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Friday, December 14, 2018

'Dracula Essay\r'

'Texts such as the sweet genus Dracula, and the subscribe to Inter locating with the lamia, be often shaped by the determine and attitudes at bottom fiat at the particular cadence in which it was created. As a result, the context plays a major role in the construction of a text. In Dracula, a novel in epistolary coiffe set and published in 1897 by Bram Stoker, non only do the concepts of sexuality, pietism, family, technology, class and sexuality roles shine the way they were viewed in the priggish season, barely the certain form of the text itself, a long novel in a book form, mirrors the style of twee texts due to the limited technology available.\r\n in like manner, in the film converse with the Vampire directed by Neil Jordan, the assorted and changing concepts of religion, sexuality, class, family and gender roles from the cardinal different contexts; the 1791 hard worker period, the 1870s in France, the 1980s in America and the 1994 context, atomic nu mber 18 reflected in the film in a videodisk format. In Dracula, the representation of woman as derogate and with limited roles mirrors the rigid expectations of the straightlaced era. During the 1800s, wo hands were confined to take gender roles, as be by the virtuous/whore dichotomy substantiated through two of Dracula’s key characters, myna bird and Lucy.\r\nThe figure of Mina displays the innocence, loyalty and purity expected from women of the time: â€Å"she is adept of Gods women… ” (P. 226), whilst Lucy’s character illustrated the non-virtuous figure as she appears as flirtatious: â€Å"you allow for think me a usurious flirt… ” (P. 70), and gives us the subtle impression that she has a hidden desire to break out of the cordial constraints of the Victorian period: â€Å"why can’t they let a modest girl marry threesome men, or as some as privation her, and save totally the trouble? ”(P. 70). Due to Lucyâ⠂¬â„¢s desire to break out, she must be punished in order to restore Victorian standards: â€Å"Arthur took the postal service and the hammer… hen he struck with all his might… on that point, in the coffin lay no longer the foul Thing… ” (P. 259/60).\r\nThis use of resourcefulness implies that Arthur redeems Lucy to a state of purity, passivity and innocence, as come up as signifies the major spot and dominance males had over females at this particular time due to the patriarchal tendencies and views of the Victorian society. The movements of Dracula constantly using his powers to fulfil his desires excessively symbolizes this male dominance and superiority over women: â€Å"his undecomposed establish gripped her by the sanction of the neck, forcing her face pass on his bosom… terrible resemblance to a child forcing a kitten’s trespass into a saucer of milk to compel it to drink. ” (P. 340) Stocker uses hale imagery to ev oke this. Comparably, in Interview with the Vampire, the stead of an African American woman as a m attend to, as exemplified by the closing up gibe of Yvette’s hand clearing away Louis’ plate, reflects the gender roles in the 1800s slavery period. During this period, white men had massive power over their African American slaves. As a result, many took advantage of them.\r\nThe panning camera archeological site progressing up Yvette’s body from Louis point of view reflects the temptation many men endured to satisfy their sexual urges. In this case, Louis could not resist and took a bite, typify penetration. The extreme close up ray of Yvette’s face exposes the pain and suffering many small-scale African American women experienced, whilst the act of Louis putting his hand over her mouth and killing her due to her screech symbolizes the concern of other people becoming informal about such a dirty action of a prosperous, well respected white man.\r \nConversely, the link of two men, Louis and Lestat, in the growth of Claudia’s vampirism reflects the coetaneous context of the increasing role of males in society as well as in their children’s life: â€Å"you became my mother, and my father… ”. The freely expressed dialogue amidst Yvette and Louis also mirrors the contemporary context, as back in the 1800s, a slave would never conference to their master without been spoken to low gear.\r\nIn Dracula, the constant mentioning of spiritual phrases and spectral symbols, such as the crucifix and wafer indicates the splendor of religion in the Victorian culture fifty-fifty though the introduction of various forms technology began to metamorphose this. This change in Victorian values is represented by the conflict between Dracula and the four men; Jonathan, Quincey, Dr. Seward and Dr. Van Helsing. The character of Dracula symbolizes the changes commencing, whilst the men symbolize Victorian sensibil ities- belief in the power of God:â€Å"The Professor stood up and, aft(prenominal) place his golden crucifix on the table…\r\nDr. Helsing went on… ”but we, too, argon not without strength”… ” (P. 286). This engagement between good and disgust ends with the defeat of Dracula, allowing the return of the important ideals of the Victorian culture: â€Å"after all, these things- traditions… are everything… ” (P. 287) The splendour of religion and the idea of the vulnerability to evil of those not religious in the Victorian era is emphasised when an old women offers a crucifix to Jonathan after learning he was going to meet direct Dracula: â€Å"she then rose and dried her eyes, and winning a crucifix from her neck offered it to me… (P. 6). by means ofout the text, the blame figure of Dracula is conveyed to be the opposite of deliveryman as exemplified when he creates â€Å"one of the greatest and suddenest stormsà ¢â‚¬Â¦ ” (P. 91) to aid his arrival into the harbor. This is the complete opposite to the act of deliverer quietening the storm when he was at sea with his disciples.\r\nSimilarly to Dracula, the representation of religion in Interview with the Vampire also reflects the way it was viewed its various contexts. The close up scenery of Armade saying â€Å"I know zipper of God, or the Devil… illustrates how the belief and understanding of religion has significantly dropped in the 1994 contemporary context. The mid gun of Louis saying â€Å"actually I’m preferably fond of looking at crucifixes” elucidates the lack of power religion has in today’s society. The practising of witch as shown in a mid shot of the African Americans waving dolls near a conflagration accompanied by yelling and chanting, symbolizes the importance of religion and warning off evil during the slave swap in a still highly religious society.\r\nLikewise, the use of a religious symbol as shown the mid shot of Armade holding the young girl’s arm up in a similar way to Jesus on the wipe whilst performing on stage, is used to signify that devastation and the resurrection, though as a vampire, is about to occur. In Dracula, the exemplification of sexuality reflects the controversial topics of the rigid Victorian era. During this period, women were belittled and suppressed. If a woman was to be sexually assertive, it was deeply frowned upon by society as there was a great emphasis on the importance of encouraging chastity and innocence of ladies.\r\nAt the rootage of the novel Lucy is sheerly a sexual women: â€Å"My love life Mina, why are men so alarming when we are so little worthy of them? ” (P. 70), in time her full expression of sexuality is released when she is transformed into a vampire: â€Å"Come to me Arthur… my arms are empty-bellied for you. Come and we can rest together… ”. As aforementioned, punishing Lucy for being sexually forward will restore Victorian order and put her back in her rightful place: â€Å"She is not a grinning devil now- not anymore a foul thing for all eternity… ” (P. 261).\r\nDuring the Victorian period, homosexuality was considered a serious matter, thought to be evil and wrong, and was often punished by time in jail or even death. In Dracula, there are many metaphoric references to homosexuality, the first incident being when Jonathan cuts his cheek shaving: â€Å"I felt a hand on my shoulder… the man was close to me… the cut bled a little… his eyes blazed with a sort of demoniac fury, and he suddenly made a grab at my throat… ” (P. 30). This sees Dracula tempted to take a bite, indeed symbolizing the temptation of penetration.\r\nAnalogously to Dracula, the film Interview with the Vampire also conveys the sexual attitudes of its various contexts. The close up shot showing the homoerotic tensions between Louis and Ar made accompanied by emotional classical music reflects the 1990s context in which people were offset printing to openly express their homosexuality during the Gay Rights Movement. During this period, many gay couples also began to adopt with the intention of creating a family. This is evoked in the novel when Lestat revives Claudia and turns her into a vampire: â€Å"you’re mine and Louis’ daughter now… ”, with the point of creating â€Å"one happy family… . During the 18th century in America, the discussion and about sexuality and the act of kissing in public was beginning to be socially accepted as symbolized by the mid shot of Louis and Lestat kissing a girl on a chair whilst in the public’s view. Through analysing the novel Dracula and the film Interview with the Vampire, it is evident that the context plays a major role in the construction of a text. Many of the social meanings of a text reflect not only the values and attitudes of s ociety at a particular time, but also the concerns and fears as exemplified through the studied texts.\r\n'

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