Vampire Motif in O. Mirtov’s Novel Dead Swell: Gender Aspect
The article discusses the reinterpretation in O. Mirtov’s (Olga Negreskul) novel Dead Swell (1909) of the images and plot moves of the novel by English writer Bram Stoker Dracula (1897) and, in general, the vampiric myth peculiar to romantic and neo-Gothic literature. Recognizable clichés associated...
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| Language: | English |
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Russian Academy of Sciences, A.M. Gorky Institute of World Literature
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Studia Litterarum |
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| Online Access: | https://studlit.ru/images/2024-9-1/10_Kuznetsova.pdf |
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| author | Ekaterina V. Kuznetsova |
| author_facet | Ekaterina V. Kuznetsova |
| author_sort | Ekaterina V. Kuznetsova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The article discusses the reinterpretation in O. Mirtov’s (Olga Negreskul) novel Dead Swell (1909) of the images and plot moves of the novel by English writer Bram Stoker Dracula (1897) and, in general, the vampiric myth peculiar to romantic and neo-Gothic literature. Recognizable clichés associated with the appearance and abilities of vampires manifest themselves at different levels of the novel: at the level of subtext in ambiguous conversations about blood, in the description of the appearance of the characters (red lips, a string of red coral beads around the neck, pallor, haggardness), in the characteristics of their actions (the physical attraction of a man to a woman is compared with the craving of a vampire to fresh blood, it is realized in the form of sadistic pleasure associated with violence: forced intimacy, neck bites, beatings, tickling). These artistic details form a cross-cutting motif of vampirism. The writer’s appeal to the vampiric myth is due to the gender issues of the novel Dead Swell. The reader reveals the picture of psychological and sexual vampirism and the eternal conflict between man and woman in an androcentric society. In this struggle of the sexes, a woman, as a rule, finds herself in the role of the defeated and most often dies, and her tormentor, like a vampire, goes in search of the next victim. With the help of the motif of vampirism, Negrescul reveals and comprehends from the point of view of a woman the taboo themes of violence, sex, and death in Russian classical literature, which allows her to express her attitude to the “women’s question,” “the problem of gender,” the concepts of eros and platonic love. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-96dfabcd0ece4256b8464447b65faa7f |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2500-4247 2541-8564 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Russian Academy of Sciences, A.M. Gorky Institute of World Literature |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Studia Litterarum |
| spelling | doaj-art-96dfabcd0ece4256b8464447b65faa7f2025-08-20T03:19:53ZengRussian Academy of Sciences, A.M. Gorky Institute of World LiteratureStudia Litterarum2500-42472541-85642024-03-019118620510.22455/2500-4247-2024-9-1-186-205Vampire Motif in O. Mirtov’s Novel Dead Swell: Gender AspectEkaterina V. Kuznetsova0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6045-2162A.M. Gorky Institute of World Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, RussiaThe article discusses the reinterpretation in O. Mirtov’s (Olga Negreskul) novel Dead Swell (1909) of the images and plot moves of the novel by English writer Bram Stoker Dracula (1897) and, in general, the vampiric myth peculiar to romantic and neo-Gothic literature. Recognizable clichés associated with the appearance and abilities of vampires manifest themselves at different levels of the novel: at the level of subtext in ambiguous conversations about blood, in the description of the appearance of the characters (red lips, a string of red coral beads around the neck, pallor, haggardness), in the characteristics of their actions (the physical attraction of a man to a woman is compared with the craving of a vampire to fresh blood, it is realized in the form of sadistic pleasure associated with violence: forced intimacy, neck bites, beatings, tickling). These artistic details form a cross-cutting motif of vampirism. The writer’s appeal to the vampiric myth is due to the gender issues of the novel Dead Swell. The reader reveals the picture of psychological and sexual vampirism and the eternal conflict between man and woman in an androcentric society. In this struggle of the sexes, a woman, as a rule, finds herself in the role of the defeated and most often dies, and her tormentor, like a vampire, goes in search of the next victim. With the help of the motif of vampirism, Negrescul reveals and comprehends from the point of view of a woman the taboo themes of violence, sex, and death in Russian classical literature, which allows her to express her attitude to the “women’s question,” “the problem of gender,” the concepts of eros and platonic love.https://studlit.ru/images/2024-9-1/10_Kuznetsova.pdfo. mirtovo. negreskulb. stockerdraculavampiric mythgender issueswomen’s creativity |
| spellingShingle | Ekaterina V. Kuznetsova Vampire Motif in O. Mirtov’s Novel Dead Swell: Gender Aspect Studia Litterarum o. mirtov o. negreskul b. stocker dracula vampiric myth gender issues women’s creativity |
| title | Vampire Motif in O. Mirtov’s Novel Dead Swell: Gender Aspect |
| title_full | Vampire Motif in O. Mirtov’s Novel Dead Swell: Gender Aspect |
| title_fullStr | Vampire Motif in O. Mirtov’s Novel Dead Swell: Gender Aspect |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vampire Motif in O. Mirtov’s Novel Dead Swell: Gender Aspect |
| title_short | Vampire Motif in O. Mirtov’s Novel Dead Swell: Gender Aspect |
| title_sort | vampire motif in o mirtov s novel dead swell gender aspect |
| topic | o. mirtov o. negreskul b. stocker dracula vampiric myth gender issues women’s creativity |
| url | https://studlit.ru/images/2024-9-1/10_Kuznetsova.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ekaterinavkuznetsova vampiremotifinomirtovsnoveldeadswellgenderaspect |