Ambivalent and shifting codes of fear and desire in Dracula movies

Abstract

This study, which takes Robin Wood’s methodology to find the answer to the question ‘what does the monster stand for?’ as its base with certain nuances, investigates the ambivalent and shifting sets of connotations embedded in Dracula movies. The main focus is on the sexual and sexuality-related connotations involving fear and desire. A secondary set of connotations related to Otherness attributed to foreign cultures is also investigated. The study aims to delineate the degree and the limits of variance across time and across different cinematic spaces.