Date Approved
2017
Degree Type
Open Access Senior Honors Thesis
Department or School
English Language and Literature
First Advisor
Elisabeth Däumer
Second Advisor
Mary K. Ramsey
Abstract
Since vampirism threatens the psychological stability of human beings, religion is utilized to combat vampires in Bram Stoker's Dracula. Jutta Schulze alludes to a dominant discourse that establishes moral binaries through religion. However, when the presence of God is limited or non-existent, individuals within L. J. Smith's Secret Vampire cannot rely on moral binaries to understand vampires. Instead, they must redefine their self-identity without Christian beliefs that would otherwise deem vampires unacceptable. "Too Retro for Religion" examines the exclusive nature presented by religious binaries in Victorian literature in comparison with the transformative human-vampire relationship in modern fiction.
Recommended Citation
Barringer, Jasmyn C., "Too retro for religion: Self-identity and the presence of God in the works of L. J. Smith and Bram Stoker" (2017). Senior Honors Theses and Projects. 514.
https://commons.emich.edu/honors/514