Technology In Victorian Era

Supernatural and Technology in Victorian Era: Conflict or Connection?

In Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897), the author writes far from being the goodness of heroes and the pure evil and villain as Dracula represents; but rather is that how technology influences the monstrous supernatural, thereby digging into the fears that the public had with respect to newest technologies during that time. At the same time, the novel also steps in the supernatural or religious ideology to contribute the influence of traditional symbolization in the Victorian Era. It is significant that people have the cognition of the old-world superstitions and the modern technology. Then it brings readers to a question that almost all the people are interested about: Does the

Blood transfusions is a significant advanced-technology in the novel; meanwhile, the Count Dracula’s blood represents an unexplainable miracle for healing people’s illness, but not save them. The role of technology, especially for the blood transfusions carried out by Professor Van Helsing, which reflects the rapid and advanced technological changes and takes place in the Victorian society. For instance, Dr. Seward, Van Helsing, and Morris all give Lucy blood transfusions for saving her life, as Van Helsing said: “A brave man's blood is the best thing on this earth when a woman is in trouble. You're a man, and no mistake” (139). That not only indicate the newest scientific thought about blood transfusion after they noticed that Lucy’ anemias that could be saved if they transfuse blood to her; also, it indicates the masculinity symbol for a man doing the blood transfusion for a

For instance, there is a supernatural action when Dr. Seward fails to diagnose what is wrong with Lucy, then Van Helsing uses garlic to keep the supernatural things away, which is described as: “First, he fastened up the windows and latched them securely; next, taking a handful of the flowers, he rubbed them all over the sashes (123). Then, Dr. Seward said to Van Helsing: “Well, Professor, I know you always have a reason for what you do, but this certainly puzzles me. It is well we have no sceptic here, or he would say that you were working some spell to keep out an evil spirit” (123). That reflects Van Helsing could use blood transfusions try to keep Lucy alive, but he also resorts to garlic flowers and crucifixes to hold against the supernatural evil (Dracula) for protecting Lucy. In the technological standing, Dracula influences the concept of supernatural ideology as well as the blood transfusions, which could not be explained by scientific proof in the Victorian