Another noteworthy example of the way Stoker’s lascivious thematic begins outside the immediate circle of ‘good’ characters and then worms its way within is Mina Harker’s decent into vampirism. After Dracula manages to get into Mina’s bedchamber her forces himself upon her, drinking of her blood and forcing her to drink of his. “I was bewildered and strangely enough, I did not want to hinder him” (305), Mina declares as she realizes that even while she had tried to fight against the Count’s urgings she found it difficult not to yield to his demands. This is an intense moment where a pure hearted, if not pious, character is defiled and forced to recognize their own very human, and lustful desires. It is the basis of these humanizing desires
His novel, Dracula, tells the tale of five people who encounter and have to deal with the evil undead vampire Count Dracula, who terrorizes them and even causes two out of the five to become undead like himself. Thankfully, the group eventually discovers a way to eventually vanquish Dracula once and for all, and by the end of the book they destroy him, preventing him from terrorizing the people of Europe once and for all. Stoker explores several significant themes in this book, including the theme of deception. In Dracula, Stoker uses the theme of deception with the characterization of Dracula,
It is a remote and foreboding environment, foreign to the daily lives of Stoker's English readers. It creates an atmosphere of folklore, superstition, and primal horror, creating a sense of the primitive as the uncanny and threatening, with the potential to erupt into the rational ordered lives of the modern European. The travel of Dracula to England shows the disruptive potential of the irrational erupting into an almost stereotypical vision of the peaceful ordered life of the English village. As is typical of the sensation novel, it creates horror by suggesting that even the most peaceful, orderly, rational, and innocent lives are not safe from external threats.” CRITIC.
Everybody knows the classic tale of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It is most famous for its introduction of the character of Count Dracula into both deep-rooted and contemporary literature and media. One critic claimed,” Bram Stoker set the ground rules for what a vampire should be.” It follows the story of Jonathan Harker, an English solicitor who visits Count Dracula in his castle in Transylvania – soon realising that he is being kept as a prisoner. Dracula forms a liking to the character of Lucy which ultimately leads to her death.
Evil, love, wisdom, slavery, and sacrifice are all ideas that take human form and are demonstrated throughout the gothic novel Dracula. The character of Dracula demonstrated evil, while the character of Mina Harker represented love. Van Helsing accurately portrayed the idea of wisdom, and Quincey Morris showed sacrifice. Additionally, Jonathan Harker perfectly symbolized the idea of slavery. Each character in Dracula can be connected to an idea; therefore, there are many examples of personification throughout the entirety of the novel.
Vlad Drakul was born in approximately 1430 in the town of Sighișoara in central Romania. His first of three reigns as Prince of Wallachia began after he briefly seized the throne from his half-brother, Alexander, in 1448. Drakul was quickly unseated and spent eight years plotting to retake the throne, which he did again in 1456. In a battle with the Turks he was taken prisoner and regained the throne a third time after his release in 1476. Vlad Drakul was arguably the most famous vampire to ever live, known even to Muggles although they dismiss much of his story as simply a reign of cruelty.
Sexual allegory is combined with victorian culture and violent monsters, a dichotomy of human instincts. Stoker also captures the constant battle between traditionalists and supporters of modernity. Stoker wraps up this thought experiment in the trappings of a horror novel in order to best show off the monsters he designed. With its ability to have inspired countless vampire progeny across literature and film, Dracula is a work that combines fantasy elements with relatable thematic struggles in a way that will allow it to live
In Dracula, Bram Stoker makes a contrast between two types of women in this novel. Women who are in the vampire state are vastly more powerful than the everyday human woman, but seem to still be subordinate. Towards the end of late 19th Century, the new woman develops toward the economic change as well as the sexual changes in society, with both men and women struggling to find a sense of this new order. The new woman was strong, finding a sense of independence and men were beginning to become terrified of their own woman. Stoker explains his idea behind the characters of the women in Dracula, he believes that “for women to deny their traditional role was to deny their womanhood, to challenge the distinctions between women and men upon which
Dracula is one of the most recognizable and feared of names in the English-speaking world. Uttering the name can send images of a pale faced stranger with fangs dripping with the blood of his victims in his grand Transylvanian castle through the minds of many. But many people don’t know the truth behind Bram Stoker’s famous novel, the truth behind the somber Count Dracula. The vampire is based off a highborn member of a Romanian court that can be described as, “a prince of many faces” by the array of titles he accumulated such as a voivode (warrior), politician and a, “crusader of a religious cause”. He was a well-learned gentleman when it was needed but ruled his kingdom with a heavy, blood-soaked fist.
Bram Stokers Dracula is a novel that can be presented and interpreted in a number of different ways. Throughout the story, there are several themes that can be identified, such as womens rights, the importance of teamwork, and even the struggle between good and evil. However, considering Dracula to be a religious novel is quite debatable. Because of the several references and ties to religious thoughts and beliefs in the novel, Dracula should in fact be considered a religious novel, as the religious objects in the story are pivotal to the success of the protagonists, and Stoker is meaning to strengthen the power of these beliefs of the townsfolk.
The horror genre of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, combined with mild eroticism is able to draw in readers due to the fact that Stoker is able to intricately weave suspenseful sexual scenes/scenes of desire throughout the novel—making it clear that
At first glance, the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker appears to be a typical gothic horror novel set in the late 1890s that gives readers an exciting look into the fight between good and evil. Upon closer inspection, it becomes apparent that Dracula is a statement piece about gender roles and expectations for men and women during the Victorian age. Looking at the personalities, actions, and character development of each of the characters in Dracula bring to light startling revelations about Victorian society and how Stoker viewed the roles of men and women during this time period. To really understand Dracula, it is important to note that this novel was written during a time “of political and social upheaval, with anxieties not just about the
Bram Stoker's "Dracula" epitomises Victorian anxieties about the unknown, monstrous and those who are “strange”. Dracula himself, is described as having "peculiarly sharp white teeth" and a "red light in his eyes," encapsulating the era's xenophobia and dread of foreign influence, with the vampire's predatory nature symbolising a threat to societal purity and moral integrity. His metamorphosis from a human aristocrat to a “bloodthirsty” fiend further represents the ultimate fear of degeneration and moral decay, echoing Victorian apprehensions of societal disintegration. This fear is emblematic of broader Victorian concerns about the consequences of unchecked ambition and the “demoniac” potential within humanity. The notion that a well-mannered aristocrat could devolve into a monstrous entity mirrors the period’s dread of losing control over both personal and societal virtues, reflecting a profound unease with the stability and continuity of their cultural and moral framework.
Gothic horror novel Dracula, the title character makes only several relatively short appearances, some of which are while in disguise. Throughout the novel, Stoker keeps Count Dracula in the shadows, both literally and figuratively. This essay will describe these appearances and analyze Stoker’s use of them to determine what effect they might have on the impression of the character and the novel overall. It will be claimed that by keeping his title character hidden for much of the novel, Stoker’s Dracula is made much more frightening to the reader. Human beings tend to fear the unknown, and by leaving Dracula to the imagination,
Although considered by many to be a horror story, the language of Dracula portrays a story that is the precursor to many modern-day vampire novels. Given the language choices in Dracula it is no wonder that many portrayals of the modern vampire legend are sensuous. As an avid reader of paranormal romance, these not so subtle hints at sensuality leapt from the pages. These hints are scattered throughout the story it is in third chapter when Jonathan Harker meets the three sisters that stand most vivid and read the most like the stories that have come since the publishing of Dracula. Stoker used evocative imagery to bring his characters to life and give them the presence of beauty “brilliant white teethe..ruby of their voluptuous lips.”
