Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Sex, Vampires and the Fascination with Bloodsucking Essay Example for Free

Sex, Vampires and the Fascination with Bloodsucking Essay Vampires have long fascinated the world, from their ability to change forms often times transforming into a bat, fog, or other creatures, and their charismatic and sexual nature which has not only seduced literature in Bram Stocker’s Dracula but has also been the outlet of the movie going audience in such films as the adaptation of Dracula in movies such as Blade, Monster Squad, Interview with a Vampire, and the series of Dracula films. The following paper will explore this fascination with Dracula, and vampires in general, paying attention to not only the novel Dracula but the mainstream movie going audience as well as the subculture that exists of vampires. Two main themes of the vampire will be explored in this paper: that of immortality, and of seduction. In the idea of forgetting one’s identity the concept of a vampire is a great iconic figure by which to catalyst the role of the double identity. It is with these two things that the vampire, as a literary character, a movie icon, and a subculture holds the interest of the general population. Body In Bram Stocker’s rendition of vampires in the character of Count Dracula there are certain elements which have become part of the increasing myth and fascination of vampires. Stocker’s character was very enigmatic, however, this did not mean that John was not attracted to this mystery. The idea of stealing someone’s life force, and of the willingness at times that Dracula achieved this feat is part of the lure of the vampire, â€Å"The lust that they portray on the movie screen, the woman gladly greeting the vampires lips with her own, then bending her head to the side so he can bite the tender flesh of her neck. What a marvelous image that seems, enticing us, and repelling us at the same time. Who among us can say for a moment that we did not find that fascination in the mystery of the vampires arms? † (Gottberg 2006). It is with Count Dracula’s charm that the readers become intrigued by the vampire, and his ability to beckon his victim while at the same time having to hold up to a code of ethics. These ethics are also part of the fascination and they are usually including the following characteristics and elements of a vampire: only permitted to come into a house or dwelling after being requested to do so by the owner, only sucking blood that is still warm from the blood pumping through the heart, having an allergic reaction to garlic, sunlight and anything holy, ability to shape shift, extreme sexuality. It is with this last part that the true fascination with vampires hinges. The sexuality of the vampire is accustomed to a smooth tongue, charming people into getting what they, a type of bending of the will of the victim, and their immortality. Especially with this element of immortality, there seems to be a certain gift and curse involved with it because the vampire trades so much in order to gain immortality which is never being able to see sunlight again, and having to feed on human or animal blood to survive. However, despite these gifts and/or curses, the in the original legend of Count Dracula as perceived by Bram Stocker, the Count is able to at once almost haunt the conscious mind of his victim John while at the same time enticing him to become part of the vampiric world. The ability of a vampire to bend a victim’s will, so much so that the victim becomes a willing participant in the bloodlust is how the mainstream media or movies, are focusing their plot outlines. Vampires are becoming a subculture which allows a person to be completely sexual, willing, and to crave blood while at the same time embracing their ‘curse’, as the fascination with vampires persist the question becomes not why does a vampire need blood to stay alive, but there is a more interesting equation involving sucking someone’s life force which in turn gives one the ability to live forever (excluding certain circumstances involving exposure to UV rays, black lights, garlic, holy relics, and a stake through the heart). Thus, the fascination of mainstream movie going audience and the more intellectual reading of a book becomes not an intrigue into an occult but rather that more alluring of attributes of the vampire: immortality. It seems that John in Dracula was not so much duped into becoming an occupant of the Count’s castle, his slave, his blood supply, as he was wanting to learn the Count’s trick of living past the status quo dying age. Thus, John realized that the Count needed blood in order to maintain his life, his charm, his intrigue, his health, and his strength, â€Å"The blood is the life, or so it is said in the vampire culture. Many cultures have included sacrifice, blood letting, and drinking of blood in their worship, so it is really no surprise that our fascination would continue. Even in biblical times blood was important for sealing covenants and sacrifice. So impotent was the blood that God forbade it to be drunk. † (Gottberg 2006). Not only in the aspect of immortality, of man’s desire to cheat death at any cost, especially as the legend goes, to give his soul as a vampire is said to do (hence the aversion to anything holy) but there is a definite sexual drive in vampires that is further seen in Stocker’s Dracula. The view of the Count as he seduces Mary is one in which a man/vampire becomes a part of his victim, sucking her blood, allowing one of the most intimate parts of her to become a part of him, to in fact sustain his life. Thus, it is not sex alone that entices her to allow the Count to ‘enter’ her through the neck, but it is the need, the primal need for life, that makes their relationship one of complete engrossment for her as well as the audience/reader, It is so many things. For many it is the ability to be so fully known by another, to be enraptured inside and out by one who could know every ounce of our being, know all we have ever done, and all we have ever thought, and still desire us more then anything. That was the mystery of Bram Stokers Dracula, a man who could listen to her deepest thoughts and travel the length of not only the world, but time itself to win her back. A woman who would stand by him, even against God himself. This is the true romance of the legend, the image that entices us beyond understanding. † (Gottberg 2006). Conclusion It seems then that this paper has explored two main points of the fascination with vampires, or Count Dracula, that is: immortality, and seduction. In these two elements the main stream culture of the movie going audience is enthralled as well as readers of Stocker’s work. These two main themes or characteristics of the vampire are what continually entice a person to read up on vampires, to watch movies, to delve into the darker realms of the subculture and to explore the idea of immortality, of sucking the life blood from a willing or even unwilling victim and to become so intrinsically a part of someone to know their thoughts, to know their heart beat, to depend on them for true sustenance, that it is no wonder that there remains, after hundreds of years, this verdant image of a charming man or woman in a cloak, knocking on one’s door asking permission to come in and to suck their blood. The idea of possession is a turn on for the subculture of vampires just as it was for Count Dracula; the kind of dependence on someone for a life force as well as the control the vampire has over their victim is what makes this subculture so fascinating and how it can attract the type of crowd that it attracts. Thus, the subculture of the vampire is not merely about bloodsucking but involves something quite animal and quite human about it; it involves allowing someone to take control of one as well as force control on another person, the turn on then becomes power through possession. Although critics might argue that the vampire is a lonesome creature, cursed to walk the earth for eternity, living without a soul, but with the rise of this as a subculture and the popularity it has attracted over the years, it seems that vampirism is becoming more mainstream as more movies are made glamorizing the sex appeal of vampires and the fact that eternity is the natural attraction of this subculture and the young are always attracted to maintaining their youth.The vampire victim is almost always willing. Work Cited Gottberg, C. Why a Fascination with Vampires. 2006. Online. Retrieved 5 November 2007. http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/110969/why_a_fascination_of_vampires. html? page=3

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Power Play in Samuel Beckett’s Endgame Essay -- Samuel Beckett Endgame

Power Play in Samuel Beckett’s Endgame In a shelter devoid of sunlight and laughter, the family in Samuel Beckett’s Endgame all struggle to find their niches within their world. Central to the play physically and emotionally, Hamm has the ability to make the others revolve around him. Clov, physically the healthiest in the family, has a power that even Hamm could not define until very late in the play. Nagg and Nell, the elderly parents of Hamm, hold the power of memories. Although some characters may appear weaker than the others at times, Hamm, Clov, Nagg and Nell all hold a source of power, resulting in a weak type of mutualism in the family dynamics. Hamm is blind and unable to stand. However, sitting in a chair at the centre of the room, he is the axis of power in the family. Hamm repeatedly says, â€Å"Outside of here it’s death† (2475) and, according to Clov’s observations, the world outside has indeed been forsaken by nature and is awash in desolation. Therefore, as the owner of the shelter, Hamm has the power to protect Clov, Nagg, and Nell. Hamm makes the house rules even though he does not have the physical ability to enforce the rules: â€Å"I’ll give you just enough to keep you from dying. You’ll be hungry all the time† (2474). There is nowhere else to go, so in order to survive, everyone abides by Hamm’s commands. Clov humours Hamm, because it is Hamm who took him into the shelter when Clov was a child. With a paternal power over Clov, Hamm has the power to make Clov suffer. He controls Clov like a puppeteer, telling the latter to withdraw or to go close to him. Using Clov as a physical extension of himself, Hamm is able to â€Å"bottle† his father Nagg when the latter complains he is unable to eat the hard bisc... ...dysfunctional family, amidst their painful existence, manages balance their powers and to mutually co-exist. Words have much power, and Hamm retains his grip on his family by his commands. However, Clov – Hamm’s eyes and limbs – has power that matches Hamm’s, because if Clov leaves, no one will be able to physically support them. Nagg and Nell have the power of words and memories, as well as that of listening skills. They are the perfect audience for Hamm, who feels that dialogue is his main reason for living. Without them, Hamm will have no more reasons to continue living. Precariously balanced, the power play in Beckett’s play is like that of its title: an endgame fraught with dangers and overshadowed with doom. Works Cited Beckett, Samuel. Endgame. 1958. Norton Anthology of English Literature. 7th ed. 2 vols. New York: Norton, 2000, 2: 2472-2500.

Monday, January 13, 2020

Mental Behavioral Case Study Essay

A lady came into the emergency room, she felt as though she had maybe had a stroke. We started to ask her questions, we asked her how long she had been feeling this way and she told us five days. She was then ask, what some of her symptoms were. She began to tell us that she was preparing for a weekend in Vegas when she noticed that her left I started to jump, she thought nothing of it. It the jumping persisted, it continued to annoy her. The woman began to say that she carried on with her plans. She then notice that her eyebrows would not move on that side and that her taste was different. Her tongue began to feel numb as well. She began to cry because she really felt as though she had a stroke and why did she not have any symptoms or any illnesses that could provoke it to happen. She said that what really made her come in was that her mouth began to twist and her eye drooped. Then the doctor asked her questions about her last time she gave birth or maybe a sinus infection or something that dealt with her stressing. She then told the doctor that she had a baby about 5 months ago. Then the doctor told her since it has been about five days you are a lucky young lady. I don’t believe this is a stroke, â€Å"I think that this is Bell’s palsy. I then told her not to worry it was still in the primary stages and that I would need to put her on a steroid and a antibiotic to help her get better. I then began to tell her that she was lucky she came when she did because some people stay with Bell’s palsy without ever getting it corrected. She then asked me what Bell’s palsy is. I explained to her that Bell’s palsy is a form of temporary facial paralysis resulting from damage or trauma to the facial nerves. The facial nerve-also called the 7th cranial nerve-travels through a narrow, bony canal called the fallopian canal in the skull , beneath the ear, to the muscles on each side of the  face. I then explained to her that the disorder, which is not related to stroke, is the most common cause of facial paralysis. Generally, Bell’s palsy affects only one of the paired facial nerves and one side of the face, however, in rare cases, it can affect both sides. I then went on to tell the patient that Bell’s palsy afflicts approximately 40,000 Americans each year. It affects men and women equally and can occur at any age, but it is less common before age 15 or after age 60. It disproportionately attacks people who have diabetes or upper respiratory ailments such as the flu or a cold. I told her that it can occur after pregnancy as well. I then said to her that some people that are affected by the disease their family has to be supportive because some people have after effects or may not have caught it in time like she did to have the chance to have their feeling come back into their face. This affects them in society because people are cruel and it can also affect being able to work or define what you can and can’t do in your life. It also will affect the ability to eat, due to the numbness of your tongue. I then told her that she had nothing to worry about she was going to be okay and she did the right thing by coming into the ER when she did just take her medications and she would soon see her smile again. We then gave her some information and websites that she could look at dealing with the disease. This would be able to help her and give her support to deal with what she was going through. I then let her know that I too have had bells’ palsy and if I could get my smile back so can she. She left the office feeling a little better knowing that her stage of disease was primary and that it was treatable. Mental Behavioral Case Study HCS/245 Kristene Diggins November 8, 2014 Jamikka Waremercer

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Are Video Games Bad for Children - 883 Words

Are video games bad for children? The last decade has witnessed enormous improvements in the gaming industry, resulting in an increase in the number of video gamers, especially children and adolescents [1]. As a result of this huge development, video games, especially the violent ones, have been proven to cause aggressive behavior and lack of emotions and social skills [2]. However, many researches have proven that video games can beneficial for children, because it allows them to experience new cultures and civilizations. However, to have a better comprehension about the influence of video games on younger people, we need to take both views into consideration. In this essay, I will critically discuss the effect of video games on children regarding four main aspects. Paragraph 1, education Nowadays, many people associate video games with bad performance in schools [12]. Therefore, many valuable researches and studies have been done on how video games influence negatively on children and adolescents education. One of these studies found that children who are addicted to video games are more likely to have a lower GPA than other students (Anderson Dill, 2000. It also stated that playing video games for long hours will lessen the concentration of children, thus they might have difficulties with comprehending school modules and paying attention to teachers. However, According to a recent research conducted by scientists at the university ofShow MoreRelatedEssay about Violent Video Games: A Bad Choice for Parents and Children2589 Words   |  11 PagesViolent Video Games: A Bad Choice for Parents and Children A twelve year old boy named Paul sits about three feet from the fifty-two inch screen television with his eyes fixated on his character, a humanlike fox. He is able to use his game controller without looking away from the television. 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