Serna 1

Dominick Serna

Professor LaGraffe

Philosophy & Literature Studies

03/19/18

Novelistic Description of The Vampyre

The most common depictions of vampires today are seen as creepy, pale, mysterious, deformed,

with a European accent. Some examples include Count Dracula from 2004’s “Van Helsing” and

Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”. These vampire version is pale, tall, mysterious, have a strong sexual

desire to them, and of course they both drink the blood of his victims. Before Count Dracula was

ever thought of, there was a short story that introduced a vampire that is in a league of his own.

Some may sat that this is the original vampire. It is called “The Vampyre” by John Polidori.

Polidori introduces descriptive sense of dread and horror in a classical writing style of the gothic

genre by the strong use of metonymy, setting description, as well as detailed characteristics.

The Vampyre begins with the story being set in London. Polidori gives the first

description with, “IT happened that in the midst of the dissipations attendant upon a

London winter,” (Polidori, 1). The setting is in the winter time of London, where a party is

happening one night. The description already gives the idea of the typical cold, dark setting. An

example of metonymy for a classic setting of something important or terrible to happen. Further

into the passage, the character of Lord Ruthven, (though not yet named), is introduced. He is

described as wandering around the social gathering, as well as being noticed by many in the
crowd. “He gazed upon the mirth around him, as if he could not participate therein.” (Polidori,

1). Ruthven is then quickly described to have “dead, grey eye,” (Polidori, 1) and to have pale

skin to his face. “In spite of the deadly hue of his face, which never gained a wanner tint,”

(Polidori, 1). Ruthven is depicted as odd looking, but interesting. Due to those characteristics, he

is invited to almost any social gathering or party that is taking, or will take place. In this passage,

the reader can most likely identify Lord Ruthven as possibly being the villain of the story,

judging by the way he is wandering around staring at people. Ruthven could possibly be

planning something or he could just be a weird kind of person. His characteristics, though make

him seem some-what weird, Polidori writes that women would in a metaphorically “throw”

themselves at him. One example would be how a female character by the name of Lady Mercer,

tries, and fails, to get Ruthven’s attention. She gets him to notice her, but ultimately ignores her,

causing her to “leave the field”. Polidori’s description of her is that she is most likely wealthy

and mocked by her marriage. Another character is introduced by the name of Aubrey. As soon

as Aubrey is introduced, Polidori describes him as a wealthy, handsome young man, who

happens to be an orphan left behind with his sister. This description gives off a heroic kind sense

to Aubrey. Who just so happens to be at the same party as Lord Ruthven. Aubrey fits the role of

a hero in the gothic genre by his passion of “honour and candour”. Polidori writes:

“He had, hence, that high romantic feeling of honour and candour, which daily ruins so many
milliners' apprentices. He believed all to sympathise with virtue, and thought that vice was
thrown in by Providence merely for the picturesque effect of the scene, as we see in romances:
he thought that the misery of a cottage merely consisted in the vesting of clothes, which were as
warm, but which were better adapted to the painter's eye by their irregular folds and various
coloured patches. He thought, in fine, that the dreams of poets were the realities of life.”
(Polidori, 2).
Lord Ruthven and Aubrey soon meet by Aubrey doing exactly as Ruthven had been doing,
staring and wandering. Though in this case, Aubrey is watching him so he could get an idea of
what kind of character, or person, Lord Ruthven is. Aubrey sees Lord Ruthven as an, “...object
into the hero of a romance, and determined to observe the offspring of his fancy, rather than the
person before him.” (Polidori,2). Through watching Ruthven, they gradually meet. In this
passage, Ruthven actually takes notice of Aubrey, letting the reader know that Aubrey
automatically becomes an important piece in this story.