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The lure of the dead boyfriend part 2 - the vampire as an escape
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Henry and Vicki from the Lifetime TV Series Bl
In a world today filled with war and terrorism, many people look for ways to escape. The wives of the World War II era escaped their daily routines by reading romance novels and sharing them with their other married friends. At the time, their heroes were soldiers, firemen, and police officers that would rescue the women from whatever danger they faced. They were the savior of the young weak female lead character. In these stories both characters were written as physically perfect however it was the female that would have a helpless flaw or problem that only the lead character could fix. The hero would leave each day to do his “manly” job, come home to rescue her from whatever mess she would find herself, and at the end of the day would please her in every way. These were of what women would dream and read.
But, today the reader is no longer a dependent housewife that stays at home and cares for the family. As a result, fifty years later this literature has developed in much of the same way as the lead female character has developed. She is now financially independent and lives alone. She is no longer the buxom blonde but more of a girl next door type that the vampire finds so mysteriously alluring. She gets into trouble but does not need rescuing instead she assists in the adventure. She is her own hero that experiences this adventure equally with the vampire at her side. This is true of several series of vampire romance books, including the more popular Southern Vampire Series by Charlaine Harris, Blood Series by Tanya Huff, Templar Vampires Series by Rene Lyons, and Vampire Shrink Series by Linda Hilburn.
Author Linda Hilburn continues in her bog to discuss the questions she is asked the most, “Why all the fuss about vampires?” She found in her real life private psychotherapy practice an upsurge in her women clients reporting that they dream of forbidden acts and romance with none other than the alluring vampire. She became fascinated with these dreams and began to question why they are occurring so often. She found that in today’s world women felt less secure than before especially after the events of September 11, 2001. The once American heroes (police, soldiers, and firemen) were found to be destructible after that day. They suffered and died as heroes but were not indestructible. What she came up with was that the modern female reader began to look for immortal and indestructible heroes. Their chosen new hero is the vampire, an aristocratic gentleman who can sweep you off your feet, romance in ways you have never been and still survive a terrorist or any other attack and live with you forever (Hilburn, 2008).
In her book, The Vampire Shrink, Hilburn tells the story of a young psychologist named Kismet Knight. She does not believe in the paranormal but does want a little excitement in her life. She is bored with the life she leads and begins to look for something more but is shocked by the dark supernatural world she finds. This storyline is much like The Blood Series by Tanya Huff and her main female character. Vicki Nelson is also a non believer. She is a former police officer turned detective who has found herself in this dark world as well with not only vampires but witches and demons. In both series, Kismet and Vicki are pulled into a love triangle between a human law enforcement officer and a vampire. Kismet’s suitors are Alan Stevens, FBI profiler and Devereux, an 800 year old vampire. Vicki’s suitors are former police partner Mike Celluci and Henry Fitzroy, the illegitimate vampire son of King Henry VIII. These suitors attempt to protect and empower their female loves but both the humans and the vampires offer something that the other cannot. The humans offer security, stability, and normality for the life that the female lead has always known. However, the vampire offers the “bad boy” appeal that most women have longed for at one time. They respect the female lead as a person but at the same time they want to protect and care for her.
This is the quandary that many women face today while trying to be both independent and feminine. They want to prove that they can do anything that they want to but also let everyone know that just because they can do it all it does not mean that they have to do it all. The humans in these stories are still flawed as are the real life men in the readers’ world. Does anyone lust for an undead Al Bundy or does one crave for that aristocrat that will provide for you while at the same time empowering you to take the lead? Throughout these stories, vampires are not bound by human law and experience complete freedom. These bad boys are often flawed and need the female characters to help fix them, thus giving the female power over the male vampire.
In real life, Hilburn’s clients expressed disappointment in the men in their real life (Hilburn, Why do women love vampires, 2008). They complained that they are ignored for football, beer, and television and are overlooked in the bedroom. The real men in their life take it for granted that they will always be there to take care of them. After living this life and reading these new vampire romance books how many women are not going to open that window and let that mysterious stranger floating outside into her bedroom?
Do you read vampire novels or watch movies for escapism?
What do you think of the substitution of vampires in literature as new age heroes??
