Modernism In Dracula

In Dracula by Tod Browning, Dracula was killed in his sleep and they saved Mina. Dracula was convinced that his life is worse than death. This can be inferred when in the movie Dracula spoke, “There are far worse things awaiting man than death” (Browning). One can infer that Dracula means that man will have to live forever and experience way more than man may want to. Dracula wanted his victims to feel the way that he feels with staying alive forever and not dying. However, it was unlikely that anyone would kill Dracula especially in a country such as England which the doctor explained. The doctor let this be known when he assumed, “The strength of the vampire is that people will not believe in him” (Browning). The doctor knew that people were unlikely to kill Dracula in England because people did not think that the myth of a vampire could be true. The Doctor knew that English people did not believe that the folklores were true but the doctor believed in the folklores and knew that the stories of Dracula were true. The doctor knew that something had to be done so the doctor convinced everyone that it was time to kill Dracula. So when Dracula went into his coffin the doctor, Jonathan, and Jonathan’s father found Dracula and killed him with a stake and then saved Mina. This was similar to the way that Dracula was killed in the

According to the Victorian Web, a new and budding author named Bram Stoker entered the world in the year 1847, on the eighth of November. From a young age, Stoker loved to read about folklore, and later on in life he aspired to be an author. Although Stoker published several stories, only in the year 1897 did he publish his most well-known novel, Dracula. After this success, Stoker went on to write several other novels, and eventually died in the year 1912. (Scarborough) 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,

The protagonists, for example, make use of modern scientific technology just as much as they use religious objects. These include Mina’s typewriter, Seward’s phonograph, Van Helsing’s blood transfusions, and Quincey Morris’ Winchester rifles. Van Helsing notes “My friends, we are going into terrible danger, and we need arms of many kinds. Our enemy is not merely spiritual” (Stoker 265). Thus, religion alone is not able to defeat Dracula, and modern science and rationalism are also necessary. This in seen in the importance characters place in recording observable details and facts: journal entries often begin with a desire to “put down with exactness all that happened” (Stoker 293), and (in chapter x) considerable effort is put into compiling all their evidence, which Mina states is necessary in their struggle against Dracula—“in the struggle which we have before us to rid the earth of this terrible monster we must have all the knowledge and all the help which we can get” (Stoker 237). This is in line with the rationalist inquiry process, in which conclusions are drawn from observable evidence. The importance of rationalism is particularly prominent in Mina’s discovery of Dracula’s escape route by river to his castle. Mina uses skills of rational deduction in order to systematically work out Dracula’s possible routes and determine

Everybody knows the classic tale of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It is most famous for its introduction of the character of Count Dracula into both deep-rooted and contemporary literature and media. One critic claimed,” Bram Stoker set the ground rules for what a vampire should be.” It follows the story of Jonathan Harker, an English solicitor who visits Count Dracula in his castle in Transylvania – soon realising that he is being kept as a prisoner. Dracula forms a liking to the character of Lucy which ultimately leads to her death. Dracula learns that the group are plotting against him and feeds Mina his own blood to control her. In the final fight, humanity wins over the creature as they can kill him and Mina’s mind from his “spell.” The premise

Within Dracula, Van Helsing discovers new material about vampires by witnessing them in the flesh. During one of these instances, Van Helsing says to Mina, “‘Will you not come over to the fire?’ for I wished to make a test of what she could. She rose obedient, but when she have made a step she stopped” (Stoker 325). Van Helsing is testing Mina through an experiment with a ring of holy wafer around her. Mina is unable to break that ring of holy wafer due to the superstition of holy objects against vampires. Van Helsing is applying his supernatural knowledge with the scientific ways, by testing Mina to learn weaknesses for vampires. Without testing his theories before using them against Dracula, he would have had no idea if they would actually work. The ability to understand Dracula’s powers is key when fighting him. If the group were to take on Dracula without the knowledge they have gathered from the mini experiments they have witnessed, they would end up fighting an immune monster. Towards the end, Van Helsing tells Dr. Seward that, “to rid the earth of this terrible monster we must have all the knowledge and all the help which we can get” (Stoker 202). By “all knowledge” he really means every bit he can get. By discovering new ideas from the superstitions, the group is finally able to grip what has been happening the past months. This

A battle between good and evil is a common plot to Dracula. The forces of evil, Count Dracula and other vampires (the un-dead), try to take over Britain. The novel heroes Dr. Van Helsing, Dr. John Seward, Johnathan Haker, Quincy Morris, and Arthur Holmwood are the first responders for this evil invasion of the British Empire. In the novel the characters Dracula and Van Helsing play a major role for being the leaders of their respective groups, therefore they controlled the actions of their groups. Dracula’s actions in the novel have the purpose to flourish the rise of the un-dead, while Van Helsing’s actions aim to preserve and protect the human race.

In Bram Stoker’s 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula, the title character makes only several relatively short appearances, some of which are while in disguise. Throughout the novel, Stoker keeps Count Dracula in the shadows, both literally and figuratively. This essay will describe these appearances and analyze Stoker’s use of them to determine what effect they might have on the impression of the character and the novel overall. It will be claimed that by keeping his title character hidden for much of the novel, Stoker’s Dracula is made much more frightening to the reader. Human beings tend to fear the unknown, and by leaving Dracula to the imagination,

Dracula traps Jonathan Harker in his castle, but he finally escapes without the Count killing him. Dracula then sucks Lucys blood and turns her into a vampire. At this point everyone is against the bloodsucker. Since Lucy died, well turned into a vampire. Lucys friends have to stab her in the heart and cut off her head. Dracula gets to Mina, which is Jonathans wife. Dracula is going after everyone that is close to each other. The Szgany also has a few conflicts with the good characters of the story. He doesn’t deliver Jonathans letters to Mina and they help Dracula. The Szgany also killed Quincey P. Morris. All throughout the story there is conflicts between the good and the evil.

At first glance, the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker appears to be a typical gothic horror novel set in the late 1890s that gives readers an exciting look into the fight between good and evil. Upon closer inspection, it becomes apparent that Dracula is a statement piece about gender roles and expectations for men and women during the Victorian age. Looking at the personalities, actions, and character development of each of the characters in Dracula bring to light startling revelations about Victorian society and how Stoker viewed the roles of men and women during this time period.

Dracula is about vampires in general, the myth, the mystery and the horror. Even though Dracula wasn’t the first vampire story, it was the first really popular one. Throughout the novel, the author, Bram Stoker, portrays many different aspects of women's roles in the 19th century. With the use of imagery and symbolism, the theme of sexuality and gender roles has an enormous presence in the novel. Social gender roles of women and men during the Victorian Era were very strict and looked upon differently than any other time period. One of the many characteristic features of the Victorian culture was its patriarchal ideas about women. This culture looked upon sexual activity as a negative matter amongst women. The theme of sexuality is very significant

As Jonathan found himself lying in a hospital bed after being held prisoner by Dracula, he was thought to be delirious by his doctors and nurses. Jonathan was acting in strange ways and saying strange things, which led the nurses to assumed that it was due to his presumed illness. This is exactly what one of the nurses wrote to Mina in a letter, “He has had some fearful shock—so says our doctor—and in his delirium his ravings have been dreadful; of wolves and poison and blood; of ghosts and demons; and I fear to say of what. Be careful with him always that there may be nothing to excite him of this kind for a long time to come; the traces of such an illness as his do not lightly die away” (page 86). The nurse believes that the possibility of wolves, poison, blood, ghosts, and demons existing is inconceivable and absolutely preposterous. She down plays Jonathan’s

This sheds a light on Dracula as a figure who truly does feel homosexual affection towards Harker. When Harker disobeys Dracula he finds himself in a room where Dracula’s three wives are. Harker journal entry recalling this event describes it in very close details. He describes the women in a very erotic way, saying “I could feel the hot breath on my neck. Then the skin of my throat began to tingle” (Stoker, 48), and the “soft shivering touch of lips.”(48) He then says that as he waiting he felt “ecstasy” as their “fair cheeks, blazing red with passion” (48) descended upon him. As Dracula notices what is happening he is furious. Harker describes him as having red eyes that were “lurid, as if the flames of hell fire blazed behind them” (48), then pushes the women aside. Dracula then yells at them saying, “‘How dare you touch him… This man belongs to me!’”(48.) This fury and possessive behavior are in no means typical in a healthy relationship, but perhaps Stoker chooses to represent Dracula in this way, as to show the jealous rage sometimes associated in obsessive, forbidden love, and the anger surrounding the acceptance of one 's

Stoker uses Count Dracula as symbol to represent what society may become if they abandon religious beliefs. The Count, someone who has abandoned all Christian values, is portrayed as a monster.

The presentation of Good vs. Evil is one of the main themes in the novel, Dracula. The portrayal of good and evil is seen in each character throughout the book. The characters considered “evil” in the novel are Dracula and his vampire brides. Dracula converts humans into vampires and has immense power over certain individuals. Everything he does demonstrates that there is no good in him at all. His vampire brides assist to Dracula’s dark deeds. What they all have in common is that they prey upon humans. On the other hand, the characters that are considered “good” in the novel are Jonathan Harker, Dr. Van Helsing, John Seward, Quincey Morris and Arthur Holmwood. Throughout the novel, the good characters are constantly doing generous deeds to save others from Dracula.

In Dracula, Stoker portrays the presence of good vs evil by contrasting the two in a straightforward and odd manner. The characters interact having different sides, but sometimes couldn’t tell if a specific character has a personality of goodness in themselves or not. The main character in the novel, Dracula, is considered evil. His appearance and expressions that appear seem to have an evil sense to the others characters. The book also shows elements of gothicism, when the setting starts to turn into the daytime to nighttime quickly, which represents the role of light going against darkness.