One of the most time-consuming problems of being—well, with being me—is that I can’t simply find something interesting without devoting weeks, if not months (if not years in the case of the First World War) to learning positively everything I can about said topic. To my own surprise, and my mother’s bemused chagrin, that current obsession is Vampires. After some deliberation, I finally decided to look into ‘reverse colonization’ theories for my Dominions essay (I know you were beside yourself with anticipation to hear about that). However, my original plan to look at Collins' The Moonstone, Rider Haggard’s She, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula in terms of creepy quasi-fantastical creatures who attempt to overthrow Britain turned into an evaluation of the fears expressed in The Moonstone and Dracula over the true effects of imperialism on the British, and the extent to which they were physically and morally capable of maintaining control over the world. Basically, in both novels, foreign powers from a land currently in jeopardy (India during the 1857 Rebellion and Eastern Europe at the end of the 19th century) and bring out the worst in the British protagonists, as well as wreaking physical havoc. Both these books imply that, no matter how far the British might travel, or how many maps and census reports they may make, no matter how far the light of understanding might be shone, there would always be an element of the mysterious and unknowable in every culture, as well as in the British themselves; and to these writers, the unknown is equated with mortal (and moral) danger.
While I love Wilkie Collins in general, I had never read Dracula with an eye to its historic value, or as a product of a particular culture. In doing so, I rediscovered the book all over again. I was completely intrigued with the battle of modern technology and primitive folklore, with the novel’s treatment of women and the highly ambiguous relationship between Mina and the Count, and, most of all, Stoker’s ability to pinpoint—and subvert—elements of ‘civilized’ society that, even now, have the ability to chill. I went to Dublin to do some research for both this essay to get some ideas for my dissertation, and was fortunate enough to attend a reading of Dracula at St. Patrick’s Cathedral—about which I could write an entire entry—and watching the expressions of the audience was fascinating. When they heard the description of Dracula and his diabolically beautiful associates and especially when they heard the description of Dracula’s attack on Mina, there was a reaction not at all dissimilar to the kind of shivering you see at a modern-day horror film. Just goes to show that quality literature still has the ability to captivate and to unsettle, even now.
(One of the readers, who sounded amazingly like Vincent Price)
During my stay in Dublin, which coincided with their City Council’s “One City, One Book” project, focusing on Dublin-born Stoker’s masterpiece, I read all the information I could find on the history of vampirism in literature, different regional and religious variations on vampire lore and worked on the foundation of at least two more essays, dealing with the role of vampires in Irish and Anglo-Irish literature, and the confluence of religion and superstition in terms of the propagation of vampire legends.
(One of the posters for the Dracula-fest, photographed while walking through an Irish downpour)
Later, when I got back to London, I took some further inspiration from Stoker and have made myself one with furnishings at the British Library’s reading room and am working on both topics. I am writing this from Boston, having returned home for a few weeks for some family issues. While here, I met up with my best and oldest friend who is a recently-graduated anthropologist studying folklore and fairytales. As if I needed any more encouragement! We've already decided that we need to take a tour of Eastern Europe and study the folk culture and religious superstitions, which I'm sure will also yield many tales of erstwhile adventures...
The moral of this story: There is inspiration to be found everywhere. Also, never assume you know what your dissertation topic will be, because it might change on an hourly basis. Finally, don’t ask me what I’m studying. You’ll be listening for at least half an hour.
(I also have a passion for interesting graffiti. See above.)
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