Lecture #4 - The past never dies: Vampires and the historical periods they inhabit - Prof. Valérie Florentin
If we all know about Dracula (Bram Stoker, 1897), who is probably the most famous vampire, few of us know that the UK passed the Aliens Act in 1905, in the hopes of stemming the flow of Eastern European immigrants, mostly Jews, fleeing persecution in the Russian empire. To have a right to enter Britain, foreign citizens had to prove they had the means to sustain themselves, that they had no sickness or disability, that they had not been expulsed from their country after the commission of a crime. Dracula was Eastern European (Transylvania is part of today’s Romania), he bought an estate in London, but he had a transmissible sickness of sorts and had committed crimes, without having been convicted. To a certain extent, Dracula then represents the Other that the British citizens of the times deemed undesirable.
Is Dracula a historical fluke? No, as we will see in this talk, vampires are often used to depict that Other that we fear, that monster in our midst, even though their appearance and crimes change with the times.
About the Professor:
Valérie Florentin is an assistant professor in translation at York University, Glendon campus. In their free time, they translate roleplaying games (some with vampires, others with aliens), read and watch TV shows and movies (mostly based on books), to look at adaptations and how they (mis)represent social or historical trends.
Individual Lecture Admission Price:
- General Admission: $40
- Early Bird Admission: $35 (available until 10 days in advance)
- Under 30 Rate: $15 (with proof of ID at the door)
Tickets are available for purchase on Eventbrite. For assistance, please contact the Rosedale Main Office at 416-924-0725.