Die Figur des Vampirs besteht bereits seit Jahrhunderten und hat bis heute nichts an ihrer Anziehungskraft verloren. Auch wenn die literarische Darstellung des Vampirs nicht mehr viel gemein hat mit den historischen Ursprüngen, so beruht der Vampirglaube doch auf wahren Begebenheiten und wurde auf dessen Höhepunkt im 18. Jahrhundert mit einer Kombination des damaligen Wissens, aber auch Aberglauben, interpretiert. So sind etwa die sogenannte Vampirkrankheit und deren Symptome heutzutage medizinisch erklärbar.
In der Literatur legte Bram Stoker mit seinem Roman Dracula den Grundstein für die Erfolgsgeschichte des Vampirs. Er schuf etwas Unheimliches, ein Monster in der Gestalt eines Gentleman. Gleichzeitig behandelte er unterdrückte moralische Aspekte und Sexualität im viktorianischen Zeitalter. Das Böse, der Gesellschaft Abtrünnige wurde in Gestalt des Wiedergängers personifiziert. Grenzen zwischen Gut und Böse, Mensch und Nicht-Mensch, Tod und Leben werden verwischt und unkenntlich gemacht.
Erst Anne Rice gelang es mit ihrer Chronik der Vampire, besonders mit dem ersten Roman Interview mit einem Vampir, die Welt der blutsaugenden Geschöpfe auf den Kopf zu stellen. Ihre Vampire waren nicht mehr die seelenlosen Monster, sondern verehrte Wesen, deren Zustand zwischen Leben und Tod als Geschenk und nicht als Fluch angesehen wurde. Das Fremde und Andere in Gestalt des Grafen Dracula wurde verdammt, das Leben von Rice Vampiren allerdings als äußerst erstrebenswert erachtet.
Wurden in dieser Arbeit nur zwei, wenn auch sehr grundlegende, Werke mit weitreichender Verbreitung behandelt, so zeigt sich bereits hier, dass es die eine stereotype Darstellung des Vampirs nicht gibt. Zwar herrscht eine etwaige Vorstellung vom Aussehen und Verhalten eines Wiedergängers. So besitzt ein Vampir etwa lange, spitze Zähne, bleiche Haut, meidet das Sonnenlicht und ernährt sich von Blut. Jedoch ist die literarische Darstellung derart facettenreich, dass es schwer, wenn nicht gar unmöglich ist, eine genaue Definition zu geben. Die Figur des Wiedergängers verändert sich mit der Zeit und hängt ebenso von der Epoche, in der er erschaffen wurde, ab. Großen Einfluss nehmen dabei die moralischen Vorstellungen, Verlangen und Restriktionen der jeweiligen Ära. Das Fremde und Andere in der Personifikation des Vampirs stellt etwas Unheimliches und Unterdrücktes dar. Etwas, das die Menschen fürchten, nach dem sie sich aber gleichzeitig auch sehnen.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theories of Stereotypes and Otherness
3. Historical Origin of the Vampire Figure
4. Otherness in Bram Stoker’s Dracula
4.1 Plot Summary
4.2 Body of Vampires
4.3 Behavior of Vampires
4.4 Sexuality
4.5 Power Relationships
4.6 Knowledge
5. Otherness in Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire
5.1 Plot Summary
5.2 Body of Vampires
5.3 Behavior of Vampires
5.4 Sexuality
5.5 Aesthetic and Humanized Vampires
5.6 Knowledge
6. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the literary portrayal of the vampire figure by comparing Bram Stoker’s 1897 gothic novel "Dracula" with Anne Rice’s 1976 novel "Interview with the Vampire." The primary objective is to investigate how the construction of "Otherness" and the vampire's identity have evolved over time, shifting from a monstrous, externalized threat to a humanized, internal identity, influenced by shifting moral standards and cultural perspectives.
- The construction of "Otherness" and stereotypes in fantastic literature.
- A comparison of the physical, psychological, and behavioral traits of vampires in both novels.
- The role of Victorian morality versus contemporary social commentary in character representation.
- The significance of narrative perspective in shaping the reader's identification with the vampire.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2 Body of Vampires
The story of Count Dracula is completely narrated by humans, moreover, by the ones pursuing and wanting to kill him (Senf 163). Not once in the whole novel is Dracula directly speaking or the reader experiences his thoughts. The Count as well as the three female vampires are displayed in an one-dimensional way and rather function as deterrent counterexample than as round characters with whom readers can identify (Pütz 75).
Due to this epistolary narrative, the appearance of Dracula is written down by Harker in his diary. He describes the Count on his first meeting on the carriage as a man with “grip of steel” (Stoker 20). When Harker finally arrives at the castle and the Count welcomes him, Jonathan notes that Dracula is “a tall old man, clean-shaven save for a long white moustache, and clad in black from head to foot, without a single speck of colour about him anywhere” (Stoker 25). Moreover he points out that the Count has “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” (Stoker 26).
It is astonishing that in this first meeting with the Count, Harker already notices – although more unconscious – that Dracula resembles more a dead than a living person. He also describes his host very detailed:
His face was a strong – a very strong – aquiline, with high bridge of the thin nose and peculiarly arched nostrils; with lofty domed forehead, and hair growing scantily round the temples, but profusely elsewhere. His eyebrows were very massive, almost meeting over the nose, and with bushy hair that seemed to curl in its own profusion. 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, whose remarkable ruddiness showed astonishing vitality in a man of his years. For the rest, his ears were pale and the tops extremely pointed; the chin was broad and strong, and the cheeks firm though thin. The general effect was one of extraordinary pallor. (Stoker 28)
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The introduction outlines the shift in the vampire figure from Stoker’s monstrous "Dracula" to Rice’s more humanized protagonists, framing the central research interest in the evolution of vampire imagery.
2. Theories of Stereotypes and Otherness: This chapter provides the theoretical foundation, discussing how societies construct an "Other" to simplify reality and reinforce their own identity.
3. Historical Origin of the Vampire Figure: This section explores the folkloric roots of the vampire, examining historical hysteria and the discrepancy between actual folk beliefs and modern literary representations.
4. Otherness in Bram Stoker’s Dracula: This chapter analyzes how "Dracula" functions as a Victorian construct of the "Other," focusing on narrative perspective, physical traits, sexuality, power dynamics, and the role of knowledge in his destruction.
5. Otherness in Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire: This chapter explores the reversal of the vampire narrative in Rice’s novel, highlighting the transition toward humanized, complex characters, domesticity, and the identification of the reader with the vampire.
6. Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes the findings, confirming that the vampire’s identity is highly dependent on the historical and cultural epoch, evolving from a demonized entity to a mirror of human desire and suffering.
Keywords
Vampire, Otherness, Bram Stoker, Dracula, Anne Rice, Interview with the Vampire, Stereotypes, Victorian Era, Identity, Humanization, Gothic Literature, Sexuality, Power Relationships, Monster, Folklore.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the literary transformation of the vampire figure, specifically focusing on how the concept of "Otherness" is constructed and manipulated in Bram Stoker’s "Dracula" compared to Anne Rice’s "Interview with the Vampire."
Which theoretical themes are central to this analysis?
The study relies on theories of stereotypes and otherness, examining how in-groups categorize out-groups, the role of Victorian moral standards, and how literature reflects cultural anxieties through the monstrous.
What is the primary goal of the author?
The goal is to demonstrate that the vampire is not a static figure, but one that reflects the societal, moral, and cultural values of the era in which it is created.
What scientific or academic methods are applied?
The paper utilizes a comparative literature approach, applying socio-philosophical concepts of identity and "Otherness" (such as those by Staszak, Levinas, and Foucault) to analyze narrative structure and character development.
What does the main body of the text investigate?
It investigates specific character aspects: plot structure, physical appearance, behavior, sexuality, power dynamics, and the necessity of knowledge/documentation in the context of the vampire hunters in "Dracula" and the vampire families in "Interview with the Vampire."
Which keywords best describe this study?
Key terms include Vampire, Otherness, Dracula, Anne Rice, Identity, Stereotypes, Humanization, and Gothic literature.
How does the narrative perspective differ between the two novels?
Stoker’s "Dracula" uses an epistolary format from the perspective of external hunters who view the Count as a monster, whereas Rice’s "Interview with the Vampire" adopts a first-person perspective, allowing the vampire to tell his own story and express internal conflicts.
Why is the "vampire kiss" significant in these novels?
The "vampire kiss" serves as a substitute for genital sexuality in both novels, often functioning as an eroticized metaphor for the complex and forbidden desires that the vampire figure represents.
How does the character of Claudia demonstrate the "entrapment" of the vampire?
Claudia is trapped in the body of a five-year-old child, creating a conflict between her physical limitation and her maturing mind, which reflects the theme of the "frozen" state of being in the vampire myth.
What role do Christian symbols play in "Dracula"?
Christian symbols are portrayed as the primary tools for the hunters to combat the "satanic" influence of Dracula, reinforcing the restoration of Victorian moral order by the end of the novel.
- Citation du texte
- Janina Nußbaumer (Auteur), 2010, The Vampire in Literature: A Comparison of Stoker’s "Dracula" and Rice’s "Interview with the Vampire", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/210879
