English 4710/5710: The Vampire in Folklore, Literature, and Film
fall 2019

Topics for the Term Paper

For this course, students will be able to write their term papers on a number of different topics, some of which are described below. Students who do not wish to write on any of the suggested topics topics may write on another one once they have it approved by one of the instructors.
 

�         How do the young �punk� vampires in The Lost Boys differ from the vampire characters in the Twilight movies?�

�         Describe the motifs about the vampire in folklore and compare them with those expressed in literature and/or film. Why do some of the motifs differ between folklore and the two art forms?

�         In "The Vampire in Roumania," Agnes Murgoci prominently mentions St. George's Eve and St. Andrew's Eve. What are these two days? How are they associated with the belief in vampires?�� In the same article, the number 40 keeps recurring.� What is the significance of this number?

�         Discuss the place of vampires in the social, cultural and religious contexts of those who believed in them. Why might people have actually believed in vampires?

�         There are actual historic documents that discuss "vampiric" events, especially in the 18th century. What were these events? How did secular and ecclesiastic authorities react to them?

�         After having studied the vampire motifs in folklore and literature, write an essay in which you compare how one of these motifs functions in Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula, with another fictional vampire text of your choosing.� (Be sure to see the information provided on how to write an effective literary analysis in which you compare two texts.)

�         After studying the vampire in folklore and comparing several film and literary versions of the Dracula story, write an essay in which you explain how and why narratives from film or literature either depart from or maintain folkloric conventions.

�         Some researchers have claimed that Bram Stoker based his character Dracula on Vlad Tepes. How strong is the evidence for this claim? What were Bram Stoker's sources in writing Dracula?

�         What vampire motifs did 19th century authors introduce in their works? Which motifs survived in later writings? Which did not?

�         How do vampires in 20^th/21^st century literature differ from those in 19^th century literature?

Instructions for Writing a Term Paper

English 477: Course Syllabus