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Theme Of Xenophobia In Dracula

1771 Words8 Pages

Xenophobia is an intense fear of people from other countries foreigners and the theme of xenophobia is present in the novel, Dracula, by Bram Stoker. By building on Micheal Kane’s suggestion that Count “Dracula … sucks the very life blood of the community” (1) and Kane’s remark about how the “'outside' becomes the imagined repository of anything deemed undesirable which exists ‘inside’." (10), I will be discussing Count Dracula’s actions which signify the fear brought by Count Dracula into England. Further by discussing Dr. Leila S. May’s remarks “about the fear of a contamination that, already exist[s] within, could even infect the forces of vigilance themselves” (16), I will further investigate Count Dracula’s role as a foreigner that portrays fear and how Van Helsing is similar yet different from Count Dracula. Scholars have analyzed the character of Count Dracula, however the character of Van Helsing, who plays the opposition of Count Dracula has not been studied in depth. In this research essay I will be discussing not only the character of Count Dracula, but the …show more content…

Furthermore, they also share corresponding behaviours, which is illustrated by Van Helsing’s action of breaking into Dracula’s place. Van Helsing says “Come. If there be no way open to get in, we must make one. Time is all in all to us now” (183), which can be linked with Dracula forcing his way into Lucy’s bedroom having a wolf break the window glass. Another interesting parallel that emerged in the novel is when Van Helsing hypnotizes Mina so that they are able to find out the whereabouts of Count Dracula, which is similar to Count Dracula having the ability to control Lucy (which was the cause of her sleep

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