Flesh and Blood
Vampires have been a part of legends for many years. They have been depicted as blood thirsty creatures with fangs. They walk around only at night for the sun is their enemy. Do we really know where the idea of vampires came from or why they were created? Is it just our imagination that gets to us or are they real? With the popularity that vampires have received in the past few years, I believe there is much more to look at. From books and television to movies and toys, vampires are everywhere. They have struck a cord in us all, from our imagination to the smallest details. What makes us want more? What do they represent in our own lives? Vampires are a depiction of our “flesh” nature expressing selfishness, destruction, and death. What I mean from flesh is the carnal nature that we live in.
With a heart and soul we have compassion and love burrowed deep within. We can express forgiveness and have the ability to be forgiven. Without this our flesh could care less. If we allow our carnal nature to take over we become careless, selfish, and destructive. If we don’t have to worry about any ones feelings we are set to go and only have to worry about ourselves.
“In popular legend, a bloodsucking creature that rises from its burial place at night, sometimes in the form of a bat, to drink the blood of humans” ("vampire." Britannica Concise
Encyclopedia). A vampire “lives” only to drink human blood. Why? From this description they have no purpose in life. If they have no purpose, than why be here on earth? In comparing this to life, there is so much more to it. This portrays the selfishness of life. In the heart and soul there is a passion for life, more meaning than that to only think of oneself. We have the ability to touch a life around us with compassion. When we allow our flesh to rule our lives selfishness enters.
Selfishness can burrow its way deep into the body. It can smother your heart and feelings to where nothing matters to one anymore but itself. In the dictionary selfishness is described as “devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others.” (Dictionary.com) Vampires are blood thirsty creatures who care to feed themselves, regardless of the life they are taking. They don’t stop to ask if the victim has children or a good job. They eat to live. Our own carnal nature will stop at nothing to be able to “feed” itself. Regardless of the people surrounding, the flesh will do what it feels to do. What will make me feel better? Unless the heart overcomes the flesh it can be so selfish and destroy the things and people around you. In the movie Twilight, there is a family of vampires. This family is very different though. They do their best to try and not kill humans for blood. Bella the human girlfriend comes over for dinner to meet Edward’s parents. Dr. Carlisle Cullen says to Bella, “Sorry, Jasper's our newest vegetarian. It's still a little difficult for him” (Twilight 2008). In this part of the movie, Jasper can’t hold back and tries to attack Bella. This is a perfect depiction of a war against the flesh and the soul. The rest of the family has allowed their heart and soul to overcome the flesh’s desires. Jasper has not been at it as long and is struggling with it. He allows his flesh to do the leading. It may take time and practice to think of others above oneself, but it can be accomplished. This is an everyday experience as a human. We wake up with a choice every morning. Are we going to allow our flesh to run our lives or our heart?
If the flesh is allowed to control our lives destruction follows. Vampires depict this by the death in nature of the humans around them. If we allow our lives to be so selfish we destroy the relationships around us. A researcher spent some time with people who claimed to be vampires. These vampires have formed a community and live practically normal lives. In this article, Dawn Perlmutter claims that, “Vampirism, the most recent manifestation of the occult, has led to many crimes, ranging from vandalism to murder” (Laycock 8). This expresses the destruction and complete sorrow of our lives. The friends and loved ones that we keep close is what keeps life going. Loneliness dissipates as the love of our families draws closer. We can express the intimate details and confide in the ones closest to us. There is a freedom to express our feelings without fear of judgment. Although we have all this in the ones we love the most, if we allow our flesh to take over it can destroy the ties we have. Destruction is the total tearing down of the relationships around us. Loved ones are here to support us when we feel wavering, to love us when we feel weak, and to encourage us when we need our spirits lifted. When the flesh controls it erases all these memories of what others have selflessly done for us.
After we allow selfishness to nest in our lives and destruction has destroyed the relationships around us, death comes in like a flood. In the movie Twilight Bella has been bitten by another vampire and the poison is going to kill her. In an attempt to save her life Edward begins to suck her blood to get the venom out. Dr. Cullen says to Edward, “Edward, stop. Her blood is clean. You're killing her. Stop. Find the will” (Twilight 2008). In this particular section it depicts the strong desires of the will of flesh against the soul. Edward would do
anything to protect his precious woman, but his flesh gets in the way desiring to continue to suck her blood. When the Doctor tells Edward to find his will, Edward struggles, but finds it. This is depicting allowing the heart or will to be in control of life itself.
Early in October of this year there was a story in the news about vampires that attempted to get blood from a body by stabbing a man. “Police say the victim, 25-year-old Robert Maley, was stabbed after refusing to let his roommates suck his blood” (Jagneaux ). The vampire, Aaron Homer, told the officers that he had become enraged and stabbed the victim. What one would go through to get what they want. This is because of fleshly desires. They have allowed themselves to put aside every feeling from their own heart and soul to satisfy the flesh. Death and destruction over shadow all reason. If there wouldn’t have been people around this man, I really do not know if he would have stopped. His desire for blood mixed with his rage and anger would have lead him to do what maybe at one time he would conceive unthinkable. The death in this sense is of our heart and soul. When we allow selfishness and destruction to root in our hearts, death comes and covers the soul, taking out any feeling of life at all.
The death that a vampire causes may be physical, but the death we have is personal, spiritual, and emotional. We may walk around with our hearts and lives depicting our selfish desires. There is no excitement anymore, only the desire to see results for our own good. The flesh will lead us to this death and we will not even be able to stop and realize. The people on the outside will be able to see what has happened, but we will be blinded thinking that we have all that we could ever want.
Just a little bit at a time- a small taste of cake, meanwhile we are on a diet. I’m just going to have one bite of that delicious double chocolate fudge… okay, maybe just a little more. Soon after we look at the plate and the whole piece of cake just disappeared. This is how the soul is completely destroyed. Allowing the flesh to have just a little bit of control seems harmless. Slowly it is allowed a little bit more until it is too late. At that point is when it is hardest to realize what is wrong.
Vampires through legend, fictional characters, and ones that claim they are now, have all shown one thing in common; the desire for human blood. Just as a delicious piece of cake to us, the succulent nectar is something worth killing for. Nothing will be able to stand in the way to achieve the one thing they want most.
Selfishness- something that one would want so bad for their own good, regardless of the people or relationships around them. Blood- a strong, selfish, and thirsting desire that one would destroy for. Destruction- caused by selfishness leading to the breakdown of the loved-ones that desire only the best for your own wellbeing. Death- a personal, spiritual, and emotional dying of the world around us, caused by the selfishness burrowed in a life. Death- depicted by vampires as a physical death caused by a selfish desire for blood.
From Twilight and Dracula to the real life stories and legends, Vampires depict the flesh in our lives. Allowing the carnal nature to take over and have its way, giving no concern for anything or anyone around.
Works Cited-
Jagneaux, Jim. "Arizona 'Vampires' arrested after stabbing roommate for blood." Arizona Family 3TV. 10/10/2011. Web. 3 Nov. 2011. .
Laycock, Joseph. "Real Vampires as an Identity Group: Analyzing Causes and Effects of an Introspective Survey by the Vampire Community." Nova Religion 14.1 (2010): 4,4-23. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 2 Nov. 2011.
"selfish." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 02 Nov. 2011.
Twilight. Dir. Catherine Hardwicke. Summit Distribution, 2008. DVD.
"vampire." Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2009. Credo Reference. Web. 03 November 2011.
