1000 Word Argumentative Research Paper (MLA Format)

Dougherty 1

Andrew Dougherty1

HUM 396

Dr. Peever

February 21, 2012

The Evolution of the Vampire: How Society Changes the Legend

Horror stories are a view into the fears, concerns, and presiding ideals of a society.

People must relate to film and literature in order for the works to be widely accepted. The works

are also created by people of the time-period and therefore are inevitably influenced by their

society and culture. This influence shows in the end product. One of the clearest examples of

this is the legendary vampire. Vampire legends stretch back in time to ancient Greece and

Homer’s sheeted dead “who can speak only once they have drunken from a trench of blood”

(Holland 40). There are stories of vampire-like creatures in early Christianity spanning to

present day interpretations. The characteristics defining a vampire have changed and evolved

over time, mirroring cultural and societal changes. What once used to be described as a bloated

animated corpse is now shown as a wealthy, intelligent individual. Vampires are used to show

societal concerns ranging from economic inequalities, fears of disease, perceived or actual, and

general paranoia.

The source of the modern vampire, Stoker’s Dracula (1877), shows characteristics of the

economic stratification of the Nineteenth Century. Count Dracula is an aristocrat from

Transylvania who, at the beginning of the story is living in an old castle then relocates to

London. The Count is described as polite and accommodating illustrating the traditional

1 Student Andrew Dougherty gave DrP written permission to use this paper as a sample. It remains Andrew’s intellectual property. DrP

Dougherty 2

aristocratic behavior. Vampires use people in order to stay alive and suck the life out of them.

This is consistent with the revolutionary viewpoint of the wealthy aristocrats. As Leith notes,

“vampires are about hierarchies, tradition, bloodlines. They have mittel-european honorifics, live

in castles, dress up and have manners. Vampires are the blood-and-soil nationalists of the undead

world” (74). Vampires reproduce by exchanging blood, prolonging the reach of their line in the

same fashion that the Royalty and aristocrats maintained pure blood lines. While Royalty and

the wealthy hand down power and wealth to their descendants, vampires pass along the curse of

the undead and drinking blood, preying on individuals. One modern example of the blood lines

in vampirism is the Underworld series. In this series of movies all vampires, and werewolves for

that matter, can trace their lineage back to one original vampire, the descendant of the last

immortal. The original vampire maintains his overarching power and control by saying that if he

is killed all other vampires will die as well. Vampires also traditionally find their roots in old

world Europe where people usually think of aristocracies. In most modern vampire tales, there is

at least one vampire that has been alive for centuries and has more wealth than the world

showing the divide between the ultra-rich and the rest of the population. Vampires can be used

to personify perceived inequalities and injustices and the damaging effects that they have on

people.

Vampires are also used to illustrate dangers and fears of diseases, not all of which are

actually dangerous or real. As Skal says, there was “a blood-testing frenzy…testing for AIDS,

testing for drugs, testing for killer cholesterol” (345). Blood has been associated with medicine

since Hippocrates. He thought that there were four components of blood that must be in balance

in order for someone to be healthy. The blood was examined for color and viscosity to

determine if the blood components were in the correct ratio. If they were not, the patient would

Dougherty 3

be bled with the thinking that the excessive component would be removed and the balance

restored. These early vampiristic treatments would develop into blood tests once more was

understood about human physiology. AIDS is one of the largest epidemics of the present time

and with that comes a tremendous amount of fear and speculation. The gay community was

demonized and related to vampires. Anita Bryant, a pop singer said of the situation “the male

homosexual eats another man’s sperm. Sperm in the most concentrated form of blood. The

homosexual is eating life” (Skal 346). There is of course little truth in this statement, but it

idealizes the popular beliefs of the period. Ironically the negative characterization was embraced

by the gay community with several gay vampire plays. Vampire can also be analogous to other

viruses, blood diseases, and parasites. Groups may be perceived as dangerous or damaging by

some and be stereotyped and compared to vampires, but those same groups can choose to

embrace to romanticism of the genre as well.

The most recent, modern vampires have left the castles and moved to the suburbs

showing a more personal connection and wariness about neighbors. Movies and television such

as True Blood, Twilight, The Gates, and Being Human have all brought vampires into small town

neighborhoods where they try to make a living within the normal human population. These

domestic undercover vampires can be symbolic of several characteristics of modern society.

They may be analogous to the Red Scare during the Cold War and paranoia. The Red Scare is

one of the most notorious examples of xenophobia in recent history with accusations and

suspicions of communism widespread throughout the United States. People who were accused

of being communists were given the choice of prison sentences or giving the government the

names of their “co-conspirators.” This policy led to many people being wrongly accused, but the

nation was changed by the atmosphere of suspicion surrounding the Cold War. The fear of

Dougherty 4

monsters living next door has also been revived with the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

People became more suspicious of their neighbors particularly Muslims, Arabs, and people from

the Middle East. Modern vampires stories also tend to have a “good” vampire theme where

there is at least one ethically sound vampire trying to live harmoniously with the human

population. These tamed vampires have a tendency to be involved in relationships with humans

showing how culture has acclimated to what was once horrific and unimaginable. These

relationships also are the ultimate in illustrating teenage rebellion by becoming close to someone

who parents would clearly not approve and is potentially dangerous. The dangerous side of the

situation also portrays the increasingly extreme nature of culture. People are constantly seeking

more intense forms of entertainment from action and adventure sports to the increasing speed

and recklessness that people have a tendency to travel. Vampires have changed from being the

terrifying invader to a neighbor interacting normally with others. Vampires have also created

their own community of people who call themselves real vampires and “believe that they must

either consume blood or feed on "subtle" energy in order to maintain their physical, mental, and

spiritual health” (Laylock 4). The vampire community attracts people searching for a connection

to others in the same manner that similar people band together in the general population.

Modern society has, to a certain extent, accepted vampires and romanticized their existence.

Vampires have evolved to relate to culture and society, whether it is xenophobia,

economic inequality, or teenage rebellion. Vampires originated thousands of years ago but

remain a constant tale changing to adapt to what society needs them to portray. The horror of the

vampire has deteriorated over time as it was domesticated. Vampires will continue to be a part

of entertainment and may resume their former role of overpowering aristocrat preying on

innocent people as an allegory to the current financial crisis. The vampire will also continue to

Dougherty 5

serve as a common rallying point for rebellious teenagers looking to relate to something

dangerous. Ultimately, the vampire myth will continue to change as culture evolves and new

teachings and terrors are adapted.

Dougherty 6

Works Cited

Being Human. British Broadcasting Company. 2008-2012. Television.

Dracula. Dir. Tod Browning. 1931. DVD. Universal Home Entertainment, 2004.

Holland, Tom. “A Sure Fang.” New Statesman. N.p., 19 February 2001. Web. 12 February 2012.

Laylock, Joseph. “Real Vampires as an Identity Group.” Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative &

Emergent Religion. 1 August 2010. Web. 18 February 2012.

Leith, Sam. “Cultural Notebook.” Prospect. N.p., 1 December 2009. Web. 12 February 2012.

Skal, David. The Monster Show. New York: First Faber and Faber, 2001. Print.

True Blood. Home Box Office. 2008-2012. Television.

The Gates. American Broadcasting Company. 2010. Television.

Twilight. Dir. Catherine Hardwick. 2008. DVD. Summit Home entertainment. 2009.

Underworld. Dir. Len Wiseman. 2003. DVD. Columbia TriStar Home Video, 2004.

Bibliography

Leith, Sam. Cultural Notebook. Prospect, December 2009.

Laylock, Joseph. From Parasite to Symbiote: The Genealogy of the Psychic Vampire. Proteus,

Fall 2009.

Cooper, Brian. The Word Vampire: Its Slavic Form and Origin. Journal of Slavic Linguistics,

Summer/Fall 2005.

Holland, Tom. A Sure Fang. New Statesman, 02/19/2001.

Teampau, Gelu. Faces of the Vampire in Comic Books. Caietele Echinox, December 2011.

Mutch, Deborah. Coming Out of the Coffin: The Vampire and Transnationalism in the Twilight

and Sookie Stackhouse Series. Critical Survey, 2011.

Dougherty 7

Bey, Aysha. The Vampire: “I Too Can Love” Enticing Parasite and Social Signifier. Proteus

Fall 2009.

Dunkel, Kurt. Utilizing the Image of the Vampire in Counseling Gothic Teens. Proteus, Fall

2009.

Aikens, Kristina. Battling Addictions in Dracula. Gothic Studies, November 2009.

Stevens, Kirsten. Conformity Through Trangression: The Monstrous Other and Virtual

Vampires. Proteus, Fall 2009.

Laylock, Joseph. Real Vampires as an Identity Group. Nova Religio, August 2010.

Crossley, Ceri. Anglophobia and Anti-Semitism: The Case of Alphonse Toussenel (1803-1885).

Modern & Contemporary France, November 2004.