This thesis researches to what extent traditional vampire folklore and the vampire myth as established in Dracula have shaped the twenty-first-century image of the vampire in the best-selling...Show moreThis thesis researches to what extent traditional vampire folklore and the vampire myth as established in Dracula have shaped the twenty-first-century image of the vampire in the best-selling Twilight Saga, as well as in the recent Vampire Academy series of novels. The main focus lies on the initial shaping of the vampire image. It critically explores the changes added by Bram Stoker, Stephenie Meyer, and Richelle Mead in order to ascertain the influences of modern-day authors' fantasy writings. It shows that the work of Meyer and Mead plays a pivotal role in the vampiric humanization process within the twenty-first century. In this process the vampire moves from evil zombie-like monster in vampire folklore, to Dracula's solitary aristocrat, to Meyer's society struggling with moral/ethical choices, to Mead's Fully socialized, modern world.Show less
When translating a book into a film script, and subsequently into a film, often aspects of the story are changed either because of different interpretations of the story or with the sole purpose of...Show moreWhen translating a book into a film script, and subsequently into a film, often aspects of the story are changed either because of different interpretations of the story or with the sole purpose of changing the source text to fit the new medium (Sanders 2). This thesis will critically explore differences between Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park (1990) and The Lost World (1995) and their 1993 and 1997 film adaptations. In doing so, it will show that changes made during the adaptation process were caused, on the one hand, by commercial pressures within the film industry, technical concerns, and the director’s artistic vision, and, on the other hand, by new scientific discoveries in the field of paleontology.Show less
In this thesis I explore in what ways Shirley Jackson critiques the position of women in postwar American society in her last two novels: The Haunting of Hill House (1959) and We Have Always Lived...Show moreIn this thesis I explore in what ways Shirley Jackson critiques the position of women in postwar American society in her last two novels: The Haunting of Hill House (1959) and We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1962).In both these novels Jackson takes the idea that a woman's position is in the house literally, and explores the connection between the female protagonists and their Gothic mansions in which they are trapped. In the Hauntíng of Hill House, the apparitions in the house represent the claustrophobic feelings and societal pressures on the protagonist. Whilst in We Have Always Lived in the Castle the destruction of the house by the villagers symbolically represents what the villagers wish to do to the female protagonist in the novel. In order to develop these critical insights, this thesis will engage with feminist theories about the role of women in society written around the time these novels were published, such as Friedan's The Feminine Mystique (1963) and Millett's Sexual Politics (1970), as well as Toril Moi's later discussion of the continued relevance of post-war feminism in Sexual/Textual Polítics (1985). It will relate the feminist theories of women's identity and social role to the dominant patriarchal gender ideology of the time. Other significant contextual sources will be Jackson's o'ftctionalized" memoirs of her own domestic life: Life Among the Savøges (1952) and Raising Demons (1957). Theories of the Gothic genre's, and in particular the haunted-house sub-genre's, relation to domestic themes will allow me to clarify why Jackson turned to the Gothic as a literary mode through which to express her critique of women's plight in the post-war period.Show less
In this thesis, the concept of identity as presented in The Handmaid’s Tale - both the novel and the Hulu series - will be dismantled to reveal the identity politics within its narrative and...Show moreIn this thesis, the concept of identity as presented in The Handmaid’s Tale - both the novel and the Hulu series - will be dismantled to reveal the identity politics within its narrative and literary context. In the first chapter, identity politics within the 1985 novel will be explored, to find out how these fit in with the contemporary identity politics debate. The second chapter will contain an analysis of the 2017 series, which will be compared to the 1985 novel, to further explore how the book's identity concepts have been adapted for the modern small screen. Furthermore, the second chapter will critically discuss which adaptation choices have been made and how these affect The Handmaid’s Tale (2017- ) as an updated version of the book. The second chapter will also display the use of The Handmaid’s Tale within contemporary identity politics, to show how The Handmaid’s Tale - both the novel's source material and the series' adaptation - have become part of the current popular culture. As this thesis will show, The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) contains the identity politics elements that are necessary to adapt it to a twenty-first century version. The Handmaid’s Tale is a still relevant speculative version of reality that (1) explores a possible outcome of the essentialism - constructivism debate, (2) where totalitarianism is used as a political framework, inspired by historical politics - and where (3) the exploration of gender identity, minority identities and identity in general is a main objective. Through these elements, The Handmaid’s Tale has been able to participate in critical debates concerning the construction of identities, especially gender identities, in the broader context of feminism and identity politics as a whole, and to establish itself as a symbol of the modern identity politics debate featured on the small screen.Show less
Because Isle of Dogs is simultaneously an animated picture involving talking animals and a work of socio-political critique, the movie and its central themes can be perceived differently by both...Show moreBecause Isle of Dogs is simultaneously an animated picture involving talking animals and a work of socio-political critique, the movie and its central themes can be perceived differently by both children and adults (Rosenburg). For children, Isle of Dogs tells the tale of a boy’s desperate quest to find his lost dog. For adults, however, themes of imprisonment such as dogs in camps allude to American soldiers in Japanese POW camps, Japanese American citizens in American internment camps, and the large amount of Jewish people in German concentration camps. For many adults watching the film, animals, and the dogs specifically, become allegorical vehicles for historical tenors. Moreover, contemporary political philosophies such as Trumpism are also respectively scrutinized, criticized, and satirized in the film, adding another layer of political allegory to this richly allusive film. In turn, the references to the various events that took place during the Second World War draw out contrasts and parallels with current American politics, emphasizing that history can repeat itself, according to Anderson.Show less
This MA Thesis has sought to highlight the extent to which the dystopian genre foregrounds the role played by language in controlling people's perception of reality. As such it is a study that...Show moreThis MA Thesis has sought to highlight the extent to which the dystopian genre foregrounds the role played by language in controlling people's perception of reality. As such it is a study that reflects on the meta-textual themes in dystopian fiction, rather then socio-political themes, which is an original approach. It builds a methodological framework by bringing together critical concepts from major scholars within formalist and structuralist literary-critical theory, to show that the manipulation of language, using various tools, is of paramount importance in maintaining the ideology that the dystopian society aims for. This thesis concludes that language can be manipulated in many ways to gain power, but also, that with the correct tools, such as defamiliarization, one can escape these manipulative approaches.Show less
This thesis presents a comparative analysis of Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel The Haunting of Hill House and the 2018 Netflix TV series adaptation by director Mike Flanagan based on the interpretive...Show moreThis thesis presents a comparative analysis of Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel The Haunting of Hill House and the 2018 Netflix TV series adaptation by director Mike Flanagan based on the interpretive-focused theoretical approach within the field of film adaptation studies. The main argument is that as the result of the change in narrative structure, the TV series steps away from the individual psychological Gothic with Eleanor as its primary subject, and instead moves towards an intersubjective exploration of trauma and loss of the Crain family members.Show less
This thesis explores the journey that Shadow Moon makes in American Gods by Neil Gaiman. This journey takes the shape of a guest for individuation. In this journey he encounters characters and...Show moreThis thesis explores the journey that Shadow Moon makes in American Gods by Neil Gaiman. This journey takes the shape of a guest for individuation. In this journey he encounters characters and symbols that represent Jungian ideas and through these encounters Shadow becomes a better person.Show less
