From Threat to Thrill : A Comparative Study of Bram Stoker's Dracula and Stephenie Meyer's Twilight

Abstract: The purpose of this essay was to compare the classic vampire narrative, Bram Stoker's Dracula, to a more contemporary vampire narrative using the first book, Twilight, in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series as a prime example.  By looking at the world of the vampire, the figure of the vampire and the interaction between the vampire and the main female characters in each respective story, the goal was to see how much the vampire narrative has evolved.  The argument was that the movement from Dracula to Twilight was from an archetypical, terrifying vampire to a more modern, sexually alluring and romantic vampire, where several aspects of terror have been removed.  What has been shown is that there are many aspects that have changed once terror is not the focal point. In addition, this essay also argued that in a classroom setting one could use a modern vampire narrative, such as Twilight, to activate pupils’ interest in vampires which would naturally segue into meaningful discussions, comparisons and analyses of the prototypical vampire narrative found in Dracula. As a result, this activity would also encourage students to read literature and explore new worlds