Thinking about the success of the scaring black-and-white movies with the
famous vampire ‘Dracula’ in the 1950’s, the popularity of ‘The Small Vampire’
Rüdiger in the 1980’s or the effect of modern versions like ‘Interview with the
Vampire’ or ‘Buffy – the Vampire Slayer’ nowadays, it appears that people never
get enough from mystic, sometimes a little bit horrified stories about vampires,
wolves and werewolves, dark castles, everlasting life & beauty and more things,
which could neither be explained nor proved in reality.
The British prose author and feminist philosopher of English literature Angela
Carter (*1940 – 1992) knew the great fascination of folkloric material like fairy
tales and superstitious legends well; and she made it to one of her favourite
subjects of her literary work. With numerous, renewed fairy tales, novels, short
stories, plays and verses she satisfied peoples’ desire for gothic and surrealistic
stories diverting them from every-day-life. Due to the fact that the British
Broadcasting Corporation’s radio plays had flourished in Britain after the Second
World War and a lot of people enjoyed listening to them, Angela Carter paid
attention to this sub-genre of drama and wrote several radio plays, too.
Her first radio play Vampirella - broadcasted on 20th July 1976 in Radio 3 - was
born as such. Even a quick listening (or rather reading) of the radio play reveals,
that the serio-comedy Vampirella offers a lot of interesting aspects which cannot
be seen immediately, but should be recognised by all means. This interpretation
focuses on its peculiarities, which originate from the problematic theme of
Vampirism on the one hand and the composite art of the young medium radio on
the other hand. Moreover, it is a text-centred interpretation that analyses the text
and not the author’s intention or the individual impression.
Beginning with the obvious, the formal interpretation of structural features as
time, place, action and characters and the radiophonic elements, the analysis will
shift to the central themes and conflicts of the radio play. Above all the topic of
Vampirism as a (Timeless) Image will appear again and again.
Having been provided with various quotations from Vampirella it should be
possible to get a sense of Angela Carter’s unmistakable style and to imagine the
female-interpreted story in mind, although the real radio listening experience is
missing.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Outer Structure
2.1. Main Structural Features
2.1.1. Time
2.1.2. Place
2.1.3. Action
2.1.4. Characters
2.2. Radiophonic Elements
2.2.1. Words and Voices
2.2.2. Non-verbal Utterances, Pauses and Silences
2.2.3. Music and Sound Effects proper
2.2.4. Technological Features
3. Central Themes & Conflicts
3.1. Introductory : Vampirella vs. Cinderella
3.2. The Radio Play as a Serio-Comedy
3.3. The Meaning of Love and Redemption
3.4. Vampirism as a (Timeless) Image
4. Conclusion
5. Literature List
Research Objectives and Key Topics
This academic paper examines Angela Carter's 1976 radio play "Vampirella" through a text-centred analysis, focusing on how the interplay between formal structural elements and the medium of radio conveys deep-seated thematic conflicts. The primary objective is to investigate how the play utilizes the vampire myth to explore broader human experiences, specifically regarding morality, redemption, and the nature of love.
- The formal analysis of radio-specific structural features including time, place, and characterization.
- An evaluation of radiophonic elements such as sound effects, voices, and silence in creating an immersive experience.
- The subversion of fairy-tale motifs, particularly the comparison between "Vampirella" and "Cinderella".
- A critical discussion on the serio-comedy genre and the philosophical implications of vampirism as a timeless image of human conflict.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1.4. Characters
By far the best way of gaining a working knowledge about the characters in a literary text is to examine their functions and construction. Within the dialogues they inform, argue, amuse, outrage and act. Therefore, the audience can get a lot of information. In a radio play, it is possible to imagine the character traits and outer appearance through verbal characterisation. In Vampirella the listener is introduced to several characters – to main and minor ones, to human beings and vampires and others somewhere between. All of them are fictive characters in a fictive context – but have to be analysed by all means. In order of importance :
The hero, the main character in Vampirella, is a soldier and “a member of the English middle classes” (Carter, 1985 :87) exploring the Carpathians with his bicycle. Still being maiden, he will be of younger age. His quality to show fear, to appreciate a cup of tea or shortbread and to be totally fascinated of Vampirella’s beauty, let him appear completely human. The same applies to his rationality, everything must be explainable, his good manners, his health-consciousness and the allusion to his warmth (“How warm you are, how you warm me” Carter, 1985 : 113). He is the likeable character, the audience can identify and feel with.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter contextualizes the enduring fascination with vampire mythology in popular media and introduces Angela Carter's radio play as a text-centred object of interpretation.
2. Outer Structure: This section details the structural composition of the radio play, analyzing how time, place, action, and characters are constructed to suit the specific requirements of the audio medium.
3. Central Themes & Conflicts: This chapter explores the deeper meanings within the play, specifically the reinterpretation of the Cinderella fairy-tale, the serio-comic tone, and the themes of redemption and vampirism.
4. Conclusion: This chapter summarizes the analysis, emphasizing the success of "Vampirella" as an example of radiogenic storytelling and noting its subsequent adaptation into prose.
5. Literature List: This section provides a bibliography of scholarly works and primary texts referenced throughout the interpretation.
Keywords
Angela Carter, Vampirella, Radio Play, Vampire Myth, Serio-Comedy, Fairy-Tale, Redemption, Radiophonic Elements, Gothic Literature, Structural Analysis, Literary Interpretation, Human Conflict, Transylvania, Auditive Experience, Symbolism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic paper?
This paper provides a formal and thematic analysis of Angela Carter's 1976 radio play "Vampirella", examining its structural and radiophonic composition alongside its deeper philosophical meanings.
Which central themes are discussed in the work?
The central themes include the reinterpretation of fairy-tale archetypes, the duality of the serio-comedy genre, the search for redemption through love, and the representation of vampirism as a timeless human condition.
What is the main research question or goal?
The goal is to analyze how "Vampirella" utilizes the unique capabilities of the radio medium to move beyond the traditional "horror" trope and transform the vampire myth into a broader commentary on human nature, love, and fate.
Which scientific method is applied?
The study employs a text-centred interpretation, analyzing the narrative construction, characterization, and use of sound effects as fundamental elements of the radio play rather than focusing on authorial intent.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
The main body is divided into an analysis of the play's "Outer Structure"—covering time, place, action, characters, and radiophonic devices—and an exploration of "Central Themes & Conflicts," which addresses the symbolic and metaphorical layers of the text.
What are the characterizing keywords of the study?
Key terms include Angela Carter, Radio Play, Vampire Myth, Redemption, Fairy-Tale, Serio-Comedy, Radiogenic elements, and Literary Interpretation.
How does the radio play compare to the Cinderella fairy-tale?
The paper argues that Carter utilizes the "ella-image" to draw parallels between the two, exploring shared motifs like the struggle for liberation from destiny and the role of an innocent, virginal hero in the character's redemption.
Why does the author classify "Vampirella" as a "serio-comedy"?
It is classified as a serio-comedy because the play oscillates between humorous, satirical elements—such as the absurdity of a vampire drinking tea—and dark, serious moral inquiries into topics like cannibalism, necrophilia, and the realities of war.
- Quote paper
- Sabrina Kreppel (Author), 2002, Vampirism as a (Timeless) Image : Interpretation of Angela Carter's Radio Play "Vampirella", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/17254
