Graduation Term
Spring 2025
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Department of English: Writing
Committee Chair
Gabe Gudding
Committee Member
Ray Levy
Abstract
For centuries we have looked at the vampire as a monster, one that skirts the line into acceptability not only because of the vampire's motivations, but more importantly because our depictions of vampires make them desirable to us. This thesis explores the vampire archive, and the question of how the monstrosity of the vampire interacts with race, sexuality, and gender to further uphold notions of white supremacy. This thesis will look at the classic vampire canon set forth by Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu and two contemporary black vampire narratives: The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez and Fledgling by Octaiva E Butler, as well as iterations of Interview with the Vampire the first installment of Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles series. By examining these contemporary narratives, we can see a subversion of the white supremacist figuration of vampires, as the narratives work to hold up a mirror to white supremacist beliefs that have been set forth by dominant vampire narratives.
Access Type
Thesis-Open Access
Recommended Citation
Jones, Jalissa, "Making Monsters: The Intersection of Black and Queer Characters in Vampire Fiction" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 2053.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/2053
