I read the article, which is interesting but carries with it some premises I just find questionable. For one, it presumes that every single story is an exploration of certain questions rather than a logical progression from the story's beginnings.
For another, she confuses "allegory" with "metaphor."
But methinks something that bears exploring on that very issue is how the relationships with vampires are actually magnificent metaphors for romantic anxieties as explored in Dark Shadows.
Consider. [spoiler]On DS, one bite from a vampire enslaves the will. The strongest of the strong (or stubbornest of the stubborn) might resist for a time, but in the end they will submit. Yet the vampires we know most as people--Barnabas and Angelique--clearly yearn for something more than that. Which means refusing to do the one thing that most, in theory, will give them what they desire--not to bite. Let us face it, Angelique had a better chance of earning Barnabas' forgiveness and love by doing anything other than drinking his blood. Likewise, Barnabas showed much more self-awareness in that he was reluctant to enslave Victoria, and later others. The temptation to use force or deceit or other forms of pressure is hardly restricted to vampires, nor the disquieting fact that sometimes it is the best option under some circumstances. But as a metaphor, that temptation is pretty nicely embodied in the vampire, don't you think?[/spoiler]
