Vampirism and Religion in Literature - Essay Example

? s Vampirism and Religion in Literature Vampirism has been a of great interest and the concept was vitally covered in various folklores and literature. From folkloric representation, the notion has now transcended into popular culture, providing fodder for mass media. With respect to various myths, the word “Vampire” automatically projects an image of an unholy creature that survives by feeding on the blood of living creature. Vampires being the undead and often referred to as creatures of the night are annihilated, if they are ever exposed to light. This facet underlines the battle between light and darkness that is the main theme in most religious scriptures. Though, modern representation deal with religion only on a perennial level, but in classic literature, religion took on a more central role. Bram Stoker’s Dracula is an undead count who rises from the dead; his parable If often compared with the myth of Jesus Christ. However, Dracula is an antithesis of Christ in every sense. He was resurrected, but unlike Christ he was a plague upon mankind as a blood-sucking creature that is often considered to be comparable to Jesus Christ giving his blood to his followers; however his lust for blood is downright demonic in nature. There are a number of superstitions surrounding it and the evolution of the idea is best described by the protagonist of the novel, Jonathan Harker in his journal. It says, “I read that every known superstition in the world is gathered into the horseshoe of the Carpathians, as if it were the centre of some sort of imaginative whirlpool; if so my stay may be very interesting.”(Stoker, 1897, ch. 1).The story itself has been great influenced by Catholicism, which is evident through the various religious icons that are incorporated in it. The fact that Jonathan always keeps a crucifix close to him and finds solace in it whenever he is scared shows how religion is used as a theme in the story. The novel encompasses a theme of Christian salvation, whereas Dracula himself is a mystical being and is considered to be a metaphor for Satan or the Anti-Christ. Even Jonathan Harker is fascinated by the creature for his knowledge regarding the unknown, thus he is considered to be demonic in every way. Their clash is a typical example of a classic battle between Good and Evil or the devil vs. man. The latter is evident when Harker describes the raw fury in the count’s eyes, when he saw the crucifix around his neck. The main premise of the novel covers the basic concepts regarding the promise of Christian salvation; according to which strong faith in God will help them combat evil and will ensure their safety in this world and the world after it. The novel itself carries even more Christian symbolism and biblical references. For instance, the importance of the number three is highlighted and reiterated in many part of the story. Jonathan’s seduction was carried out by three female vampires; he wrote three letters to his wife Mina; Lucy received three wedding proposals and Count Dracula purchased three estates. Stoker definitely incorporated Christian elements in the story and largely portrays it in a very positive light that is also apparent from various conversations between the characters. “…the devil may work against us for all he’s worth, but God sends us men when we want them.”(Stoker, 1897, ch. 12) Unlike the mockery of religious values by contemporary writers of Vampire fiction, Bram Stoker glorifies Christianity that is the prime resistance against evil vampiric entities. The same theme was reinforced in Polidori’s short story titled ‘Vampyre’. The story beautifully and at times, tragically demonstrates various facets of Lord Ruthven, the antagonist and the supposed Vampire in the story. He is demonic in every possible way, injecting fear and insecurity in the hearts of all the people he comes in contact with. Lord Ruthven is described as “…dreadfully vicious, for that the possession of irresistible powers of seduction, rendered his licentious habits more dangerous to society”. (Polidori, 1974, p. 6) Polidori’s account of vampires focuses primarily on the nature of these evil forces, which is the ‘darkness’ part of the entire premise. The story is devoid of any religious aspects and does not incorporate religion that is often argued as one of the reasons because of which Aubrey, the protagonist of the story suffers such a tragic fate. Due to Aubrey’s close connection with Lord Ruthven, he lost the one woman he loved dearly, his mind and his sister, who ‘glutted the thirst of a Vampyre’ (Polidori, 1974, p. 24). Just like Polidori’s interpretation of vampirism, Anne Rice followed a similar suit in her novel titled ‘An interview with a Vampire’ that narrated the story from the perspective of vampires. The main premise of the novel was how religious individuals bring themselves to slaughter humans to satiate their thirst. Louis epitomizes the aforementioned description as the protagonist of the story. He is melancholic after the death of his brothers and it is hinted that both Louis and his brothers not only came from affluent background, but were in fact extremely devout. He wishes to die at any cost but a vampire named Lestat gives immortality that is the exact opposite of what he wanted. The story describes the suffering of Louis, who was turned in to a vampire without ever asking for this power. Whilst his interviewer, who is only referred to as a ‘boy’ in the novel fails to recognize the heavy price associated with being a vampire. In the story, Louis is described as a 400 year old vampire, but unlike other vampires he is depicted as intelligent and though, he was turned into a monster by Lestat, he still managed to preserve his humanistic side; which is apparent when he attacks his interviewer but does not fulfill his requests of turning him into a vampire as well. Besides religion, Anne Rice depicted a conflict between good and evil through the clashes between Louis and Lestat. Though, both of them were Vampires, but the former possessed kindness, whilst the latter was portrayed as evil to the bone. The dynamics between evil and good were the prime theme of the novel and were further elaborated upon in the following, “People who cease to believe in God or goodness altogether still believe in the devil... Evil is always possible. And goodness is eternally difficult” (Rice, 1976). Contemporary authors like Anne Rice, played around with the idea of religion as people became more intrigued by the lure and curiosity regarding evil than goodness. Rice’s notion regarding the decreasing popularity was further explained in the following quote in Marquez’s novel that said, “Disbelief is more resistant than faith because it is sustained by the senses.” (Marquez, 1994) Hence, a story that revolves around a pious man’s descent into depravity is often met with great fascination; as was the case with Louis. Initially, he was repulsed by the thought of killing people but soon became quite proficient at it, but soon grows tired of the massacre that his thirst engenders every night. The story also highlights a specific code of conduct between vampires that they cannot harm their makers. However, for Louis he had grown so tired of his companion and maker, Lestat that he joined forces with a child vampire, Claudia and tries to murder him. He states, ““And I realized that I’d tolerated him this long because of self-doubt” (Rice, 1976). Louis eventually ends up violating the Vampire code out of the agitation triggered by some of the values that are ingrained in us not only through religion, but as human beings as well. In the course, he loses all vampires, who were close to him thus; he realized that immortality was too cruel of a gift was bestowed upon him. Death is an inalienable part of life and Louis demonstrates, what it would be like if the process of death ceased to exist. Loneliness, isolation and ambivalence are described as primary parts of a vampire’s life; something religious scriptures fail to elaborate upon. These flaws in religious practices are further discussed in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s novel called “of love and demons”. The novel main premise was how religion, particularly Christianity was quick enough to disregard scientific explanations and methods, and regarded all ailments as the machinations of the devil. This was meant to systematically deconstruct various superstitions, as a young girl who showed clear signs of rabies was subjected to exorcism in order to cleanse her body of the demon that caused the illness. Though, one of the priests recognized the signs, but his pleas went largely unheard, whereas the other priest ruled the child’s illness as possession. It may seem like the whims of a mad person, but it was best described by the following quote in the book: “Crazy people are not crazy if one accepts their reasoning” (Marquez, 1994). Marquez was able to explore and bring the unstable rationality of people to surface through his literary works. Marquez’s novel does not incorporate vampirism in any way, but is meant to be a satire for how various things are associated with the supernatural. This in turn renders individual incapable of viewing thing in a clearer light; these ideologies are further reinforced by religion and thus all four pieces of literature provides a contrasting perspective on vampirism and religion, altogether. Works Cited Marquez, Gabriel G. “Of love and demons”. New York, Vintage Books. 2008. Print. Polidori, John W. “The Vampyre”. United Kingdom, Forgotten Books. 1974. Print. Rice, Anne. “Interview with a vampire”. New York, Alfred A. Knopf. 1976. Print. Stoker, Bram. “Dracula”. United Kingdom, Archibald Constable and Company. 1897. Print. Read More