Good vs. evil is another theme shown dramatically in the novel. It is impossible for the characters to know if they are inviting false prophets into their minds (Pordzik). The characters are perceived to be good and Christian in the novel, and false prophets as the bible says are seen as evil. The struggle for power between Dracula and Van Helsing is mainly focused on their helpers (Pordzik). Dracula and his helpers are obviously evil in the novel, and Van Helsing and his helpers are good. They struggle for power over one another, and in the end the good overcomes the evil. Dracula is seen as an evil being, pitting people against him (Karbiener and Stade). Dracula is plain evil through and through, Stoker’s audience knows this and are immediately …show more content…
These characters are chocked and scared because of the vampire Dracula. Stoker’s notes help to characterize the story as well. Early in the planning of the novel, Renfield is called Mad Patient (Miller). Stoker’s direct characterization of Renfield as the mad patient shows his thoughts on how he would progress Renfield as a character. Count Wampyr was the original name for Stoker’s vampire Dracula Miller. Stoker’s notes show that he originally wanted Dracula to be called Wampyr. This shows how Stoker’s characterization changed as he planned the novel. Stoker’s characters were changed and taken in and out of the novel many times before its completion (Miller). This shows how Stoker had to go through each character individually to characterize them to best fit in the novel where they do. Abraham Van Helsing, is comprised of three characters (Miller). Stoker originally had the characterization for Van Helsing split into three separate characters. He decided to fuse them all into one to make it easier on himself and the readers. Dracula’s characteristics include strength, no shadow, and he needed to be invited inside a person’s dwelling