CITE:
Light, Duncan (2007) “The Status of Vlad Tepes in Communist Romania: A Reassessment,” Journal of Dracula Studies: Vol. 9 , Article 2.
DEFINE:
Researcher: Associate professor of Geography at Liverpool Hope University
The Researcher is investigating ways Romania responded to Western interest in Dracula over the past four decades. The researcher wants a more complete and concrete understanding of Vlad Tepes achievements specifically his cruelty outshined by his national hero tag. The exaggerations or simplifications of Vlad Tepes stories, in general, were too vague and left out of context, so communist Romania’s specific treatment of Vlad Tepes is crucial in its definition.
UNDERSTAND:
The argument is the reassessment of Vlad Tepes’s status in communist Romania specifically, his exaggerated or simplified achievements.
The research considers in more detail the status of Vlad the Impaler had in communist Romania. The period of research ends in the 1970s while understanding the full background of Vlad Tepes. Romania’s communist regime blatantly manipulated the country’s history. The situation concerning Vlad tepes is more complicated than stated in history. His status indeed was held in high esteem but a secondary hero, unlike the greatest hero of communist Romania. Romanians sought an idealized national history. Vlad was a cruel leader who tortured and executed his enemies but was justified by a political imperative such as the defence and strengthening of the state especially in his times. All of these add up to Vlad Tepes’s mysterious status and Romania’s stance towards him.
EVALUATE:
The source is logical, valid, and original research. The author is an associate professor of geography. The article itself has been accepted for inclusion in the Journal of Dracula Studies by an authorized editor of Research Commons at Kutztown University. The professor was awarded by the Leverhulme Trust (UK), the Research Fellowship during which the research for this paper was conducted.
DISTINGUISH:
Comparing this research to mine, I get a deeper and more specific look into Vlad Tepes which directly correlates to my research. However, rather than just the exaggerations or oversimplifications of Vlad Tepes and his historical achievements, my research includes the comparison to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. If Vlad Tepes was based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula, then some of Vlad Tepes’ over exaggerations can be used as a similarity link between the two Draculas. In a sense, I am using this article for its historical facts and the professor’s researched achievements on Vlad Tepes to support my own argument. I simply have an additional question or comparison to add than this article.
CREATE:
Despite being published in 2007, this article stands strong today and provides many insights into the person Vlad Tepes. As a predecessor to my research and argument, I would like to learn from this article and build upon it into something of my own. I’d not only like to confirm the over exaggerations and rumors that Vlad Tepes had in this article but extend the research scope past Vlad Tepes and include his relatives. The direction of the research itself won’t be too off from this article.
