Williamson argues that the “sympathetic” vampire is a literary creation. Modern writers have taken different approaches to make their vampires sympathetic. In her short story “Dracula Night,” how does Charlaine Harris make the character of Eric, who is often portrayed as more of a “bad boy vampire,” more sympathetic? Also, in what ways does her story challenge some of the more traditional portrayals of the heroine (Sookie) and supporting characters (Pam) that we’ve seen in other vampire-themed movies and TV shows?
Vampires portrayed in the literary realm seem to challenge how we view the characters we see on television and in movies. In Harris’ “Dracula Night,” the bad boy vampire is given redeeming qualities. After a thousand years of living, it’s understandable that Eric would establish himself as a vampire who enjoys being one. He is indeed selfish and vain, but there is always another vampire that takes selfishness and vanity to another level. The same goes for those interacting in the human world—there is always someone bigger, better, more intimidating, and more powerful. In Eric’s case, the one creature that can make him shake in his boots is the one and only Dracula. I took this to be humorous while reading it, as in reality, no one truly knows if Dracula is real, or simply just a legend. It almost seems ridiculous to think that the most famous vampire we know of, who is debated to be just another creation of Bram Stoker’s, would pop up in a small Louisiana town and make a special appearance at Fangtasia. It’s even more surprising that an experienced vampire such as Eric could be gullible enough to believe in and worship a fictional character. Thus, we sympathize with Eric’s moment of weakness—one that completely distracts him from protecting Sookie against Dracula’s imposter. He is torn between his need to believe in his master’s reality and admitting himself to be at fault. He even has hope that next year, Dracula will appear at his party once and for all to drink some bottles of Royalty. Pam, who was made by Eric, even knows that Dracula and his story is probably a “crock of shit” (70). Her weakness, then, is not being able to show Eric that he is foolish in his endeavors to meet Dracula. Her loyalty to Eric surpasses the need for her to tell him the truth and point out his mistakes.
ReplyDeleteKnowing, then, that Eric is supposed to be a self-obsessed, ruthless, and grandeur vampire makes it hard for any reader to understand his capacity to be a little weak. Thus, reading him as a sympathetic character is a little confusing. From what I have seen of vampires in movies and television, Eric’s moment of weakness in light of Dracula (as Sookie says, “I had never suspected Eric harbored this depth of hero worship for anyone except himself” (54)) contradicts characters such as Edward Cullen. Having never really watched True Blood, I can draw some conclusions from movies like Twilight. Edward can be read and watched as a sensitive creature, who is prone to moments of violence and ruthlessness. I feel as if Eric embodies the exact opposite of this description. They are two male leads who are popular and admired, but for very different reasons. Sookie and Isabella are similar, however, as they are both humans who often have to save the vampires they are close to, or make their human forms physically vulnerable to the threat of the undead in order to survive and protect others. They are two characters who are not necessarily the damsels in distress. Along with a legendary human character like Buffy, they fight vampires off despite their natural weaknesses as humans. Personally, from what I have seen in the media, characters such as Sookie do not necessarily challenge my idea of existing female heroines in vampire-themed television and movies.
Part 1
ReplyDeleteThe sympathetic vampire can be seen in many forms. Normally, Eric Northman is your typical bad boy vampire who loves being who he is. But in this short story, Harris makes Eric even more sympathetic by exploring him in the “humanized terrain” (Williamson 31) and in the “realm of emotions” (Williamson 31). This is achieved by making Eric a fan. Fandom is defined by numerous human connections/emotions such as adoration. It is also associated with emotional responses that allow fans to connect to the object (person) of adoration. A fan can be happy with the object of adoration one moment and then upset at another. This fickleness is a very human characteristic, and it is given to Eric in the form of his “hero worship” (Harris 49) of Vlad Tepes.
“He thinks, every year, that this time Dracula will pick his party to attend. Eric fusses and plans; he frets and stews” (Harris 49). He is actually worried about impressing Vlad if by chance he shows up at the party. Eric is a character who usually worries about himself but here he has forgotten about his own needs and fallen deeply into fandom and shows there are other things in ‘life’ he cares for more than himself. The average reader of Harris’s books, or the tv series, can relate to this fandom and see the more emotional side to Eric. There is even a part where Sookie describes Eric as looking like “a child on Christmas Eve” (Harris 71), showing how Eric is still hopeful about one day hosting his hero. People can relate this “expectancy” (Harris 71) and wanting to meet the people who are looked up to.
There are other moments in the story that make Eric more sympathetic then just that of hero worship. One was when Sookie commented, “in the explosion of red carnations and greenery were miniature coffins and full size stakes. Eric’s sense of humor had surfaced, finally” (Harris 56). Eric has a sense of humor, which makes him more relatable, especially since he is making fun of his own condition. Another instance in the story is when Eric tells Sookie that one night “there’s going to be nothing else but you and me” (Harris 61). Here is the romantic side of Eric as all he wants is to be just with Sookie and not surrounded by others. It is not a prolonged scene but shows the ‘attraction’ he has towards Sookie and how he has the human need or desire to be with someone else.
Part 2
ReplyDeleteThis short story also looks differently at the heroine and supporting characters. In vampire texts, the heroine is either a vampire, like in “Underworld,” or completely human as seen in most of the “Twilight” series. Sookie exists between these two extremes for she tends to lean more towards the human side but has powers thanks to her fairy blood. She is a strong character, as seen by her staking the fake Dracula, but she also as very human concerns. For example, she frets about finding a dress for the party and even looks for sales. She is going to a vampire party and is more concerned about the dress she will wear then being at a place where most of the guests wish td drink her blood. This heroine is different from those who have discarded most of their humanity or those who are still human and need plenty of protection. In this situation, no vampire is able to protect her and she takes it upon herself to deal with the fake Dracula.
The story doesn’t challenge all to much how supporting characters are typically portrayed in modern media. At one point many supporting characters to the vampires were often viewed as servants. This is seen in the 1939 “Dracula” and in the soap opera “Dark Shadows.” Each main vampire in these texts has their ‘lackey’s’ who did what they were told to do. Pam is no servant and has many strong opinions. Pam “actually growled” (Harris 64) when it was even suggested she become a servant by the fake Dracula. Many supporting characters in modern vampire texts follow Pam’s example. These characters are sarcastic and add their own brand of humor to the texts.
Within vampire based films and shows the “sympathetic” vampire’s popularity is on the rise. More and more viewers are beginning to take sides depending on the vampire’s emotions where as in prior films you just had the good guy and the bad guy. Films like twilight are a perfect example of how many producers are targeting two different kinds of characters. The media has almost strayed from the fear aspect of everything and is now focusing on the sympathy in which characters are shown or showing.
ReplyDeleteIn one of the ways the Charlaine Harris makes Eric more sympathetic is that she describes him of having almost a weak spot. On page 44 Sookie is getting dressed up and it describes the way she looks and what she is wearing to give the reader a mental picture. It then goes on the say “Eric will be very pleased.”(44). Once I read this I thought about it and how it makes Eric look normal, as if he has a heart that can influence his decisions. This allows the reader to look at him in a different light and then once he does something “bad boy” like they all think oh well he does still have a weak spot. It plays with the readers emotions and makes them hope that in the end he will be changed for better. The way in which I few Sookie is the girl who even though she once had history with Eric when he doesn’t remember she is not willing to let that go. She will try and try to do anything to make it work and make him try to remember so that they can be back together.
Since I haven’t seen many vampire shows or movies I can’t really relate Sookie to any other show. With more and more shows though now showing supporting characters in this light my exposure is increasing and i feel as if many regular films are doing this as well. They are having a main “bad boy” character that seems to run everything and be the almighty and then you have the girl who will do anything to be with him. In the case of Pam I portrayed her as being the jealous type. She does try to look out for Sookie but I think she is jealous of her and what she had/ has. This is the character in films that is usually closer to the main character and has feeling for them but is too shy to speak up and say anything. They then usually sit back and hide in the other persons shadow. This way with having characters that are more easily relatable viewers or reads will be able to get into the story more. It will draw on their emotions bringing up past or present events that they are dealing with.
ReplyDeleteThese types of films, TV shows, and even books are now on the rise and are able to touch upon readers and viewers real emotions. The fear that was once the main idea behinds movies has seemed to disappear with deeper motions coming about. I believe the media is targeting more females with these emotional areas because guys want the fear and action that comes in the “horror” films. Twilight is a perfect example because what I originally thought would be a cool fearful vampire film was just an emotional chick flick type. They have taken the horror genre and split it into two different areas, emotional romantic horror, and action based on a true story horror.
In this reading, Charlaine Harris does not write Eric’s character to be seen as a “bad boy” at all. It is more centered around his focus on creating a perfect scenario in anticipation for the possibly arrival of Dracula at his annual party. He is clearly a fan of Dracula and participates in the excitement of whether or not this creature actually exists. Williamson says that “The contemporary vampire is no longer only that figure of relatively uncomplicated evil so famously represented by Count Dracula” and also notes the vampire has become seen as the “demystified… next-door neighbor” type (31). This description seems to fall more in line with Eric in “Dracula Night.”
ReplyDeleteEric normally is the character who accepts and enjoys his vampirism and shows no qualms about it. In “Dracula Night” we see human-like qualities that help to take away from the negative edge he normally has and make him seem more real and more humane like Williamson suggests. As host of this party he is busy making sure everything is set just right, and is hopeful that this will be the year Dracula makes an appearance. Sookie says in the reading, “I had never suspected Eric harbored this depth of hero worship for anyone except himself. I would never have believed he would spend good money for such a reason either” (54). This is in reference to his purchase of the Royalty blood, which he did as an enticement in hopes of Dracula attending the party. Even Sookie is shocked by this behavior as it is unlike the Eric she has come to know.
The ending also struck me when Sookie said, “The thousand years of his life sat on him heavily, and for a second I saw every one of them. Then, by degrees, his face lightened, and when he looked up at me, it was with the expectancy of a child on Christmas Eve. ‘Maybe next year,’ he said (71). I felt that this showed such a redeeming, human quality for Eric that Sookie could see the years on him, and his actions were more that of a child. It truly showed Eric in a new light.
As for Sookie as a heroine, I feel her actions in this reading portrayed her role correctly. She was not submissive to the imposter Dracula and did what she needed to do to save her own life. I feel it was appropriate and she was strong-willed for doing so, regardless of what other may think of her actions. This time she was saving herself, though she has often been responsible for saving others in the vampire world and subjecting herself to that environment.
She is a good-natured person who seems caught in the middle of living a human-life and being tied into the supernatural world. Her position is a tough one to leverage and I think in this reading she acts appropriately for the circumstances. The only comparison I can make is to Bella Swan from Twilight – she too is caught in between both worlds and does her best to make it all work. Just as Sookie had no problem killing off the imposter Dracula, the same as Bella had no problem standing by as the Cullen’s, or Jacob’s pack ended James, Victoria and Laurent’s lives. However the difference is that she wants to be a vampire and is a martyr in a sense. For Edward and for love’s sake, she is being a “hero” and giving up her the fundamental sacrifice, which is her human life. Ultimately, both of these strong-willed female roles have come a long way since the early days of vampires on screen and in writing. Characters like them are more appealing to the female audience, and modern audiences in general.
After completing “Dracula Night”, it was pretty apparent that the roles of the traditional vampires and women had almost switched. The whole story revolves around this party that Eric is holding at Fangtasia, in hopes that Dracula will be attending. Traditionally (or stereotypically, however one wants to look at it), throwing parties and “get togethers” could be seen as a feminine activity or a feminine role. In a typical story surrounding vampires, males tend to be strong, mysterious, and aggressive (as Eric normally is) however, in this story, Eric is worried, stressed out, and wants to please everyone. “Eric fusses and plans; he frets and stews. He sent the invitations back to the printer twice so they were late going out.” (49) He is acting like a perfectionist to make this party the best it can be. Although it is uncharacteristic behavior, it makes it easier to sympathize with his character. Many of the readers understand the stresses and the pressures of planning the perfect event, or making people happy, or impressing someone on a date, etc. Since he is acting the way he is acting, it makes the audience really pull for him, and makes us want the party to go as planned because he is so nervous about the whole thing. Even Sookie noticed his strange behavior, as she “never suspected Eric harbored this depth of hero worship for anyone except himself.” (54) Even though that could come off as something negative, it can also show the reader that Eric has a hero and looks up to someone else. Once again, that it another idea that many people can relate to. The issues that Eric deals with in this story are common problems that people deal with on a regular basis. Overall, however, his character really does a 180, exiting the “bad boy” vampire mode, and entering the “party planning, nervous, excited, giddy” vampire mode.
ReplyDeleteOn the flip side, the traditional heroine and supporting character roles of Sookie and Pam are also quite different. In most situations, the women of these stories are nervous, dependent, compliant, and even weak. However, in “Dracula Night” the women are anything but those characteristics. In fact, they demonstrate quite opposite behaviors. Just the fact that Sookie, a human telepath, is attending this all vampire and supernatural soirée, on this night that can hold many potential dangers for her. She winds up killing the Dracula imposter, braving what could have been a deadly situation. Most females in vampire stories would not have done something like that. Also, in regards to male vampire/human female relationships, Sookie almost, or at least acted like she could resist Eric, telling Pam how she does not care what Eric thinks of her. In most cases, the female would be falling all over the vampire, but in this case, she lets him come to her, as the enchanting being does not faze her. Pam almost demonstrates much strength in comparison to the traditional female in this genre. Pam is just so hardcore and she really is this badass woman that one wouldn’t normally tend to see. “If anyone could take care of herself, it was Pam.” (61) Although Pam is a vampire, she is still a female. She breaks that idea of women being dependent on men or other people. She also is not afraid of the opinions of others, and lets her strength be known. “I’d never heard Pam express such a strong opinion.” (59) Pam owns her strength and independence, when in most cases; the female characters would not do this.
“Dracula Night” is actually quite a refreshing twist on the vampire story. It is nice to see the women finally being independent and strong, and it is even funny to see the what is supposed to be “bad boy” vampire, take on some feminine roles and show a softer side.
There are several ways in which Charlaine Harris depicts Eric as a more sympathetic vampire in her short story Dracula Night. One of the most significant ways, is by placing Eric in the “realm of emotions” (Williamson 31). Williamson argues that this new type of vampire character exists in a “humanized terrain” rather than in the self-obsession of a “bad boy vampire” (Willaimson 31). Eric’s emotional side becomes obvious throughout the short story as he idolizes Dracula. Indeed, his nervous excitement in preparation for his party is palpable as Pam says, “he[Eric] thinks, every year, that this time Dracula will pick his party to attend. Eric fusses and plans; he frets and stews” (Harris 49). In the past, vampires were usually depicted as unattached to such human emotions. However, in her story, Harris uses Eric’s ability to feel and express human emotion in order to make him more sympathetic to the media audience.
ReplyDeleteThe author also attempts to domesticate Eric in order to make him more sympathetic and relatable to the reader. The narrator points out the contrast between the typical self-absorbed vampire and the newly domesticated one as it reads, “I had never suspected Eric harbored this depth of hero worship for anyone except himself” (Harris 54). Williamson points out that some critics “consider the ‘new’ sympathy with the vampire to be a sign of its ‘domestication’” (Williamson 31). Eric’s domesticated and concerned attitude is clear as it says, “he sent the invitations back to the printer twice so they were late going out” (Harris 49). This type of behavior is not characteristic of vampires throughout history. In fact, vampires are usually described as too self-involved to care about anyone else, let alone invitations. Similarly, at his party, “he hugged and bowed and talked like a demented thing,” which is only described as “demented” because domestic is not typical of vampires’ behavior. The narrator admits that, “I didn’t know if I found this endearing or alarming….I’d definitely discovered Eric’s weak side” (Harris 60).
Harris’ story also offers challenges to the typical supporting characters. Sookie is portrayed as an independent heroine, very much in touch with her humanity and unafraid to go to a party full of blood sucking vampires. Sookie is reminiscent of characters like Buffy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as she is a strong female heroine, not really looking for someone to protect her, since she is not scared to fight the vampires herself.
These tactics utilized by Harris are extremely successful in making Eric appear more relatable. In fact, Williamson asserts that, to Zanger, “the ‘new’ vampire narratives provide an experience that readers and viewers engage in, ‘not voyeuristically, as in the case of Dracula, but as conjoiners and communicants’” (Williamson 31). Perhaps Harris’ twist on the vampire character sheds light on why the literary transformation even took place. That is, movies, novels and television shows must have had a reason for sympathizing the vampire character. Williamson’s argues that Carol A. Sent believes that “latent rebellion transforms vampires into heroes and heroines in the twentieth century because of a ‘changed attitude towards authority’” (Williamson 30).
(1/2)At the end of The Interview with the Vampire, Lestat drives across the Golden Gate Bridge with Rolling Stone’s “Sympathy for the Devil” playing in the background. The audience is left to take in all that was presented to them in Louis’ interview. As I wrote in my Media Report, the song seems to fit perfectly with the viewer’s sentiment towards the end of the film. Is it possible to feel bad for a character that is essentially a monster or in this case is it possible to sympathy for the devil?
ReplyDeleteOver time vampires, in our minds, have evolved from the original grotesque walking corpses that spawned from folklore into these characters that we not only like but we feel bad for. As Williamson explains, “The contemporary vampire is no longer only that figure of relatively uncomplicated evil so famously represented by Count Dracula” (Williamson 31). Modern vampire characters are no longer heartless monsters who, as Dracula would say in his heavy accent, “vant” one thing—blood. We are introduced to many characters that display human traits. Even the “bad” vampires solicit an emotional attachment from the audience. Williamson goes on to address that “The Twentieth century produced a new generation of morally ambiguous, sympathetic vampires who lure vampires with the pathos of their predicament and their painful awareness of outsiderdom” (Williamson 29).
Most of the time, in my opinion, this sympathetic vampire is someone who is brooding and even sometimes whiny. Louis, from The Interview with the Vampire, is this quintessential sympathetic character. He is this vampire that hates who he is and makes that evident; he feels remorse for his actions and this the compassion he once had as a human remained with him after “re-birth”. However, as you stated in the blog question, “writers have taken different approaches to make their vampires sympathetic”.
(2/2) Harris’ approach to the sympathetic vampire character of Eric in “Dracula Night” was very different from Rice’s Louis. Eric, who is normally the “bad boy”, is portrayed like this naïve child waiting for Santa to come on Christmas, or as Harris compares it, Charlie Brown waiting for the Great Pumpkin. The idea of Eric being compared to a meek character like Charlie Brown is quite the juxtaposition. It reminded me of The Green Mile. I know this movie is not vampire related, but it also portrayed this idea of the “monster” character displaying this innocence that made you feel bad for him.
ReplyDeleteHarris also represents her heroine and supporting character in a unique way as compared to other vampire media. For example, when I think of a heroine character I automatically think of Buffy who is basically a bad-ass blonde. To the audience as well as to the other characters in the storyline, Buffy’s strong persona is evident. On the contrary, a character like Sookie as the “heroine” is almost unexpected. Sookie comes off as the type of character that would be the damsel in distress, not the badass. It is almost as it Harris portrays Sookie in way that allows her to fool everyone around her, distracting them from the fact that she actually is stronger and smarter than she looks. Since I am not very familiar with True Blood, I am purely basing this assumption from “Dracula Night”. When it comes to the supporting character of Pam in this story, I think Harris challenges the role that the vampire “friend” usually plays in relation to the human. I feel like it is so often seen that the vampire protects the human from another vampire, like when Alice protects Bella in Twilight. Also, the human heroine is usually protecting other humans from vampires, not vampires from other vampires. Who would have thought that monsters would ever need protection?
Vampires have come a long way since their first appearance as animalistic monsters. We now associate vampires as more human-like because we have read about and seen so many vampires who try to fit into the human world. Since the vampire is now seen with more human characteristics we can sympathize with them. Williamson states that “critics consider the ‘new’ sympathy with the vampire to be a sign of its ‘domestication’”(Williamson 31). If vampires were always horrific monsters we as humans wouldn’t be able to sympathize with them, but since they have been domesticated we can.
ReplyDeleteWilliamson argues that we are able to sympathize with vampires because of literature. Vampire literature has made vampires take on many new characteristics which make the readers relate to them more. An example of how vampire literature has made vampires more sympatric is Charlaine Harris’ short story “Dracula Night”. In this story Harris takes Eric, the normally “bad boy vampire” and turns him into a character who is really relatable to the audience. Usually Eric is described as conceited, “the first person on Eric’s admiration list is Eric, and his own well-being was Eric’s number one priority”(Harris 54). Eric is a vampire who looks out for himself, but in this particular story he is seen as a follower not a leader.
In Harris’ story we see that Eric’s main focus isn’t himself. Eric is throwing a huge party in hopes that his idol Dracula will show up. Pam relates this party to “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” in that every year Eric thinks “that Dracula might pick his party to attend” (Harris 49). With this pressure we see Eric weakened. He is always worrying, and is making sure everything for the party is perfect. Eric makes sure he has all the right drinks and decorations, just in case Dracula shows up. With all this fuss happening it really makes the reader relate to Eric because we feel what he is feeling. The reader also wants to pull for Eric and really hopes that Dracula choose Eric’s party to attend.
Another point in the story where Eric is seen as sympathetic is in the end. When Dracula didn’t show up to the party the reader can tell he was disappointed. Sookie says she could see the disappointment on Eric’s face when he was looking at the remains of the fake Dracula. Then in a sudden change in emotion “his face lightened, and when he looked up at me, it was with the expectancy of a child on Christmas Eve. ‘Maybe next year,’ he said.” (Harris 71). Here we sympathize with Eric because his long awaited idol didn’t show up, and he was tricked by an imposter. We saw all his dreams come true and then crash down. The story though ends on a happier note as we can see that Eric still has hope that Dracula may come next year. Here the reader also has hope for Eric that maybe next year Dracula will come. Harris made Eric a more relatable character in this story which made the reader able to sympathize with him. This is what many authors have done with vampires and it makes the reader want to root for them.
In her story Harris challenges the traditional role of the heroine by not making Sookie a damsel in distress. In this story we see Sookie and a strong and confident person. She willingly goes to a party where she knows she might be putting herself in danger, and goes alone. Sookie doesn’t need her vampire to always be following her to protect her, unlike Elena or Bella. Sookie can take care of herself, which proves true in this story when she alone takes on the fake Dracula and kills him.
So far in class we have talked about vampires in movies and television shows. There are many ways that the producers of vampire-themed shows and movies make the main vampire “sympathetic”. Most vampire movies were designed to make the vampire as scary as possible to play into our fears, an old example of that is Nosferatu. The vampire was designed to be as hideous as possible because a movie is usually only an hour and a half long so there is no need to have the audience feel too sorry for him. The movie Fright Night had a different spin on the vampire by having him blend in with society until it was time to bite someone. The vampire character that can blend in is the one that really scares the audience because maybe it is possible there is a vampire living next door to us the whole time. When you look at later movies, such as the Twilight series, the vampires and supernatural characters in that movie were created to be relatable and romantic so that the viewer would have a connection to the vampire that would have them continuing to go to all the other movies. However, the twilight series came from a series of books to catch the reader’s attention and leave them with something to imagine. Williamson argues that the “sympathetic” vampire is a literary creation. Twilight is such a huge hit because it was a series of books that did so well. The success with vampire-themed books comes from making the vampires as likeable and desirable as possible. No one wants to read a book where the author goes into gruesome details of how hideous the vampire is and all the vampire wants to do is suck your blood. Recently in my media and audience classes, we talked about how females are so attracted to romantic novels because it is their escape from their daily lives. Well, vampires in general are often portrayed as sexy so the other will usually make the vampire in a way that will leave a lot up to the female imagination. This makes the vampire very sympathetic and readers love it.
ReplyDeleteIn Charlaine Harris’ short story Dracula Night, she creates a vampire named Eric into a sympathetic character that the readers can fall in love with. Eric is often portrayed as a bad boy vampire that loves to go out and suck some blood out of people but Charlaine Harris did a good job of putting in some qualities that made him more romantic, humorous and desirable. Williamson’s claim that the “sympathetic” vampire is a literary creation may or may not be correct. However, it is the best form of the sympathetic vampires, better then the characters in film and television shows that we have today. Harris capitalized on the fact that women love romantic novels and that popularity of the vampire character in the media. We see other stories use the same characteristics as Dracula Night. As talked about earlier, the Twilight series of books used the same model to make its characters as desirable and relatable as possible. Partially the reason why the book and the movie have been so successful. Charlaine Harris also gave Eric some humor about his situation that forced some the readers to feel sorry for him. For example, he makes references to how he lives forever and makes some jokes about it but at the same time those jokes make you feel bad for Eric who is stuck just looking for love.
ReplyDeleteCharlaine Harris’ short story challenges some of the more traditional portrayals of the heroine and supporting characters as well. Having a female heroine is something not seen all the time. It was obviously very prominent in Buffy the Vampire Slayer but Harris’ wrote about a strong confident woman that would not fall victim to the vampire’s tricky ways. This was another aspect that the readers loved because it put women in a good, fierce light giving the reader confidence and strength to not be worried about some things in life. The supporting characters were different in the fact that they too were relatable, helping the reader really get into the story hoping that everyone will end up okay and really getting them invested in the vampire tale. Literacy is one of the best ways to make a vampire sympathetic because there are no visuals so it is really up to the reader to bring the characters to life while making the book or short story entertaining.
The sympathetic vampire can be seen in a variety ways in different literary works. Charlaine Harris’ Dracula Night the author makes the character of Erik sympathetic by giving him some of the qualities of the typical protagonists. In the Williamson article asserts that the scholars Senf and Carter “linked the sympathy for the vampire with the notion of rebelliousness and outsiderdom” (Williamson 30). This makes these outcasts sympathetic to the public it makes it seem as if they behave the way they do because nobody understands them. Making vampires sympathetic to the public is the author’s way of making a statement and in some ways vampires look more humane because you can associate their rebellious behaviors with that of teenagers and people who do not have any sense of belonging to a particular group.
ReplyDeleteHarris attempts to make Eric seem human by giving characteristics like feeling attractive to the opposite gender. He is also seen as someone who adores Dracula constantly. This is something that makes look more human because it gives him a quality that most humans have. Most humans feel some kind of adoration and idolization towards a particular thing, whether is religion, person or other things that are of interest. Giving him these traits can in some ways justify his rebellious actions.
Harris gives Eric the characteristics modern spectators expect to in a vampire. For example in the show Angel the main character like Eric was someone who for many years used to tortured and harm people. However, for one reason or another both of these characters are given redeeming qualities in a more modern environment. I believe that the authors and creators of these two stories do this in order to make the characters more appealing to their target audience.
Another things that Harris uses in her story is that she makes Eric very handsome, so women would find attractiveness in him that makes them feel an emotional attraction to him. Sookie says, “He looked positively edible. Eric is very tall, very broad, very blonde, and tonight he was dressed in a tuxedo that had not come off any rack. This tux had been made for Eric, and he looked as good as any James Bond in it” (Harris 52). Harris made Eric look more human than a creature that preys on people and sucks their blood. He seems as the typical main hero in an action movie that make most women fall in love with him. By doing this she is creating a character that the main audience would find somewhat relatable. This can also be associated with Stephanie Meyers’ Twilight Saga, where the vampires are given human like characteristics. In the Twilight Series like in Harris’ story women feel attractive to the vampire creature. In the Twilight series Meyers gives her vampires somewhat of a soul. Meyers makes her vampires feel things like love and compassion for others and makes them heroes to humanity. The story behind the Twilight series is that Edward and his family have to try to fight the bad guys in an effort to save humanity from suffering the same fate they are. The story portrays all the vampires in Edward’ s family as people who did not chose to be who they are. These vampires do not embrace their nature. This is why to many, vampires may seem sympathetic because they are trying to prevent people from suffering the same fate they are. Bram Stoker set the standard what are the minimum characteristics a vampire should possess. However, these characteristics have slowly changed through the years and vampires take on the super hero role or the detective. Regardless of the role vampires take, their sole purpose is serving and protecting humanity from any evil happening.
After all, we’re only human. However, vampires are immortal beings. What makes audiences of vampire media so sympathetic towards them? It is their humanlike personality traits that have us relating to them. For example, in Charlaine Harris’s Dracula Night, the character of Eric who is said to be the “bad boy vampire”, has some qualities that actually make us like him. We see in Dracula Night how he gushes over the idea that THE Dracula might still be around and could possibly attend the “annual party to celebrate the birthday of the Lord of Darkness, Prince Dracula.” As humans, we fawn over celebrities and prominent figures, which is a very human thing to do. We cannot contain our excitement. In Harris’s story, Eric is doing everything in his power to remain cool but is extremely excited at the chance the party might be graced with Dracula’s presence. But when an imposter Dracula makes an appearance at the party, Eric is torn between saving Sookie (as “Dracula” wanted to kill her) or to hope that the said Dracula was not an imposter but who he says he is. He does not want to go against Dracula however he is not entirely sure if he is the real deal. Pam, who was created by Eric, does not see the complete appeal like Eric does. “So you know the whole thing may be a crock of shit.” (Harris 70) She is not even sure if there really is a Dracula and she is a vampire herself. This makes Eric’s thoughts even funnier that the badass, ruthless vampire, believes in questionably unreal ideas and believes in them so much that he would question saving a human he cares about.
ReplyDeleteWe see human, sympathetic characteristics in other “evil”/ “bad boy” vampires. For example, take Damon of The Vampire Diaries, particularly in season one. He is bitter, sarcastic, selfish and is completely disrespectful to others feelings. He seeks revenge and does not care who he has to hurt in order to get that. However, when we realize he is doing these things because he is emotionally scarred from his past, we slowly begin sympathizing with him. He fell in love. The girl he fell in love with loved his brother, Stefan. She was a vampire. She turned Stefan to be with him forever. Stefan turned Damon selfishly to be with him forever. Damon lost every battle. He slowly begins to realize that Catherine never loved him at all. Audiences start to see that his emotions are being tossed around which is the primary reason for how he acts. The viewer thought he loved being a vampire, then we find out he had no choice in becoming one. We thought he had no heart, but then we see it gets broken twice, once by Catherine and once by Elena, both choosing Stefan over him.
In Dracula Night, Pam and Sookie have a quick conversation. Pam tells Sookie that standing up to vampires and placing herself in the middle of dangerous situations to protect those she cares about is not very smart. Pam says, “You’re too soft, Sooke Stackhouse. It’ll be the death of you some day.” (Harris 70) We often see female roles in vampire media depicted as extremely independent women. In Twilight, True Blood, and The Vampire Diaries the heroine is a human who will go to any length to protect and save those she cares about, even if they are vampires and she is human. Bella, Sookie, and Elena all stand up to vampires and are willing to risk their lives in order to help Edward, Jacob, Bill, Damon, or Stefan, etc. These female leads are empowering. They act fearless in order to protect others.
After all, we’re only human. And once, so were they. Most characters would not be interesting if we could not relate to them. Despite their actions, audiences cannot help but feel for vampire characters because their lives are constant struggles. They have human feelings that are magnified as vampires. When they love, they love with their whole heart. When they hate, they want to kill. But the feelings they feel, anyone can feel which is why we are sympathetic to them, even if they are “the bad boys.”
“This signals one of the most important transformations in our perception of the vampire – it is no longer predominantly a figure of fear in Western popular culture, but a figure of sympathy (Williamson 29).” It is clear that the view of the modern day vampire in our society has undergone an extreme transformation from figures of horror to figures we give sympathy to. Many types of modern media have showed us this different side of the vampire by showing humanized traits that they carry. Charlaine Harris’ “Dracula Night,” also portrays the vampire character in a light that makes the reader have sympathetic emotions toward them.
ReplyDeleteIn many of Charlaine Harris’ other works she portrays Eric Northman as the “bad boy vampire,” in this short story she gives him an entirely different side. We see Pam Eric’s second in command expressing to Sookie how her presence may uplift Eric. This is an example of how we are shown that vampires do actually have feelings. Pam believed that Sookie’s presence at the party would make him happy since he had been working so hard preparing for the party. We also see Eric being humanized by showing that he has hopes and dreams. “Eric is like that on Dracula Night. He thinks, every year, that this time Dracula will pick his party to attend. Eric fusses and plans; he frets and stews. He sent the invitations back to the printer twice so they were late going out. Now that the night is actually here, he’s worked himself into a state (Harris 49).” The idea that Eric has worries and is striving to make his dream come true to have Dracula show at his party makes the audience feel sympathetic toward his hard work. The reader can only help but hope that Dracula does show at his party to make all oh his dreams of this one event occurring for years come true.
In many of Charlaine Harris novels Sookie Stackhouse is represented as a heroine character, it is not much different in this story. She is stuck between two worlds the; the human world and vampire world. Sookie is always in attention to detail, especially by researching about Dracula before the party, which ultimately saved her life. She has some very human like qualities from things such as research into what is unknown. She is also represented as humanized by her serious concern about finding a dress on sale for the party.
Sookie is a very strong character and even throughout other Charlaine Harris stories she is portrayed this way. Although she at times may need help she for the most part takes action herself and does not depend on others to always save her. She wants to save herself most of the time and she also looks to help others with their struggles even though her being human prevents her from being able to do much to help. In this specific situation with the fake Dracula Sookie was the only person that could save herself since if any of the vampires staked Dracula they would meet the sun. She used the knowledge that she picked up to trick the fake Dracula into accidentally giving away that he was a fake. Although as I said earlier there are times where Sookie has saved the say it does not happen too often.
ReplyDeleteIn this short story we see a completely different side of Pam. Usually Pam expresses how much she does not particularly like Sookie. In this short story we see Pam as a more friendly vampire. We see Pam almost defending Sookie in this story and relating to her on a completely different level than we have before. Usually Pam is only concerned with Eric her maker and it is very interesting to see her in this different light. It makes you view the vampire as a more friendly creature that is just looking for someone to talk to and relate with.
Even in other current vampire media such as Twilight we feel sympathetic for the Cullen’s because they do not want to hurt people and are forced to attempt to fit in with the world around them. We also feel very sympathetic for Rosalie in the third novel she expresses when Bella was requesting to be turned into a vampire that this is not the life she would have chose for herself. She went on to tell her about how she was raped and beaten half to death by a group of drunken men including her fiancé. Carlisle found her dying and turned her into a vampire. It is clear that the vampire genre has been transformed into a genre that involves sympathy and pity for vampires, but it still has some of the traditional vampires in the genre.
In Charlaine Harris’ short story, Eric gets all worked up about the thought of Dracula choosing his party to attend. He goes all out by sending fancy invitations, spending an outrageous amount of money on decorations and Dracula’s drink of choice, Royalty. The behavior being shown by Eric was not in his character, “… the first person on Eric’s admiration list was Eric, and his own well-being was Eric’s number one priority (Harris 54).” So when he became obsessed with meeting the requirements of hosting the Dark Prince himself, Eric’s friends and staff noticed the sudden change.
ReplyDeletePam and Lyle were very nonchalant about the whole thing, and could care less about going over-the-top in order to try and impress a guest that they knew wouldn’t come. “That chance is so remote, his appearance at our party would be like winning the lottery. Though some believe it could happen (Harris 44).” Eric was basing this whole money-spending event on rumors that said Dracula would pick one place to attend on this particular night.
They would roll their eyes and give sarcastic comments after Eric would express his excitement. Everyone else was being unsympathetic and not sharing the same enthusiasm as Eric. They didn’t see the event being that big of a deal, but it is the one thing Eric cared about more than himself. “I was able to have a business discussion with the Master’s handler…I was able to express how much having the master’s presence would honor me and my establishment (Harris 54)” It seems like they found Eric’s new sympathetic persona rather annoying. His enthusiasm was equivalent to It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown or even a child on Christmas Eve. “Don’t you believe it would happen Sookie? (Harris 54)”By making the other characters unconcerned with what was going on, Charlaine Harris was able to make Eric more vulnerable.
The way Pam and Sookie were portrayed, they were the two of the stronger characters that didn’t feed into Eric’s fantasy. Pam’s sarcasm made it clear that Eric’s actions were bothersome. When it came to how much effort and money was placed into Dracula Night, Pam thought that Eric was doing and spending too much. “Her expression made it clear she thought Eric had been gypped big time (Harris 55).” Although she is second in command, Pam couldn’t comment on Eric’s behavior since he is her maker. Sookie on the other-hand seems to encourage Eric, making him feel like Dracula is more likely to come. Sookie doesn’t think the Prince of Darkness will show, but she is allowing Eric to have his moment most likely because she doesn’t want to kill his dream. When asked is she believed Dracula would arrive, Sookie gave a neutral, optimistic answer, “We’ll all find out, wont we? (Harris 55)”
When the bartender comes forth and proclaims to be Dracula, Pam doesn’t buy into his act, while Eric is in awe. Pam’s reaction to the poser was pure disbelief. Sookie seemed to be confused until Pam placed the sharp centerpiece into her hand to do the job that vampires were unable to. Without question, Sookie understood that the Dracula fraud needed to be staked not only to protect herself, but to protect Eric from doing any more outrageous stunts to please his guest. “Thank you for helping Eric when I couldn’t…My maker is a big idiot about the prince (Harris 69).” Pam’s desire to end this fiasco combined with Sookie’s bravery saved the night from an imposter and any more damage. Eric understood Sookie’s actions, but his spirit wasn’t ruined as he hoped for a different outcome next year.
Lindsay Walker
ReplyDeleteThe portrayal of vampires in literary works contrasts those seen in movies and television because literary works don’t clearly distinguish the “bad boy” vampire from the “sympathetic” vampire. They instead, challenge the way we view those characters seen on screen by seemingly combining the two types. This is especially demonstrated in Charlaine Harris’s representation of Eric.
In the True Blood television series, Eric is the epitome of a “bad boy” vampire. He loves being a vampire and takes advantage of all it has to offer. His bad boy reputation has him lacking any sort of redeeming quality. However, in Harris’s “ short story, “Dracula Night” Eric is depicted as having bad boy tendencies with glimpses of sympathy. Eric is very much so selfish and conceited but there are several circumstances throughout the short story that seem to mask these characteristics and engage readers in a feeling of sympathy.
The most prominent example is that of Eric’s overwhelming admiration and obsession with Dracula. Being a very confident and self- involved creature, Eric is not easily affected by or intimidated by others. The one exception is of course, Dracula. Eric was so hopeful and desired so much for Dracula’s appearance at his party that when the count supposedly arrived he was almost star-struck. His bad boy facade disappeared and he was left vulnerable and seemingly weak. Even in the presence of all the guests Eric’s barrier and even strength faded and all guests were “watching the spectacle of the confident and regal Eric babbling away, actually falling to his knees” (Harris, 63). This display of weakness shows that Eric does have a soft side and that he can draw on emotion thus making him appear more humane.
Drawing upon that example is the idea that Eric was so honored and excited to have Dracula at his party that he was unable to see that is was really just an imposter. He wanted so badly to believe that his dream had come true that he was even going to let the imposter kill Sookie. Even more surprising is the fact that Sookie, the human is the one that has to kill the imposter. When Eric finally realizes that it was an imposter he tries to regain his reputation by saying, “I would have staked him myself if I had my wits about me.” (Harris) However, Sookie standing right next to him sees past that act of confidence and composure in saying, “But I was standing right by Eric, my hand on his arm and I knew he was shaking” (Harris). Although Eric tries to appear tough, his shaking and trembling shows just how uneasy he was and gives a sense of innocence. This instability engages readers in feeling sympathy for Eric. Not just because his hope was crushed but also because it clearly shook him up.
Not only do we see a difference in the way Eric is portrayed but this short story also looks differently at the heroine, Sookie. In most movies there is a clear distinction between human and supernatural. In twilight for example, Bella is completely human. Although she is willing to sacrifice herself for Edward (as Sookie is willing to do for Eric/ vampire kind in general) Bella is human for the majority of the series. If you then look at Underworld you have Selene who is a vampire. Movies do not typically combine these character traits but this literary work identifies the heroine as being both human and supernatural. Sookie has the ability to read people’s minds. Although she is not a Vampire she still has supernatural abilities which sets her apart from those human heroines like Bella.
Eric isn’t seen as a “bad boy” type of vampire in “Dracula Night”, rather one that is easily relatable to the audience. Harris humanizes him in a way that is similar to other modern vampire characters. No longer are vampires seen with Dracula-like characteristics, but more as romantic, troubled ‘creatures’. Unlike past vampires with a “bad-boy” personality, Eric portrays self-consciousness in an unconfident manner, he is trying hard to impress his peers with his party at Fangtasia. He stresses over making his party perfect for his hero, Dracula to attend, which humanizes him and makes others relate to how he is feeling. He has ties of family and friendship, which proves his work to be difficult and he faces many emotions over what his peers will think, and he is conscious of his behavior. “The new vampire has ties of family and friendship, which locate it problematically in the realm of the emotions. This is a humanized terrain, which is more ambiguous in its depiction of good and evil” (Williamson 31) Eric is concerned about others opinion, and isn’t as self-absorbed as other vampires have been in the past.
ReplyDeleteThe gender roles in vampire texts have been switched, now with Sookie being the brave heroine while Eric remains the more emotionally-unstable character. Sookie attends the party, although it is full of vampires, and isn’t afraid of what is to come in that dangerous environment. She comes off as the typical female lead, a damsel in distress, but uses that feature to prove that everyone around her has underestimated her abilities and her fearless attitude. From what I learned in class, Sookie is very similar to Buffy (the Vampire Slayer) with her fearless “kick-ass” attitude and assertiveness behavior. As vampire texts continue to be made, the gender roles are reflecting those acceptable in society at the time. In the past, females weren’t accepted to have lead roles, nor were they seen as independent and strong. More and more vampire texts not only have a female in a lead role, but they are seen as characters to relate to and look up to for female audiences, showing that females are capable of taking care of themselves, while kicking some vampire ass.
I can only refer to the Twilight saga for vampire portrayals as I am unfamiliar with any other vampire text. The roles of Edward and Bella are similar to that of Sookie and Eric, where Bella is more of a heroine. Edward is the protective vampire type, and is solely concerned with Bella’s safety. Although this quality could make him a “bad-boy” hero vampire, it is Bella who is fearless and wants to take on the dangerous vampire tasks and responsibilities. Although both Sookie and Bella are fearless heroine vampire love interests, they do show a side of vulnerability and the ‘damsel in distress’ female lead trait, leaving Eric and Edward the opportunity to show their more “bad boy” features in rescuing them in times of need.
Williamson claims that the “sympathetic” vampire is a literary creation that many mediums of the vampire genre has adapted in order to reach their target fans. Women are the main audience of the vampire genre. Thus there must be strong female characters that women can respect. A Touch of Dead, by Charlaine Harris certainly includes these important elements of the vampire genre for her fans to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteHarris’s lead character’s Sookie Stakehouse and Pam break the mold of any classic female leads in the vampire genre. Sookie is in denial of her faerie identity, making her also a reluctant character that so often appears in vampirism. She states, “I’m not supernatural [. . .] I just have a…problem (Harris, 42).” While everyone else around her sees her telepathy and faerie blood as a gift, she feels it is a curse. She tries to live a normal life and not think about her telepathic “gift” while working her job as a waitress, but it seems to always get in the way. Her faerie blood makes any vampire desire taking a bite out of her. Sookie describes her predicament, “Faeries are as intoxicating to vampires as sugar water is to hummingbirds (Harris, 58).” Sookie is desired by many vampires more as an object than a human being. I feel that the female audience can relate to Sookie’s dilemma of being seen as a piece of meat rather than a person.
Harris’s other female character, Pam, is also an unconventional personality. She is a blonde and blue eyed vampire, giving her the cheerleader appearance. However her charm is anything but typical. Pam has a matter-of-fact way of speaking and acting. She does not take any bull shit from anybody, besides her maker Eric, of course. While watching Eric suck up to the Dracula imposter she says, “Fucking poser (Harris, 63).” Her bad-ass female persona is refreshing. She is a non-traditionalist, not only as a vampire, but as a woman. Instead of wearing a formal gown to the Dracula party, she wears a tuxedo and looks stunning in it. She is anything
but a reluctant vampire, however with her glamorous personality, she does not need to be to get viewers vote for being hilarious, and an all-around strong female character that literally demands respect from her female fans looking for a kick-ass woman to watch.
ReplyDeleteHarris’s sympathetic vampire, Eric, is both a bad boy, but also a sensitive romantic at times. Fans can sympathize for Eric, due to his struggle for equality. Harris includes a rich background of vampire inequality. Before Vlad Dracul became a vampire, vampires were forced to live in secrecy. Pam describes their struggle, “Completely secret. Ragged, filthy, living in holes in cemeteries, like animals (Harris, 44.)” With this description, fans, especially women, can relate to how vampires are persecuted for an identity that they did not choose. In this story, Eric has a case of what Sookie calls, “hero worship.” He transforms his club Fangtasia in hopes that the real Dracula will visit the party he is hosting. Sookie observes, “I had never suspected Eric harbored this depth of hero worship for anyone except himself. I would never have believed he would spend good money for such a reason, either, (Harris, 54.)” Eric’s passion for his hero, Dracula, is something that fans can admire. Eric also has a soul, and a great sense of humor, another lovable sympathetic vampire quality. An example of Eric’s relatable personality is seen when Sookie looks at the table arrangement that Eric purchased for his party, “I had to laugh when I examined one of the arrangements: in the explosion of red carnations and greenery were miniature coffins and full-size stakes. Eric’s sense of humor had surfaced, finally, (Harris, 56.)” Thus Eric appears to be a vampire with a soul, and cares about people, like Sookie and Pam, as well as throwing a nice party for his hero, Dracula.
In conclusion, Eric is the epitome of a sympathetic vampire. He is passionate, soulful, humorous, and knows what it is like to be persecuted for his identity. Pam and Sookie break the mold of the average female lead characters in the vampire genre. Both women are blonde haired and blue eyed, yet they are strong and brave. Pam’s character, is especially loveable and a fan favorite with her sarcastic wit and hard ass personality. Harris successfully created a series where fans can find a vampire that they can sympathize as well as be refreshed by the portrayal of leading female characters.
Elisabeth Keasler said...
ReplyDeleteLet’s be real here. The idea of the self-involved supernatural creature is normally the factor that turns most audiences because this is what symbolizes a true ‘vampire’. The existence of a vampire wouldn’t be so, if it wasn’t for the rejection of their souls causing them to experience their sensuality. While the transformation to the ‘sympathetic vampire’ may be a literally creation, after all we can see it purely in Harris’ story of Dracula Night. “One of the most significant ways is by placing Eric in the realm of emotions.” (Williamson 31)
As we can see in the story, Eric plays a very sensuous character. Forget the ‘bad boy’ vampire because Eric has brought his emotions along for the ride. In his journey of idolizing Dracula we see him showing feeling and emotion not only with Sookie but with the idea that Dracula might show up to his party. He comes to the party all dressed up, he has bought the expensive bottles of blood JUST for Dracula, and sends the invitations back to the printer twice. (clearly showing he is trying)The narrator even mentions that she has noticed his ‘weak’ side when he resembles a demented character at the party. I mean come on. Eric is doing everything possible to differentiate himself to the typical evil vampire.
The author does a swell job in trying to humanize and domesticate Eric in order to make him more sympathetic. Actually, the ways that Harris portrays Eric in this story are very rare compared to the evil vampire we know. Now we see Eric allowing himself to experience interior conflict. (to love, to doubt, to regret, to question, Williamson 31)
On the other hand, the other supporting characters in this story are used quite differently, challenging the norm. Typically the female vampire is just the opposite of what Sookie has to offer. As the female heroine here, she is confident and not exactly dying for someone to protect her. She kind of portrays the ‘I got it convered bad ass. I mean she may be telepathic but she isn’t a vampire! Shouldn’t she be somewhat terrified to go party with a bunch of blood sucking vampires? Instead, she goes- dresses up, and is willing to fight.. in her pink dress and silver shoes. She is very much in touch with her humanity which allows her to portray this figure. When I read this story, Moonlight was the first thing that came to my mind. Im not sure why but, the ERIC/SOOKIE relationship reminded me of Beth in Mick. In some way I see him being sympathetic as well and Beth acting exactly like Sookie because she goes to extremes to prove that she can handle the vampire world being a human. As does Sookie as a telepath entering the vampire party.
The techniques that Harris does use accomplish one more thing. The sympathetic sensuality of Eric also makes the literature more relatable. I believe that the techniques that Harris use allow for a commonality between audience and novel. “Throughout the twentieth century the depiction of the vampires becomes increasingly sympathetic and the fan culture surrounding vampire fiction becomes increasingly large.”
(1/2)
ReplyDeleteIf we did not watch “True Blood” or read the novels from the “Sookie Stackhouse” stories, there would be no way of knowing that Eric Northman was, indeed, a “bad-boy” vampire. In “Dracula Night”, Eric is portrayed in lights bordering on the obsessive fan: he has bribed someone to ensure his vassal of idol worship, Vlad Tepes III (alias Vlad Dracula), would come to his bar on the occasion of his birthday; he has been obsessively planning and arranging a party in hopes that his idol would come and nod his approval; Sookie notes a sort of vividness in his eyes, an excitement that doesn’t quite show to his complexion due to his nature (“If he’d been human, Eric would have been flush with excitement; as it was, his eyes were blazing. Eric looked both beautiful and scary because he was so intent.” (Harris 62)).
These are not typical characteristics we see in a vampire, let alone one identified as being a “bad-boy” vampire. That he would be a fan of someone with Vlad Dracula’s blood-thirst is not hard to believe: that he would go to all measures, to the point of almost bankrupting his own business to please him might be. In Eric Northman’s obsession with Dracula, we do not see someone who is paying homage to Dracula’s violent reputation, his ecstasy in the kill in both his mortal and immortal life (with Vlad Tepes III’s penchant for staking referred to in the story). We see someone who is eager to please, too eager to impress and be humbled and hallowed by the presence of someone he finds worthier. When the “fake” Dracula appeared, Eric does something fans of the show or the book would never have expected – he knelt. It was such a stunning move that even Sookie comments, “I was watching the spectacle of the confident and regal Eric babbling away, actually sinking down to one knee” (Harris 63). It is hard to imagine “bad-boy” vampires babbling about anything, let alone allow their statuses to be humbled so easily. But although there are indications that his own employees are not impressed with his brand of fierce idol worshipping, the reader is given the sense that Eric is acting like a little boy, not like a deluded fool. The end of the story shines a better light on it, when Sookie notes “by degrees, his face lightened, and when he looked up… it was with the expectancy of a child on Christmas Eve” (Harris 71) as he pondered whether Dracula will come to his party next year. Eric Northman isn’t simply a fan waiting for his idol to appear – he is acting like a child waiting for Santa Claus to show up with his big bag of toys, to confirm that he was, indeed, a good boy that year.
(2/2)
ReplyDeleteWhile it is mentioned that Pam is obedient to Eric’s whims as he is her “maker”, it is obvious from the get-go that she does not buy into his belief of Dracula showing up to his party, or approve of the exorbitant amount of money Eric is paying for that right. In traditional vampire media, a vampire is revealed to be obedient to his or her maker – that much has not changed. But, similar to the role of Claudia in “Interview with the Vampire”, this does not mean that “made” vampires are completely and utterly powerless against their “makers”. While it might be impossible for Pam to openly defy or kill Eric (like Claudia killed Lestat), she can openly defy and mock him (behind his back, of course) and his decisions. It is Pam who hands Sookie the stake which she was meant to drive into the fake Dracula’s heart. And when Sookie does deliver her blow, it awakens Eric from his daze, as he comes in and joins her in the murder. In this regard, Pam defies the normal tradition associated with “made” vampires – she is not only not obedient by not getting down to her knees, like Eric, to greet Dracula, but actually plots his death through Sookie’s hands because, as she puts it, “[she’s] the human.” (Harris 64) And Sookie defies all logic by staying blonde and staying alive at the story’s end. Also, she did not go into the party in the hopes of staking or killing any vampires or other “supes” – she had attended in the genuine belief of having a good time but did not hesitate a second when she not only felt threatened by the imposter Dracula’s lust for her blood but also realized he was making a fool of her friend Eric. Sookie basically commits murder to save the dignity and face of someone she cares about – not exactly typical “heroine” nature.
Many authors of vampire novels face a problem when developing their story. If the author wishes for a vampire to be a main character they must create someone who the audience can understand, want to root for, and sympathize with. This is a particular challenge for vampire novelists because these creatures (as they are some times portrayed like) are not quite human and often times do not share humans motivations or have any compassion for human problems. In the short story “Dracula Night” Charaline Harris is able to make her main vampire characters, Eric and Pam, seem very likable to the readers despite some of their obvious faults.
ReplyDeleteThe character Eric, who has been portrayed as the “bad boy” vampire in other media, specifically the True Blood television show on which the books by Harris and this short story is based, actually comes off a fairly likable guy. The first thing that Harris does to earn the reader’s sympathy is establish that the heroine, Sookie, was at one point involved romantically with Eric. This tells the reader that no matter what his actions may be from this point forward, he was once a charming enough individual for the sweet, kindhearted Sookie to fall for.
The other thing she does to make Eric sympathetic to readers is make his “vampire problems” as relate-able as possible to humans. In this short story, Eric is not struggling with his vampirism or trying to cling to his humanity, he is simply trying to throw a party. In Harris mind, this seems to be a very common problem. Everybody has probably tried to throw a birthday party or holiday bash and worried about the comfort of the guests. However, to make Eric interesting and believable, she just puts human issues in vampire terms. For example, a nice bottle of liquor or wine becomes the two bottles of “Royalty” purchased for the party. You also see and hear of Eric dealing with different employees, like the new bartender he doesn’t like, in a similar manner that Sam would deal with an employee at Merlottes.
The most clear defence of Eric’s character comes at the end of the story when he comes to Sookie’s aid against Dracula’s imposter. This shows that one; he actually cares for Sookie and her life, to the point where he was willing to risk his own execution. This makes the reader the most sympathetic to Eric, because they use Sookie’s emotions and reactions to establish how they would react in the Vampire world.
Sookie is very interesting character as well. Her telepathy makes her something more than human, but her innocence and kindness make her so likable and relate-able to readers. This is a departure from other female heroines in vampire fiction because they are generally a)totally human and b) vampire slayers. No work really comes to mind where the female lead is not a bas ass slayer chick whose sole purpose is to send vamps to their grave (again). Sookie’s kindness makes her execution of the Dracula impostor all the more surprising.
Sookie’s telepathy makes her an interesting character because when around humans, she’s a supernatural being, almost like vampires. But when she is around vampires, since she cannot read their minds, she is just like any other human they man come in contact with. (besides the fact that she cannot be glamoured)