What is our fascination with vampires in film and literature? Ever since its nineteenth-century introduction into English literature, the figure of the vampire has terrified and thrilled us. This course will deconstruct the figure of the vampire in literature and film from its entry into Western consciousness to the present day, revealing that the figure of the vampire is a chameleon that continually evolves to suit the needs of society. Bram Stoker's iconic Dracula encapsulates the post-colonial fear of the foreign, uncivilized other. On the other hand, F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu reflects the rising anti-Semitism of fascist Germany. Meanwhile, Anne Rice's tortured vampire Louis captures the alienation and fragmentation of the modern self. The vampire has always been a cipher that can be encoded with society's fears, desires, and obsessions at any specific historical and cultural moment. Throughout this course, we will employ theoretical approaches (e.g. queer theory, identity politics, feminist theory, post-colonial theory, etc.) to pinpoint the taboos, desires, social and moral values, and psychological anxieties that are enacted in the ever-changing figure of the vampire.
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