黑料吃瓜

Vampires aren鈥檛 just the blood seeking monsters and deathless romantics portrayed on television screens; rather they鈥檙e a glimpse into the history and culture of the society in which they were written.

黑料吃瓜 European Studies Professor Veronica Shapovalov has made that clear to the students in her 鈥淰ampires In Fiction and Film鈥� graduate class.

鈥淰ampires are not these little things associated with Halloween,鈥� Shapovalov said. 鈥淭hey are serious; they are metaphors for all the subjects that could not be discussed openly in the society.鈥�

The course

Shapovalov鈥檚 semester long graduate class is part of the Masters of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences program and focuses on the evolution of the central European folkloric vampire and its societal influences. The class features readings and discussions of fiction, historical accounts, and academic articles as well as screenings and discussions of film.

鈥淲e talk about vampires, but at the same time we talk about history, about social issues, about the internal conflict of fathers and children; We interpret classic representations of Dracula in today鈥檚 terms,鈥� Shapovalov said.

Taboo subjects

According to Shapovalov vampires are a metaphor for a variety of political and social concepts including imperialism, colonialism, gender and sexuality.

鈥淚n Victorian society sex could not be discussed openly. There was no social space to discuss it,鈥� Shapovalov continued. 鈥淓veryone knows Bram Stoker鈥檚 鈥楧racula,鈥� when you read it the topic of sexuality exists, then people can talk about it from literature.鈥�

Vampires also are representative of the societal aspects during the historical period in which it was written.

鈥淵ou can look at the vampire and ask why did the director of the movie decide to turn to and use the vampire,鈥� Shapovolov said. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 the 1930s United States it鈥檚 because of the anti-Catholic, anti-immigrant movement of the time.鈥�

Modern vampires    

In the wake of films and television shows such as True Blood, Twilight and The Vampire Diaries, Shapovalov says they appeal to today鈥檚 culture because the shows personify real-world anxieties and provide escapes that people can relate.

鈥淭hink of it like a buffet,鈥� Shapovalov said. 鈥淭he kids watch twilight for example and pick out things they like; secrets, action, evil, attractive monsters.

"Here the monsters are very attractive and teenagers want to be like them, to be as beautiful as their Hollywood heroes.鈥�

Shapovolav noted the focus on Vampires has shifted.

鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting, previous generations tried to kill vampires," Shapovolav said smiling. 鈥淏ut now they are kind of walking around鈥�nobody wants to kill them. Now it鈥檚 all about them wanting to kill us.鈥�