ipl-logo

The Eternal Fight Between Good And Evil In Dracula

737 Words3 Pages

Within the essay, “The Eternal Fight between Good and Evil,” the author discusses Bram Stoker’s story of good versus evil within Dracula. The author says, however, that the novel is not a universal example of good and evil because it showcases specific examples such as Christian symbolism. It makes sense to stress the scandalous parts of the story in order to provoke shock and get attention. During the time period when Dracula was written, the Victorian era, people were quite conservative. The novel was out of the ordinary for the Victorian audience and religion was still important to them. I agree that Bram Stoker focused on aspects of Christianity and sexuality within Dracula. I was left with this interpretation upon reading the novel.
There are countless instances in which Stoker incorporates Christian symbolism. The host is the most used literal object of …show more content…

To Victorians, the characters and actions within Dracula were very scandalous. For example, the exchange of blood. During this time period, the exchange of blood was seen as an intimate task between two people. In the beginning of the novel, Lucy Westenra is a victim of Dracula as he regularly consumed her blood. It was decided that Lucy wasn’t doing very well and she needed a blood transfusion. The first donor was Arthur Holmwood, Lucy’s fiancé. This, of course, was seen as normal. As fate would have it, she would need another one and Arthur is unable to donate. So, Quincey Morris volunteers. This exchange between these two would’ve been seen as an inappropriate act. Also, vampire attacks are described as “kisses” rather than “bites” which adds intimacy to the novel. Jonathan Harker even has an encounter with three of Dracula’s beautiful women and thinks that they wanted to drink his blood. Many actions within the novel are viewed as rather intimate in the Victorian Era, which is not how we would usually view

Show More
Related

  • What Does Religion Symbolize In Dracula

    1196 Words  | 5 Pages

    Bram Stoker's Dracula is filled with interesting symbology and religious comparisons. Dracula is a gothic novel set in late 1800s Britain and Transylvania. Dracula is an epistolary, meaning it is told through a series of journal entries, news clippings, etc. It’s like the written version of found film. Dracula draws from many old myths for its villain and is the basis for the modern vampire.

    Read More

  • Thesis On Dracula And Religion

    332 Words  | 2 Pages

    The topic I have chosen for my essay is how Dracula is meant to remind society of the importance of religion, specifically Christianity, in Stoker’s time. I intend to do this through analyzing symbols in Dracula, drawing connections between these symbols and Christianity, and analyzing the implications Stoker attempts to make. I chose this topic because vampires and their sacrilegious implications, such as burning when touching a cross, have always been of interest to me, hence why I chose to study Dracula in the first place. My thesis is: Stoker uses Count Dracula as symbol to represent what society may become if they abandon religious beliefs.

    Read More

  • The Morality Of Blood In Bram Stoker's Dracula

    115 Words  | 1 Pages

    Blood is involved way more in the story of Dracula than people are able to see just by simply reading the story. During the writing of Dracula, victorian England was a society governed by the strict morals of society. Bram Stoker wrote Dracula in order to voice an opinion on politics and the morality of society when it was incredibly looked down upon to do so in public. The book was significant because it was one of the first to indicate sexual topics in a novel without explicitly saying them. In Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Blood is the driving force that transfers the book from plot point to plot point and is active spiritually and physically.

    Read More

  • Good Vs. Evil In Dracula

    889 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Gender Roles In Bram Stoker's Dracula

    1350 Words  | 6 Pages

    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. To really understand Dracula, it is important to note that this novel was written during a time “of political and social upheaval, with anxieties not just about the

    Read More

  • Desire In Bram Stoker's Dracula

    1160 Words  | 5 Pages

    The horror genre of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, combined with mild eroticism is able to draw in readers due to the fact that Stoker is able to intricately weave suspenseful sexual scenes/scenes of desire throughout the novel—making it clear that

    Read More

  • Women In Dracula Essay

    696 Words  | 3 Pages

    The major theme in the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker is the threat of female sexual expression. During this time period, female sexual behavior was frowned upon. Women were said to have to be either a virgin or a wife and mother. Social standards were very strict during this time, making it unheard of for women to show sexual expressions. In is era, the main concern was the role women had in society.

    Read More

  • Morality And Morality In Dracula

    1329 Words  | 6 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Dracula In Stoker's Dracula

    1253 Words  | 6 Pages

    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,

    Read More

  • Theme Of Evil In Dracula

    711 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Symbolism Of Religion In Bram Stoker's Dracula

    785 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Bram Stoker’s gothic novel, Dracula, the overall and fundamental theme of the book is given away the further you read, expressing Stoker’s view of religion. The novel is an account of the paths taken by many different characters such as Count Dracula, Van Helsing, Jonathan Harker, Mina Murray and Lucy Westenra. Since this poem was written with ideas focused primarily on the concepts of evil, as it was viewed during an appearingly-conservative nineteenth and twentieth century society, the book can be seen as a parallel to Eliot’s and others’ own religious quests. While Bram Stoker attempts to acquaint the reader with a frightening tale on the accounts of a dreadful vampire named Count Dracula, he also expresses the goal of strengthening

    Read More

  • The Fallen Woman In Bram Stoker's Dracula

    1653 Words  | 7 Pages

    Rough Thesis: Stoker revolutionized nineteenth century society through Dracula by challenging the accepted sexual, domestic, and educational expectations of Victorian women and exposing the cultural anxieties such as loss of reputation and sexual freedom. Bram Stoker’s Dracula, a truly iconic work, redefines nineteenth century values and challenges the cultural anxieties of theVictorian era. But why did Stoker create such an erotically symbolic novel? In the Victorian era, this type of language was unheard of; therefore his work appeals to the unspoken conversation: sex. But, in his writings, Stoker does more than simply use language that was neither typical nor acceptable, he provokes controversy and change in the societal norms by arousing

    Read More

  • Fear In Dracula

    811 Words  | 4 Pages

    Dracula’s castle was just the beginning of what was to come. Jonathan 's meeting of the three female vampires it was a catalyst for what he believed was right and wrong. With the 3 women being polar opposites of what was expected from a 19th-century Victorian woman compared to the pure and proper Mina the 3 vampires are straight forward and dominant. Something that he had never experienced before and he can 't help that he is both attracted and repulsed by them. “ There was something about them that made me uneasy, some longing and at the same time some deadly fear.

    Read More

  • Dracula Character Analysis

    1728 Words  | 7 Pages

    Starting Jonathan Harker, a lawyer who hired by the firm to assist count’s properties and plans. Little did he know that he is manipulated by Dracula, he is imprisoned clueless until unnecessary and things began to initiate, leading him what the real Dracula is. The antagonist, Count Dracula gives thrill to the story, making it undeniably suspense. The scene then shifted to England, where Mina, Harker’s fiancé lives. Mina Murray is a perfect embodiment of innocence, purity and virtuous being.

    Read More

  • Stoker's Use Of Supernaturalism In Dracula

    1235 Words  | 5 Pages

    The religious aspect of Dracula is obvious to say the least, ranging from the weaknesses of Dracula to the motives of the heroes. Mathias Clasen explains how “Count Dracula embodies ‘bad’ supernaturalism” because of his malicious intent and vile methods, while the “vampire hunters embody ‘good’ supernaturalism” through their Christian ethos (Clasen). The religious appeal is shown in how Dracula is a strange evil being who spreads his malice intent in weird and disgusting ways, such as forcing Mina to drink his blood, while the band of vampire hunters do the work of God in removing the unholy abomination. There are also many holy symbols throughout the story, especially crucifixes. One example is when a dead captain is found with “a crucifix, the set of beads on which it was fastened being around both wrists and wheel” (Stoker 68).

    Read More

More about The Eternal Fight Between Good And Evil In Dracula

Open Document