Please comment on one or more of the below questions for the student co-leaders for today:
Throughout Lost Souls [so far], there doesn't seem to be a glaring spotlight on the protagonist. Each character gets their 'fifteen minutes of fame' alternating in each chapter. What sort of effect does this have on our development of the characters? Does this leave us with a disconnect towards the protagonist? Does this form of storytelling leave you fulfilled? Alongside this question, there is an obvious protagonist, explicitly told to us… However, I'm curious if you think that any other character(s) could be considered as the protagonist and why? (Rohaina H.)
Sexuality seems to be a reoccurring attribute of vampire fiction that we can not escape.In what ways does this aspect of vampire sexuality "beef up" the novels we have read? In other words,how does it take them further? Is some sexuality something you have come to expect when reading vampire literature? In what ways has vampire sexuality been similar or different between the books I Am Legend, Dracula, and Lost Souls. Do you tend to think of a vampire's sexuality as "selfish"? (Akanimoh E.)
Throughout Lost Souls, Poppy Z. Brite creates vivid imagery through the use of very colorful and sometimes glamorous descriptions of both characters and the environments. How do you feel the imagery of this novel compares to that of other vampire novels? How does this effect the transition from older to more modern interpretations of the vampire? (Robert F.)
I think sexuality is always relevant in today's society. I have come to expect it to be in most novels I read, as well as in music, television, movies, etc. In this novel, within the first few pages there is a notion towards sexuality, "... other women's husbands pull other men's wives to them under cover of Spanish moss and anonymity, hot silk and desperate searching tongues..." (Brite). I think sexuality is often if not always present in vampire fiction because it is one of the most pure human emotions and desires. By that I mean, people can't always control it, it is what it is. The fact that nonhumans, vampires, use this desire against humans is part of their manipulative nature. We have previously discussed that vampires have the supernatural power to control those around them, but I think a lot of times they just know how the human mind works and they use it against them.
ReplyDeleteI think this does "beef up" novels in a sense that as a human reader (...probably) we can sympathize with the human in the novel being manipulated, because we probably have some sense of how they feel or how we would feel in some situations.
I don't look as vampire sexuality as selfish, I look at it as clever. I find almost everything vampires do to be clever in the way they control those around them by manipulation, possible supernatural powers, and charm.
This is evident in most vampire novels I have read or am familiar with, even I Am Legend with Ruth who blatantly deceived Robert into believing she was human.
I think that by telling the story from multiple points of view, Brite makes the story much more interesting. Lost Souls presents itself as a sort of web; although each point of view and each story line is separate, they are all woven together and are all connected. This also gives the reader more insight into each individual character, and the reader is able to look at each character from multiple angles. If Lost Souls were told from one point of view, then each character would be filtered through that single perspective; the reader would only be able to see the characters from one angle.
ReplyDeleteAs we discussed in class, vampire narratives almost always deal with what it means to be "human." With this taken into consideration, I think it makes a lot of sense that sexuality is such a common theme in vampire stories. Sexuality, whether we embrace it or shun it, is intrinsically human. I think that vampires indulge so freely in their sexuality because it is one of the free things that they can do; sexuality is one of the remaining aspects of humanity that vampires maintain. The vampires in Lost Souls are very sexual, and while some people may see their sexuality as perverse or grossly hedonistic, I feel like they are simply being primal, more than anything. The vampires in Lost Souls seem to be ruled by two main forces: the desire to have sex, and the desire to feed. Although these forces may seem to be animalistic, these two forces are natural and primal; they are something that every human feels.
We definitely have a strong mental image of the scenes occurring within the story from the author's descriptions. From the way the characters look, how they sound, the odors in the air, and the scenery, we have a lot of things to draw from to make a picture of what is happening within our heads. The third-person narrative does a lot to help this type of story telling. Looking back at the stories we have read already, mainly "Dracula" and "I Am Legend", we can tell immediately a very significant difference of the information the author is giving us. Both "Dracula" and "I Am Legend" are told in a first-person perspective, while "Lost Souls" is third-person. From the first-person point of view, we receive a lot of the mental aspect of what is going through the characters head as they experience the events throughout the novel, while in "Lost Souls", we get the third-person perspective placing the character in a scene and being told everything happening around the character. It seems the older vampire novels focused more on the mental aspect of the vampire legend; people learning that these vampires exist among them and how the vampires slowly mentally torture their prey. While in "Lost Souls", we see the actions of the vampires clearly told in the novel. We don't feel as afraid of the actual act of the vampire taking and killing their victim. What I feel the author is trying to make us afraid of is the more human part of the vampire, such as Christian's want of companionship and Zillah's constant wandering. We aren't so much afraid that they exist, but that they have nothing but time on their hands and need to find a way to escape their boredom. That is what I think is ultimately motivating Christian and Zillah's troupe.
ReplyDelete~Anthony J.
By introducing vampire sexuality in the novel, the author depicts the vampires quite differently from the previous ones we have read, especially from the ones in I Am Legend. Now that the vampires have sense of sexuality, it became quite similar to humans since sexuality is something that is closely embedded in our lives. People do not associate the word sexuality with monstrous creatures, which vampires in the previous novels appeared to be as. Growing up in an Asian culture, I did not have many opportunities to get exposed to facts about vampires. I knew about the garlic and the cross which were used to defend oneself from the vampires but that was about it. I have never viewed vampire as a human-like creature and therefore never thought it could have sexuality. If they are using their sexuality to seduce man-kind and drink their blood, which seems like it is the case for the vampires, it could seem selfish; however, if we look at this as vampire’s instinct, as many insects and animals attract their prey to survive, it may not be something that can be considered as “selfish.”
ReplyDeleteI believe that sexuality is so popular in vampire novels because sexuality is one of the most intimate and vulnerable things that a human can experience. Vampires are drawn to the vulnerability of their pray so one way to ensure that their victim is as vulnerable as possible is to put them in a position where they feel completely bare and susceptible to the vampire’s control. I believe this is the same reason vampires take blood from the necks of their victims. If you think about it, the neck is one of the most vulnerable parts of the human body, which is extremely captivating to a vampire. Both humans and other animals have an instinct to protect their necks from others, especially those who they do not know. By playing off of sexuality, vampires are able to make their pray extremely vulnerable, both physically and mentally. This is shown in Dracula, when the three women vampires mesmerize Harker. Had Dracula not interrupted them, they most likely would have fed on and killed Harker. Also, in I Am Legend, Neville starts to become softer and more open after meeting Ruth, also making him more vulnerable. This vulnerability due to sexuality is also shown in Lost Souls when Jesse sees Zillah, “…Most of all she saw the lovely impassive face of Zillah looking on, his brilliant eyes like green jewels set in moonstone. And her stomach clinched, and her mouth watered, and a secret message travelled from the softest fold between her legs to the deepest whorl of her brain." This shows how the sensuality of vampires can be used to make humans vulnerable both physically and mentally. I wouldn’t say that a vampire’s sexuality is “selfish” but I would say that it definitely benefits the vampire in most of the sexual situations it encounters.
ReplyDeleteI don't necessarily think that writing the story from multiple points of view creates a lack of a protagonist. Yes, it blurs the lines between who's supposed to be the hero and who's the villan a bit, but it doesn't change the fact that (while drawn to and fascinated by Zillah the reader is-much like Dracula) there's still something monstrous about him. Just because Zillah isn't painted as being the "bad guy" doesn't make him the one the story is based upon. If anything I would say the focus is placed on Steve and Nothing, based on how often the other characters spend reflecting on the two of them. But I love that there are so many points of view explored, because you see the story from several different angles then (again, like Dracula).
ReplyDeleteThe sexuality in Brite's book was shocking when I first encountered it in the prologue. Something about the very direct, explicit language used makes the whole scene uncomfortable (the use of the word "sperm" isn't seen my in romantic texts). And yet it adds to the allure very much as the vampire brides did in Dracula; they're something horrible to Harker and yet he feels himself being excited by them. That same feeling is mentioned a lot during Lost Souls, that mixture of horror and pleasure which seems to be paramount to the vampire narrative.
First, I think sexuality is used in all sorts of literature because sex sells. Specifically, though, I believe sexuality plays an important role in vampire literature, television, movies, etc. As Rosalinda mentioned, sex and intimacy create vulnerability making it easier to take advantage of a person. It seems to be a common theme that vampires seduce their victims into sexual acts to bring them to their most vulnerable state and then they bite them.
ReplyDeleteLost Souls uses sexuality a bit more explicitly than any of the other things we've read so far. In I Am Legend, the vampires are more zombie-like and while the women are said to use their bodies to lure Neville outside, that is basically the extent of sexuality between humans and vampires in that novel. With Dracula, we do see those three women seduce Harker, but they are interrupted by Dracula. Lost Souls seems to draw on sexuality more so than the other stories in that basically all of the vampire attacks mentioned in the book involve sexual acts. I'm not sure what is meant by the question of this being "selfish" but I don't think these vampires seduce humans to pleasure the humans; they clearly do what they want with their human lovers.
I don't think I have ever read or seen a vampire story where sexuality was not present in some way. It only makes sense for it to be present in these stories. It is how vampires attract their preys, in this case humans, much like creatures in the real world find the most effective way to attract their preys. Sexuality is the most effective method for vampires to do so because it is during those moments that humans are most vulnerable in my opinion. What better way for a vampire to attract a human to feast on than becoming intimate with them and making them feel most comfortable right before striking while they are at their weakest.
ReplyDeleteThe extreme descriptiveness of the sexuality present in Lost Souls is definitely much more intense than anything we have read so far. At times I couldn't believe some of the things I read. I had to reread the whole situation with Christian and the boy from the club to make sure I read that correctly.
I don't see vampires sexuality as being "selfish", they do what they need to do to survive, just like any other creature would do only in this case sexuality is the most effective method for them. When Christian feasts on the boy from the club, he doesn't tell the boy that he can't make him become a vampire to let him have that dream, which shows compassion towards humans. They aren't doing it just because they can, but because they need to and they don't feel good about doing it. So no, it is not a "selfish" act in my opinion.
I believe that sexuality is one of core values in vampire fiction. In my opinion, it is simply because sexuality makes every mankind nervous, heart beats faster and brings many other states physically and also mentally. And vampires are using the mankind’s sexual desire or instinct in order to manipulate people. Seduction is vampires’ best survivor method that makes their victims into vulnerable state. In Lost Souls, the description is more extreme than the other novels. I do not think vampire sexuality as selfish but I see it as their instinct of survive.
ReplyDeleteSang K. Hwang
Sexuality is a core theme in any genre of literature including the vampire fiction. For vampires, there sexuality does make them selfish and I think this is a key aspect to the vampire's character. The character of a vampire is typically presented as strong, overpowering, and controlling. With a strong sense of passion, the vampire's overbearing character is emphasized. A vampire's sexuality also makes it easier to relate with its character. If the character of a vampire did not exhibit any sort of sexual passions then it would be very hard to understand their motives.
ReplyDeleteVampire sexuality plays a strong role in how we view vampires. When we look at Robert Neville, we see him yearning for sex repressing his urge and desire to want to have sex because of nobody to have sex with. When we get to Dracula, we see our protagonist seduced by three vampire seductress and it becomes the part of the novel that makes you wonder can vampires and humans mate, what happens when they do, whats the result. I think Lost Souls will undoubtedly have a strong glimpse into vampire sex and lore. Its seems like each book is not just an individual book, but a series of books, ironically all from different authors, that shows progressing sexuality of vampires from different ages.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ted to a degree sexuality for vampires is just another way to attract more prey. But I wonder if vampire sexuality is an enhanced ability. Why are vampires so "sexy", is it because they are dark and mysterious? Or could it be vampire sexuality is heightened by supernatural properties, like all other natural attributes. I think its because of supernatural powers because what if an unattractive person was turned into a vampire, I am pretty sure they would be able to seduce a human giving me inklings to believe vampires are gifted with a sexual prowess upon becoming a vampire.
Kevin Sloss KS
Sexuality in vampire narratives plays an important role. In I Am Legend, Robert Neville is constantly being toyed with by vampire women that are using their nakedness to lure him outside of the house. In Dracula, we see sexuality play an important role when Harker sees the vampire ladies, he is fearful, but more encapsulated by their beauty and sexual prowess. In Lost Souls, the text is overwhelmingly sexual, more so than the other books we've read thus far. However, overall I believe sexuality plays a significant role in vampire fiction because it illustrates human weaknesses, and simultaneously shows the vampire's powers.
ReplyDeleteSexuality in Lost Souls is much more violent then we what we have encountered in our previous readings. Rather then vampires going around seducing women and leaving them for dead, we have a more human collection of sexual encounters. What was most interesting to me was the killing of vampire mothers by their babies. I think the much more graphic sex in this book adds to the horror elements of the story. There's a sort of shock factor in these scenes that makes the vampires seem much more real and unpredictable.
ReplyDeleteSexuality takes a much more prominent and explicit role in Lost Souls with sexual acts, whereas in the previous two novels we have read it is something that is portrayed more as a physiological battle with most overt sexual acts being mentioned only in passing. The very beginning of this novel opens with a very explicit scene about the sexual promiscuity in New Orleans on Mardi Gras. For the vampires themselves the very act of feeding on blood seems to have sexual undertones in this novel. Sexuality in some form or another seems to be a reoccurring theme in vampire novels because it has a lot to do with what it means to be human, and therefore it makes the “vampires” in all of these respective novels more captivating and relatable. The constant references to sexuality “beef up” the novel we have just read by giving the characters, and especially the vampires a new dimension that was only hinted at in the other novels we have read. The author also seems to play around with the idea of gender identity where many of the vampires like Zillah where it is implied that they have very feminine elements in their physical appearance. The poster that read “MEN WILL TURN INTO WOMEN BEFORE YOUR EYES” is also a clear indication of the skewed nature of gender and gender roles throughout this novel (Brite 6). The indefinite gender lines in Lost Souls, also make sexuality very different and more central to the overall message of this novel as compared to Dracula, and I Am Legend.
ReplyDeleteSexuality especially the way it is expressed by the vampires in Lost Souls and in the previous vampire novels we have read does seem to imply that sexuality is impulsive and thus somehow a selfish feeling. In I Am Legend Robert Neville fights his sexual urges the whole time, because he perceives these urges as almost animalistic and not befitting of an enlightened human being. Lost Souls seems to be take a more embracive stance towards sexuality, but never the less in many ways it is still animalistic. As previously mentioned sexuality and vampire feeding on blood are very much intertwined in Lost Souls. When the vampires feed they are described as hungry, wild-eyed, dogs. In this sense I think sexuality is very much a selfish thing and yet it is portrayed as something that cannot be easily controlled.
I find vampires and sexuality to be inexorably tied together. So far in every work we have read, whether it be Lost Souls or Dracula, we have seen that characters are drawn to vampires. This desire is almost lustful or forbidden. Then there is the fact that Vampires themselves have been are attracted to humans, mainly that of human blood and vitality. There desire for us also lustful and forbidden. In that way I do not see a vampire's sexuality as selfish but rather mutual.
ReplyDeleteBrandon W.
Honestly, I don't think that there can be a main protagonist with the way this author writes by jumping around to different POVs (point of view). I do think that this causes issues with readers being able to attach themselves to one character, however with more than one character you get multiple perspectives, which in this case--since the books that we have read so far only offer one perspective of one vampire--makes it interesting and diverse considering how each character has distinguishing traits.
ReplyDeleteSexuality in vampire fiction seems to be inevitable. I don't think that I have read anything with a vampire in it that doesn't become seductive at some point. I do agree that there is a different kind of sexuality in the books that we have read so far. "I Am Legend" seems to be the least sexual, then going up the ladder I'd say "Dracula" and "Lost Souls" are what I'd expect to typically find. If the sexuality is part of a character trait then I think it works in a novel because it shows us that vampires do have human desires, however when it becomes the main driving factor for a plot--like a vampire desiring someone romantically--then I think it weakens it.
Micaela M.
Sexuality “beefs up” vampire fiction because it touches on parts of humanity that many would like to downplay. By bringing this aspect into the novel, readers become involved and sympathetic in a different, perhaps deeper way. Just as society has come to associate the vampire with blood lust, so too has it developed an association between a primal sexuality and the vampire. In all three of the novels this sexuality seems to be very raw and seductive, making them similar in manner. However, there are slight differences. For instance, within I Am Legend the sexuality appears to be very vulgar and demeaning while Dracula displays it as alluring, sensual, and frightening in the case of the three women. Altogether, the use of sexuality throughout these novels seems to be another useful tool in developing the tone of the novel and shaping the reader experience.
ReplyDeleteSarah S.
I think that it is a very modern concept having the vampire seem more glamorous than the vampires from the other novels we have read so far. From the very first pages of Lost Souls, it is obvious that the vampires in this version are meant to be in a more modern setting. By taking so much time to describe the beauty of these vampires it seems as if the author wanted the reader to be sympathetic to the vampires point of view. Based on the other novels that we have read in class so far, more specifically I am Legend made it so the vampires were made out to be the enemy not the character you were supposed to sympathize with. The vampires from Lost Souls, are described as being very beautiful which I think is a very common theme in the modern vampire genre. Instead of focusing on characteristics could isolate a vampire from its human counterparts I think that focusing on the glamour of the vampire life is a good way to make them seem more likable. (Jessica G.)
ReplyDeleteFrom what I recall, both old and contemporary vampire stories have always reflected aspects of vampire sexuality to some degree; thus, I’ve come to expect sexuality as one of the reoccurring attributes of vampire fiction.
ReplyDeleteVampire sexuality “beef up” the novels by initially leading the readers to feel sympathy towards the victims. From reading I am Legend, Dracula, and Lost Souls, readers find vampires in making (calculative) approaches to human beings to put victims in danger – in getting their blood drawn out in neck by that of vampires. Seeing human beings in these vampire fictions get vulnerable and susceptible to danger, readers may initially feel sympathy towards the human victims; after all, readers can relate to the victims since 1) our “breed” – or human beings – have been manipulated and victimized, and 2) we can relate to and find such moment and position in getting victimized as totally surrendered and controlled by that of vampires.
However, upon reading more and more vampire fictions, I’ve come to find vampires sympathetic in addition to that of the victims, or our “breed.” Noting that vampires share many humanistic qualities and yet different from human beings in that they must draw blood out of human beings for survival, I’ve found their lives quite sad. For instance, personally, as a human being, I ultimately seek and pursue a life of happiness and love; on the contrary, it appears that vampires are bound to seek a life for blood. With such thought, I find vampires to be repressed. Consequently, I find vampires as a breed to sympathize for, rather than simply viewing them to be selfish. (Jenny L)
I think that vampire sexuality in some of these novels serves a few general purposes. First off, it fits in with what we expect from popular media, more so even in today's society where storytelling is increasingly sexualized, and as such it fits in with themes that would increase circulation of literature.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, and more importantly to me, it brings a certain 'human' element into the traditionally monstrous vampire. The idea of seductive pursuit brings a more grounded feel to otherwise supernatural creatures. Aside from that, it also makes sense, as it makes them more effective hunters of humans: using our own base urges against us to prey
People who do not believe in vampires dying does not seem like a coincidence. This is actually a theme that many of the horror movies and stories embody in their scenarios. For example, when a group of people is locked up in a haunted house, usually the first one to get killed by a ghost or a serial killer is the one who explore the house with curiosity and confidence in the thought that nothing is going to happen to them. Many authors use this senario becaue it causes the audience to feel the need to believe in the vampires as well, since many people who do not believe in them end up dying. The more the audience get engaged in the book, the more they would feel the need to believe in the vampires.
ReplyDeleteThe imagery Poppy Z. Brite uses in this novel, makes it have a very different feel than other vampire novels we have read thus far. Brite’s descriptions give the novel an almost bright and pop-art type feel for me. Things and smells I wouldn’t expect to get described get extremely colorful and vivid adjectives added on to them almost haphazardly, and yet the novel still flows very well. Lost Souls is quite different from Dracula in this way. Dracula becomes a very dry and dull novel in comparison with its long diary entries describing activities in detail rather than scenery or objects.
ReplyDeleteKim K.