SINKING MY TEETH INTO MR. DARCY An Anthropological Reading of Amanda Grange’s Mr. Darcy, Vampyre [Part III]

The Gender Role Behind Bites and When Turning Be-comes Incest. On page 277, the line features Elizabeth’s voluntary decision to Turn while 278 shows that it is Darcy who would turn Liz. This discussion touches on the philosophizing of reproduction. All vampires are balanced precisely between genders, functioning as both takers and givers of life… It is this paradox which enables a particular aura of romance and glamour to vampire stories in general [Sherman: 1989]

By the second function, regardless if the vampire is male or female, the Bite is the act of giving birth without sex [Lott: 1993 cited in Sherman: 1989]. It is through the bite that there is the replaced form of reproduction, giving a posthumous artificial birth [Berka 1995: 379]. It is suitable to consider this as vagina dentata. The vampire can be father and mother, man and woman at once [Berka 1995: 376].
 
To take this idea further, let’s assume that the turning did take place. If the process follows the 1897 tradition (in emulation of Count Dracula having Mina drink blood at his breast [Stoker 298]), it underscores the femininity of the vampire; Phallic penetration is not limited to the emission of semen, but takes in the discharge of the woman’s body: the flow of blood that is at once menstrual or initiatory and maternal, tapped from the nursing breast [Berka 1995: 375-376].
 
If Darcy would turn Elizabeth himself, it would bring a rebirth with Liz as the child and Darcy as both father and mother.
 
To be turned by the vampire whom one has a love/sexual relationship with would make the relationship incestuous. This is the overlooked aspect of the bite, constantly present in vampire lore which is set in a context that is predominantly romantic.
 
The Attempted Rape of Elizabeth Darcy. In the scene where Elizabeth was riding the carriage bound for the pier, tension mounts as readers find that Elizabeth’s ride stops in the middle of the road in a pass densely covered with ferns. To add to the menacing atmosphere was the detail that the sky had changed a few hues darker as it was evening.
 
In front of the carriage was the mysterious observer from Chapter 09 [Grange: 2009: 174, 178], seen clad in the same signature attire. To quote from the scene, in verbatim: She stared at him with awe-filled dread. He was terrible in his beauty, his face shining with a dreadful radiance. His features were as smooth as if they had been carved from marble, rigid and full of cold perfection [Grange 2009: 235].
 
It is here that the identity of this character is revealed. The mysterious man is simultaneously seductive and horrifying beyond all reason. His dress identifies him as a cultured and arrogant aristocrat with exceptional masculine aural musk; and this is the enduring image of the traditional vampire. As to why Grange did not give him a proper name is a puzzle for the readers. Perhaps it was intended by Grange to bring forth a plethora of theories. The man introduced himself as ‘Vampyre’. Based on the information he had provided, it is deducible that he is the first vampire. It has to be debated up-on if he is Vlad II or someone else. But sticking with the original anthropological linguistic premise advanced earlier, the mysterious observer is of the same vampire ethnicity as Darcy.
 
For Winnubst [2003], the trope of the vampire is used to unravel how whiteness, maleness, and heterosexuality feed on the same set of disavowals --- of the body, of the Other, of fluidity, dependency. To continue, it is a collective nightmare which performs some of our worst cultural anxieties --- about desire, fear, and aggression; about gender, sexuality, and race; about history, bodies, and violence [ibid]. Chapter 13 plays on the concepts of the cultural anxiety based on the last five. These concepts are represented in the character of the mysterious man whom on certain occasions we shall refer to as Unnamed.
 
The Unnamed is controlling and overly masculine to the point of inclining towards a preference for masochism, delighting in the idea of Elizabeth’s resistance.
 
The conversation between Darcy and the Unnamed [Grange 2009: 237] is noticeably linguistically based on concepts which is ethnically exclusive. Elizabeth at this time is not completely briefed on the complications and realities of her Otherization, and as far as she’s concerned, she sees Them as the Others; and she is not entirely sure of her understanding of the content of the discussion. The usage of the terms ‘mine’ and ‘yours’ and ‘not yours’ in accordance to Darcy’s vampire ethnicity does not signal ownership but its usage along this context has more to do with a sense of affiliation and security. This is compared to the Western standard which has predominantly negative overtones because of these words being automatically attributed to objects(-related disputes).
 
In their vampire culture, one who marries a female outside the race has to follow a set of rules. It is not entirely clear however if this would apply to females who have been turned or remained unturned. The continuation of the conversation on page 239 states the terms that every vampire bride must first present herself to the Unnamed, as she must be his before she can feel her husband’s touch. This detail is also raised by Lady Catherine later in page 274.
The word ‘touch’ is approachable as idiomatic, and perhaps this is with reference to sexual congress. Given this, it can be debated that the act of Turning does not automatically signify the loss of virginity. 

But going back to the terms prescribed by the Un-named, it is to a degree reminiscent of the practice of some cultures which require the bride to enter first into sexual con-gress with the head of that certain group of people before she may sleep with her husband. Though this is part of an old vampire culture, for Elizabeth, that would constitute as rape because she is examining the scenario with Western eyes and attitude. Cultural relativism could not be invoked here, and Darcy could not agree more with Liz’s silent protestation. 

Had Darcy not come to her rescue, Elizabeth would have found herself in a bloody situation. For the Unnamed to ‘taste’ her (through the bite), considering his nature, has an effect on the constitution of her purity. 

In the Garden of Good and Evil. The fight scene be-tween Darcy and the Unnamed took place in the same pass where Liz had almost been claimed. It’s not an impressive sequence, but we would proceed with discussing it in terms of its hermeneutic value. What it presents to vampire literature is an intra-racial battle featuring two classic personalities: good and evil; as well as past and present. 

What are the standards for a vampire to be considered as evil? What can be required of to qualify them as good? To be Foucauldian, begin with what is not --- Christianity does not really require them to be agents of Satan or monstrous adver-saries of God [Hallab 2009: 107]. This is another deviation from the 1897 tradition, but one of a welcome sort. It can also be a timely shift considering not only the recognition of the existence of the good, but also of mentioning a new sub-classification under the good. In the time of vampire refor-mations beginning from year 2008 to present, there are mod-ern vampires who no longer stand for a vast comic evil. In the process of becoming more humanized and nicer, they have given up the “absolute timeless condition of Dracula” in order to move “into time and history” [Zanger 1997 cited by Hallab 2009: 38]. This is of course a matter of interpretation.
 
The concept of good and evil is a positional one that coincides with the categories of Otherness. The essential point to be made here is not so much that the vampire is feared because he is evil; rather he is evil because he is Oth-er, alien, different, unclean, and unfamiliar [Hollinger 1989: 148]. But by definition, all vampires whether they are good or evil, step out of the timeless world of Death into the time of Life [Hallab 2009: 39].

Side-Comments
But still, I share with others the critique of the lack of sufficient and exciting details in certain segments of the story, as well as holding the common lament concerning its poor ending which is to a degree anchored to a combination of In-diana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The redeeming quality that it does have, however, has to do with the structure of the dialogue and most especially the skillful intertwine of the original Pride & Prejudice through the lifting of certain lines in the canon spoken by the characters, and delivered in the story through a reminiscent style.

It defines romance because of the implied sentimentalness, and defies the traditional form vampire romance in terms of its delivery.

SINKING MY TEETH INTO MR. DARCY: An Anthropological Reading of Amanda Grange's 'Mr. Darcy, Vampyre' [Part II]

More than Fan Fic, Absolutely NOT Chick Lit: Dissecting the Novel

At times, it is through anthropological readings that words arise from their literary passivity and come alive. There is more than meets the senses when it comes to optically-read text. 
 

Elizabeth Darcy is the Light. Purity is a complementing theme which is almost perennial when it comes to vampire literature. Her character embodying purity and innocence presented a different register into the voices of “the virgin”. She is married but stays virgin, and at times throughout the novel had the manner of speaking with a naivete comparable to that of a child and at the same time a fully-functioning woman. It’s not forced, but natural for a woman who has had no experience. 

Grange’s twist on this version of the voice has oriental overtones considering its references to the metaphysical. Elizabeth’s purity enabled her to have a stronger sense of in-tuition, which is by itself exclusively female, but is inclined to-wards a more prophetic sort. In some instances, she was clairsentient as she was able to distinctly ‘feel’ and see signs of a future series of miserable events ---such as visions of changing or morphing images--- concerning Darcy [Grange 2009: 08 & 15] as well as the nature of his biological character [Grange 2009: 12-13]. Perhaps the latter incident would be appropriate to address as a case of clairvoyance. These were experienced on the day of the nuptials.
 

There is also a heightened mode of sensitivity. Eliza-beth’s silent opinion of Dover Castle [Grange 2009: 20] as ap-pearing as a ‘huge and malignant’ space can be interpretable as an ability to be sensitive to emotional imprints.  On similar note, this was also evident in her reaction to the tapestry in her bedroom at Count Polidori’s castle [Grange 2009: 91]. What was unique to her visual experience of the tapestry was how her emotional link to it had to do with a second variation of her prophetic ability --- she felt a degree of anxiety upon viewing the tapestry because she would later find herself ex-periencing the same scenario the dame is in, being surround-ed by varied supernatural beings. Of course Liz did not know this, but again, what is being highlighted is an irrational sense of unease and fear.
 

Elizabeth had also demonstrated capability to read energy; one perfect exemplification of this was in the almost-combat scene aboard the Mary Rose bound for France, where Darcy merely intimidated the pirates before they could even get on board the ship  [Grange 2009: 33]. Grange had written that Elizabeth had sensed ‘an unusual strength emanating from him [Darcy] and a sense of raw power’.
 

There has also been numerous instances where Liz has shown readers that she has the power to retrieve infor-mation during sleep states [Grange 2009: 180]. She actively participates in her dream sequences, all from the first person perspective. This had been the means for Liz to find out tragic historical events which had significantly affected the vampires in Venice. Through dreams she had learnt about the burning of the Palazzo Ducale [Grange 2009: 183] which had hap-pened centuries into the past [Grange 2009: 185], the floods [Grange 2009: 184-185]. It is also through this means that she had been able to interact with the mysterious man from the ball [Grange 2009: 183].
 

Elizabeth Darcy as ‘the light’ has been directly referenced on page 110 in the scene where Liz was conversing with the fortune-teller.
 

The Married Virgin. The constant delay of the ‘proper’ wedding night struck me as a humurous bit even though it played a significant part later on in the story. The fact that Liz had entertained the thought that the reason why Darcy had not lain with her had to do with their marriage being a mistake; it had not even crossed her mind that her husband might be  homosexual.
 

At first thought, the consistent delay of the first sexual congress is very doubtful. Liz clearly illustrates her sense of naivete here. An apparent insight from this situation is that delays are unnatural because of a common sense habitus; it’s a known and almost general practice for a bride to be deflow-ered on the wedding night because the man is authorized to do so, and it’s a moment that both parties have been antici-pating for some time. This is most especially so if both respect 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4. The story cites the religiousness of Elizabeth; in this text it is theorized that her religious views are protestant.  Her post-wedding gift to Darcy was a crucifix she had purchased for him in their sojourn to Paris [Grange 2009: 44].
 

On Fear and Sex(-iness). Behind every fear or phobia is an unrecognized fascination. What I believe to be the foun-dation of fear itself is the unknown and how it tends to take the role of a variable --- as whatever makes us fear anything has to do with an unverified knowledge of what that thing, being, or event would be capable of. We have been fond of assigning certain traits, characteristics, predicted actions, which would supposedly suit it based on what we know of its nature, and if we take the opportunity to think about it, it all comes down to the reality that we like scaring ourselves. Prospects of what there is or what could be, and there is always this extra emphasis on that latter. I like to dub this as ‘interactive fear’.
 

And this is precisely the case with Liz Darcy. There was something about Fitzwilliam which was both comforting and dark.  It partly had to do with the overlap of Liz’s familiarity with Darcy 

during the euphoric year before their marriage.
 

Science also provides an explanation behind the com-plementariness of fear and sexiness. Amusingly enough, Fear may make a person of the preferred sex appear more sexually attractive on two grounds. There is the scientific explanation provided in the Schachter-Singer Theory where exhilaration is based on instincts.
 

The physiological signs equated with fear are said to not be responses to emotions but it is only later that we realize what emotion is being experienced as an interpretation of that arousal [See Dutton & Aron: 1974 for a case regarding further evidence on the heightened sexual attraction under conditions with high anxiety]. The second explanation has to do with the element of fascination towards fear where the idea of the variable comes in to play, with the assignment of positively arousing attributes. It is in the variable that there is the conceptualization of what is wanted. The “Darcy as husband” seemed to differ from Darcy as he was when he was her fiancé.
 

As Greg Erickson (07:26) says, what is most feared is something that is also wanted. Upon developing some idea as regards his vampiric nature, Elizabeth found how he had fit perfectly in the representation of woman’s desire by embodying the balance between tenderness and masochism. She has been sensitive to this particular bit consider that as a woman of her era, she had experienced a degree of repressed sexuality. With her interaction with Darcy, she has found some essence of vampirism in her. For an applied knowledge of Hallab’s [2009: 54] statement: As vampires are sexual ---- overtly or covertly. The vampire in her is the unacceptable sexual Other within her or without, that she did not wish to acknowledge. She has unconscious sexual desires and fears.

On the same note, it could be said that her inner vam-pirism had shown to an extent in the lake scene where she had chosen to follow Darcy to an early morning swim [Grange 2009: 69]. It was the first solid seduction scene where Eliza-beth had exercised her agency in asserting her sexual feel-ings for Darcy. According to Dr. Lysander Padilla [2012], it was classical literature which stressed that seduction is a female act.  Water is a common medium or place for seduction because this is based on the Chinese Tao where yin refers to the feminine; and the archetypal feminine element is water.

A Baudrillard-Lacanian Visual Rhapsody. Pages 165 to 179 document how a masquerade/costume ball in the six-teenth century theme [Grange 2009: 166] had been thrown in  honor of Elizabeth Darcy. There’s something about the com-bination of evening, merriment, sentimental time-travel via tangible culture, and mystery that is naturally appealing. And one way to address this is through a literary séance of Jean Baudrillard, with fragments from Soren Kierkegaard, and Jacques Lacan for supporting postulates. What I like about Baudrillard’s discourse on seduction is how it has been cri-tiqued to be cryptive; and considering this nature, interpreta-tion is liberal so long as it fits without being mangled. He has mentioned inclination towards Kierkegaard’s work and incor-porated a line or two into his theory. Lacan on the other hand is known popularly for his position on the dependency of de-sire on wanting. These two are founding elements to seduction.

What makes masquerades and costume balls fun is that the whole point of it is to create mystery. It can be a diligent one if it is in compliance to a single theme, like the sixteenth century Venice example in the Darcy rendering. It can be free as in the conduct of Halloween costume parties as a staple of festive humor celebrated in the United States. The common underlying element is that these are a play of images. And it is a truth universally acknowledged that society is very fond of images. This play of images is, by loyal Baudrillardans regarded as Seduction. 

This is an alternative to sex and to power, one that psychoanalysis cannot know because its axiomatics are sex-ual. Seduction is the strength of the feminine [Baudrillard 1991: 13] while the masculine, by contrast, are by gender role assignment known to possess unfailing powers of discrimina-tion and absolute criteria for pronouncing the truth [Baudrillard 1991: 17]. He highlights a different facet to its definition, in that it’s not always similar to how society defined it in media and literature. He says that people do not understand that se-duction represents mastery over the symbolic universe, while power represents only mastery of the real universe. The sov-ereignty of seduction is incommensurable with the possession of political or sexual power [Baudrillard 1991: 14].  That to have the ability to turn appearances in on themselves, to play with the body’s appearances makes the woman an absolute master of the realm of appearances [Baudrillard 1991: 14]. This is a political power because of the idea of withholding truth in the matter of keeping secret --- information is political because information is power. To know of something about someone is to an extent to have some power over that person because it is potential material to enable further seduction. 

To my mind, the first phase of seduction would be captivation through this play of signs. This brings the turn into Kierkegaard’s excerpt from the Diary of the Seducer which suffices as one further explanation behind the eagerness at attending masquerade balls. He says that seduction takes the form of an enigma to be solved. The costumed is an enigma, and in order to seduce him or her, one must become an enigma as well. It is an enigmatic duel, one that seduction solves, but without disclosing the secret [Kierkegaard cited in Baudrillard 1991: 85]. Masquerades are, to borrow from Baudrillard, a total, gestural, sensual & ritual game [Baudrillard 1991: 19]. Mysteries at these events are a subtle form of mind game or a social exercise which gain a sexual twist upon the ability of the painted (woman) to exaggerate her features, to turn them into more than a sign, and to incarnate the peaks of sexuality while simultaneously being absorbed into the simulation [Baudrillard 1991: 21].
 

Begin with Elizabeth’s dress --- It is a deep blue, velvet dress with gold details featuring a criss-crossed latticework which matched the slashes in the sleeves showing the gold silk of the undersleeve [Grange 2009: 167].
 

Indeed, Elizabeth is sure to be a striking beauty, but partly under Sophia’s design as well. In the scene where they are trying on which gowns suit Liz for the affair, Sophia’s age and wisdom really shown through the manner of how she had decided for Liz on what color to wear. Any shade of red is re-spectable, but respect varies per age and depending on the material it colors. It makes sense for a woman to be too young to wear red as it could imply a sense of inviting-ness. To give off such an impression would embarrass Darcy as well, in more ways than one. The color blue is classically noble and the darker the shade gets, it develops an aura of regality.
 

The cut of the top half emphasized a well-shaped tor-so. The square neck is low, diverting to the bosom, and atten-tion is further drawn to it because of the gold details. It is an almost truthful part (as we are not sure whether or not Liz has a torso which is naturally worthy of lustful attention. She usu-ally kept it hidden in layers of English clothing) which to an extent is unhidden compared to the face. And it is this reason as to why it is given attention next. It must be of further mention that this was the first time she wore anything that reveal-ing [Grange 2009: 168].
Sophia’s insistence of Elizabeth’s hair to be fixed in an up-do with loose locks or wisps fallen at the sides of her face do the effect of softening Elizabeth’s masked face which is a hardened sight. This is not because of the mask itself being fixed material but of the impression of the jewel embellish-ments which have the appearance of weight. Locks and wisps have been used as a hair fixture of original femininity which is expected to be soft. But an alternative explanation to it is that in comparison to the absolutely neat up-do, this sort appears to emulate the hurried fixing of hair after some passionate moment.     
 

To masque and hide or to emulate; to be for one night someone that one may or may not be in real life is one spirit behind the dressing. To masque, borrowing yet again from Baudrillard [1991: 86], is a power of attraction and distraction, of absorption and fascination, a power that cause the collapse of the real in general. The fragment is reminiscent of the line spoken by Sophia where she says how it is in the Venetian blood to be explorers and lovers of adventure, to the point that it is carried over into balls --- there is the exploration of each other [Grange 2009: 168].
 

This line is anchored to the scenario where Elizabeth entered the palazzo and attracted appreciative glances from many of the guests. She was successful in concealing her true identity.
 

Stepping into Elizabeth’s shoes, it was more that she experienced a Lacanian thrill towards the event because of the fact that the subject of her desire has also attended the event. It adds to the thrill of mystery because aside from the sincerity of getting to experience a much valued Venetian event, she had a specific objective in attending. She wanted to see how well she knew her husband (and how well he knew her), as well as to experience their relationship from an abstract point. 

It was the illusion of taking their relationship to a greater respected level by beginning from a blank slate. No introductions to be made on their behalves unlike during the first ball at Netherfield [Austen 0000]. Elizabeth and Darcy had to rely on the sensory themes of the event and hopefully be able to refresh captivation in each other in the process. What the masks and costumes did was provide a momentary glimpse into what it would be like in a world where there is no pre-judgment.
 

As for a matter of personal opinion, the variations of the masques bore some implication of an impaired sensory capability.  This is in recognition of senses being known to carry out roles in pre-judgment. Flatter Masks [Grange 2009: 168] for instance, which were held in place by holding the bar situated on the back of the piece using the mouth, symbolized muteness. This suggests silence, and signifies that the mouth causes the greatest fault as there are words which are known to offend. The penalty of wearing such a mask throughout the event would apparently be discomfort, like the hurt felt by those spoken ill of. 
 

Elizabeth’s selection was the half-type which covered the top part of her face and cheeks, but exposed the mouth. It was to be positioned and held with a comfortable band which would fasten around the back of her head. Knowing Elizabeth, this would be a decision based on practicality, as she has al-ways been a practical person. However, this choice is not without its philosophy. It has been consistent in all Elizabethan versions of Pride & Prejudice that she had judged Darcy based  first on what she had seen of him, and this is to say that her fault were her eyes. She participates in the ball with a figurative form of blindness, and true enough, she was not able to recognize Darcy immediately and it was Darcy who recognized her first.    
 

Pleasure and Paris. It was amusing how Grange chose to introduce the subject of Darcy and Elizabeth’s wed-ding tour to Paris with a stereotype. There was the portrayal of the Parisians within Darcy’s social circle as  pleasure-loving folk, with the tendency to be simultaneously flirty and roman-tic. Women were walking embodiments of fashion (their gowns sheer and slender [Grange 2009: 40] ) with an inherent sense of sexiness. They appeared to be born seductive, beautiful and mesmerizing with their S-walks imitating the sin-uous undulation of snakes [Grange 2009: 39]. In the tone and style of how they speak, there was the reinforcement of the low voice as sexy.
 

In the Darcy rendering, they were portrayed to actively exercise their agency to lengths of impropriety ---- On page 42, readers would find how four women had been very for-ward with their flirtation tactics in their attempt to ‘steal’ Darcy. They talked and smiled and leant against him, flicking off im-aginary specks of dust from his coat and picking imaginary hairs from his sleeve. When they saw that he was oblivious to their attempts to captivate him, they redoubled their efforts, one of them whispering in his ear, another leaning close to his face, and the other two walking, arm in arm, in front of him, in order to display their figures. And Elizabeth was able to wit-ness all of this from across the room.
 

These are considerable classic stunts pulled by wom-en. The practice of the woman leaning close is a challenge to the man’s comfort zone because it is an intimate invasion of space. In accordance to diplomatic practice, the purpose of the extension of the hand in a handshake greeting is to estab-lish the proper distance between two people’s bodies. This is, by Western standards (which are by nature masculine [Dalisay: 2012]), the proper conversational distance. To be Western in this context is to have a value for space. And to my mind, this forms one part of the explanation as to why close-range seductive tactics are considerably Oriental (which is also to say, feminine [Dalisay: 2012]); at times, to be Eastern is to be touchy.  Why do most females like flirting with guys by touching them lightly on the arms or shoulders?  According to Dr. Lysander Padilla [2012], this is in congruence with flirting as communication. The hands and their base which is the shoulders are the most communicative parts of man next to the vocal cords. This has the same effect as the dumb mutes using their hands to “speak”. 
 

Moving from touch to the sense of sight, the act of tempting through display of the visual is an old trick in the sexual psychology book --- where it is known that men are visually stimulated.
Flirting and Seduction, according to Padilla [2012], may be often associated with sex but need not end in inter-course. It may be done for sheer fun, as a test of power, to persuade or convince. Flirting and Seduction involves com-municating to convince the other party to do something which otherwise he or she would not do. A girl begins with flirting, and like communication, it takes skills to develop it with practice. The effective way of doing it differentiates women from girls; obviously women have better mastery of it. A stupid flirt is often unsophisticated and naïve, but of course not all fe-males have equal intelligence. The act of flirting requires brains and smart females are sure to flirt better [Padilla: 2012].   
 

The pleasure these French women get out of stunts of these nature gives them an Oriental trait. And diligently enough, this was the implied theme in the soiree. The envi-ronment screamed a Baudrillardan sense of seduction, begin-ning with the oriental arch opening of the drawing room [Grange 2009: 40].  This scene features the entrance of Mme. Rousel into the story which was a mock of baroque.
 

She is seen reclining on a chaise longue, her position appeared staged to be like a living portrait. To quote the de-scription, in verbatim: Her dark hair was piled high on her head and secured by a long mother-of-pearl pin, from which curls spilled artistically round her sculptured features and fell across her bare shoulders. Her dress was cut low, with the small frills which passed for sleeves falling off her shoulders before merging with a delicate matching frill at her neck. The sheer fabric of her skirt was arranged around her in folds that were reminiscent of Greek statuary, and on her feet she wore golden sandals. A dark red shawl was draped across her knees, flowing over the gold upholstery of the chaise longue in an apparently casual arrangement. But every fold was so per-fect that its placement could only be the result of artifice and not the negligence it was intended to convey [Grange 2009: 40]. [Is this a woman in drag?] 

There is once more the fabrication of image with the manipulation of signs. Elizabeth realized that this was why she felt uncomfortable mixing with the Darcy’s Parisian social circle: the whole salon, ranging from the people to the clothes as well as the furniture are interpretable as the result of arti-fice. It was a carefully arranged surface which masqued what-ever it was that was underneath it [Grange 2009: 40].   

The Nature of Wanting and Desire: Lacanian Confes-sions in the Garden.  The conversation between the Prince and Elizabeth [Grange 2009: 221-223] is a compelling delivery on the classic subject of the predatory instinct present in men, which happens to be on many occasions a valid generalization. This sequence opened with Elizabeth telling the Prince her troubles with Darcy whom she perceived as having lost interest in her immediately after the wedding.
 

According to the Prince, men by nature cannot truly commit to one woman. It is in their instinct to only feel a sense of euphoria and exhilaration in the process of pursuing the object of their interest.
One interpretation towards the Prince’s dialogue would be that he has Lacanian inclinations in terms of lines of thinking. Desire and Wanting are twin concepts which serve as the driving force to motivation. There is an inherent fear to it as well, as the fear does not lie in achieving what is wanted; the fear rides on whether or not XX is still wanted when its achieved. Is it then really the person that is the subject of desire, is it an addiction? Or perhaps is it the feeling of Wanting in itself. The very moment of materialization is the end of Wanting. It ends the mystery which is the essence of that wanting and desire, as the two had constantly been driven by some natural curiosity which when satisfied can no longer exist. This brings into light that there is some tendency to forget for a moment that Wanting and Desire is an endless process. With the mystery of the subject revealed, there is the natural tendency to seek out the next mystery --- and one shall Want again.      
 

The Darcy-Elizabeth relationship background in the Darcy rendering followed the canon. None of Elizabeth’s exercises of agency has been denied or reversed or bastardized. This detail challenges the traditional look at love-based literature. I do not want to refer to certain romantic, happy ending type material as anything ‘fairy tale’-ish. Fairy tales, to my mind were the foundation of love stories with certain perkiness and twists. Nonetheless, their structures are similar --- the presence of a beauty, a prince, an antagonist.
 

Elizabeth had appealed to Darcy because she begged to differ. Unlike the other women within Darcy’s social circles, she did not marvel at his net worth. She did not advertise her-self in any way, nor did she care at all for his approval or admiration in any way. It was the complete opposite with her in the sense that she had greatly displayed her dislike of him. She was able to strike a chord in his male psyche which she indirectly required him to prove his worth as a man [Grange 2009: 222]. And to this date it is being maintained that men crave a similar degree of difficulty. Darcy wanted to know what it would be like to win her, and what satisfactions he could experience in the process.   
 

So the answer is now NO --- The submissive woman does not always get to marry the prince. In the years of the first fairy tales, to be gentic is to be evil [Dalisay: 2012]. These pieces of literature are known to have been written at a time where assertiveness on the part of females did not exist. But then most women had followed this socialized template of the soft, dreamy, tamed and passive female that some men began to find this monotonous.
 

The Prince had mentioned further that men take great pride and value in the ‘chase’ [Grange 2009: 222]. The attempt at claiming a special woman is a challenge, and to succeed at it brings them to life. But upon catching her, she becomes his prey; from here the man who is like a predator begins to lose his interest until there is nothing left.   

The Politics of Existence. In the process of making sense of bodies, spaces and existence, it becomes a political issue to discuss whether or not vampires are a marginal census in a defined area. In the story, readers are able to skim through how most of Darcy’s acquaintances had the fond habit of reminiscing particular timeframes in history. This is most especially true of his friends in Venice. Darcy’s friends always had a love story to tell regarding the past. Their possession of their century through garb; Sophia is a most notable example of this, who could not find it in her to discard old gowns from previous balls. She reminisced of different lives and loves ---- such is the pleasure of her family [Grange 2009: 166-167]. Then preferences, carried fragments of tradition provided some permutated sense of disobedience towards society. I would like to dub this as some positive nonconformism, considering that it is the opposite of today’s inclined definition of deviance. 

This is not to say that they are consciously stuck in their own time. They are all capable of mainstreaming, and it is mainstreaming which gives a sense of discreteness. This fact negates marginalization. The vampire is constantly adjusting, and sure to find him or herself time and again experiencing degrees of culture shock. To always be alien is a fact, and the only time and culture that that vampire belonged in was the one where he or she was born in or turned. This does not have a significant impact on their daily un-lives --- it’s just dealt with, seeing rises and falls of figures and eras. 

In the story, the existence of vampires was acknowledged, and yet their existence was to an extent tolerated.  

Religion vs. Race: A New Perspective? Inclusive of vampirism is Otherization, but the Darcy rendering provides a different glimpse into the politics of difference. It is Elizabeth who is the Other, considering that the story is set and told in the company where the majority are vampires; and in the sto-ry it is Elizabeth who needs to be approved of by Darcy’s ex-tended party. 

Instead of the traditional idea of vampirism as race and consciousness (or way of life), going deeper into the story it struck me that vampirism could be interpretable as having elements of religion embedded into it.  On the one end, there is the matter of Free Will involved and this is exercised through voluntary turning, or as terminology allows it --- Conversion. This “conversion” can be examined as having different realities, depending on the character who underwent it.
 

As the reader will come to know, Darcy himself was not born into a vampire family. His Turn was a way to be able to live on and escape the plague with his sister [Grange 2009: 256-257].  The Black Plague was spreading throughout Eng-land during some earlier time [Grange 2009: 252]. He knew that this plague was a puzzle of his time and as a result it was incurable. His sister Georgiana was about to become another casualty of it  [Grange 2009: 255] but was saved by being Turned by Lady Catherine, who is a pure vampire. In most literature, plagues come to be figurative of some sociopolitical ill in society. Religion is usually given the role of correction through morality, and it is commonly said that it is through the practice of religion that one would attain eternal life --- at least this I can say for Christian faith. This entire premise may be contested, but it has been included here because it’s a fun parallel.
 

As for Elizabeth, the lake scene [Grange 2009: 72] where Lady Catherine crashes Darcy and Elizabeth’s early morning swim with a speech concerning her disapproval with the marriage is reminiscent of 2 Corinthians 6:14. Keeping true to the canon, she insisted on Darcy being united with her daughter Anne, who is even sicklier in this fan fiction – “blood-less and pale” [Grange 2009: 71] and “like a sorrowful ghost” [Grange 2009: 73]. According to Lady Catherine, Anne would “keep the bloodlines pure” [Grange 2009: 72]. Darcy having married a very much human Elizabeth is almost conceptually isomorphic to the idea of being “unequally yoked”. This is a practice which is prohibited in some religions.
 

To underscore the weight of the difference, there has been frequent otherization references, but through inverted fashion. Along this context, there has been usage of the frag-ment ‘our kind’ throughout the novel. Most notable was in the said lake scene, spoken by Lady Catherine [Grange 2009: 72-73].   

Upon eventually finding out the true nature of Darcy, Elizabeth was very much willing to turn, but it was Darcy who opted out. And this was how they were able to be a couple, legally. And much like this, one is always free to leave a religion just as he can join one.

SINKING MY TEETH INTO MR. DARCY: An Anthropological Reading of Amanda Grange's 'Mr. Darcy, Vampyre' [Part I]

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that Fitzwilliam Darcy is the summation of what almost every woman would ever want in a man. With massive wealth, vast properties in-clusive of which is ownership of half of Derbyshire [Austen 1813: 08], a character that is passionate and private; excep-tional intelligence and the good looks to match; as well as a sister who is constantly pleasant and neither manipulative nor jealous; he is by far one of the most powerful leading men in the history of (romantic) literature, making him no doubt an excellent fictional crush. But what happens when he gets a racial makeover in 2009?

The Evolution of the Vampire (And a Cute Review of Related Media)

2008 was the Year of the Vampire in the TV and film zodiac. Although the vampire isn’t new, its character had un-dergone a transformation; today’s vampire has gone beyond being the soul-less antagonist because he or she had been given the attribute of feeling. He/she has been re-written to possess a sense of humanity. And it is very unfortunate how most portrayals do not give the remixed character the proper justice. The bulk of today’s vampire films have demoted the image. As Max Brooks has said, The Vampire was the Elvis of his day, now he’s the Justin Bieber  [02:03, Love/Lust & The Undead 2012].
 

The first humanly attribute given was the ability for vampires to feel lust beyond the typical reference to blood and feeding. This was manifested beginning with the series of transitions on how bites were administered. The neck was traditional and itself very sensual. The concept of the ‘sexy neck’ had to do with it being long, soft, and smooth. It is a very erogenous zone, and on the part of the “victim” it is sensitive to both pleasure and pain, making it to a degree sadomaso-chistic. John Carpenter’s Vampires [1998] introduced a more lustful approach towards the bite in the scene where the mas-ter vampire Valek chose to bite Katrina on the inner theigh as she lay on the motel room carpet. The sadomasochistic es-sence reaches its height upon the shift of the camera focusing on Katrina’s upper body, and then fixing on her face to direct attention to her eyes as she rolled them in pleasure.
 

Episodes 08 and 11 of True Blood Season 01 played on the psychology of its audiences in the notorious graveyard sex scene featuring none other than Bill and Sookie.  It was cleverly written as audience assumptions had an important role in the misleading --- viewers would think that Bill had bit-ten Sookie’s breast which is in accord to the message con-veyed by cinematic tools not only plausible but most of the times suggested, considering the immediate end of act marked by a sudden fading to black briefly before the bite. This assumption is based on the act of filling in missing infor-mation based on common experience. The fade to black often denotes either censorship or an effect of suspense, and in this case, viewer experience filled that ambiguous information gap when it comes to sex scenes. It is clearly seen in episode 11 that this was not the case, as the bite is actually positioned on the arm, as seen in the scene where Sookie was reaching back (to fix her hair).  

A second characteristic would be the transformation into the postmodern prince charming. One of the more popu-lar examples which would prove this would be the succeeding publications of vampire literature beginning with Charlaine Harris’ The Southern Vampire Mysteries  also known as The Sookie Stackhouse Novels [2001]. These were the materials for HBO’s True Blood  which premiered in 07 September 2008. One of the background themes that the plotlines re-volved around involved a reinvented look at love and, at a time of racism. It is a theatrical discussion of a complicated, beyond-racial love in a political society, in one of the states in America which is particular when it comes to ethnicity; in the case of True Blood, even more so. It is a big shift in terms of how people are acquainted with the idea of the vampire in the sense that it has a more futuristic tone with the creation of a synthetic vampire food in hopes of the establishment of a sense of co-existence. The challenge in convention as re-gards the debunking of vampire myths by a vampire himself is a welcome change for the purpose of variation, and there was also no way that there were any direct inconsistencies with the canon.
And then there was Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight [2005] which catered more to the taste of the younger population by touching more on the issues of culture-shock and simultane-ously finding fascination in some mysterious boy which later evolves into ambiguous affection followed by the formation of a relationship (between Bella and Edward) which its complexi-ties have to do with old feuds. Twilight had turned the image of the vampire into a consumerized or commercial form which is devoid of any bit of the original spirit of the vampire. In this portrayal, the vampire is purely Prince Charming.  This pure form makes the vampire less impressive because of the pointless rules and sensitivities which isolate them to being mournful lovers [Hallab 2009: 107].       

More than our heroes or pundits, vampires tell us who we are depending on the temper of the times. These shapeshifters may be romantic friends, repressive patriarchs, sensitive new-age guys, or plague-ridden angels [Postlethwaite 1996: 07].

Move over, Edward Cullen!

Now here’s a conservative vampire with a liberal flair ---  The story of Fitzwilliam Darcy as a vampire can be placed in the median of the spectrum of vampire literature where positioned at one extreme end is ‘villainous’ and the other being ‘complete prince charming’. Like Compton and Cullen, Darcy is also one variation of today’s “humanized” vampires. In the series of literature and media seen so far, humanization automatically meant electing the good; and as a consequence it also meant dropping the original villainous role kept in (what I like to call) the tradition of 1897. There is special mention of this year because it was the foundation of the succeeding vampire inspired media, or should we say it was the birth year of the popularly regarded “granddaddy” of them all.  Then again, to quote Hallab [2009: 107] in verbatim: It is doubtful that anyone can say for sure when the first “good” vampire appeared in literature, as goodness has many possible mean-ings.
    For the entire time that Darcy had been acquainted with Elizabeth before their marriage and even during its first months, he was completely secretive about his nature. As to how he was able to keep discrete and ‘live’ normally during his moments with Liz, the readers will never really know. What readers would find in the material is a storyline which is better interpretable as a reflection of sex --- minus the soft explicitness expected in a standard romance novel --- as well as purity, fidelity, and culture --- all set in the backdrop of the complications of difference. Of what kind? For now, some suspense; we shall leave that for later.
It is very misleading to consider this purely in the con-text of mash-up for entertainment.  To directly quote Mary Hallab [2009: 33]: (Folklore) vampires serve the needs of their community… As living dead, vampires and stories about them
often inculcate important social lessons.
    Darcy is one of the sexiest fictional people in literature and media because he has everything which would normally take a man around twenty years to have, and he is only 27-28 years old. Turning had heightened his sexiness because of what vampirism stood for, anthropologically and psychologi-cally. Bourguignon emphasized that there is the strong libidi-nal component in vampiristic behavior [Miller, et.al.1999: 210]. Its traditional meaning included unbridled, carnal sexuality [Brooks 02:03]. To my mind, this sexual energy is comple-mentary to the vampire’s role as the Lord of Death; this makes the vampire a Scorpio in accordance to astrological character, with sex and (a variation of) death as an instinct.
Regardless if the vampire is a prince charming, there will always be that perennial “bad boy” tone to it which is so masculine. This is the state of being “so yang”, which by con-sequence also means very masculine. Some females are attracted to this more probably because danger is irresistible. Ergo, what comes with the bad-boy image is a dangerous at-traction [Padilla: 2012].
There is nothing intrinsically seductive in other mon-sters. The bite of even the most horrific of the undead carries with it the promise of sensual pleasure and eternal life [Sher-man 1989: 17]. 
And so to put it quite blatantly --- Yes, Darcy is also GREAT IN BED. 
Of particular interest in the storyline is how despite these sexual and deadly instincts Darcy was able to keep a great sense of self-control, and this was something usually lacking in the average vampire. This will be discussed in full later.
Vampirism also represents physical and mental supe-riority, good looks, social position, supernatural powers of course, and the most alluring feature of all ---- immortality.
Darcy has witnessed some of the most romantic eras in French and Italian chronicles. This was the foundation for his eye and appreciation for beauty, which also explains how he came to adore Elizabeth’s nonconformity (as well as her alert demeanor and expression of agency).
Again, one thing which differentiates Darcy from the other, pop melancholy, vampiric lover is that he has a regal disposition.
An additional liberal twist begging to differ from the usual vampire culture is how he never slept in a coffin. The burial enclosure was a metaphor, that the vampire coming out of the coffin represented a marginalized member of society that had been wrong or not allowed full rights [Erickson 07:26]. Darcy refused to recognize himself in that regard. He was specifically skilled at mainstreaming, and it is very logical to say that considering the timeframe of his existence (also the same case with the others) and regardless of being born that way or Turned, these do not serve as sufficient grounds for marginalization.  This will be explained properly later in the
segment The Politics of Existence.
    Further, what I interpret to be a nationalist-patriotistic security blanket in the act of bringing native soil to literally live on wherever the vampire has relocated, is also absent in the Darcy rendering. This is a clear deviation from the 1897 tradi-tion which is not necessarily condemning. With each vampire a reflection of his time, the 1897 obsession with soil weighed on the outdated images of rural English national identity. There is also an agrarian essentialist ideology with romantic and conservative notions of an organic society with geographical contexts proclaiming the reinforcement of certain concepts. Mentionable are landownership, urbanization and modernity based on nostalgia for a supposedly “vanishing” way-of-life; this is connected in turn with perceptions of an idyllic or harmonious village existence. Linked to this of course is the view of the countryside generally as a locus of myths, sacred or spiritual attributes, non-commercial values, and traditional virtues [Brass: 2000]. Darcy bore no particular attachments. 

Why This is Not Another Vampire Story on the Shelves

  

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre rises above other P&P mashups because of the historical closeness between the subjects of vampirism and the Austen creation.
 

The notion of blood-sucking corpses arose in South-Eastern Europe sometime in the early medieval period, and by the eighteenth century belief in their existence was so ex-tensive that not to believe in vampires was tantamount to heresy. Popular fascination with revenants was further fuelled by reports of vampire outbreaks erupting across Eastern Eu-rope in the early decades of the eighteenth century, and these were also known in Western Europe [Keyworth 2006: 241]. There has been a proliferation of dissertation and treatises on the subject from those early times. The melding of Pride & Prejudice with vampires is innovative because it is diligent; there is the complementary relation between the variables of time and age.

Judging Part of the Book by its Cover

There’s something about the minimalist touch which signaled elegance and tapped into the Darcy-like spirit. The cameo is very curious and may resemble something bought before 1802, which was the date that the letter on the first page (addressed to Jane from Liz) was written. Observing the bite marks on the profile’s neck, it may be speculated that it had been customized to the Darcy lineage, and this also con-sidering the old history of cameos in general. It’s really more of an adorable detail more than anything. The most critical bit of information tying the piece of jewelry to Fitzwilliam was that men were said to have collected cameos before women. This was a symbol of culture and wealth --- naturally, twin concepts that Darcy’s lineage is known greatly for, especially in contrast to that of Liz Bennet’s. 

For a rough semiotics of colors, it has been said that the categorization of colors is universal, trans-cultural, and trans-ethical [Rosch et.al.: 1976]. The usage of black to gray tones implies darkness, villain-ity, discreteness, silence, and a degree of seductiveness. The red droplets are apparently traces of blood, signifying heat or warmth --- of which is ab-sent in the vampire. The color also signified aggression, and destruction. The red drops on a white background symbolizes deflowering, perhaps a loss of some form of innocence. The overall color scheme presentation is a  subconscious sugges-tion of fear. 

There is a great interest in the spelling of the word vampire as ‘vampyre’. Although there is the commonly re-minded risk in over-interpretation, in recognition of the in-creasing volume of (fan-based) theories concerning vampire literature and culture, as well as Grange’s book being a con-tribution to vampire theory itself, I throw my postulate that Mr. Darcy as a vampire may have origins in a certain vampyre ethnicity. He was bitten by Lady Catherine [Grange 2009: 257], but there is no solid proof or information regarding her vampire ethnicity. Perhaps she has German or Serb roots. This is based on the publication of August Ossenfelder’s po-em “der Vampyr” which appeared in 1748. It may be ruminat-ed on that there is the possibility that the poem, which is the basis, may have been published before that.
 

All debate on dates aside, consider Ossenfelder’s roots as well which ties the issue of ethnicity and language altogether. This fragment does after all only discuss appear-ance and reference as an appendix to Christlob Mylius’ article on vampires in Naturforscher. And this is compared to Polidori who is famous for his The Vampire which was published in the 1820s [Wilson: 1985]. Darcy was re-born or Turned in 1665 [Grange 2009: 252].

LOVE IN THE TIME OF ZOMBIES: The Juxtaposition of the Sporty Body and the Comic Body

As a matter of personal opinion, Zombies are the second idea which comes to mind upon hearing the word ‘undead’. They cannot be on equal footing with the Vampire because of the apparent differing characteristics, and most especially due to the races’ age differences. Commonly, these two are figures of popular culture; and in recognition of this, the question of who came first is based on who reached popular mention before the other. Zombies are known to have a complicated literary history, having been first mentioned in The Epic of Gilgamesh, roughly dated 18^th century before Christ. But it was only in 1936 that its existence was acknowledged on H.G. Wells novel and film; and its full recognition was not until 1968 with the George A. Romero redefinition which carried on to this date. These are the zombies we know today. This was a 71-year age difference with Bram Stoker’s Dracula which again, was popularly introduced in 1897. 

This is a discussion of Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride & Prejudice & Zombies read under the lens of comedy theory as well as (physical) anthropology.

Why Do We Like Zombies?

            We like them because of our subconscious fascination with the grotesque. This is likely to be partly due to the thanatos instinct which is naturally curious on the ideas of gore and mayhem. Zombies, as “Elvira” says, are a cinematic creation, the first portrayals of man as an evil, destructive force to be dealt with [20:10 Love/Lust and the Undead 2012]. According to Max Brooks, these were in themselves chaotic because they did not have a master, and these were global [14:59 Love/Lust and the Undead 2012].

            In the Romero typification, no one has an idea of how these zombies came about. But the point underscored the idea of a more solid otherization (compared to that of the vampire who are capable of mainstreaming to the point of near perfect discreteness).

Zombies in Netherfield

          Despite the spread of some mysterious disease which turns people into the “stricken” or “sorry stricken”, daily life went on in Netherfield. Penny McGregor was still tasked to deliver oil to various estates within thirty miles of Meryton until her death by ambush of the stricken [Grahame Smith 2009: 50]. Balls were still held and attended as the merriest possible diversion to temporarily escape the darkness the country faced. There was Mrs. Bennet who did not allow her daily business of (gossiping) to be affected. And she was still very much concerned with the act of matchmaking; still having the same interest of finding the financially appropriate men for her daughters. This, while Mr. Bennet as always was in the company of his beloved books in the comfort of his Longbourn library. Their five daughters, however, have been consistently busying themselves in the skills of combat and martial arts. These were the influences of their father who insisted they be socialized in this fashion, so as to become an honorable mini-army of zombie hunters.  

            The Bennet sisters are portrayed as having a unique role in this story as defenders of Hertfordshire, as commanded by the King [Grahame-Smith: 2009: 214]. As typically this role would be masculine, this is softened to an extent with the addition of the need to find love during the most complicated of times, a time of death and chaos. 

           

Breaking the Skull

The whole combination is comedic, and as there are a variety of themes waiting to be discovered, hidden in folios and folios of text and pictures. This article concentrates more on the idea of the types of bodies which were mentioned in the novel as well as what they stand for.

 Its diligence to the canon as regards the idea of love and marriage during the time of a zombie outbreak is fitting, especially if examined in the context of physical anthropology paired with comedy theory. This is with specific mention of the courtship of Elizabeth Bennet by Misters Collins and Darcy.

             Mr. Collins and the Comic Body.  Grahame-Smith may have not intended it, but he has literally shaped Collins in accordance to the structure of the comic hero. Recent comedies

seemed to have left out the subject of bodies, as there are thin and beautiful people trying their luck at comic material. Is this transition a successful one? On certain occasions it is, if the material is brilliant enough. But the classic approach never dies. Following a traditional preference, Collins may not be the hero but a supporting character; but it is his fatness that is of importance as a staple of comedy in such a dark storyline.

            If Collins was thin or average, it is highly doubtful that there would be a comedic affect to his ridiculousness. Andrew Stott [2005] mentioned Jerry Seinfeld who once said that conventionally attractive people do not make good (stand-up) comedians. The audience distrusts beauty in comedy and wants their clowns to be imperfect. An ideal of physicality must exist against which the comedian can be found lacking, thereby reassuring an audience that comic substance will be found in departure from those ideals [Stott 2005: 79]. 

 As a permutation to Maurice Charney [1978 cited in Stott 2005: 79], Collins’ fatness shares in that of the comic hero where it is the declaration of himself as the patron of everything real, physical, material, enjoyable, and the enemy of abstractions and seriousness. The comic body is exaggeratedly physical, a disproportionate, profane, ill-disciplined, insatiate organism [Stott 2005: 79]. The character can be a disproportionate caricature him or herself; and this is the same case with Mr. Collins who is mentioned to be ‘uncommonly round’ [Grahame Smith 2009: 65]. And this portrayal is perfect because the comic body privileges the facts of physicality over the ideal of the physique, and its functions over poise [Stott 2005: 79].

            As fans of the original Pride & Prejudice as well as of the numerous canon-loyal, fan fiction will know, Mr. Collins as suitor came about as a thought up remedy to the estate dispute. Perhaps Collins was guilty about the Longbourn house and gardens passing directly to him instead of one of the Bennet daughters. And so to marry Elizabeth would be the most legal solution. On normal days, this would not only be a typical solution, but stripped of its comical value.

As Evolutionary Theory would have it, the act of finding love and marriage in the time of zombies would primarily have to do with survival. In an interview with fitness philosopher and weightlifting enthusiast Abner Bondoc [2012], he says: People have been programmed to look for characteristics which would signify health as well as clues hinting at the high survival rate of offspring if they choose to have them. To take this and apply it in the case of PP&Z, there was a relationship between the variables of physique as well as defense capabilities.  The humor in his act of courtship towards Elizabeth has to do with irony because of orientations during socialization. Society finds it strange for a man to be passive and unskilled in any form of combat or defense. Society’s word for men lacking this knowledge or capability is that they are ‘sissies’. It is therefore ironic that Elizabeth, who has exceptional knowledge of these fields could be considerably more manly than Mr. Collins; even more so when he hid behind Elizabeth

as she killed the zombies during one of their walks [Grahame-Smith 2009: 49-51].

          In PP & Z, concomitant with the idealization of beauty is a cultural insistence on mastering the body, and making it conform to ideas of deportment and appropriate behavior, regulating its functions and odours according to what is considered acceptable, and what must be suppressed as crude or bestial [Stott 2005: 81]. This idea of the beauty and the body is taken in the context of cultural refinement, just like in the canon, and this is developed even more specifically in the PP & Z fan fic where “accomplishedness” involves an excellent if not an exceptional mastery of the “deadly arts” [Grahame-Smith 2009: 117].

The variables of the round body and martial arts as played in the PP & Z version are influenced by old fashioned martial arts films. There was the tendency for the author to adhere to stereotypical images of the fat coward. Notice how since Bruce Lee, the Chinese martial arts stars are thin. There is habit to assume that a guy who could kick is automatically of thin built [Bondoc: 2012], and this is speaking from a westernized perspective. This was until 1979 where Sammo Hung became identified as the face of a new kind of kung fu which challenged the ‘fat is slow and immobile’ equation.   Still, Mr. Collins is no Sammo Hung.

Elizabeth According to Critics. I am honestly wondering what possessed Grahame-Smith to include a discussion guide at the last two pages of his book. On the plus side, question number five would be an interesting subject for this segment.

Elizabeth’s fierce independence, devotion to exercise and her preference of wearing boots has led her to be called the “first literary lesbian” by some critics. Whoever shared that opinion has clearly no knowledge of gender categories. These criteria mentioned do not suffice as basis for deciding the gender of any character, living or dead, fictional or existing. As for the matter of her “penchant for boots”,  for this to be said as a fashion of a lesbian is a chauvinistic statement. To select boots over heels or doll shoes is a selection based on comfort and practicality.

The anti-boots attitude the critics had are more or less based on some unofficial shoe-buying psychology which maintains that women are particular with style because of certain aesthetic properties being sought.  What critics are overlooking is that aside from loyalty to the canon, Elizabeth Bennet is one of the first recognized nonconformists in the history of literature. She embodies agency.

            Her sense of independence stems from the fact that she has no known insecurities; she is confident. Further, her zealous interest in exercise is beyond the normal degree in comparison to other women. And the critics were able to use this to describe her because most women are known to not have an eager attitude when it comes to exercise [Bondoc: 2012]. As society labels the activity of workouts and exercise through contact sports and the like as masculine, this would make any woman who is interested in this stuff considered as tomboy, not lesbian [Bondoc: 2012]. This is also in recognition of the fact that there are lesbians who do not like masculine activities, and that there are lesbians who have feminine interests such as wearing makeup. And this is perfectly valid with Elizabeth, because if she was a lesbian, Grahame-Smith’s book would discuss her (discrete) merry wars with Caroline Bingley; and not Fitzwilliam Darcy.   

            To my mind, critics were able to receive this impression due to a great part of the psychology of the visual. The novel has portions which show details in graphics, and I had been amused to find how masculine Elizabeth’s face had been portrayed, especially during combat scenes. Page 15 exemplifies the definition of her chin area as well as her cheek bones. Her brows also did not suit her eyes. This is repeated in page 150, and this time the angle of her face further defined her jaw line; making her appear like a combination of Jeffrey Bryan Davis and Christopher Walken wearing an up-do. Elizabeth at her softest was on page 303 when she was holding hands with Darcy just before they decided to behead a set of zombies. This page alone already negates the whole lesbian label.

            An insight from reading the fifth question  is how people tend to forget that gender categories do not necessarily have an age requirement.  I was quite surprised with their forgetting that Lady Catherine was just as extreme as Elizabeth was. In fact, she was portrayed to be even more masculine.  This was both implied in the text as well as in picture [Grahame-Smith 2009: 291]. Lady Catherine’s portrayal on page 291 is reminiscent of a Rustom Padilla dressed in drag with the added element of age. I along with others who may agree with what I have to say of this can only wonder why Lady Catherine was overlooked.   Was it because she’s an old lady?

Much Ado About Darcy. In contrast with Collins, Darcy is physically perfect with combat skills to match. These traits guarantee the survival of his lineage, and considering this, makes him without a doubt a wise choice.

The Success Behind Pride & Prejudice & Zombies

            It was against the ideals of beauty and manners that physical comedy is produced. The perversion of the socially tolerable body provokes laughter [Stott 2005: 82]. Abjection helps us understand the place of the body in comedy, and to borrow from John Limon, there is the psychic worrying of some of the aspects of oneself that one cannot be rid of that seem but are not quite alienable --- for example blood, urine, feces… and the corpse [Limon 2000 cited in Stott 2005: 82]. 

           People’s fascination with zombies is a fascination with pollution, something contradictory to society’s notions of civility and culture. Abjection is one explanation as to how the sick and morbid, even toilet humor; literary plotlines concerning violence and pain, how material of these nature are popular. This makes the mash-up effective because Pride & Prejudice is a definition of culture and propriety. And with the grotesque as the embodiment of the abject [Stott 2005: 83], the zombies which are ridiculous, horrifying and bizarre --- these when incorporated into the canon presents the idea of the clash of the extreme opposites.

References:

Bondoc, Abner A.,  Fitness Philosopher & Weightlifting Enthusiast. Interview. 01 October 2012

Charney, Maurice, Comedy High and Low, New York: Oxford University Press, 1978.

Graham-Smith, Seth, Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, Philadelphia: Quirk Books, 2010

Love/Lust and the Undead, Sundance Channel

Stott, Andrew, Comedy (The New Critical Idiom), Taylor & Francis E-Library, 2005.