Vampires in Modern Culture
One of the oldest and well known mythological monsters throughout history are blood sucking immortals known as vampires. They transgress the boundaries that humans are always trying to establish. Vampire lore has reflected the values and social structures of the culture it has existed in, but over the past century the values have transformed. From the classic story of Stoker’s Dracula where he is presented as sinister and non-human, the vampire aspect of literature has evolved drastically to a more heroic immortal.
Physically, vampires have changed their appearance over the last century from the dark and non-human approach to a more modern and humanistic look. Earlier authors focused on gothic themed vampire narratives giving them malevolent features making them appear foul and evil. Nosferatu, being one of the most famous vampire narratives from the early twentieth century was abject and debase. His rat-like features eluded a sense of fear and horror to everyone around him, and his physical appearance was unappealing and nightmarish. Vampires from early history were connected to the appearance of bloated leeches since they were blood sucking immortal monsters, but over the past hundred years they have turned into beautiful immortals. The qualities of vampire narratives from Eastern Europe descent which consist of dark and frightening apparel, long bloodcurdling fangs, and chilling accents have transformed entirely to look nothing like its predecessor. Modern vampires are dangerously gorgeous with lean bodies, sparkling skin, and beautiful facial features. The notable change in physical appearance of vampires over time is the disappearance of terror and evil and the welcoming of beauty. Vampires have always had a certain sex appeal, but the level of it has changed over the last century from luring and mysterious to a more romantic approach where love is the focus and instead of just the sexual charge of the relationship. Throughout the past century, vampires
Physically, vampires have changed their appearance over the last century from the dark and non-human approach to a more modern and humanistic look. Earlier authors focused on gothic themed vampire narratives giving them malevolent features making them appear foul and evil. Nosferatu, being one of the most famous vampire narratives from the early twentieth century was abject and debase. His rat-like features eluded a sense of fear and horror to everyone around him, and his physical appearance was unappealing and nightmarish. Vampires from early history were connected to the appearance of bloated leeches since they were blood sucking immortal monsters, but over the past hundred years they have turned into beautiful immortals. The qualities of vampire narratives from Eastern Europe descent which consist of dark and frightening apparel, long bloodcurdling fangs, and chilling accents have transformed entirely to look nothing like its predecessor. Modern vampires are dangerously gorgeous with lean bodies, sparkling skin, and beautiful facial features. The notable change in physical appearance of vampires over time is the disappearance of terror and evil and the welcoming of beauty. Vampires have always had a certain sex appeal, but the level of it has changed over the last century from luring and mysterious to a more romantic approach where love is the focus and instead of just the sexual charge of the relationship. Throughout the past century, vampires
Cited: Brandy Ball Blake and L. Andrew Cooper, ed. Monsters. Southlake, TX: Fountainhead, 2012. Print. Dracula." Count. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://www.draculas.info/count_dracula/>. "Nosferatu." Turner Classic Movies. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://www.tcm.com/this- month/article/437%7C0/Nosferatu.html>. "The Real History of Vampires." Squidoo. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://www.squidoo.com/real-history-of-vampires>. "The Vampire in Modern American Media." Dartmouth. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://www.dartmouth.edu>.