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IV. LITERATURE AND MOVIES ON VAMPIRES
Aim: Can anyone explain why vampires have become so popular in literature and movies?
Learning Objective: To identify and enjoy different literary genres and artistic styles.
Your assignment: Using a popular search engine such as google.com, please find out at least 3 movies on the subject of vampires.
People of all ages, cultures, and places have always been obsessed with the supernatural. The established religion gave them some answers. However, popular beliefs survived any systematic attempt to impose a centralized way to understand the supernatural. People mixed different interpretations that dealt with the "underworld" and its creatures. Religion and the state reacted at times violently trying to purge any other explanation of the unexplained. During the middle age, Europe had witnessed centuries of witch hunt, where tens of thousands of people were charged with witchcraft and sentenced to death.
The United States had its brush with witches. The most famous example is Salem Witch Trial. You are asked to complete the following chart:
| What I know about Salem Witch Trial | Web sites I consulted on the subject | What I found out on the subject |
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Even in our modern times, democracy may not fully protect us of excesses. There are at times "witch hunts", when people are punished for their beliefs or their ethnic and racial identity. Here is an example from the recent history of the United States: The Black List.
Does anyone know what a black list is? Can you give examples?
Check the following material on the subject of:
Questions for a class discussion, homework, or writing assignment:
Can you give some examples of a "witch hunt" going on in the world today?
Have you ever been targeted as a "witch" or a "sorcerer" by people who did not agree with the way you looked, your race, ethnicity, or your beliefs? Please present your narrative or testimonial here.
Vampires in literature and movies are such a rich subject. They represent the supernatural, the unknown world. They are the outsiders, the "weird" ones. They are the "dark side" of many of us. Or, even better, vampires represent misunderstood or mistreated creatures. Many times vampires become the victims of a society with little toleration for people different from the norm.