dracula comes to him at sundown, has supper with him and then converses with him throughout the night, only letting him go when it is almost dawn. Similarly, when the party goes to confront Lucy Westenra (Stoker Chapter 16) they meet her in vampire form at night, but plan to execute her when the sun is shining and she is lying in crypt. Van Helsing uses the same strategy to eliminate the three sisters in Chapter 27. Also, it becomes imperative the Count Dracula is killed before sun set in the climactic moments of the last chapter, with a frenetic rush to pry his coffin open and slay him just as night falls. The aversion to sunlight, as seen in “Dracula”, has been interpreted in many different ways over the years in modern vampire tales. Sometimes the vampires are seen to die when exposed to sunlight, turning to dust like in the movie “Interview with the Vampire”. Sometimes, the vampires are said to sparkle exceedingly in bright sunlight, making them stay away from humans during those hours, like in the “Twilight” series. In the “Underworld” movie series, the vampires are said to have an allergic reaction to the ultra-violet rays of the sun. In “True Blood”, vampires are seen to almost boil alive, their skin peeling off and charring itself, if they stay out in the sun, the death not being instantaneous but extraordinarily painful. The BBC television show “Being Human” shows that vampires can walk about in daylight, but they often cover themselves with gloves and jackets, no matter what weather, and the vampire Mitchell is always seen wearing sunglasses when in direct sunlight.
It is interesting to note that light is considered the biggest threat to the dark, and with dark being the metaphor for evil, light must therefore be the metaphor for good. Vampires, being creatures of the dark and of evil, must therefore be averse to the light, especially the brightest source of that light, the sun, because they are being confronted with the most powerful vision of good or right. While vampire mythologies shift from story-teller to story-teller, the aversion to sunlight remains one of the most constant presences in all vampire stories.
Elisabeth Keasler part 2
ReplyDeleteGoing back to twilight as it probably most popular I want to note that the portrayal of women is very important. In this series we see counts of when a woman can get a man to do whatever she pleases. Victoria used Riley as her glorified puppet knowing that she was sentencing him to death, but she never cared- he was so intrigued by the persona she led on that he would do whatever she wanted. I say this because Stoker takes this even further in his novel, when Harker has his encounter with the 3 vampires. “There was a deliberate voluptuousness which was both thrilling and repulsive, and as she arched her neck she actually licked her lips like an animal, till I could see in the moonlight the moisture shining on the scarlet lips and on the red tongue as it lapped the white sharp teeth. Lower and lower went her head as the lips went below the range of my mouth and chin and seemed to fasten on my throat. Then she paused, and I could hear the churning sound of her tongue as it licked her teeth and lips, and I could feel the hot breath on my neck.
Stoker, Bram (1995). Dracula (Kindle Locations 572-574). Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition.
Stoker, Bram (1995). Stoker makes these women out to be lustful animals.
So, we know this much. ALL of the media today can thank Bram Stoker for his works on vampirism. But the question is, what is my view on vampires…the lusting sparkling Edward or the blood lusting, murderous Dracula. It is too soon to tell so when I figure it out I will be sure to let you know.
Christine Atchinson
ReplyDeleteVlad the Impaler, who inspired Bram Stoker’s, Dracula was from Transylvania, a province of Romania. However it is Stoker’s, Dracula that popularized the idea that vampires were from Romania. “Romania is unquestionably the most well known and is inextricably linked to the lore of vampirism in Europe, primarily as a result of Bram Stoker’s Dracula…” (Ch. 2 pg. 15) It is even seen on Sesame Street, where “The Count” counts in a Romanian accent.
Stoker’s Dracula created the theme of good versus evil when dealing with vampires. “Dracula brought the world of the undead to life, and his concept of the eternal battle of good versus evil has evolved…” (Ch. 3 pg. 28) The classic struggle exists today, especially in movies such as Twilight. The Cullens’s have chosen to feed only off of animals and not humans, making them “good”. Meanwhile the Cullens’s are constantly battling “evil” human bloodsucking vampires, in order to protect Bella and their territory. Not only does Edward Cullen have to battle other vampires but also his urge to bite into Bella. It was a close call in the first Twilight when he had to chose to suck the vampire venom from Bella’s veins, and almost did not stop.
Stoker’s female character, Mina Murray, in Dracula represents all that is good and pure in the world. Dracula eventually falls in love with her and tries to make her his bride. “Pure and virtuous in her thinking and behavior, it’s ultimately this assistant school mistress who becomes the object of Dracula’s obsession and with whom he shares his blood in an attempt to make her his bride..” (Ch.4 pg. 43) This sounds strangely familiar to the TV series Trueblood’s plot line. Both Eric and Bill are obsessed with Sookie. Sookie is a humble little Southern Belle, who later turns out to be a fairy. They have her drink their blood in order to have Sookie have sexual thoughts about them. Mina is also telepathic, similar to how Sookie can read people’s minds. It seems that Sookie is a modern interpretation of Mina Murray.
Although Bram Stokers Dracula is not the first recorded work of vampire literature it has clearly become one of the most widely read since it was first penned in 1897. Because of it’s large circulation throughout history this one work has greatly influenced the large and diverse medium of vampire culture that is still existent today. Stoker’s influence can undeniably be seen in how many people today picture vampires.
ReplyDeleteIn Dracula the Count’s appearance and demeanor are characteristics which still are present in modern vampire culture. If you were to ask any person on the street what the think a vampire looks like they would not likely describe someone who looks or dresses like Edward Cullen (or Bill Compton, or Angel). They would most likely describe a pale man with black hair, dressed in all black, possibly even wearing a cape with red lining on the inside. In their mind a vampire looks just like those they see accompanying Trick-or- Treaters on October 31st, which as far as I can picture, is fairly close to how Stoker describes the Count in his novel. We see this version of the vampire, the pop-Stokeresuqe version, popping through much of the 20th century as the most recognizable image of the Vampire even though there were plenty of other vampire imagery present during this time period.
Beyond just how vampires look, Stoker also influenced how the “modern vampire” acts. Through the Count’s interactions with Harker in his Castle, we can see that the Dracula has a certain way about him. Both his actions (while entertaining Harker) and speech are truly Victorian and Aristocratic. In the beginning of Chapter 2 when the Count first meets Harker he discusses how his books or, “these companions ...have been good friends to me” also the discussion of his vast library appear to be a Victorian notion. Harker also comments on his excellent use and understanding of English. He also notices and comments on his impressive collection of all English literature and writings, which explains the Count acting just as an English gentlemen would.
We can see these aspects of Stokers Dracula reflected in characters like Bill Compton and Eric Northman from True Blood, and Brad Pitts character from Interview with a Vampire. All of these characters are bound to the social attitudes and norms of the times during which lived (that is to say, the time before they were “turned”). We see these characteristics as evidence that they have lived long and storied lives, but also so that they appear worldly and refined, just like their predecessor Count Dracula.
Dracula also give readers their first glimpse of Vampire hunters. In Stokers book the prrofessor Van Helsing uses occult methods to ward off, fight and kill Vampires. He uses crucifixes and communion wafers to ward off Lucy in chapter 16.
In more recent years, we’ve seen characters like Buffy use occult methods in order to ward off Vampires and other supernatural evil doers. Her mehods vary, like Van Helsings, but they both do no utilize conventional weponry or science in order to vanquish their enemies.