The Sins Of The Flesh Eating And Vampirism - 1335 Words

Sins of the Flesh: Eating and Vampirism Almost every sin imaginable is included in this text if one were to interpret Bram Stoker’s writing to be as such. The glaring Christianity, coded sexual innuendo, and the vampire stereotype still attracts many to this novel. Despite the Victorian era’s social expectations of a woman, gluttony and lust are the two most abundant and greatly detailed sins alive in this text and usually descriptively, if not symbolically intertwined. The female characters of this novel lavishly display their sexual and physical appetites throughout the novel thus tempting the male figures. Mina and Lucy are portrayed in opposition to both each other and societal norms, in the nineteenth century and these traits are still displayed today in the twenty-first century. Voraciousness and Lust as portrayed through vampirism in Dracula details the dichotomy of Bram Stoker and of all men; which wife would a man want to have, the smart maternal plump woman or the fanciful beautiful thin woman. In Victorian England anorexia was the social norm, much as it is today, and considered the standard of beauty. However, the attractive female and highly sexualized woman is more often than not describing the â€Å"voluptuous† vampire as the culmination of male hidden desires using animalistic descriptions of the way that they gorge themselves before, during, and after illness (for Mina). Silver states this notion with this excerpt â€Å"the vampire’s sexuality is expressed entirelyShow MoreRelatedEssay On Sexuality In Bram Stokers Dracula2371 Words   |  10 Pagesthe images of sex scenes. The women tempt Jonathan with their sexualized appearance, but giving into their enchantment would lead to the ultimate punishment for sin, being brutally attacked and turned into a vampire. Moreover, the pauses and waiting periods that Jonathan experiences expose the sexual tension prolonging the temptation and sin. Voyeurism further compounds the sinfulness of Jonathan’s in teractions with the female vampires. Multiple women who are not his wife entice him while one engagesRead MoreThe s Manifestation Of Evil By Bram Stoker2006 Words   |  9 Pagesthis novel a gothic novel. The first night, Jonathan and the Count had a unique meal together, and Stoker really emphasized this meal. From old reliable (How to Read Literature like a Professor), â€Å"Sometimes a meal is just a meal, and eating with others is simply just eating with others. More often than not, though, it’s not†¦whenever people eat or drink together its communion† (Foster 7-8). Communion is an act of fellowship, participation, and is a common belief in Christian belief. Also according toRead More The Serpent-Vampire in Keats Lamia Essay3101 Words   |  13 Pagesfor the Greeks, the whole continent of Africa. When Hera finds out about their love, she destroys each of Lamias children at birth. In her misery, Lamia withdraws to the rocks and caves of the sea-coast, where she preys on other womens children, eating them and sucking their blood. To recompense his mistress, Zeus gives her the power of shape-shifting. Perhaps as a reflection of this versatility, the monstrous race of lamiae of Africa are composite beings, with the heads and breasts of women, but