Mutations of the Vampire Motif in the Nineteenth Century

This thesis seeks to explore the figure of the vampire in its specific historical contexts throughout the nineteenth century. It is an in-depth look at the social and cultural events which inspired literary appearances of the vampire from its oral beginnings in the eighteenth century and through each decade of the nineteenth century. It discusses how specific historical events and personal experiences of the authors of vampire fiction might have impacted the presentation of the vampire in those decades. It also details the shifting attributes of what constitutes a vampire, and how the motif is transmitted in terms of literary format. Broadly, it seeks to demonstrate that there is no set vampire canon, and no singular vampire figure. The ultimate aim of this thesis is to challenge received notions about the vampire, to chart its transformations, and thereby to attend to the complexity of a motif being constantly reworked in new historical and cultural contexts.