Dracula is not destroyed by the sun, but weakened. He sleeps the day away from people in a coffin. Edward’s skin sparkles in the sunlight “like diamonds” indicating to humans what he is, which is avoided by living in Forks, where it is almost always cloudy, and staying away from people on sunny days, but without the need to sleep (Meyer Twilight 185). For Stoker’s vampire, “the blood is the life” and he craves human blood to live. Edward also craves blood, but unlike Dracula and nearly every other vampire in history, does not prey on humans. He is a “vegetarian” and drinks only animal blood (Meyer Twilight 164). Carlisle Cullen “realized there was an alternative to being the vile monster he feared. Had he not eaten venison in his former life?” (Meyer Twilight 295). This implies that the diet of these vampires is no more monstrous than the human diet. …show more content…
Edward assumes the role as Bella’s guardian against the Volturi, men, and werewolves. Edward’s powers include enhanced human abilities, especially the mind and senses, and the ability to read minds. The Cullens do not use their abilities to conquer and harm humans, but more nobly to protect them. Lastly, Dracula is a foreigner spatially. He speaks “excellent English, but with a strange innotation” (Stoker 16). The non-Westerner threatens Western society by attempting to conquer it. Edward is a foreigner temporally. He is a century old and well educated and travelled. The Cullen family does not separate themselves from people, but rather integrate, unlike Dracula. Edward and his siblings attend high school over and over again, and Carlisle is a doctor. Edward is not a vampire that is feared—rather than being monstrous, he is physically and emotionally perfect. He remains Gothic and Other in a way that prompts astonishment rather than horror, while still utilizing the Gothic themes and