The allegation of the vampire’s metamorphosis and the less frequent academic recognition of newer vampire fiction are what motivates this Thesis to examine the vampire yet once again. With the help of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) and Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Series (2005-2008), this paper will investigate the research question if the vampire of older literary works and the vampire of newer literary works are in fact so different from each other as previous academic works suggest.

Throughout the last years, a large number of new vampire fictions, television shows and movies emerged, and the vampire slowly gains a representation in academic works. Most of these works deal with the vampire’s symbolic nature, his function and what he represents, but it is evident that older works get treated significantly different than newer ones and they almost never include the vampire’s folkloric or "real’" background.

People of the academic works around the figure of the vampire will agree that a significant change in the vampire’s nature between the nineteenth and the twenty-first century took place, because while our ancestor’s vampires, such as human blood-sucking Nosferatu or Dracula, bring terror and evil to its people and are academically recognized far more often, the vampires nowadays seem to be tamed, sympathetic beings that utterly reject human blood.

Excerpt

1. Introduction: There is no Metamorphosis
2. State of the Art
3. The Gothic
- 3.1. Roots of the Gothic
- 3.2. The British Gothic Movement
- 3.3. American Gothic Fiction
4. The Vampire
- 4.1. Real Cases
- 4.2. The Literary Vampire
5. Discussion: Nothing changed at all
- 5.1. Religion and Christian Virtues
- 5.2. Monstrous Female Sexuality and the Gender Discourse
- 5.3. Humanity and the Other
- 5.4. Genre and the Byronic Hero
- 5.5. Science and Anxieties

Objectives and Key Themes

This thesis challenges the prevalent academic view that the portrayal of vampires has undergone a significant transformation between the 19th and 21st centuries. It aims to demonstrate that Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) and Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series (2005-2008), despite their temporal distance, share underlying anxieties and thematic concerns regarding the vampire figure.

The role of religion and morality in societal anxieties.
The representation of female sexuality and gender roles.
The exploration of "humanity" versus "the Other."
The interplay between Gothic and romance genres.
The use of the vampire to address anxieties surrounding scientific advancements.

Chapter Summaries

1. Introduction: There is no Metamorphosis: This introductory chapter challenges the widely held belief that the vampire figure has fundamentally changed over time. It argues that despite the apparent differences between classic vampires like Dracula and modern representations like Edward Cullen, both embody similar anxieties and societal concerns. The thesis proposes a comparative analysis of Dracula and Twilight to demonstrate the underlying similarities in their respective portrayals of vampires, focusing on recurring discourses surrounding religion, gender, humanity, genre, and science. The introduction sets the stage for a comparative analysis that will ultimately refute the claim of a significant metamorphosis in the vampire's portrayal.

2. State of the Art: This chapter reviews existing academic literature on Dracula and Twilight. It notes that previous scholarship often focuses on individual analyses of each work or on comparisons highlighting their differences, often focusing on film adaptations rather than the source novels. This thesis, in contrast, aims to provide a novel perspective by demonstrating the striking similarities between the two works, which it argues has not been thoroughly explored in previous research.

3. The Gothic: This chapter provides a historical and contextual overview of the Gothic genre, tracing its roots and evolution through British and American literature. It lays the groundwork for understanding the literary traditions informing both Dracula and Twilight, emphasizing the continuities rather than the breaks between these seemingly disparate works. By establishing a shared literary heritage, the chapter prepares the reader to see the connections between the seemingly disparate vampire narratives.

4. The Vampire: This chapter explores the historical and literary evolution of the vampire figure, examining both real-life accounts of vampirism and its folkloric origins. It then traces the development of the literary vampire, laying the groundwork for the subsequent comparative analysis of Dracula and Edward Cullen. The chapter contextualizes the vampire within broader cultural and historical contexts, illuminating the enduring power of the figure.

Keywords

Vampire, Dracula, Twilight, Gothic fiction, romance, religion, gender, sexuality, the Other, science, anxiety, comparative literature, literary analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions: A Comprehensive Language Preview

What is the main argument of this thesis?

The thesis challenges the common belief that the portrayal of vampires has significantly changed between the 19th and 21st centuries. It argues that Bram Stoker's Dracula and Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, despite their temporal distance, share underlying anxieties and thematic concerns regarding the vampire figure.

What are the key themes explored in this thesis?

The key themes include the role of religion and morality in societal anxieties, the representation of female sexuality and gender roles, the exploration of "humanity" versus "the Other," the interplay between Gothic and romance genres, and the use of the vampire to address anxieties surrounding scientific advancements.

What works are compared in this thesis?

The thesis focuses on a comparative analysis of Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) and Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series (2005-2008).

What is the structure of the thesis?

The thesis is structured as follows: an introduction challenging the notion of a vampire metamorphosis; a review of existing academic literature; an exploration of the Gothic genre; an analysis of the historical and literary evolution of the vampire; and a discussion chapter analyzing the shared themes between Dracula and Twilight, focusing on religion, gender, humanity, genre, and science.

What is covered in the "State of the Art" chapter?

This chapter reviews existing academic literature on Dracula and Twilight, noting that previous scholarship often focuses on individual analyses or comparisons highlighting their differences, often focusing on film adaptations rather than the source novels. This thesis aims to provide a novel perspective by demonstrating the striking similarities between the two works.

What does the chapter on "The Gothic" cover?

This chapter provides a historical and contextual overview of the Gothic genre, tracing its roots and evolution through British and American literature. It emphasizes the continuities between seemingly disparate works, preparing the reader to see the connections between the vampire narratives in Dracula and Twilight.

What is discussed in the chapter on "The Vampire"?

This chapter explores the historical and literary evolution of the vampire figure, examining both real-life accounts of vampirism and its folkloric origins. It traces the development of the literary vampire, laying the groundwork for the comparative analysis of Dracula and Edward Cullen.

What are the keywords associated with this thesis?