Week 2: Vampires

In the novel, "Interview With A Vampire", many themes prevail, among them one being obvious: Immortality. At the end of the story, Louis seems to have made one thing very clear; living on for centuries is a curse rather than a blessing. Living for so long, you watch all your loves ones grow old and die, and having unlimited amount of time makes it hard to really appreciate what you have. Good vs. Evil is seen to overlap with sin and religion; however these battles are internal. Louis is a perfect example because he is having a constant battle within himself throughout the whole story. Vampires are known to suffer from an intense craving for human blood. However, Louis has a craving for knowledge. Louis tries to squeeze knowledge out of Lestat, but little does he know that Lestat has nothing to offer him. Vampires are portrayed as beautiful with eternal life, however dissatisfaction plays a major role in their lives. Maybe we humans are prone to dissatisfaction. For us its never enough, therefore we create this fantasy of someone who is beyond beautiful, can travel the world, and holds eternal life. Naturally, you'd think vampires are full of hate because they kill their victims; but they are full of hate in a different way. They enjoy the hunt and kill, and love their victims in their own twisted ways. In the novel for example, they are forced to spend centuries together and this creates their hate for each other. Love on the other hand is most prevalent in today's romantacized vampire. Almost all of today's films and books that have to do with vampires set a standard for us, portraying them as lovers. I think this is because they have lived for so long, and they show love, respect, and loyalty through all the things they've learned and undergone. We have crafted and perfected the ideal man, and through a vampire, thats what we seem to achieve; eternal life and beauty, and understanding of what women really want and need. Supernatural also comes into play not only in this novel, but in the general concept of vampires. They are said to have abnormal abilities such as speed and strength, on a whole other level that is humanly impossible. I believe that this stems from our minds; as humans we wish to have supernatural abilities and by creating the perfect person and giving them all these characteristics, we play out our fantasies.

Week 1: Frankenstein and the Gothic

In Mary Shelly's novel, "Frankenstein", there are many gothic aspects. Dark settings play a major role in setting the mood throughout the entire story. Even words like, dreary, black, and dark, add to the mood and sets up the scene as well as foreshadows that what is to come is darkness and evil. The use of lighting also tells us that darkness is all around. The idea of a single candle that is about to be burnt out shows that there is no real light to look at for life and hope. Mary Shelly especially uses the moon as a great example of a light that possess evil. By comparing the monsters yellow skin and the moon's yellowish hue, Shelly alludes to the moon as representing a thing of death and evil. This sets up a connection that readers make between the moon and the monster. Setting plays a big part in giving away the gothic theme of the novel. In the beginning of the story, the setting takes place in the North Pole; a secluded, isolated place that sets up a mysterious mood. The use of extreme weather and landscapes shows us horrible things are happening and will continue to happen. Other gothic aspects of the novel include decay, madness, and supernatural powers.