Essay on Dracula and the Modern Vampire - 1622 Words

His skin is pale, with slicked-back hair, lips blood red, and his pearly white teeth sharp; he’s Dracula, the original vampire. Bram Stoker’s famous novel Dracula, which was written in 1897, started the vampire craze that still lasts today. It has sparked numerous novels, movies, and songs across the world through the year, and its popularity is still growing. As times have changed, so have Dracula and his predecessors. Dracula is about Count Dracula meeting this human Jonathan Harker for business and Jonathan along with his friends learn that Count Dracula is a vampire. In the end Count Dracula is killed before he can reach the safety of Transylvania. Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula is the pinnacle of all modern concepts of vampires; however,†¦show more content†¦But there was no reflection of him in the mirror...I saw the cut had bled†¦When the Count saw my face, his eyes blazed with a sort of demoniac fury, and he suddenly made a grab at my throatâ⠂¬ ¦his hand touched the string of beads which held the crucifix†¦the fury passed. (Stoker 21) Though all vampires have originated from Dracula; they have become more involved, complex, and overall superior because of their abilities. There have been major changes to the vampire character, but nothing too radical all at once like completely changing the vampire characteristics so much that it does not resemble Dracula. Instead, the change has been gradual, to suit people’s demands (Deggans). True Blood, Twilight, and The Vampire Diaries are all examples of modern concepts of Dracula. Though they are all vampire stories, the vampires no longer play by the same rules as Count Dracula. Some can walk in daylight with the help of magic, some can control minds, but none can shape shift (Jackson; Deggans). They appear in mirrors, unlike Count Dracula and their eyes change color in most modern vampire novels instead of staying red. Just as Count Dracula they all drink blood stay ing to the true vampire characteristic. These modern vampires are superior because of their greater abilities compared to their ancestor Dracula. Modern writers have gotten inspiration from Dracula, but they have also had other writers to use, andShow MoreRelatedSex, Danger, Vampires910 Words   |  4 PagesDanger, Vampires Dracula is a worldwide known name. With movies, and books portraying the handsome but dangerous character. Today nobody ever considers the origins of Dracula, or the modern vampire. People do not take into consideration the evolution of the vampire story. Many don’t even know that vampire stories are often interpreted as allegories for the many themes present in the author’s society. Bram Stoker’s Dracula serves as a prime example of an allegory of his times. Stoker’s Dracula also setRead MoreComparison Between Dracula And Dracula1108 Words   |  5 PagesDracula is one of the first famous vampire books. Although it is famous for its time, modern day vampire stories have produced some of the bestselling TV shows, books, and movies. Dracula laid the foundation down for these modern day stories to rise to popularity. If you have read Dracula and seen one of these new stories, then you can see a lot of similarities in both stories. These modern day stori es share many traits as the book Dracula, but most of the stories have their differences. ThisRead MoreAnalysis Of The Novel Dracula 1452 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis of Dracula Although Dracula was not the first vampire novel, the effect that Bram Stoker’s creation had on the vampire genre is undisputable. At the time, it was written intellectual revelations during the 19th century had begun to change what people fear. Archaic legends like vampire stories no longer inspired terror in industrializing areas like Britain. What made Dracula widely successful was the incorporation of modern themes and anxieties with the renowned archetype of the vampire. By analyzingRead MoreDracula, By Bram Stoker1039 Words   |  5 PagesMeanwhile, Stoker properly establishes the mythology of vampires to help readers appreciate, interpret and analyze the elements of vampirism more efficiently. Stoker writes his novel in such away that he can tie in present day, along with old-fashion victorian society. In his writing, Dracula, Stoker engages the reader in a mysterious story (Stoker). 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Although the Count ranks as, perhaps, the most famous vampire, vampire stories, myths, and legends were in circulation for over a century before Stoker wrote Dracula. Starting in the 1700’s, vampire stories began appearing in southeastern Europe, exploiting fears of witches and evil spirits. Like many monsters, vampires evolved to reflect societal fears which was taken advantage of by severalRead MoreComparing Dracula, And I Am Legend By Richard Matheson1584 Words   |  7 PagesSince the beginning of time vampires have been categorized into different types† and are portrayed in different ways throughout several books. This paper will focus on three vampires from the following books: Dracula by Bram Stoker, and I am Legend by Richard Ma theson. Dracula is considered to be the traditional vampire, where it all started, and the vampires in Matheson’s book, follow somewhat Stoker’s concept, but is more of a modern â€Å"type† of vampires. Certain vampire elements have been presentedRead MoreWhat Are Vampires? How Has Our Perceptions Of Vampires1381 Words   |  6 PagesWhat are vampires? How has our perceptions of vampires changed throughout centuries? Well there are many myths out in the whole world of vampires. Vampires are creatures that are dead yet still walk among the living; all vampires have fangs, they are afraid of the sunlight, they can shape-shift and they drink the blood of their victims. People say vampires are human corpses that return from the grave to harm living and others say they are not humans at all that vampires are supernatural, demonicRead MoreHow Dracula Is The Most Famous Literary Vampire1658 Words   |  7 Pages An Immortal Soul: Why Dracula is the Most Famous Literary Vampire The title character and antagonist of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula is an easily recognizable character in the Western canon. Without ever reading the book or watching any of the countless movie adaptations, people will craft vampire characters with feelings and behaviors nearly identical to those of Dracula. However, Dracula’s success is not because it was the first novel of its kind. Vampiric literature had been around forRead MoreComparison Between Dracula by Bram Stroker and Twilight by Stephen Meyeres975 Words   |  4 PagesThe legend of the vampire has emerged countless times within human imagination over the past few centuries. The first available representation of the mythical creature in prose fiction can be found in John Polidori’s â€Å"The Vampyre† (1810). It was not until eight decades later that Bram Stoker popularized the existence of this figure with the publication of â€Å"Dracula† in 1897. The folklore of the vampire has come a long way since and can be found in today’s popular media more frequently than ever before