Dracula - Interpreted by Ryan v.

A staple of most, if not all, Gothic literary works is the common theme of obsession of life, to the point where a character resorts to great extremes in order to acquire a highly desired goal. Perhaps one of the most prominent instances of this common Gothic element is Bram Stoker’s classic horror novel Dracula. Throughout the tale, the titular antagonist struggles through a plethora of hurdles to fulfill his never-ending thirst for blood, by any cost whatsoever, As put by one of the books primary protagonists, Dr. Van Helsing:

“’... the nosferatu do not die like the bee when he sting once. He is only stronger; and being stronger, have yet more power to work evil… he is of cunning more than mortal, for his cunning be the growth of ages; he have still the aid of necromancy… without heart or conscience, preying on the bodies and the souls of those we love best”’ (Stoker 253-254)

This simple fact sets the stage for the entire novel and its struggle, from his introduction in the tale in Transylvania, to his acts of terror in England, to the resolution of the novel with Dracula’s demise – all a result of his obsessive and unquenchable lust for sustenance for life. To remain alive, the monster has to feed on blood, and in doing so, is obsessed with maintaining a food supply so he may live for centuries more. Now, while Count Dracula went to great lengths to maintain his century-old quest for immortality, the end result was futile – however, the risk of chancing success in England was well worth the effort. Had the vampire succeeded in his campaign for immortality, he would have prospered in the densely-populated metropolis of London. Though the end was less than satisfactory for Dracula, his attempt to relocate to England was not a worth-while venture

Like Dracula, there are individuals today that express a similar lust for life – a hunger for life that brings out the darker side of human beings. A prime example of such devotion for life was the actor Christopher Reeve, who became paralyzed following a horse riding accident. From 1995 on to his death in late 2004, Reeve was an activist for the disabled and paralyzed. Perhaps one of the most controversial acts Reeve took to get closer towards recovering was lobbying for increased funding towards embryonic stem cell research. He would continue fighting for stem cell research until the very end of his life. While not nearly as malevolent or extreme as the urge to acquire life found in Dracula, the late actor’s life after paralysis sheds some light on the obsession for life seen throughout the Gothic genre.