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Thesis (B.A.)--Haverford College, Dept. of Religion, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

My thesis examines the ways in which blood is represented in vampire novels, films, and vampire communities. I locate my thesis within a postmodern framework that encompasses a diverse range of critical approaches such as postmodern, feminist and materialist theories, anthropology, psychoanalysis, and histories of medicine and ideas. The mixture of high and low status texts selected examine the ways identity, self-fashioning and the body are constructed through their use of a symbolics of blood. The first chapter examines the changing meanings of blood in vampire texts from the nineteenth century to the present through the discourses of medical science and technology. While blood is shown to be an important fluid in biomedicine, at the same time it conjures up associations with identity and corporeality. The second chapter examines consumption as a trope to define and control the female vampire. Through the analysis of literal and figurative acts of cannibalistic consumption, eating and incorporation in vampire literature, the chapter seeks to address female appetite, disease and identity. The third chapter examines the use of blood and postmodern self-fashioning in vampire communities in order to expose the various meanings of real or symbolic blood within postmodern culture. I conclude by addressing issues and ideas that my thesis has brought to the fore and which can be explored further.

This diploma thesis thematically follows up one of subgenres of young adult popular literature - paranormal romance. Its main aim is to create a comprehensive definition of this subgenre on the basis of interpretation of representative sagas - Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn), Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (Hush, Hush, Crescendo, Silence, Finale), Nightshade by Andrea R. Cremer (Nightshade, Wolfsbane, Bloodrose, Snakeroot), Wings by Aprilynne Pike (Wings, Spells, Illusions, Destined) and Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake (Anna Dressed in Blood, Girl of Nightmares). The thesis was divided into eight chapters. In the first chapter we have outlined the historical development of paranormal romance, in the second part we focused on its genre characteristic. In the third and fourth chapters we tried to create a prototype of heroine and hero of this subgenre. The fifth part is about the steady plot schemes in paranormal romances. In the sixth chapter we have tried to determine a model form of relationship main pair of lovers in the analyzed subgenre. In the seventh part we discussed conflict between everyday reality and the supernatural and the social hierarchy in the fiction world of paranormal romances and we introduced supernatural species and races that...