The vampire's lure: It's in the blood

An Oberlin College professor looks at the types of vampires and how they serve as metaphors in our society.
By THERESA M. HEGEL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
"Vampire Legends in Contemporary American Culture: What Becomes a Legend Most" by William Patrick Day (The University Press of Kentucky, $29.95)
He's got pasty skin, abnormally long and pointy canines and a wardrobe full of swirling capes. He likes his meals extra rare and rather bland (forget about adding some flavor with a pinch of garlic), and he probably wouldn't enjoy camping (all those tent stakes).
By now, it should be obvious I'm describing the classic vampire, a figure indelibly stamped into American culture. Though a lot of us have never read Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula," almost all of us have a clear picture of the Count.
Whether Dracula and his crew give you the shivers or cause you to envy their sense of style and elongated lifespan, vampires have a particular resonance for us and continually pop up in television, movies and books.
In "Vampire Legends in Contemporary American Culture," William Patrick Day, a professor of English at Oberlin College, explores several variations of vampires and how they function as metaphors in our society. Vampires are "our reflection" because "when one stands next to Dracula and looks in the mirror, one sees only oneself."
'Vampire criticism'
In his introduction, Day calls his book "vampire criticism," explaining that he is "not draining the life from the vampire story but becoming in (his) own way a part of that story, summoning the vampire from the grave once again to become a new version of itself."
Day examines sources ranging from Stoker himself to Anne Rice; from Barnabas of "Dark Shadows" to Buffy of Sunnydale, Calif.; from Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 version of "Dracula" to George Hamilton's 1979 comedy "Love at First Bite."
After outlining a brief history of vampires in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Day groups modern vampire stories into five different types, which he labels in his chapters as "The Vampire Liberation Front," "The Dracula Variations: Part I," "Post-Human Vampires," "The Dracula Variations: Part II" and "Return of the slayer."
To Day, vampires often symbolize the future because they are, in a way, a new species, something different from humans. In "Vampire Liberation Front"-style stories, which include Anne Rice's and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's visions, vampires are protagonists, not mere monsters. They are sophisticated, complex, appreciate the arts and often have reached their fullest potential, freeing themselves from social repression.
The "Post-Human Vampires" offer a bleak vision of the fragmentary, empty society many fear will be our future. Vampires from this genre are little more than monstrous animals, unable to quench their pathological need for blood.
Slayers
According to Day, the relatively recent return of the vampire slayer to popular media parallels the renewed popularity of heroic films, where Tom Hanks has made his Oscar-winning niche.
Characters such as Sarah Michelle Gellar's Buffy are "an exploration of the troubled state of heroism in contemporary America, where the celebrity has crowded the traditional hero from our view."
Though the slayers, their lives in constant danger, are locked in continuous battle against Evil, their efforts often go unnoticed and unappreciated. They are outsiders, just like their supernatural adversaries.
Despite a tendency to cloud his arguments in academic jargon, Day presents an insightful look on our favorite bloodsucker. If nothing else, his expansive sources should inspire you to pick up a new book or movie this Halloween.
hegel@vindy.com