Abstract

Vampire has a long history in western culture and it gains popularity in the modern society. Although it is originated from the continent, its development is mainly in British and American culture. Literature on vampires is enduring and prosperous through centuries and the vampire culture has become an important part of the mass culture. One of the most famous vampire works is the novel Dracula (1897) which is written by the Irish writer Bram Stoker and the vampire image in this novel has become a classic. Many years later, the release of The Twilight Saga once again triggered a vampire fever. Changing with the development of human society, the vampire image has carried increasingly rich connotations. It can be easily found that the vampire images in The Twilight Saga are different from those in other vampire novels. The vampire images in The Twilight Saga are endowed with new connotations, as well as the theme of the novels. This thesis aims to analyze the development of vampire images on the basis of The Twilight Saga so that people can have a better understanding of the contemporary connotation of vampire culture.

Key words: vampire culture; The Twilight Saga; vampire images

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction-1

1.1 The Significance of the Study-1

1.2 The Organization of the Study-2

2. Literature Review-2

2.1The Origin of Vampire Culture-2

2.2 Vampires in Early Literature Works-4

2.3 Vampires in Modern Literature Works-5

3. Vampire Culture in The Twilight Saga-6

3.1 The Introduction of The Twilight Saga-6

3.2 The Love between Edward and Bella, Jacob and Bella-8

3.3 The Contradiction between Reason and Desire of Edward-9

3.4 The Racial Conflict between the Vampires and Werewolves-10

4. New Development of Vampire Culture in The Twilight Saga-11

4.1 The Transition of the Vampire Image-12

4.2 The Transition of the Theme-14

4.3 Summary-16

5. Conclusion-16

Works Cited-18