The concept of a vampire is a common metaphor for force of evil or political corruption in western culture, and its applications on powerful social norms and collectivism are evident in the two writings explored in this essay: On Immunity by Eula Biss and “To Throw a Wrench in the Blood Machine,” by Kyle “Guante” Tran Mhyre. The concept of the collective mindset and social influence is particularly explored in the context of vaccination in the face of epidemics in Eula Biss’ On Immunity. This book investigates Biss’ own experience with facing contradicting opinions on what is best for her family and community as a whole, and how she had to make decisions on the basis of what society and the media was telling her. A particular metaphor used in Biss’ writing is one that compares the likeness of Dracula to illness and immunization. This metaphor can be connected to a poem by Kyle “Guante” Tran Mhyre, titled, “To Throw a Wrench in the Blood Machine,” which also employs the symbol of a vampire. In this poem, Guante utilizes the likeness of Dracula in a different context, using it as a metaphor for greedy and powerful politicians. In both writings, the metaphor of Dracula highlights the power of social unification in overcoming corrupt threats to the well-being of a society or community as a whole. These metaphors can be positively influential as they empower individuals who may feel under the control of those greater than themselves. While the metaphorical vampire is able to act as a threat by taking advantage of society’s collective mindset, it can also be overcome with a collective resistance, developing a nuanced perspective on the two-faced impact of a like-minded population; it can both make it vulnerable to threats when the community is ill informed and resistant to them when the community is properly informed. In this essay, I will first review each writing independently, and then explore their connections with one another on the basis of their purpose in utilizing the metaphor of a vampire and how it plays a role in these texts. 

In Eula Biss’ On Immunity, the concept of social interference in community health is emphasized, and the symbol of the vampire is introduced later to embody the mass hysteria that arose from it, villainizing the government and vaccination. Additionally, Biss later describes the image of vampires as a symbol for illness, rather than vaccination. Biss explores the intricacies between social norms, propaganda, and codependence when it comes to immunization and how epidemics and wide-scale illnesses can be overcome. Biss begins by describing a mother’s innate and natural desire to protect her child, keeping them pure, clean, and invincible against all illness or dangers that may come their way. She describes how as soon as her son was born, she “was no longer fearless,” (Biss 6) but, rather, afraid, constantly concerned, and inadequate. Much of this was caused by the rising flu epidemic in which mothers, media outlets, and even politicians argued whether or not it was safe to get vaccinated. It is with that the vampire metaphor is introduced in Biss’ writing. 

Rather than this being a new metaphor, this one is from “an 1881 handbill titled The Vaccination Vampire” (Biss 14). Biss describes that, “[k]nown to feed on the blood of babies, vampires of that time became a ready metaphor for the vaccinators who inflicted wounds on infants,” (Biss 14). This clearly demonizes the vaccinator, painting it as someone meant to inflict nothing but harm on young, “pure babes” (Biss 14) for their own personal satisfaction. This, being an old metaphor proving applicable to a new era, suggests that this demonization and fear of vaccination is nothing new, and, potentially, this fear is ingrained in our existing social structures. Much of this fear may arise from society’s desire for control and fear of those in a stronger, more influential position than them. Biss explores this by stating, “Victorian vampires, like Victorian doctors, were associated not just with corruption of the blood, but also with economic corruption… [B]eing almost exclusively available to the rich, doctors were suspect to the working class” (Biss 15). The power dynamics between the wealthy class and working class, tied in with a history of corruption and economic turmoil in the hands of large magnates, presents itself as a repeating cycle – happening both in the victorian era, as well  as in the 2008 real estate market crash that Biss references, causing distrust of the government and the vaccines that they produced (Biss 9). It is clear here that society’s fear can paint vaccines in the face of these vampires – bloodthirsty, powerful, violating, and self-serving. 

Along the lines of how Biss describes much of her fear of vaccines arising from social interaction and rumors, this same distrust of powerful figures such as Dracula, has similarly spread. However, Biss further explores the vampire metaphor in a different context, suggesting that Dracula can be seen as a symbol for the illness, itself, that the vaccine is meant to prevent. Dracula is depicted “arriv[ing] on a boat,” “summoning hoardes of rats,” and “particularly terrifying,” (Biss 15). Many illnesses traveled these same ways, and, thus, another connection can be made. Biss refers to the concept of “herd immunity,” (Biss 19), in which, if all individuals are willing to face the evil of the vampire, or the disease/vaccine in this context, the overall social welfare of the country can be saved, however, this requires everyone to change their way of thinking. Overall, the socially produced fear of vaccination and illness is embodied in the image of Dracula through Biss’ writing.

In Kyle “Guante” Tran Mhyre’s “To Throw a Wrench in the Blood Machine,” this author similarly utilizes the symbol of a vampire, or Dracula, as a metaphor for corruption in the hands of powerful individuals in government, while relating this to the context of social well-being. To start off, the “blood machine,” refers to a Dracula who is on a “reign of terror,” “tak[ing] control of the village’s resources, its watchmen and bureaucratic machinery, creating a system that will more efficiently identify victims and supply him with fresh blood,” (Mhyre 1). In this, Mhyre uses Dracula as a metaphor for corrupt politicians who seek to utilize their power for their own personal gain, exploiting the political system and those it controls. While Mhyre begins by explaining the evil that these politicians have over society, he is quick to describe that there are real solutions, lying in collective activism through voting. Dracula is an eternal figure who does not die; however, Mhyre describes that while he may always be there, there are ways to strip him from his power and control. While society may not be able to eradicate corruption, there are certainly ways to combat it. By referring to Dracula as a “Blood Machine” as well, Mhyre dehumanizes these corrupt individuals and suggests that there are physical mechanisms, such as voting, which is placed in a metaphor as a “wrench,” to overcome them.

In both Biss’ On Immunity and Mhyre’s “To Throw a Wrench in the Blood Machine,” there is a clear negative metaphorical representation of a vampire, or Dracula, and a connection with community welfare against corruption. While in Biss’ writing, the vampire can represent two types of threats to society, a vaccine and illness, the clear goal of going against it is to protect the well being of the community in which it is threatening. If one views Biss’ main representation of the vampire as the vaccine, it is clear that the strongest threat it poses is corruption by the wealthy and powerful, just as Mhyre utilizes the vampire metaphor. Mhyre writes, “defeating dracula.. will… deprive him of one specific set of tools that he will otherwise use to hurt people,” (Mhyre 1). This aligns with Biss’ writing, as it suggests that while society collectively deciding against using the government’s corrupt weapon of a vaccine will not eradicate the threat of the illness or further corruption, it does hinder the control and overall mission of the corrupt individuals in power. Overall, both Biss and Mhyre are able to utilize the symbol of a vampire in their metaphors to convey the message that when a society comes together as a collective against a corrupt government or common threat, resolution is possible. 

Works Cited

Biss, E. (2014). On immunity. Graywolf Press. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/874ts7jbjvog4j0qmu7hw/Eula-Biss-On-Immunity.pdf?rlkey=f34lc6h60skq18ypeph3nbx9b&e=1&dl=0 

Mhyre, Kyle “Guante” (2014). To throw a wrench in the blood machine. Hill Heat. https://hillheat.news/p/to-throw-a-wrench-in-the-blood-machine