Paper
Vampires, Obsession Throughout Eternity
Obsession. A persistent, disturbing preoccupation with an often-unreasonable idea, feeling, object or person; broadly: compelling motivation (Collegiate Dictionary). Many stories have been told of obsessed men and women who waste their lives on lost causes, calling them tragedies. But what if you were immortal? What if you were forever? Then your life would not be wasted, but instead a reason for living would become instinctive. And what if having an obsession, something criticized by mortal humans, was the only way to keep your sanity and appetite for life through eternity? When looking through the vampire’s eyes in film and literature, we see that the foremost vampires have an obsession, a calling that drives them. Without this obsession, it seems, vampires would be lost through time, wandering the earth with no motivation, and though this may sound redundant, with no life. Vampires, it seems, are more capable of going through time when they have a passion. Whether this passion comes from love, knowledge, or power, vampires – such as the ones from Blade, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Interview with the Vampire – are all driven by their own obsessions, without which they become lost, empty.
According to the film Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1995), Count Dracula was a man who had sworn to protect the church from its enemies until he found out that his beloved had committed suicide because she thought he had been killed in battle. His love and obsession for her, “Whom he prized above all things on earth,” was so strong that he then swore off the church and thus became vampire. When we again see Count Dracula, he looks old and weak, and has become very eccentric and seemingly insane. But when by accident he discovers that his beloved is alive in Mina, the fianc? of Jonathan Harker, he embarks on a quest to be with her. He becomes youthful and cunning; his mind seems to be that of a charming and intelligent nobleman; instead of that of an elderly recluse. We see the undead come to life, with powers that overwhelm the imagination. But when Mina decides to leave him to wed Jonathan Harker, he again turns into a monster, a shadow of his former self. The life seems to have drained out of him. This proves that it was his love for Mina, his eternal infatuation with her that had kept him going through the ages. It is this obsession that forced him to become a vampire, and he then hoped that one day he would be reunited with his love, because he knew that she would not have been able to join him in heaven. And though he knew of the dangers that surrounded him, he risked everything to be with her, for he would have rather die than to lose her again.
Love also drives Louis, the hero (or victim, depending on the point of view) of Interview with the Vampire. Louis was a sad person when Lestat turned him into a vampire; his sole reason for living was his own guilt and misery. He did not even allow himself the ultimate pleasure a vampire has and needs, human blood. He feeds off rats and other animals, and wanders the street aimlessly, lost. As he puts it after Lestat tells him that there is no hell, “But there was a hell, and no matter where we moved to, I was in it.” But when Lestat gives him an undead companion, a young girl named Claudia, his whole world is turned upside down. He has a new “thirst” for life, literally. He begins to enjoy the very things he had denied himself. As he put it when narrating his story, “Time can pass quickly for mortals when they’re happy. With us, it was the same.” But when his search for knowledge leads to Claudia’s death at the hand of other vampires, he loses his spirit and once again becomes lost. As he describes his new life:
For years I wondered: Italy, Greece… all the ancient lands.
But the world was a tomb to me. A graveyard full of broken statues.
And each of those statues resembled her face.
There was another driving force for the vampires of Interview. It was a quest for knowledge, a mission to find answers, or a link, to a world that was beyond their grasp. Louis and Claudia, who became “orphaned” after they left Lestat for dead, were then involved on a search for other vampires, in hopes of finding out their origin and nature.
We booked a passage to Europe. Over the weeks, while waiting
For the boat, she studied the myths and legends of the Old World.
Obsessed with the search for what she called ‘our kind’”
Thus the two of them had a driving force, as Louis narrates: “We searched village after village… ruin after ruin… country after country. And always we found nothing.” But when they find the vampire Armand and his Theatre of Vampires, they found none of the answers they so desperately searched for. The vampire Armand had his own agenda, and thus sets into motion the events that would lead to the death of Claudia and the destruction of the Theatre of Vampires. He Knew that he needed something to help him adhere to the changing times, he needed Louis to guide him, to be his obsession. “The vampires from the new world came to guide us into a new era, as all we love slowly rots and fades away.” But when Louis turned down his offer, knowing that Armand had been responsible for Claudia’s death, Armand realizes that without Louis as his obsession, he is “dead.” As is, in a way, Louis:
I go on night after night. I feed on those who cross my path.
But all my passion went with her golden hair.
I’m a spirit of preternatural flesh.
Detached. Unchangeable. Empty.
The action movie Blade, though relying more on the action sequences and Hong Kong style martial arts, contains a captivating plot with some interesting twists on the vampire myth. Yet one thing remains constant, and it is the driving obsession behind the two main vampires. In this case, it’s power. Deacon Frost, leader of a vampire cult, is obsessed with finding LaMagra, a supernatural being that he believes will give him the power to conquer the world. Blade, on the other hand, is driven by a fanatical passion and power rush he gets from killing vampires. Their obsessions lead to several confrontations, which set the stage for the final showdown. What makes Frost the strongest vampire among his kin and makes him stand out is his passion to conquer the world with LaMagra. But he is met with opposition from both the House of Erebus (the ruling council of vampires) and from Blade. Yet his drive is so strong he is seldom seen sleeping nor feeding, but always working on a way to accomplish his goal. He becomes strong enough by this that he is eventually able to take on and destroy the House of Erebus. This obsession is apparent when he throws a party and the question on everyone’s mind is “But, where is he?” He is then shown in front of his computer, still working on finding LaMagra. Blade also seems to have given up everything for his desire to kill vampires. He allows himself to feel nothing, not even love for his father figure, Whistler. He is so driven that he often loses sight of the very humanity he tries to protect. At an instant where Frost throws a little girl in front of a bus in order to escape, Blade actually hesitates in choosing between taking out Frost and saving the little girl. Furthermore, when Blade is offered a cure for his vampirism, he decides to turn it down, saying “You keep your cure. It’s not over… there is a war going on. And I have a job to do!” Thus, this eternal passion is what gives Blade life. Because without vampires to hunt, Blade would have nothing to live for.
Vampires are often described as immortal beings of superhuman strength and eternal beauty. Yet this seems to be more of a curse than a gift. Because how can a vampire live through eternity in an ever changing world while they remain the same. This is why the extraordinary vampires of Interview With the Vampire, Blade, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula stood out, because they found the answer, they found a reason for living. Since this reason for living had to be in eternal proportions, it could come as nothing less as an essential obsession that drives through the ages, without which the vampires would be lost. Yet this obsession comes in the same shape as those fundamental human obsessions (thus showing a glimpse of the vampire’s fledging humanity) – Love, Knowledge, and Power.
Blade. Dir. Stephen Norrington. Perf. Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, and Kris
Kristofferson. New Line Cinema, 1998.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. Perf. Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder,
Keanu Reeves, and Anthony Hopkins. Columbia Pictures, 1992.
Collegiate Dictionary. Merriam-Webster OnLine. 5 March 2001.
Interview with the Vampire. Dir. Neil Jordan. Perf. Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Antonio
Banderas. Geffen Pictures, 1994.
Другие работы по теме:
Obsession Essay On Porphria
’s Lover By Robert Browning Essay, Research Paper ?Porphyria?s Lover? is one of many poems by Robert Browning. In this poem a woman named Porphyria is killed by her lover. This man?s obsession with Porphyria led him to murder. Through vocabulary, imagery and situation Browning shows the reader the mind of an obsessed man.
We Kool Kats Essay Research Paper We
We Kool Kats Essay, Research Paper We kool kats you left bare you left starren into nothin bang America cock of eternity you tore me up as if i were your child
Christianity And Holocaust Essay Research Paper As
Christianity And Holocaust Essay, Research Paper As a Jew, I agree with the statement “If the time was ever ripe for Christians to finally abandon their age-old obsession with converting Jews, that time is now. ” I think its way to late for Christians to try and convert Jews. I think these obsessed people missed their chance long ago.
Your Smile Essay Research Paper I see
Your Smile Essay, Research Paper I see you across the room, Laughing with your friends. Not noticing me watching you, Staring at you. Not noticing me. I?ve grown to the point of obsession
Illusions In The Great Gatsby Essay Research
Paper Illusions in the Great Gatsby Fitzgerald implicates the idea of ignorance is bliss. He helps to show this idea by quoting in the preface, ??the loss of those illusions that give such color to the world so that you don?t care weather things are true or false?? Gatsby has an ever-lasting love for Daisy. While Gatsby is having this obsession over Daisy, he is content with his life until he losses the illusion that he can have her.
Lolita Essay Research Paper My analysis of
Lolita Essay, Research Paper My analysis of LolitaIn 1958, Vladimir Nabokov created two of the unrelenting characters in the history of literature: Humbert Humbert and Lolita Haze. His narrator’s voice and main character, Humbert Humbert, explains the complex story of a man and his obsession. To set this book off from other books about obsession, Nabokov gives Humbert possibly the most socially unacceptable obsession of all: pedophilia.
Moby Dick Essay Research Paper What the
Moby Dick Essay, Research Paper What the item is about? The novel Moby Dick is the story of how Ishmael the narrator came to set sail on a fateful whaling voyage. He travels to Nantucket, where he visits the docks to find a ship; he discovers the Pequod. As Ishmael and his friend Queequeg make their way to board the ship, they meet a haggard looking, wild-eyed man who calls himself Elijah.
Vertigo Essay Research Paper VERTIGOAlfred Hitchcock s
Vertigo Essay, Research Paper VERTIGO Alfred Hitchcock s Vertigo is a thrilling film filled with mystery and suspense. However, Hitchcock left many unsolved issues at the end of this film. In contrast, when comparing Vertigo to more recent films of similar genre , mysteries are usually always solved and thoroughly explained by the end of the film.
The Raven And The TellTale Heart Essay
, Research Paper Comparisons of ?The Raven? and ?The Tell-Tale Heart? Edgar Allen Poe’s story “A Tell Tale Heart,” has the protagonist obsessed with an old man’s eye. This obsession causes a conflict between the protagonist and his sanity. In ?The Raven the man imagines that a raven is a godsend, intended to relieve him of his anguish.
Macbeth Essay Research Paper Macbeth EssayFrom the
Macbeth Essay, Research Paper Macbeth Essay From the very beginning Macbeth has been a victim of the witches? prophecy and Lady Macbeth?s ambition. With no support he soon succumbed to the pressures of each.
Notre Dame Essay Research Paper The Evil
Notre Dame Essay, Research Paper The Evil in Notre Dame In The Hunchback of Notre Dame, there are many interesting characters, However, I think Claude Frollo is a good one to talk about. In the book Claude is a priest who sees a beautiful girl and thinks unpure thoughts about her. Since he is a priest he feels he has to do something about these freaky thoughts he is having, so he tries to have her hanged by committing a murder and framing her.
Banking Concept Essay Research Paper
“A Scholarship Boy” was a new term I learned when I read “The Achievement of Desire” by Richard Rodriguez. I am still fascinated by the drive that was created in Richard Rodriguez to motivate him to educate himself. I feel that his obsession with his education which leads to an unbalanced life of too much school work at the cost of family life creates an illusionary happiness.
The Birthmark 2 Essay Research Paper Response
The Birthmark 2 Essay, Research Paper Response Paper #2: The Birthmark 1. Our society tends to be obsessed with the idea of physical perfection. How does our society manifest that obsession? How is the Birthmark an early version of our modern obsession with physical perfection?
Superiority Essay Research Paper There are many
Superiority Essay, Research Paper There are many occurrences in this world that can simply not be explained by conventional means. For this reason, other explanations have been offered: spirits, demons, vampires and other such creatures have been blamed for years. People go missing, little kids are taken from their homes, yet no convictions are made, and no explanations are offered.
A Mini Research Essay On Shakespeare
’s Two Tracegies Essay, Research Paper Shakespeare’s Tragedies Shakespeare’s tragedies are what Shakespeare is most noted for. Tragedies are stories with tragic heroes. Tragic heroes have tragic flaw, a flaw that will lead to their own tragic ending, often times it’s death. Shakespeare’s tragedies include: Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Timon of Athens, Titus Andronicus, Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, and of course Romeo and Juliet.
Araby By James Joyce Essay Research Paper 2
?Araby? By James Joyce Essay, Research Paper Love at a young age is just an obsession. As children, our first relationships are object relationships. The people we like aren’t people; they are objects of our obsession, and our obsessions are driven by vanity and narcissism. We are obsessed with what we consider an ideal, something we create.
Dracula Essay Research Paper The creation of
Dracula Essay, Research Paper The creation of this monster was actually based upon a Romanian myth,(derived from the word draclu-devil) which implied the existence of vampires or the undead, as Stoker says. But, let?s look at this novel in a different way. Who was Dracula?
Lolita Essay Research Paper LolitaIn the novel
Lolita Essay, Research Paper Lolita In the novel, Lolita, written by Vladimir Nabokov, the setting takes place in New England during the 1950 s. The protagonist is a man named Humbert Humbert who is fifty-four and has infatuations with nymph-like girls. The antagonist is Humbert Humbert s mental disorders, which lead him to his sick obsession with a twelve-year-old nymphet named Lolita.
What Happens When A Scene Is Removed
From Hamlet Essay, Research Paper To Be or Not To Be In Hamlet is obsessed with revenging his fathers murder; destroying Claudius and it is evident in the play. This obsession initiates Hamlet’s behavior. The reasons for Hamlet’s obsession with exacting revenge against Claudius are fairly straightforward.
Hackers Essay Research Paper A Hacker
Hackers Essay, Research Paper A Hacker A hacker is a person obsessed with computers.At the heart of the obsession is a drive master thecomputer. The classic hacker was simply acompulsive programmer. It is only recently that theterm hacker became associated with the computerizedvandalism.Great description of Hackers:Bright young men of disheveled apperance,Often withsunken, glowing eyes.Seen sitting at computerconsoles, their arms tense and waitingTo fire theirfingers which are already posed to strike at thebuttons and keys on which their attention seems todice.They work until they nearly drop,twenty orthirty hours at a time if possible.They sleep oncots near the computer,but only a few hours-thenback to the console, or printouts.Their crumpledclothes, their unwashed, unsheven faces, anduncombed hair, testify that they are oblivious to
Untitled Essay Research Paper A hacker is
Untitled Essay, Research Paper A hacker is a person obsessed with computers. At the heart of the obsession is a drive master the computer. The classic hacker was simply a
Caroline Compson
’s Obsession With Appearance In Th Essay, Research Paper In William Faulkner’s novel, The Sound and the Fury, Caroline Compson focused directly upon appearances. Mrs. Compson never allowed herself to forget that her family wasn’t as good as her husband’s. Marrying into a higher class altered her perception of society.
Macbeth Tragic Hero Essay Research Paper MacBeth
Macbeth- Tragic Hero Essay, Research Paper Macbeth is, in all ways, a tragic hero. His greatness led to his obsession and then to his shocking, yet inevitable, downfall. The play thoroughly illustrates his rise and fall through a tragic story of man versus himself. At the beginning, the reader sees a man with a conscience and a mind.
Queen Of The Damned Essay Research Paper
Queen of the Damned is basically the story of the origin of vampires. All vampires originated from a single vampire, Akasha, and she became known as the queen. The
Henry James And The Beast In T
Essay, Research Paper The Beast in the Jungle is a story that expresses tragic irony and great loss. Henry James commences his story by introducing two characters: John Marcher and May Bartram. The two meet at a mansion, after a ten-year separation. The mansion is filled with decadent art, antiques, and other priceless objects.
Rose For Emily Essay Research Paper Analysis
Rose For Emily Essay, Research Paper Analysis of ?A Rose for Emily? In William Faulkner?s short story, ?A Rose for Emily,? obsession plays a key role in the developing personality of the protagonist, Emily Grierson. Because Emily was
The Birthmark Essay Research Paper Mirror Mirror
The Birthmark Essay, Research Paper Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall Our society tends to be obsessed with the idea of physical perfection. Why does our society manifest that obsession? How is “The Birthmark” an early version of our modern obsession with physical perfection? Nathaniel Hawthorne uses these questions to obsess Aylmer to construct a life threatening experiment on his beloved.
Oscar Wilde Essay Research Paper This statement
Oscar Wilde Essay, Research Paper This statement is pronounced by Gwendolen Fairfax, when Jack Worthing proposes to her by standing on his knee. Oscar Wilde tries to demonstrate in this phrase the young woman?s obsession with social acceptance. The mere fact that she is getting a marriage proposal from a good man that adores her is not satisfying enough.