THE MORAL UNDEAD REPRESENTATIONS OF THE SOUL IN .
THE MORAL UNDEAD:REPRESENTATIONS OF THE SOUL INCONTEMPORARY VAMPIRE FILM ANDTELEVISIONEmma SomogyiM.A.App.Ling (TESOL); G.Dip.Ed (Sp.Nds); B.A; Cert IV Proj.Man.Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree ofDoctor of PhilosophySchool of Media, Entertainment, and Creative Arts:Film & ScreenFaculty of Creative IndustriesQueensland University of Technology2017
KeywordsSoul, vampire, personhood, undead, horror film, horror television, horror cinema,humanity, morality, Twilight, True Blood, The Vampire DiariesThe Moral Undead: Representations of the soul in contemporary vampire film and televisioni
AbstractThe vampire was introduced to the cinema in the early 1920s and has become apopular and prevalent character in both cinematic and televised forms. In filmstudies, it is widely recognised that the vampire has traditionally been represented asa monster embodying the societal anxieties of particular times—as Auerbach notes,‘every age embraces the vampire it needs’ (1995, 145). However, at various times infilm history, and in its literary, televisual and cinematic forms, the vampire has alsobeen represented as a sympathetic and reluctant creature—as Smith explains, thisdepiction encourages viewers to align with the vampire character (1995, 83). Sincethe early 2000s, there has been a marked shift in how the vampire is represented;since the 2008 release of The Twilight Saga films (Hardwicke 2008; Weitz 2009;Slade 2010; Condon 2011, 2012) in particular, numerous films and television showshave portrayed the vampire as a character that exhibits increasingly human-liketraits.Precursors to the post-millennial vampire include the vampires Angel andSpike, the protagonists (and sometimes antagonists) of the television series Buffy theVampire Slayer (Whedon 1997-2003) and Angel (Whedon and Greenwalt 19992004), who were portrayed as having souls, and many plotlines from both seriesrevolved around this notion. In terms of scholarship focused on investigating therepresentation of the soul in Buffy and Angel, analysis has tended to concentrate onsacred notions of the soul. Since these shows ended, little has been written inscholarly literature about the soul of the vampire or the representation of the soul inWestern post-millennial vampire film and television. Consequently, there are fewstudies that consider the nature of the post-millennial vampire through the lens ofmetaphysical ontology—that is, soul theories, including both sacred and secularapproaches to analysis.This study is a genre and textual analysis of the post-millennial vampire’srepresentation in film and television through the lens of predominantly secular soultheories. The research is guided by the primary research question:iiThe Moral Undead: Representations of the soul in contemporary vampire film and television
How is the soul represented in post-millennial film and television vampirehorror narratives?The research also addresses three key sub-questions: How do representations of the soul in post-millennial vampire horrorreflect theoretical understandings of the soul? Can the presence of a soul denote the personhood of a being and, if so, canvampires therefore be considered people? If a vampire is represented as having a soul, what are the implications ofthis for horror film and television studies?This thesis argues that a new cycle of vampire representation exists in the vampirehorror sub-genre, which this thesis terms the ‘sensitive cycle’ and that commencedaround 2008. The research also argues that within this cycle, the post-millennialvampire is represented as having a soul. In seeking answers to the primary researchquestion, the thesis explores the notion of personhood in relation to representationsof the ensouled vampire. Through close textual analysis, the study establishes themarked shift in representation of the vampire as an ensouled being with the status ofpersonhood, thus delineating an identifiable new trope in the sub-genre.The Moral Undead: Representations of the soul in contemporary vampire film and televisioniii
Table of ContentsKeywords . iAbstract .iiTable of Contents . ivList of Figures .viiStatement of Original Authorship . viiiAcknowledgements . ixCHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 11.1Background to the study . 11.2Research questions. 41.3Significance of the research . 51.4Texts studied . 61.5Delimiting the study . 7Western vampire film and television. 7Contextualising the study: Postsecular society. 91.6Methodology and Research Design . 11Field of research . 11Genre studies . 12Textual analysis. 141.7Thesis Outline . 15CHAPTER 2: EVOLVING THE SYMPATHETIC VAMPIRE. 192.1From folklore to cinema: monstrosity to sympathy . 19Folkloric and historical beginnings: True monstrosity . 19The vampire in early literature . 21Early cinematic vampires . 23Dark Shadows: A new era in Gothic melodrama . 262.2The Postmodern vampire . 27Changes in horror cinema: The transition from monstrosity . 27Changes in cinematic vampire horror . 28The debut of vampires with souls: Angel and Spike . 312.3The Post-millennial vampire . 322.4Evolving the vampire through Serialisation. 35Serialised vampires: from fiction to film . 35The serialisation of television horror. 38The serialisation of television vampire horror. 40Market cycles and their effect on serialised vampire horror . 422.5Conclusion . 44CHAPTER 3: THE NARRATIVE ENVIRONMENT OF THE SYMPATHETIC VAMPIRE . 453.1Narrative features of vampire horror . 45The fantastic and fantasy . 45Dark desires and death . 47Monstrosity . 493.2Generic features of post-millennial vampire horror . 51Exploring vampire nature through universal themes. 51ivThe Moral Undead: Representations of the soul in contemporary vampire film and television
Archetypal characters: Devices for character growth . 53Metaphors: contextualising the narrative . 553.3Vampires and the romantic ideal . 57Immortality, youth and beauty: Idealising the vampire . 57The Gothic, Byronic heroes, romance and women. 59The passions, young adults, and vampires . 613.4Conclusion . 64CHAPTER 4: THE NATURE OF THE SOUL . 654.1Shifts in depictions of the vampire soul . 654.2Early understandings of the soul . 67Early Greek thought on the soul . 67Early Christianity . 69The influence of Descartes . 704.3Signifiers of the soul: Identity and personhood . 72Memory theory and personal identity. 73Establishing personhood and ensoulment. 75The capabilities of a person . 78Sentience, well-being and death . 804.4The Quantum soul . 82Quantum theories and the movement of consciousness . 834.5Conclusion . 86CHAPTER 5: THE VAMPIRE SOUL—ANALYSIS THROUGH THE LENS OF SOULTHEORIES 895.1Analysing vampire narrative through early soul theories . 90The layered soul and superpowers . 90The case of Russell Edgington: The true face of vampires . 93The layered soul of vampires . 95Alive or dead? The soul in transition . 96The case of Bella: Transitioning to vampire—death of body and soul?. 97A spectrum of being . 1005.2Undeath and True Death: The fate of the soul . 106Vampire narratives and substance dualism . 106The case of Carlisle: A damned soul . 1085.3The quantum soul and the Vampire . 110The case of Adam and Eve: Spooky action at a distance . 110‘The fabric of the Universe’ . 113The case of Lilith and Billith . 1145.4Conclusion . 116CHAPTER 6: PERSONHOOD OF THE VAMPIRE . 1186.1Personhood and continuity . 119The characteristics of personhood . 119Approaches to personal identity . 122Mind and memory . 124The case of Eric Northman: A millennium for revenge . 1286.2The rights and dignities of a person . 131Vampires in the moral community . 138The case of the Cullens: A gathering of witnesses . 1386.3A divergence: Early and post-millennial vampires . 141The case of Count Dracula: ‘Does not play well with others’ . 1426.4Conclusion . 146The Moral Undead: Representations of the soul in contemporary vampire film and televisionv
CHAPTER 7: MEANINGFUL IMMORTALITY . 1477.1The meaningful life of the sympathetic vampire . 148What is a ‘meaningful life’? . 1487.2A continuum of vampire Characterisation . 150The monstrous Other . 151Hybrids . 152Vigilantes . 153Mainstreaming monsters . 153The accomplished mainstreamer . 155The case of Jasper Hale: Making moral choices . 1577.3The conscious experience of the vampire . 159The vampire is conscious . 159A vampire can reason with you . 159Self-motivated activity and the sire-bond . 160Vampire, know thyself . 161Communicating with vampires . 1627.4Conclusion . 164CHAPTER 8: THE MORAL UNDEAD—THE ENSOULED VAMPIRE AS A CYCLE IN THEVAMPIRE SUB-GENRE . 1668.1The ‘sensitive cycle’ . 1668.2Vampires with souls and personhood . 170The issue of ensoulment and personhood. 170The issue of locating monstrosity. 172The issue of ‘the undead’ . 173The importance of the ensouled vampire . 1748.3Soul theories: a new lens for analysis . 1758.4Conclusion . 178Further research. 181REFERENCES . 183viThe Moral Undead: Representations of the soul in contemporary vampire film and television
List of FiguresFigure 7.1 A continuum of vampire characters. 151The Moral Undead: Representations of the soul in contemporary vampire film and televisionvii
Statement of Original AuthorshipThe work contained in this thesis has not been previously submitted to meetrequirements for an award at this or any other higher education institution. To thebest of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previouslypublished or written by another person except where due reference is made.viiiSignature:QUT Verified SignatureDate:19 July 2017The Moral Undead: Representations of the soul in contemporary vampire film and television
AcknowledgementsFor insight, support and super-quick review times, thanks are due to my supervisor,Dr Mark David Ryan. It’s a rare thing to find someone who not only didn’t think Iwas strange for wanting to do a PhD on vampires, but who also actively encouragedme to take the plunge and wade through the PhD quagmire up to my neck invampires for years thereafter. Thanks also to my associate supervisor Dr LesleyHawkes for talking all things vampires with me and encouraging me to read outsidethe box. And to my erstwhile supervisor, Associate Professor Alan McKee, thankyou for reinventing my whole approach to, and appreciation of, media and the arts.I am grateful to my work colleagues for their support, ongoing encouragement,Frank the Quest Spirit Guide and knowing when not to ask how the thesis was going.From the other side of the country, Dr Shannon provided the much-needed ‘you cando the thing!’ boosts by way of motivational surprises and emotional support, forwhich I am humbly thankful.For enduring years of endless conversations about vampires, the soul and themeaning of life, thanks go to my family, especially to my mum, who was willing todiscuss vampires and read philosophy with me.Professional editor, Carody Culver, provided copyediting and proofreadingservices, according to the guidelines laid out in the university-endorsed national‘Guidelines for editing research theses’.The Moral Undead: Representations of the soul in contemporary vampire film and televisionix
Chapter 1: Introduction1.1BACKGROUND TO THE STUDYThis study explores representations of the soul in post-millennial vampire horror, andexamines how the vampire can be understood within the context of personhood,through the textual analysis of a selection of post-millennial vampire films andtelevision series. The representation of the vampire as a reluctant and/or sympatheticcharacter in film and television programs can be traced back to televisualrepresentations in series such as Dark Shadows (Curtis 1966-1971), among otherexamples. Such characterisations of the vampire stand in contrast to earlierdepictions of the eponymous character in Tod Browning’s original interpretation ofDracula (1931) or FW Murnau’s Nosferatu (1922), which were depicted as fearful,monstrous and even demonic creatures. In the 1990s, the portrayal of the sympatheticvampire became more prevalent on screen and marked an important shift in vampirerepresentation. This was also evident in literature and popular fiction and in popularculture more generally (Kane 2006, 3). Louis, the protagonist in the feature filmversion of Interview with the Vampire (Jordan 1994), is a primary example of avampire that tried to integrate into society, and that showed a burgeoning capacityfor empathy and the ability to love and be loved. Interview with the Vampirearguably marked the beginning of the increasing prevalence of the sympatheticvampire in film and television (Kane 2006, 3), and popular films and series followedthat also featured conflicted and sympathetic vampire protagonists, including theBlade film series (Goyer 2004; Norrington 1998; Toro 2002) and the television seriesAngel (Whedon and Greenwalt 1999-2004).Representations of the sympathetic vampire have continued into the postmillennial era—in a wide range of texts, vampires are depicted as making the choiceto abstain from human blood or finding alternatives to killing humans, living amongpeople, making choices based on rational moral thought and adopting ostensiblyhuman lifestyles. Moreover, the vampire’s physical and psychological characteristicsare ‘increasingly humanised’, which, as Botting (2008, 2) notes, makes vampiresmore alluring. Piatti-Farnell (2014, 12) argues that this increased humanisation hasoccurred because in stories where romance is the central narrative axis, ‘both theChapter 1: Introduction1
physicality and psychology of the vampire will be moulded towards attractiveness soto be appealing to a romance-attuned readership’, or viewership in the context ofscreen texts. As a result of the hybridisation of the vampire sub-genre with genericcategories—most prominently romance and the Gothic—and narratives that revolvearound vampire characters with human-like characteristics, the characterisation ofthe vampire ‘creature’ in contemporary film and television has become far morecomplex than its earliest depictions of the vampire as a demonic monster.As this suggests, many post-millennial vampire film and television series fromBlade (Goyer 2004; Norrington 1998; Toro 2002) to The Vampire Diaries (Grismer,Butler and Siega 2009-2017) revolve around themes, stories and subtext in relationto blurring the boundary between monstrosity and humanity. While this boundarycan be examined from a number of different perspectives, including political, social,moral and ethical viewpoints, this study approaches the post-millennial vampire filmand television show from the perspective of ensoulment and personhood, as thechosen texts explore themes that speak to, and can be read in terms of, the soul.Contemporary thought and scholarship that explores what defines and constitutes the‘soul’ reveals that this idea is a complex one that has historically been understood inthe sacred tradition as the essence or spirit of a person—an entity separate to, butresiding within, the human body (Aristotle 1984c; Aquinas 1905; Augustine 1947;Descartes 1989; Plato 1997a, 1997b). More recently, the notion of the soul has beenexplained from a secular viewpoint, which suggests that the soul can be defined bythe presence of characteristics, capabilities and qualities of personhood (Larkin 2010;Locke 1993; Nozick 2013; Warren 1997, 1973; Whitman 2010). Yet the soul as acore thematic concern in vampire film and television texts is an issue that was rarelyexplicitly examined as an object of study in scholarship until the release of thetelevision series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Whedon 1997-2003) and its spin-offAngel (Whedon and Greenwalt 1999-2004): two series where the concept of having asoul became a key narrative component. However, even when ideas pertaining to thesoul were explicitly examined or raised in narratives such as Buffy, Angel, andForever Knight (Borris and Kroeker 1992-1996), the soul was often portrayed interms of Christian notions of redemption and salvation.To date, limited research has been conducted into how post-millennial textsreflect, problematise or correlate to contemporary thought on the soul and2Chapter 1: Introduction
personhood. With the screening of ensouled vampires in Buffy and Angel camescholarship that connected the notions of ‘soul’ and ‘vampire’ (Abbott 2009; Colvin2005; Forster 2003; Greene and Yuen 2003; Hills and Williams 2005; Jenson andSarkeesian 2011; Little 2003; McLaren 2005; Sakal 2003; Stevenson 2003; Upstone2005). The journal Slayage also emerged, which specifically analyses the works ofJoss Whedon ("Slayage: The Journal of Whedon Studies" 2009 - ), particularly thethemes that emerged from Buffy and Angel. This allowed for a shift in the literatureaway from dominating discussions around folkloric elements and the prevalentimage of the ‘vampire-as-other’ or ‘vampire-as-monster’ (Avdikos 2013; Butler2013; Creed 1993, 2002; Lecouteux 1999; Perkowski 1989; Sugg 2011; Summers1929; Wiktorin 2011). The Buffy and Angel series have narratives that, while notovertly Christian, are underpinned by dichotomies of good and evil bearingsimilarities to those of the Christian tradition (Stevenson 2003, 62). These underlyingdichotomies informed how the soul was represented in these narratives, and thus howthe constitution of the soul can be interpreted (see for example Colvin 2005; Hillsand Williams 2005; McLaren 2005). These series laid the groundwork for furtherexploration of soul concepts; this is discussed in Chapter 2.Current philosophical, psychological and scientific studies of the soulencompass the qualities, capabilities and characteristics of the mind (Descartes 1968;Descartes 1989; Locke 1993), consciousness and personhood, (Berman and Lanza2010, 2014; Collins 2011; Frixione 2014; Locke 1993; Penrose 1994; Warren 1997;Whitman 2010), and morality (Greene and Yuen 2003; Harris 2010; Kant 2005;Mutch 2013; Silverman 2009; Stevenson 2003)—ideas that are arguably religiouslyneutral. Thus, contemporary theoretical thought on the soul offers a broader approachto studying the way the soul is represented and reflected in the core texts examined inthis research. As cultural anthropologist Pierre Wiktorin (2011) notes, many postmillennial vampire narratives, especially since the release of the series of films inThe Twilight Saga from 2008, can be characterised in terms of postsecular themesand societal traits. These include the representation of a society where both secularand sacred interests coexist and contribute to narrative tensions, and where there is‘an open and interactive relationship between modern reason and religion’(Ungureanu and Thomassen 2015, 104).Chapter 1: Introduction3
Examining the question of how the soul is represented in post-millennial textssolely from traditional or, more specifically, sacred perspectives, is thus arguably toonarrow a focus to appreciate the complexity of how the soul is now represented invampire narratives. More specifically, current studies also do not examine therepresentation of the soul using a range of varying, complementary and sometimesopposing philosophical and critical positions. An approach that does considercontemporary theoretical understandings of the soul is one that h
have portrayed the vampire as a character that exhibits increasingly human-like traits. Precursors to the post-millennial vampire include the vampires Angel and Spike, the protagonists (and sometimes antagonists) of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer
May 02, 2018 · D. Program Evaluation ͟The organization has provided a description of the framework for how each program will be evaluated. The framework should include all the elements below: ͟The evaluation methods are cost-effective for the organization ͟Quantitative and qualitative data is being collected (at Basics tier, data collection must have begun)
Silat is a combative art of self-defense and survival rooted from Matay archipelago. It was traced at thé early of Langkasuka Kingdom (2nd century CE) till thé reign of Melaka (Malaysia) Sultanate era (13th century). Silat has now evolved to become part of social culture and tradition with thé appearance of a fine physical and spiritual .
On an exceptional basis, Member States may request UNESCO to provide thé candidates with access to thé platform so they can complète thé form by themselves. Thèse requests must be addressed to esd rize unesco. or by 15 A ril 2021 UNESCO will provide thé nomineewith accessto thé platform via their émail address.
̶The leading indicator of employee engagement is based on the quality of the relationship between employee and supervisor Empower your managers! ̶Help them understand the impact on the organization ̶Share important changes, plan options, tasks, and deadlines ̶Provide key messages and talking points ̶Prepare them to answer employee questions
Dr. Sunita Bharatwal** Dr. Pawan Garga*** Abstract Customer satisfaction is derived from thè functionalities and values, a product or Service can provide. The current study aims to segregate thè dimensions of ordine Service quality and gather insights on its impact on web shopping. The trends of purchases have
Chính Văn.- Còn đức Thế tôn thì tuệ giác cực kỳ trong sạch 8: hiện hành bất nhị 9, đạt đến vô tướng 10, đứng vào chỗ đứng của các đức Thế tôn 11, thể hiện tính bình đẳng của các Ngài, đến chỗ không còn chướng ngại 12, giáo pháp không thể khuynh đảo, tâm thức không bị cản trở, cái được
ofmaking think and reform their ideas. And those true stories of import-antevents in the past afford opportunities to readers not only to reform their waysof thinking but also uplift their moral standards. The Holy Qur'an tells us about the prophets who were asked to relate to theirpeople stories of past events (ref: 7:176) so that they may think.File Size: 384KBPage Count: 55Explore further24 Very Short Moral Stories For Kids [Updated 2020] Edsyswww.edsys.in20 Short Moral Stories for Kids in Englishparenting.firstcry.com20 Best Short Moral Stories for Kids (Valuable Lessons)momlovesbest.comShort Moral Stories for Kids Best Moral stories in Englishwww.kidsgen.comTop English Moral Stories for Children & Adults .www.advance-africa.comRecommended to you b
Le genou de Lucy. Odile Jacob. 1999. Coppens Y. Pré-textes. L’homme préhistorique en morceaux. Eds Odile Jacob. 2011. Costentin J., Delaveau P. Café, thé, chocolat, les bons effets sur le cerveau et pour le corps. Editions Odile Jacob. 2010. Crawford M., Marsh D. The driving force : food in human evolution and the future.
