Mariam Abdo
Professor Williams
English 2
24 October 2016
Critical Rhetorical Analysis Essay Vampires are intriguing mythological figures that have evolved to suit societal trends, they were transformed from being bloodthirsty monsters to complex creature of modern times. In her article, “(Un)safe Sex: Romancing the Vampire,” Karen Backstein explains how there is a metamorphism of vampires; they went from being scary to dreamy. With her credible background of having a Ph.D. in cinematic studies, she does a wonderful job convincing her audience that movies like Twilight and popular TV shows like True Blood, Vampire Diaries, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer have changed the “normal” vampire-based storyline. Backstein’s article argues the appeal …show more content…
"It is gigantic. It has shown women can fuel box office. But it still is something that Hollywood does not know what to do with." The purpose of the argument Backstein makes is to inform cinema enthusiasts about the cultural shift. I believe Backstein wanted to be the first to mention the cultural shift, and how it positively affected the film industry. Also, she could be reaching out to vampire enthusiast, possibly letting them know that the vampire genre has changed possibly in a good way. In addition, the new vampires no longer bring fear and terror but they inspire hope and love, thus capturing young teenager’s attention. Another reason why Twilight captures young teens and even older women attention is because of how Edward Cullen is with Bella. Bella explains how she feels “safe” with Edward. Not only is Edward romantically inclined; he dedicates his life in protecting Bella from various harm, whether it be from other vampires, or even humans. In fact, Meyer makes it hard to call Edward a villain or monster because he’s constantly doing good. Backstein mentions the scene in Twilight where the “humans are the men who try to rape Bella one evening in town” (215) and Edward saves Bella after reading their violent thoughts. We are supposed to be afraid of vampires …show more content…
She bluntly explains how she feels about Stephanie Meyer’s sage when she harshly critics Twilight. I thought she was a little callous towards Meyers but then she would appraise Meyer’s work, which confuses her readers. She also used pathos when she had critiqued Meyer’s work. Backstein was quite sarcastic with a hint of humor, which helps her readers stay engaged; for example, Backstein described Edward Cullen as “an Armani model” (211). Backstein does use ethos, with a Ph.D. in cinematic studies from a prestige university and not to mention the fact that she has written in academic journals and popular magazines. When Backstein is thoroughly describing scenes from the Twilight Saga, she is using an appeal to logos.
WORK CITED
Backstein, Karen. “(Un)safe Sex: Romancing the Vampire.” Monsters: A Bedford Spotlight Reader, Edited by. Andrew J. Hoffman, Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2016. 211-219.
Meyer, Stephenie. “Eclipse.” Eclipse, Little, Brown, New York, 2007, pp.
Professor Williams
English 2
24 October 2016
Critical Rhetorical Analysis Essay Vampires are intriguing mythological figures that have evolved to suit societal trends, they were transformed from being bloodthirsty monsters to complex creature of modern times. In her article, “(Un)safe Sex: Romancing the Vampire,” Karen Backstein explains how there is a metamorphism of vampires; they went from being scary to dreamy. With her credible background of having a Ph.D. in cinematic studies, she does a wonderful job convincing her audience that movies like Twilight and popular TV shows like True Blood, Vampire Diaries, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer have changed the “normal” vampire-based storyline. Backstein’s article argues the appeal …show more content…
"It is gigantic. It has shown women can fuel box office. But it still is something that Hollywood does not know what to do with." The purpose of the argument Backstein makes is to inform cinema enthusiasts about the cultural shift. I believe Backstein wanted to be the first to mention the cultural shift, and how it positively affected the film industry. Also, she could be reaching out to vampire enthusiast, possibly letting them know that the vampire genre has changed possibly in a good way. In addition, the new vampires no longer bring fear and terror but they inspire hope and love, thus capturing young teenager’s attention. Another reason why Twilight captures young teens and even older women attention is because of how Edward Cullen is with Bella. Bella explains how she feels “safe” with Edward. Not only is Edward romantically inclined; he dedicates his life in protecting Bella from various harm, whether it be from other vampires, or even humans. In fact, Meyer makes it hard to call Edward a villain or monster because he’s constantly doing good. Backstein mentions the scene in Twilight where the “humans are the men who try to rape Bella one evening in town” (215) and Edward saves Bella after reading their violent thoughts. We are supposed to be afraid of vampires …show more content…
She bluntly explains how she feels about Stephanie Meyer’s sage when she harshly critics Twilight. I thought she was a little callous towards Meyers but then she would appraise Meyer’s work, which confuses her readers. She also used pathos when she had critiqued Meyer’s work. Backstein was quite sarcastic with a hint of humor, which helps her readers stay engaged; for example, Backstein described Edward Cullen as “an Armani model” (211). Backstein does use ethos, with a Ph.D. in cinematic studies from a prestige university and not to mention the fact that she has written in academic journals and popular magazines. When Backstein is thoroughly describing scenes from the Twilight Saga, she is using an appeal to logos.
WORK CITED
Backstein, Karen. “(Un)safe Sex: Romancing the Vampire.” Monsters: A Bedford Spotlight Reader, Edited by. Andrew J. Hoffman, Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2016. 211-219.
Meyer, Stephenie. “Eclipse.” Eclipse, Little, Brown, New York, 2007, pp.