The Bite, the Breast and the Blood

Central to every vampire story is the undead’s need for human blood, but equally compelling is the human ingestion of vampire blood, which often creates a bond. This blood connection suggests two primal, natural desires: breastfeeding and communion with God through a blood covenant. This analysis of vampire stories explores the benefits of the bonding experiences of breastfeeding and Christian and vampire narratives, arguing that modern readers and viewers are drawn to this genre because of our innate fascination with the relationship between human and maker.

Amy Williams Wilson has presented on the contemporary vampire story at various academic and pop culture conferences around the United States. She teaches English at West Virginia University and Fairmont State University.

Amy Williams Wilson

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 263
Bibliographic Info: appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2018
pISBN: 978-1-4766-6613-6
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3183-7
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments ix
Preface 1
Introduction 5
One • Blood and Vampires 13
Two • Bonding 36
Three • Nourishment, Healing, Life 57
Four • Conversion, Identification, Sensitivity 78
Five • Protection, Comfort, Safety 102
Six • Attraction and Pleasure 130
Seven • Intimacy 148
Eight • Belongingness, Affirmation, Acceptance 168
Nine • The Relevance and Appeal of the Vampire Story 191
Appendix: The Real Humans in the Vampire Story 209
Chapter Notes 213
Bibliography 239
Index 247