The Erotic and Sexual Nature of Dracula
Running head: The Erotic and Sexual Nature of Dracula
The Erotic and Sexual Nature of Dracula
Kimberly Irish
Axia College of University of Phoenix
1 Abstract
Dracula, is the king of the vampires. Since Bram Stoker 's novel was published a fascination with vampires has boomed. In its wake there have been countless books, films and research on Dracula. One often overlooked element in the 'Dracula universe ' is the use of erotic and sexual references. These references are sometimes subtle and are easily overlooked by the casual observer and at other times these references are not as subtle and can be spotted quite easily.
The vampire is one of the most feared of monsters. Once a living being it has become a member of the undead. They are known to retire to their coffins at first light and upon the sun setting arise from their coffins to satisfy their thirst for blood. Vampires are not thought of as being seductive, romantic creatures or are they? Are vampires considered erotic or sexual? Prior to Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, vampires were looked upon as merely monsters. They were creatures of the night that preyed upon the living and consumed their blood. These creatures were often portrayed as ugly. According to the website www.vampire.monstrous.com:
1 With the coming of the Victorian age, both the male and female vampire became beautiful and both exhibited a sexual appetite, though both vampire and vampires retained the beauty as only a facade. The penetration of skin by sharp canine teeth easily evokes both violence and eroticism. (Sex and vampires. 2007)
Bram Stoker 's novel and the movies made based on the novel give us a peak into the erotic and sexual nature of the vampire. While Dracula is a vampire and drinks the blood of his victim, the novel and subsequent films on Dracula illustrate the many erotic and sexual references that occur in the vampire world. Traditional vampire lore contains little if any erotic or sexual
The Erotic and Sexual Nature of Dracula
Kimberly Irish
Axia College of University of Phoenix
1 Abstract
Dracula, is the king of the vampires. Since Bram Stoker 's novel was published a fascination with vampires has boomed. In its wake there have been countless books, films and research on Dracula. One often overlooked element in the 'Dracula universe ' is the use of erotic and sexual references. These references are sometimes subtle and are easily overlooked by the casual observer and at other times these references are not as subtle and can be spotted quite easily.
The vampire is one of the most feared of monsters. Once a living being it has become a member of the undead. They are known to retire to their coffins at first light and upon the sun setting arise from their coffins to satisfy their thirst for blood. Vampires are not thought of as being seductive, romantic creatures or are they? Are vampires considered erotic or sexual? Prior to Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, vampires were looked upon as merely monsters. They were creatures of the night that preyed upon the living and consumed their blood. These creatures were often portrayed as ugly. According to the website www.vampire.monstrous.com:
1 With the coming of the Victorian age, both the male and female vampire became beautiful and both exhibited a sexual appetite, though both vampire and vampires retained the beauty as only a facade. The penetration of skin by sharp canine teeth easily evokes both violence and eroticism. (Sex and vampires. 2007)
Bram Stoker 's novel and the movies made based on the novel give us a peak into the erotic and sexual nature of the vampire. While Dracula is a vampire and drinks the blood of his victim, the novel and subsequent films on Dracula illustrate the many erotic and sexual references that occur in the vampire world. Traditional vampire lore contains little if any erotic or sexual
References: Braun, H. L. (2007). Fatal forms: Disruption, decay, and the nineteenth-century femme fatale. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Boston College, Boston, MA. Browning, T. (Director). (1931). Dracula [Motion picture]. USA: Universal Pictures. Chown, J. (2006). Apocalypse 1897: Francis Coppola 's Bram Stoker 's Dracula. Retrieved December 12, 2007, from http://www3.niu.edu/comm/chown/Dracula.html A comprehensive look at Coppola 's version of Dracula. Collopy, L. (2001, February 7). A Freudian Interpretation of the Vampire Myth. Retrieved December 12, 2007, from http://www.afn.org/~vampires/myth.html This essay gives the Freudian interpretation of Dracula and its relationship to sexuality. Coppola, F. F. (Producer), & Coppola, F. F. (Director). (1992). Dracula [Motion picture]. USA: Columbia Pictures. Donovan, J. M. (2003). Bloody Prints: The Imperial, racial, and gender tracks of "Dracula", fin de siècle and beyond (Doctoral dissertation, Howard University, 2003). Dissertation Abstracts International. Gibson, A. (Director). (1978, October). Satanic Rites of Dracula [Motion picture]. USA: Hammer Films. Hinds, A. (Producer), & Fisher, T. (Director). (1957). Horror of Dracula [Motion picture]. USA: Hammer Films. Sex and Vampires. (2007). Retrieved December 11, 2007, from http://www.vampires.monstrous.com/sex_and_vampires.htm This is a comprehensive site which gives a wide range of information on vampires. Stoker, B. (1959). Dracula. Garden City, N.Y.: Garden City Books.