When I read the title of this chapter, I was a little surprised. Other than Dracula, I didn't think there was that much true literature about vampires. (Yes--I read the Twilight series, but I know they probably won't be listed on the AP exam!!) However, it was really interesting to think about how many "vampires" there are in literature who aren't literally sucking the blood from their victims.
One of the short stories we will read, "The Rocking Horse Winner" comes to mind. The young boy's mother's greed acted as a vampire in that story. She was the older, corrupt figure, while her son was the innocent victim. Her greed eventually took his life.
I thought it was interesting that he mentioned that ghosts are often much more than just a scary apparition. I'm glad that he made mention of Hamlet's father's ghost. You guys will see how much influence his appearance will have on the plot of the entire play.
So what did you guys think? Can you think of some other "vampires" in literature--figuratively or literally? When does a ghost do more than say "Boo!"? Or talk about another of the author's points--does everyone have a dark side?
I agree with the author when he says everyone has a dark side, to some extent. Even the nicest people have mean thoughts very now and then. It's human nature. Most humans strive to be good but we all fall short of that to some extent. Even if we ourselves are considered good people might be in an environment that drives us to be bad. Like in the book " The Glass Castle" The father in the story is naturally a good person, but he drank constantly and took it out on his family. When he was sober he was a nice person.
ReplyDeleteI think lots of stories have their own vampires, ghosts, and dark sides. In the Scarlet Letter Chillingworth acted as a vampire on Dimmesdale by making him feel guilty until he died in the end, he "sucked" the life out of him through guilt. Ghosts often appear for more than a spook, they usually appear due to unfinished business or warnings for characters. Like in the Christmas Carol, all the ghosts come back to warn Scrooge of what will happen if he doesn't change his ways. I truly do think everybody has some sort of dark side to themselves, you can't truly say you have never thought about hurting someone that you hate or envy. That's a dark side, it's just more prominent in literature because you can see the thoughts of the character
ReplyDeleteI liked this chapter. It was really interesting. I never really looked at it that way before. It was of great surprise that I had never looked at it that way. Star Wars is a source for both "vampires" and ghosts. Darth Sidieous (aka the Emperor or Palpatine) can be viewed as a "vampire". He is dark lord of the Sith and seeks an apprentice. He chooses the young Anakin Skywalker. He slowly creeps into his mind and strips away his youth, energy, and virtue to replace them with hatred, rage, and distrust. Through this, Anakin as we know him is slowly and steadily destroyed and consumed by this new being he is shaped into: Darth Vador. By the end, Anakin is dead; replaced by Darth Vador. This in turn causes the survival of Darth Sidieous. Ghosts are also found in Star Wars. Obi-wan Kenobi returns to life as a ghost. He does this to help and advise the young and inexperienced Luke Skywalker. The author made many really good points that I agree with very much. One of those is that everyone has a dark side. I truly believe that everyone has a dark side. Even those sweet, old grandmas in nursing homes. For all we know, they could be plotting murder or even the end of the world. They do look quite suspicious talking to each other in whispers in the corner, you know. This is proven all the time. Whether in literature, movies, or even "real life", as we call it. I believe that no matter what your age or background, everyone is capable of committing crimes against humanity. The only safe ones are the ones who are dead. And, as this chapter has proven, not even all of those are safe.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter wasn't one of my favorites to be honest, but i did understand what he was saying about the vampires. He mentions that the "vampire" in literature can be somebody who tries to bring down another character for selfish reasons. Even though i hated the book, I thought of Huck Finn. In the story Huck's father is always trying to bring him down because he thinks that Huck thinks he is better than him. When Huck is going to school and trying to make himself better, his father whips him for it and demands that he stops.
ReplyDeleteI agree on how vampires act more than vampires in literature. Most all books involve something or someone that represents a vampire. The vampire can represent a bad person or bad effect something has on someone in a book. Also I can relate to a ghost being more than a scary representation. In a ironic way, a ghost can show someone in a book a certain direction to go without actually being in human form. For example, the movie the Ghost of Girlfriends Past. Even-though all the girlfriends are ghost, they still guide the man throughout the whole movie to prove where his love really was. Even-though they aren't visible, ghost leave quit the impression in literature.
ReplyDeleteI think that the "vampire" could be your own mind. Someone innocent could get caught up in the wrong thing and it could cause their conscience to put unnecessary thoughts in their head. Someone who is afraid of their own thoughts will be literally drained of everything. I do think everyone has a dark side. Whether you think and talk openly about it or not, bad thoughts cross everyone's mind. You hear of kids today plotting school shootings and bombings and women murdering their husbands for money. It's not that its necessarily "bad" to think bad thoughts, it's only when you put them to action when it really becomes dangerous.
ReplyDeleteI think that there are "vampires" in just about any story. It could be your own mind, just like Lexi said, or it could be the other characters around the main person. In many stories, we see the case where the main character has committed some wrong, and it eats away their confidence and conscience little by little. Also, I believe that everyone has a dark side to them. We can't read everyone's mind, but everyone gets mad, and when these people get mad, many can't help but have bad thoughts about others.
ReplyDeleteI didn't particularly like this chapter. Everyone automatically assumes the idea of evil from a vampire. It just implies the true evil of some characters. You have to "read between the lines" to realize this, though. I agree with Kayla. Everyone has a dark side to them. This reminded me of The Crucible. Many people don't understand how Abigail could be so cruel. She was the "vampire" of the crucible. She wasn't just thinking these bad thoughts like the author described some vampires; she was actually taking action of those thoughts and causing chaos.
ReplyDeleteI liked the chapter. Off the top of my head the only book i can think of with a vampire in it is the book i read over the summer, The Hunger Games. The president of the Capitol, president Snow, was like a vampire because he took the innocence of the kids he put in the arena by making them kill one another.
ReplyDeleteThere are vampire figures in alot of literature. One example is the scarlet letter when chilingsworth made dimsdale feel awful for what he'd done until he died. Also ghosts are more than scary apparitions, like in A Christmas Carol the ghosts come to show scrooge how his life would be if he didn't change his ways. I haven't read many books so I kind of have to just use what I can remember from last year. And yes everyone does have a dark side because everyone has bad thoughts at one time or another when they get mad.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with the author, everyone does in fact have a dark side. whether it be through thoughts or actions. In one of Poe's plays ( I'm not exactly sure of the title) the old man's keeper had thoughts of killing the old man. Every night he would go into the old man's room and attempt to murder him, but every time something happened or his conscious got the best of him until on night he finally acted upon his thoughts. The killer's bad thoughts would act as his own "vampire" Everyone also has their own "vampire." It could be someone tugging at you trying to bring you down, or one's own self. Speaking for myself, I find I am harder on myself on for my own mistakes than i probably should be. That would be my own personal "vampire."
ReplyDeletethis chapter yet again totally blew my mind. i look at most of my fav story villains in a whole new way. i like the fact that a vampire dosnt have to literally be a bloodsucking monster. the best way i can describe that is with lord of the rings. the ring represents the vampire its old evil and corrupts the wearer. frodo the young innocent one. once he gets the ring it takes its toll on him and begins to corrupt him. Ghosts can also be scary but there are several stories where the ghosts benefit the character. A christmas carol,Star wars. does every one have a dark-side? YES most people fight with there (other side) all day long thast what your struggling hero is all about. If people didnt have a dark side society would be perfect.
ReplyDeleteWell, i thought that the who vampiric idea was pretty interesting, and i can think of a couple stories and or movies that have "vampires" in them but some other people have already taken them, however i did think of one that i don't believe any ones named yet and that would be in Spiderman 3. When Peter Parker obtains the Black suit. The suit acts like a "vampire" to Peter by sucking out the good in him and literally transforming him into a totally different, darker person.
ReplyDeleteI honestly really liked this chapter. I would never have thought that a vampire could actually not be a real vampire. It was pretty neat how he described that a bad guy is like a vampire. I agree with the Jonny person, and that the first thing that popped in my head was spiderman.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all those who say everyone has a dark side. Its evident in many cases in literature and in real life. Like for instance when there is a school shooting. No one can really predict that someone is going to do that. They may seem fine and everything but one day they just snap. They suck the lives away from those they target. In literature an example of a vampire could be in A Child Called It. His mother plays the role of the vampire by sinking in her teeth and sucking all her child's good memories and making his life horrible.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter was definitely interesting to me. I found it interesting that he pointed out how ghosts and vampires are never or hardly ever really about ghosts and vampires. How they represent something much bigger, things wanting to drain the life out of people or take something away that isn't theirs to begin with. Like the purity of an unmarried woman, much like a pedophile. That's kinda what they remind me of. I definitely agree with what Jon said.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter sure was different! I'm personally not that big of a fan when it comes to vampire/horror type books or movies. But I did find it very interesting when the author said that evil can be "invisible" whether that evil be demons or blood-sucking vampires. When the author is talking about the story about Daisy, he said that she was dying of malaria, but really she was being killed by vampires. Which makes sense when you think about it, but you wouldn't think twice about malaria being a vampire if no one told you. Also, I do think that everyone has a dark side. I don't know if that's what I would necessarily call it, but it's true. Everyone has something that makes them tick. Like Lakyn said, the Poe story is a great example about how something over a long period of time can really set someone off.
ReplyDeleteI was not a very big fan of this chapter it wasn't very clear to me. I do believe everyone has a dark side although I believe there are varying degrees of people's dark sides. The only story I could think about is the Scarlett Letter were Chillingsworth makes dimmesdale feel very guilty. This would make Chillingsworth a vampire to Dimmesdale because he is sucking the life out of Dimmesdale.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author in most ways that in every piece of literature there is a type of vampire, not necessarily in the sense of blood sucking but in a way of taking too much or wanting too much like greed for instance. But on the other side in a more literal way vampire aren't always evil and sometimes its more of a survival thing. In the book iI just read Such a Pretty Girl Meredith's father is in a way a vampire he sucked the life and joy out of her by making her life a nightmare. Sometimes a ghost can do more than say, "boo" like in a book a ghost could be brought into the reading as a way to make someone become aware of something or bring something to his/her conscience to cause a change of heart.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author, there are "vampires" in lots of stories..In a movie I recently watched called "Lord of War," Nicholas Cage plays a character who sells guns and ammunition to thrid world countries in Africa. He isn't causing the war, but he is definitely benefitting from supplying the countries. Many lives are lost, while his personal gain increases.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't so sure about this chapter at first, but now I can think of so many times in literature when people act as vampires. Such as in a christmas carol, the ghost is trying to make scroge a happier and nicer person, and in my best friends wedding when the girl trys to deceive the other girl into not marrying the guy, and there is many many more.
ReplyDeletei absolutely hated this chapter. Even though i did agree with some of the things the author says like, everyone having a dark side. And with saying that i also agree with the author that as long as people act in selfish ways, the "vampire" will be with us. There will never be a perfect society. Both ideas just tie in together. This vampirism makes me think about the Hate List. This book is where a girl and her boyfriend make this list of everyone they "hate" and it brings out their dark side.
ReplyDeleteI found this chapter intriguing, Because of this i start to notice how things in literature are more than they seem, such as in the harry potter series, Lord voldemort acted as a vampire by being thrving off the people around him, and using them for his own personal gains. This chapter also brought my awareness to how ghosts in the harry potter series weren't there to be scary but to help out Harry and his gang.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter was interesting. Mostly because it made me realize that there are actual vampires. Those people who let gluttony control them. I think that's the dark side of people. The side of them that thirsts for more and more of something.
ReplyDeleteI agree that a vampire is more than something that sucks your blood at night. A vampire is anything that sucks the life out of you, that can be an abusive parent, a peer anything. Ghost don't have to be something that goes boo, ghost are anything that haunts u that can be a memory or something from your past
ReplyDeleteI personally didn't find this chapter anything special. While the points that the author makes in this chapter are true, they are certainly not new (to me, at least). The idea of "vampirism" goes way back before vampires were ever conceived, because the concept of sin has been around long before humanity had the ability to write. The idea of a creature that sins constantly, something that is gluttonous, prominently exists. In essence, we are all vampires in some way. Every human has a dark side as well, and that dark side can often completely engulf some people, making them bad (for lack of a better word). However, I think some people are able to control their dark side, and selflessly bring out more of their good side.
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ReplyDeleteOther vampires in literature.. Literally, we have all the famous series. Twilight, Mortal Instruments, and many more. Figuratively, we have many more. People who in stories are known for their darkness. In the Gemma Doyle Trilogy, Fee's father, Admiral Worthington, could be considered a 'vampire.' He presents an illusion to people of the charming British naval officer, when in secret he abuses his daughter. I do believe there's darkness in all of us. To me, there's no denying the fact. We decide though. Sure, there are the exceptions, those who are so psychologically screwed up, chemically imbalanced, that they honestly stand no chance. For the average person though, we get to decide. If we truly stop to think about something, we'll often find we can understand it. Lying, cheating, stealing, murder. How every event made the wrong understandable. That doesn't make it right though. In all, there is light and there is dark. To me, the best books are when one of their own are corrupted. When our hero/heroine is faced with their darkness, is tempted. Take for example the Gemma Doyle Trilogy. The Realms are a place where souls travel to the next world. They're beautiful. Unless you go to the other side. All you wishes can come true. But staying there for a long time corrupts you, makes you someone you'd have never been before. There's good and bad. You simply have to make your choice. You decide what you can live with. Or what's worth living for. Without the great potential for darkness, the world just wouldn't be. Take Watchmen for example. Perfect peace. What would we fight? What would we stand for if there was no one standing against us? What would we write about as journalist? Without darkness, light doesn't matter. As Sarah said, sin has been around since long before humanity had the ability to write. Without it, I don't know where we would be, what would be. I just know we're a long way from it, if ever.
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