Wednesday, September 8, 2010

The Vampyre by John Polidori

The Vampyre by John Polidori




Lord Byron influenced Polidori’s work. He influenced poets like Edgar Allen Poe, Nikolai Gogol, Alexandre Dumas, and Alexis Tolstoy. “The Vampyre,” created a new image of vampires between sexual and dying. In Lord Byron’s ex-lover Lady Caroline Lamb words, Byronic hero means “mad, bad, and dangerous to know.” Some characteristics of a Byronic hero is social and sexual dominance and a troubled past. One characteristic I found interesting was a vampire “over dramatizing oneself.” (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki.php/Main/ByronicHero).

I think it will be interesting to see during the course of the semester what vampires carry what different characteristics of a Byronic hero. Polidori was an English writer and physician. Lord Byron was one of his clients. Polidori wrote a tale on Lord Byron, he played the character Lord Ruthven. Lord Byron was often credited for The Vamprye, even though it was agreed between the both of them that Polidori should take the credit for The Vampyre.

According to Robert Southey, the Satanic School led by Lord Byron and Shelly were writers who only wrote about vampires and other satanic characters. I think that these young writers were originally “Goth kids,” because of the influence they held in early gothic literature. As well as, the effect they hold on modern gothic literature today.

In this story I would characterize “high society,” in the fact that these characters were above humans. They had powers that humans could never possess. They had an effect on people that no one else would. For example they would make love with different people and kill them and it was never found out about.

Paranoid gothic signifies an oath held between partners that is shared and chosen. I think that paranoid gothic means that two partners were emotionally involved with each other and they depended on each other strengths. I think that this could have been a metaphor in the fact that Lord Byron and Polidori could have been homosexual partners but they hid it in these passages by using different characters.

I found it interesting on page eighteen it says that vampires rather have friendships then be married. In families that have Christian beliefs believe that homosexuals are not supposed to be together, that it should be man and women together only. So it is kind of like vampires not believing in marriage and wanting friendship more then anything.

From just the beginning I had already concluded that all vampires are different and that each vampire had its own characteristic and they each had their own ways of doing things. There wasn’t really a set way of how they lived their life. For example one vampire devours his favorite daughter and she blesses her father as she dies. I believe some vampires wouldn’t touch their family.

I found this article to be very interesting. I feel like I learned a lot about vampires and there back round. I also feel like I learned a lot of the different characteristics of vampires that I didn’t know. I found it a little hard to understand at first, but I think I have got a grip on it now. I never knew that some vampires are homosexual. I am excited to learn more about vampires.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

First assignment, getting to know me.

Some interesting facts about me are that I love to smile, no matter what the situation is. I am having a baby boy in a couple of days and I am so excited to start my life with him. I have an identical twin sister, we think and feel the same things and we even say phrases at the same time. I chose this class because I love to write and read. I thought that the Vampire Novel would be interesting. I have always read books that have love stories in them, but I think that suspense is the best part of a book and in this Vampire Novel will have great suspense. I don't really have one specific novel that I love but I do have one movie that I specifically like, it is The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. I like how its a true story of an older couple but is played out by two great young actors. I find myself drawn to books with suspense and also love stories, alot of times I feel like a good book always has great suspense. The suspense makes me want to hurry and read to the very end of the book so I can find out what happens! I have taken a literature class in highscholl were we read Romeo and Juliet, it help me understand poetry better. I also took a composition class in my first year of college. It helped me alot with my writing skills. I feel like this class will be different in the fact that we will combine our reading and writing skills. I think there will be less communication like we would have in a classroom but we might have group work. I think that an online class is great because you can easily keep in touch with students and the teacher via email. I don't have much knowledge about vampires. I think I will bring good ideas and I am always open to other peoples opinions! I am involved in facebook and skype online. I find it to be positive. I have alot of experience with online communication. I think it is a great way to keep in touch with family and friends and also to meet new people.

I would love to go to the Bahamas because I have never been out of the country and I would love to go to the beach and just have a few drinks and relax. I also would love to go scuba diving. I love to try new things!

I like http://www.facebook.com/ because I keep in contact with my friends and family and also with other students that are in my classes so if I have a question, or there is group work we can keep in contact through facebook.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVBsypHzF3U - This link is to Lady Gaga song featuring Beyonce. I think that Lady Gaga is just so unique and different and her music is great. I just like how here music is. I just can't compare her to anyone. I think this video is interesting because its talking about making time for your friends and not always being with your boyfriend, that is how I percieve the viedo.



I like New Moon because it always has a twist to every movie they have made yet, and the movie keeps you wanting to just keep watching it! It has been my first time watching a vampire movie. I think that the action is just so amazing.