We will be replying back to my peer Lula.
We have vampires because humans have created them in mythological folklores and tales. There is a sense of excitement that humans get from creating stories of monsters and vampires. These fictional stories of the living dead give wonder and thrill to our humanity for frightening entertainment that makes the heart race. Somehow being scared can also be fun in cultures and that is why we have vampires.
Vampires have evolved creatures that lurked in the night killing and eating all humans they wanted, beautiful sexual goddesses and handsome sculpted figures. “Male and female vampires are both heavily sexualized” (Forry 241). They no longer only live in dark caves and lurk in dark shadows. Vampires now walk amongst the living. They have better self-control regarding their thirsting desires for human blood. They hunt animals for blood now to preserve human life. They even have a blood bank where they can just drink “stored blood preserved in his refrigerator for substance, rather than going out for something fresher” (Preston 159). They have evolved in the way they live in society. “Vampires can either control their feeding habits, or not” (Preston 157). They live much like humans in that they have houses next to us, they go to work like us, they go to school, and now they even date humans. The vampires put a period on their lives and how long they can live in a place before it is time for them to relocate.
Vampires influence our culture in that they are fearless and so they make us brave because they are. Humans do not like to be outdone so we must be stronger and braver than vampires. Humans train and workout to become fit and beautiful in comparison to vampires. “The body of an ordinary man would be sculpted into the body of a soldier through physical training” (Forry 239). Vampires influence humans especially in the aspect of ageless beauty and wanting to live forever. For example, in The Lost Boys, one character who already is a vampire celebrates and promotes to another character the benefits of becoming a vampire. “You’ll never grow old, Michael, and you’ll never die” (Preston 159).
They inform humanity about our immoral indiscretions and the cause and effects from our bad actions. Humans know that it is wrong to kidnap, torture, and kill, yet there are humans that still choose to do these horrific acts. “Any human being performing such actions would be considered morally despicable and rightly so” (Drager 119). Often vampires are portrayed as the excursioners of the vigilantes in society. Humans see this as justice and helping the communities however, others see death by vampire as the worst kind of punishment. “But most civilized societies recognize that even the moral scum of the earth deserve certain basic protections” (Draeger 124). Humans have created vampires to show a depiction of what monsters/vampires do and that humans do not act this way. “Indeed, holding people accountable for their wrongdoing demonstrates that we respect their ability to behave better” (Drager 126).
Vampires symbolize beauty, everlasting life, family bonds, fear, strength, and so much more. The vampire in the movie Interview with the Vampire says, “We must be powerful, beautiful, and without regret” (Forry 237). It is known that vampires symbolize beautiful, and that vanity is a huge part of their lifestyles. They do not have to work hard to become beautiful because their constant diet of blood help rejuvenates their youthful appearance. In films the vampires that do not maintain their appearance and upkeep are usually exiled or considered beneath the more beautiful superior vampires. These amazing creatures are like no other. They look like humans, but they are stronger than humans. The strength that they exhibit causes humans to at time feel inferior to them. “Vampires are powerful not only because they inspire fear and terror in the living, but also because they escape from the troublesome human burdens of aging and sickness” (Forry 237).
Word Count: 673
Work Cited
Draeger, John. Should Vampires Be Held Accountable for Their Bloodthirsty Behavior? Greene, Richard, Ed. Zombies, Vampires, and Philosophy: New Life for the Undead Open Court, 2010, pp. 119–127.
Forry, Joan Grassbaugh. Powerful, Beautiful, and without Regret”: Femininity, Masculinity, and the Vampire Aesthetic., 2006, pp. 237–247.
Preston, Ted M. Deserving to Be a Vampire: The Ethical and Existential Elements of Vampirism. 2010.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Student must respond with the same academic rigor as first post (see example on syllabus)
All posts must use, quote, and *cite the required and professor provided scholarly readings.
All posts should be a minimum of 150 words, excluding quoted material and citations.
*Citing the reading means using proper MLA in-text citations and a proper Works Cited for each post. Review proper MLA here
