[...] I started thinking about it in terms of the vampire narrative. I wrote a kind of lengthy post about the history of the vampire narrative and how it correlates to the hagiographical accounts of virgin saints' lives in the Vampire's Kiss thread. I won't repeat it all here, but basically, the bite is a metaphor for sex. [...]
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The vampire narrative adopted this formula. [...]
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Now, I don't think King was thinking about this tradition or the history of the vampire narrative when he wrote this. More likely, he was following the pattern set out by a hundred plus years of western vampire tradition.
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Regarding the relationship to the vampire narrative: I think that King has taken the vampire narrative and flipped it on it's head. In fact, all the well-known aspects of the vampire legends apply equally well to sleepwalkers, EXCEPT OPPOSITE!
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For example:
Vampires can't be seen in mirrors; sleepwalkers can ONLY BE SEEN IN MIRRORS!
What's the opposite of a wooden stake through the heart? Answer: A cat scratch on the back.
Vampires transform into bats; sleepwalkers transform INTO CATS!
The vampire bat's preferred mode of transportation is flight, whereas sleepwalkers prefer to drive a Trans Am.
Vampires must be explicitly invited into the home of their victim; sleepwalkers invite their victim into their home, then give the victim a flower, and then tell the victim to leave.
Vampires use "glamouring" to hypnotize their victims, sleepwalkers just hit on them at the movie theater.
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Pretty convincing evidence that sleepwalkers are vampire opposites if you ask me!
Episode 159 - Sleepwalkers
in How Did This Get Made?
Posted
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Regarding the relationship to the vampire narrative: I think that King has taken the vampire narrative and flipped it on it's head. In fact, all the well-known aspects of the vampire legends apply equally well to sleepwalkers, EXCEPT OPPOSITE!
Â
For example:
Â
Pretty convincing evidence that sleepwalkers are vampire opposites if you ask me!