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Megan Reid
English 1101 / K. Redding
Composition 1: Comparison / Contrast
28 June 2016
The Portrayal of Eternal Life: Vampires vs. Zombies
Popular culture highlights powerful gifts of monsters included in entertainment such as
the Twilight saga or AMCs The Walking Dead. The way authors and film directors depict
vampires and zombies, even though these monsters they are contrasting, cause fans to be
attracted to them. Included in Andrew J. Hoffmans Monsters are two essays that discuss the
origins of vampires and zombies and how the way the popularity, the attraction, and the
repulsion of the two has evolved. Why Vampires Never Die by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck
Hogan focuses on the evolution of vampire entertainment, and discusses the reason answers the
question why horror fans are attracted to these creatures. Similarly, My Zombie, Myself: Why
Modern Life Feels Rather Undead, by Chuck Klosterman is also writtenwrites on the topic of
the evolution of the popularity of zombies, but discusses the fear that zombies represent and its
relativeness how it is relatable to the audience. For example, vampires are attractive to horror
fans because fans can relate to vampire characters, and even strive to be like them. On the
contrary, zombies are attractive to fans because zombies are not complex monsters, meaning it is
easy for fans to relate to the fears zombies represent and to imagine themselves slaughtering
them. Although there are many reasons to be attracted to vampires and zombies, the intriguing
trait that the two monsters share is the gift of eternal life. Why Vampires Never Die, by
Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, and My Zombie, Myself: Why Modern Life Feels Rather
Undead, by Chuck Klosterman describe the origin and evolution of vampires and zombies. The

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difference lies in how the way monsters are presented to popular culture because vampire
characters have the power to be attractive, whereas zombies are not developed enough to cause
attraction on that level. This distinction bears exploration because both monsters represent the
power of eternal life, but also the fear of the realities of eternal life.
The origins of vampires and zombies describe the creation of the two monsters, even
though they contrast in many ways. In Why Vampires Never Die the authors recognize the
ancient nature of vampire mythsthat vampire myths are ancient. They develop this argument by
stating, The vampire may originate from a repressed memory we had as primates (del Toro and
Hogan 37). In ancient myths, the ability to live forever is recognized as something unpleasant,
but as vampires have evolved they influence fans to recognize eternal life as something
desirable. In regards to zombies, Chuck Klosterman writes Mainstream interest in zombies has
steadily risen over the past 40 years (40). According to Klosterman, unlike vampires, there are
no mythsstories about zombies from centuries ago, but upon becoming popular, zombies
represent the harsh reality of eternal life by being the miserable, brainless wanderers that popular
culture creates these monsters to be.
Del Toro and Hogan state that writers such as Polidori and Stoker contributed to the
origin of vampires. The Vampyre by John William Polidori gave birth to the two main branches
of vampiric fiction: the vampire as romantic hero, and the vampire as undead monster (del Toro
and Hogan 36). After Polidoris time, Bram Stoker wrote Dracula, which expands vampire
characterss from being only evil creatures into sexual beings as well. Following these works of
literature, authors and film directors have developed vampires into beautiful creatures, which
causescause fans to become become attracted to them. As vampires have become popular, fans
desire the gift of eternal life that the monster represents. On the other hand, the origin of zombies

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is not complex. Zombies have been displayed in movies and TV shows in which they wear blank
stares, groan, and eat brains. Klosterman writes, There are slow zombies, and there are fast
zombies--thats pretty much the spectrum of zombie diversity (Klosterman 40). This idea quote
strengthens the point that zombies are not complex creatures. As fans watch movies and TV
shows about zombies, viewers observe brainless zombies who seem miserable which causes
repulsion of eternal life. they are repulsed by the gift of eternal life because they observe
brainless zombies who seem miserable.
The origins of vampires and zombies contribute to the way popular culture views them.
Vampires represent the desire of eternal life, while zombies represent the torture that of comes
with the curse of eternal life. The origin of these monsters plays an important role in their
evolution because it shapes the opinions that horror fans form regarding vampires and
zombies.horror fans form about vampires and zombies.
Literary and on-screen examples convey that vampires and zombies have evolved over
time. From Polidoris The Vampyre to Twilight, vampires have evolved into relatable characters
with that have developed personalities. In Why Vampires Never Die, the authors write As a
seductive figure, the vampire is as flexible and polyvalent as ever (del Toro and Hogan 37). This
ideaquote explains the way how vampires have evolved into versatile creatures that attract a wide
range of audiences. Since the beginning, vVampires have always been relatable creatures due to
their human-like appearance, which allows fans to connect with vampire characters, thus
representing the attraction oftowards being a vampire and having eternal life. In contrast,
zombies are not complex creatures; therefore, zombie characters are not developed ,which causes
horror fans to be unable to feel attraction for a zombie or want to be a zombie. nor are they
relatable to horror fans. Klosterman explores this idea in his essay by writing, You cant add

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much depth to a creature who cant talk, doesnt think and whose only motive is the consumption
of flesh (40). Because zombies lack personalities and feelings, they represent how eternal life
has its downsides. Zombies cannot evolve to function amongst humans, so they are trapped in an
eternal life of loneliness and wandering.
Since Polidoris The Vampyre, vampires have evolved into characters withthat have
developed personalities allowing horror fans to like or dislike them. In the Twilight saga, for
example, many vampires attract fans with their relatable personalities and good looks. Fans
desire eternal life because they observe how vampires, like the ones in Twilight, have evolved
into beautiful creatures. Unlike vampires, it is impossible for horror fans are not to be attracted to
specific zombie characters. Fans of zombies are attracted to the monstersir concept, not their
appearance or personalities, or what they stand for. The fact that it is impossible for horror fans
to relate to zombie characters, due to their lack of personality, contributes to the evolution of the
monsterss unhappy, eternal life. The evolution of vampires and zombies has changed the way
eternal life is presented to popular culture, because vampires. Vampires conveymake the gift of
eternal life seem desirable, while zombies make it seem like a curse.
The way vampires and zombies have evolved from being repulsive to being monsters that
horror fans either desire to be or defeat contributes to how authors and film directors present
vampires and zombiesthem to popular culture. Vampires are presented to popular culture as a
monster with the ability to transform humans into something special creatures, like themselves,
as fans . Horror fans watch and read about vampires with enhanced human qualities as well as
the gift of eternal life. Today, most fans who desire to be vampires feel this way because
vampires get to experience power and eternal life without giving up their human form. Zombies
are presented to popular culture as the opposite, because they are not uncomplex monsters. They

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attract horror fans because it is not challenging to kill a zombie, which makes fans feel confident
that if faced with the task of killing the monstera zombie they could accomplish it. Meanwhile,
A lot of modern life is exactly like slaughtering zombies, monotonous and never ending
(Klosterman 41).
In the essay Why Vampires Never Die the authors write, Now, vampires
simultaneously occur in all forms and tap into our every need: soap opera storylines, sexual
liberations, noir detective fiction, etc. (del Toro and Hogan 37-38). This ideaquote explores the
wayhow authors and film directors display the evolution of vampires. Today they are presented
to popular culture in a way that is relatable and attractive. Unlike vampires, zombie characters
are not relatable, but according to Chuck Klosterman, The principal downside to any zombie
attack is that the zombies will never stop coming; the principal downside to life is that you will
never be finished with whatever it is you do (41). This ideaquote represents another way
zombies are presented to popular culture, which is that the difficult tasksstruggles humans face
are endless like a zombie apocalypse is endless. The fear that zombies represent is what is
relatable to horror fans and the reason why fans are attracted to zombies.
Vampires and zombies are presented to popular culture in contrasting ways because
vampire characters have developed personalities that attract fans, while the concept of zombies is
relatable to humans because humans face tasksstruggles that are never ending just like zombies
will never completely be defeated.
The origin and evolution of vampires and zombies contribute to the way these monsters
are presented to popular culture. As vampires have evolved over time, they have become sexual,
or mysterious creatures who have developed personalities fans like or that are liked or disliked
by fans. Vampiresdislike. Vampires also represent eternal life in a beautiful way. Zombies have

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not evolved over time, meaning they remain unintelligent and lack developed personalities,
making it difficult for fans to relate to them. Fans observe zombies as dead creatures wandering
around the earth to feed on brains, causing them to be repulsed by the idea of eternal life. My
comparison of these two essays expresses that vampires and zombies can either be attractive or
repulsive to popular culture. Ultimately, the main comparison between the two is both monsters
experience eternal life. Vampires represent the attraction to eternal life as they have evolved into
beautiful creatures that horror fans desire to be. On the other hand, zombies represent the harsh
reality of eternal life by their blank stares, lack of personalities, and inability to connect
emotionally with an audience.

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Works Cited
del Toro, Guillermo, and Chuck Hogan. Why Vampires Never Die. Monsters: A Bedford
Spotlight Reader. Ed. Andrew J. Hoffman. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2016.
36-39. Print.
Klosterman, Chuck. My Zombie, Myself: Why Modern Life Feels Rather Undead. Monsters:
A Bedford Spotlight Reader. Ed. Andrew J. Hoffman. New York: Bedford/St. Martins,
2016. 40-45. Print.