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How Does Bram Stoker Use Scientific Knowledge In Dracula

775 Words4 Pages

Literature has proven that scientific knowledge can only take one so far. For instance, in Dante’s Inferno, Socrates can only lead Dante through hell because Socrates’s reliance on scientific knowledge prevents his further progression through purgatory and paradise. In the case of horror stories and Gothic novels, an open-mind to supernatural entities is often the first step to achieve. Dracula is no exception: it introduces the concept of vampires and their terrifying characteristics. The only way to prevent Dracula’s horrid actions is to admit that he is beyond human and science and to find ways to combat him using both scientific and supernatural principles. In Bram Stoker’s 1897 Gothic novel Dracula, he contrasts Van Helsing and Dr. Seward …show more content…

Seward approach Miss Lucy’s case using different thought processes, Van Helsing using the supernatural realm and Dr. Seward relying on scientific knowledge. When Miss Lucy became ill, Van Helsing seemed to be guarding some information about her diagnosis, for fear that no one would believe him, including Dr. Seward. These two medical professionals represent figures of scientific knowledge and reason; however, the reader quickly realizes the limitations of this realm in the case of Miss Lucy. For example, Lucy’s health declines after her mother removes the garlic from her room because she “feared that the heavy odour would be too much for the dear child in her weak state” (Stoker 126). Such a non-traditional practice would seem superstitious in comparison to modern medicine, so it makes sense that her mother would not understand the purpose of the flowers. Using her limited knowledge about the situation, Mrs. Westenra removed the garlic and opened the window for fresh air, the exact opposite of what was good for Lucy. In this scenario, the reader not only sees the limits of reason but the price of ignorance. Also, a telegram delay, demonstrating the shortcomings of technology, caused Dr. Seward to arrive late and leave Lucy vulnerable to attack (Stoker 133). If the message had reached him in time, Dr. Seward could have been with Lucy to prevent her decline in health. Science and logic repeatedly fail these characters, so they must turn to solutions beyond

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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,

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The central idea of this excerpt from Dracula was the fear of the prisoner living in the castle of Count Dracula who felt trapped and alone. The authors use of first person point of view of the prisoner was able to develop this central idea of fear because prisoner was able to describe his feelings first hand living in the castle with the Count as well as emphasize the thoughts that were scattered inside of his head during this time. An example of the author using first person point of view to help develop the central idea of fear was when the prisoner had realized that he was helpless in the situation of his current living conditions. The prisoner said "I think I must have been mad for the time, for I have behaved much as a rat does in a trap" (lines 4-5).

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811 Words | 4 Pages

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1263 Words | 6 Pages

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