“The Lion Fell in Love with the Lamb”

Abstract

Although many scholars have written about vampire fiction, few have discussed gender and gender violence in this genre. Further, none has addressed the romanticized and eroticized violence in contemporary vampire fiction. Given the popularity of the series The Vampire Diaries and Twilight with a highly impressionable teen audience, it is important to examine their portrayal of gender roles and gender violence. This paper uses research in cultivation theory to highlight the potential impact of messages conveyed in contemporary vampire fiction—focusing on the stereotypical portrayal of men and women, the romanticizing of characteristics predictive of partner abuse, and the link between sex and violence.