Cultural Analysis of Fledging

Fledging is primarily the culture of “flying on” or growing up from a basic step of

being given birth. Birds are noted to be fledging as they enter the stage when they are

beginning to fly. Accordingly, vampire stories account for the process by which classical

or traditional process of writing has been adapted into new concepts of storytelling

features both in movies and in novels. What does this account for? Creative novelists and

members of the media entertainment industry have joined hands into becoming more

specific in defining their vampire characters. This basically insists on the fact that from

the classical presentation of vampires as socially different from that of humans, the

evolution of storytelling as it defines the structures and idealisms of the modern world

pushes forward for the desire of putting vampire characters into the center of the story

(Baym, 2012). Character alienation has been consistently one of the main features of

vampire stories coming from the classical sense of presentation of plots. However, as

time passes, engaging the vampire community with that of the humans have become

more apparently intriguing to viewers. The real reason behind the growth of this intrigue

is that the viewers begin a sense of relative connection to both the story plot and the

characters. For the sake of this discussion, two aspects of the culture of fledging in stories

regarding vampires shall be examined. One of which is the connection of story plots and
character stereotypes to the actual racial discrimination issues happening in the society

today. The other issue examined herein is the fact that social discrimination exists way

beyond racial constructs. Issues of religion, culture and individual uniqueness intend to

create social pressures that are often highlighted in modern vampire stories with the use

of relatively defined elements of district separation from humans. Love is one of the most

common elements often used by story writers as they intend to establish conflict between

social rules, norms and the basic factor that highlights human nature.

The first focal point of discussion is on the aspect of social discrimination. It could

be understood that as seen from the infographic presented prior to this section of the

discussion, vampires have been set apart from the basic human community. Defined by

their economic difference with everyone else, they are often identified to have specific

wealth that they protect amongst their own kind. They make sure that they keep such

sense of exclusivity among themselves not merely because of the wealth itself but

because of the protection that they need in order to keep on existing (Meyers, 1992). The

irony of the longevity of their lives set apart from the dangers they need to conquer

especially as they face the sunlight makes their life complicated enough that they need to

make sure that they are kept within secured circles. In context, most vampire stories

introduce key characters with distinct features, specifically good looks that make them
quite attractive to the human race- only to establish that they can never be connected to a

normal human being for safety purposes (Barlett, et al, 2005). The consequences are

crucial and risky both for the vampires and the humans alike. What does this particular

element of definition identify with in terms of the regular essence of human social living?

Racial discrimination exists for many reasons. At one point, the white race often believe

that they are usually becoming the victims of the black race- given that the black race has

lesser breeding, a lower type of civilization that is much apart from what the whites are

living with (Germania, 2012). Accordingly, the protection that the white society

establishes among themselves could be likened to the way vampires are introduced to be

at the highest elitist sense of their existence. To note, humans in vampire stories could be

likened to the condition of living that the black race in the American society are dealing

with- instead of being accepted as individuals, they are expected to reach the standards

acceptability that the white race has established (Broderick, et al, 2014). At the same

time, as the white race thrives in utilizing the gifts and labors of the black race so as the

vampires live to get as much blood as they could from the human race. Oppression of

humans as merely second class living creations compared to the vampires could be

likened to the kind of treatment that the black communities receive from their white

counterparts in a nation like America- a country known for its particular recognition of
democracy and social balance, but is noted otherwise in the way they deal with life’s real

struggles for social equality.

The second consideration noted is that of the distinction of how social division in

America is presented in modern vampire stories, movies and television series. Love,

being the central source of conflict is also noted as the very element that supposedly

breaks the barriers of difference in the modern human society. A mixture of religious and

cultural sanctification goes into the picture (Jon, 2001). Many religions establish rules

and policies regarding not loving someone from outside the circle of their belief- while

they may say that this is merely to establish a sense of balance amongst themselves and

protect their members from being alienated because of the influence that comes from

outside their circle of belief, this is merely another form of destructive social oppression

(Broderick, et al, 2014). In stories like the Vampire Diaries and the Twilight Saga,

sacrifices had to be made by several characters for the sake of their love. The sacrifices

were not easy- most often than not, most of the conflicts resulting from loving someone

from the human race requires death defying sacrifices on the part of both parties. Choices

had to be made and life altering conditions ought to be embraces especially by those who

have opened themselves to the possibility of being entertained by a vampire who these

humans have decided to love. Romantic as the presentations are, the drastic changes that
must be made in order for such love to be fortified could be considered as an exaggerated

yet well described presentation of what social division has made in defining conflicts of

love, romance and affection.

Prejudice is a now a common part of human living. Especially in the modern society

where people are mixed regardless of their culture, religion and nationality. While it is

aimed by many that equality be attained through time, it could be understood that the real

reason behind the division of many individuals apart from the others is that not everyone

is willing to embrace adjustment. Definitively, it could be understood that the way the

vampire stories create stereotyping elements in the story helps in making it easier for the

general audience to find the plots easily relatable. While the story is set in a fantasy

structure with characters almost impossible to recognize as regular members of the

human society, the stories of their lives, the prejudice they feel and the struggles they go

through are the exact mirror of the regular lives that humans have to accept and embrace

as their own (Jon, 2001). This is the reason why it is not merely the romance that captures

the attention of the public, but that of the presentation of basic human struggles featured

in each part of the story. Exaggerated as some plots may seem, it is not hard to

understand that the culture of fledging pushes vampire-related stories into becoming one

of the most loved presentations of what actual human life is about; a series of struggles,
pressures and unnecessary prejudice that is justified through social elitism embraced by

different circles of communities believing that they are more superior than the others.