Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a classic example of Gothic writing. Gothic
writing was very popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the early
centuries, Gothic writing would frighten the audience and it was also
used as a style of architecture. Dracula, which was first published in
1897, would definitely cause a shock as there was a supernatural
being, roaming around sucking people’s blood by the neck. Gothic
literature usually includes vampires, monsters or some type of ancient
mystical creature. It is also set in medieval castles with secret
passages, dungeons and ghost places. There are various types of
Gothic literature such as romance and horror. There is just usually
horror used but mixing both has also become very popular. Romance on
its own was very well-liked in the 19th century. The word Gothic
actually comes from the Goths language. A Goth was considered one of a
German tribe who invaded Eastern and Western Europe. Gothic was a type
of architecture prevalent in Western Europe in the 12th - 16th
centuries, it was barbarous, rude and uncouth.
Dracula contains a lot Gothic conventions which incite the reader. A
convention is the main point of a specific type of writing, for
example in Dracula there is the use of journeys/quests, diaries,
letters, journals, weird places and strange creatures. These
conventions are essential in the story of Dracula and it is important
to understand them.
Dracula, just like any other gothic piece of writing has a
villain/vampire-Dracula, a hero-Jonathan Harker and a victim-Mina. Van
Helsing also plays a main role as the slayer of Dracula.
Chapter 1, like a lot of the other chapters is written in journal
style. This journal is of the main ...
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...safe and also the plan to
kill Dracula. There is more than one convention but still it will not
excite the reader as much as the other chapters.
Bram Stoker has created such an effective piece of Gothic Writing as
the reader can feel how it would be if they were in the same
predicament as some of the characters such as Mina and Jonathan. The
conventions express one’s feelings out clear like all the opinions in
the journals and the letters to each other. Suspense and fear are
something that people express in their own way, not everyone can find
the same thing frightening. Some people may just be scared of seeing
Dracula and the way he kills everyone by sucking their blood, other
people may fear turning into a vampire or becoming a victim. He tries
to make us see how it would feel like, if there was a blood thirsty
monster staring at you, ready to pounce!
Batman beats the Joker. Spiderman banishes the Green Goblin. For centuries story tellers have used the basic idea of good beats bad to guide their tales. Stories of blood sucking, human possessions and other tales have been passed down generations and vary between cultures. Among the creators of the famous protagonists is, Bram Stoker, the creator of Dracula. This fictional character was soon to be famous, and modified for years to come into movie characters or even into cereal commercials. But the original will never be forgotten; a story of a group of friends all with the same mission, to destroy Dracula. The Count has scared many people, from critics to mere children, but if one reads betweens the line, Stoker’s true message can be revealed. His personal experiences and the time period in which he lived, influenced him to write Dracula in which he communicated the universal truth that good always prevails over evil.
Count Dracula is known throughout the world as the king of vampires, but very few know that he was a real person. The man who made a deal with the Devil for immortality was based on the heroic Walachia prince during the 15th century. His name was Vlad Dracula, which translates to “son of the Devil”, which is where the legend begins. Vlad was born the prince of Walachia in 1431 in Sighisoara, Romania but due to the Ottoman Empire invading Walachia, Vlad, and his brother were handed over to Emperor Sultan Murad II as a ransom. The two boys became captives of the Ottoman Empire in order to make sure that their father would support the Ottomans during their war with Hungary. Dracula was returned in 1448 after his father was assassinated, after
survival, as well as the survival of the wild. He explains that anger occurs when we defend
In a world with ghosts, monsters, demons, and ghouls, there is one being that resonates in everyone’s mind. The idea of these creatures can be found in almost every culture on the planet in one form or another. They prey on the weak and they feast on the blood of their victims. They are compared to a fox for being quick and cunning, but also rather seductive in their nature. With their unholy existence one can only describe them as almost demonic. So what is this horrid creature? Well it is none other than the vampire, a creature as old as time itself. Throughout history there have been many different variations of the vampire, each with their own unique abilities. But one cannot help but mention
Victorian Women were highly held back in their full potential. Their main role in the household was to “be happy - a sunbeam in the house, making others happy” (Hardy, E.J. 1887). On top of this, Women in the Victorian era were not allowed to display their sexuality or “tempt” men in public; they were meant to be submissive and meek (Causey S., 2008). The Victorian era lasted from 1837 til 1901, with women being punished everyday for crimes that are nowadays just part of living for a woman. Bram Stoker was born during this era and wrote his most famous novel, Dracula (Miller, E. unknown). One of the main discourses in this novel is that of Women and their Morality of the time.
The version that I focused on for the sake of this essay was the book. I did watch eleven of the thirty-three Dracula movies that I own, so some references will be made to the movies. The book is told from the perspective of Jonathan Harker’s journal, with some letters to and from his girlfriend Mina. The purpose of his visit with Count Dracula is that Harker is selling a building to Dracula. Carfax Abby was in England where Dracula wanted to move. Harker went to Transylvania to assist Count Dracula in his move to England.
In one of William Shakespeare’s most renowned and celebrated plays, the story of a General named Othello unravels in tragic form as he falls victim to the lies created by Iago. Once revered as a war hero and wed to the beautiful Desdemona, Othello’s life spirals downward with the untimely death of his beloved in his own hands, ultimately ending with his own demise. Love is the force behind this tragedy. Tragedy is the main driving force that brings happiness and tragedy to the characters within the play. But even as such a prominent force, it lacks clear definition. Love has a different meaning to the characters in the play. Characters like Othello, Desdemona, and Iago all have different perspectives on love, which informs their behavior in different ways.
From Transylvania to Hollywood, vampires have transformed from unfamiliar, mysterious personalities to one of the most dominant monsters in the horror genre today. Vampires are one of the oldest and most noted creatures in mythology, with many variations of them around the world. Although the most famous version is Bram Stoker’s Dracula, many variants have come before and after telling of the same legend with their own added ideas and modifications to relate to their cultures. Today, there is a multitude of literary and film works that convey and resurface peoples’ fear of vampires. As gothic works like Dracula, by Bram Stoker and Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire directed by Scott Jeralds share certain traits reflective of the genre;
The Niagara River is very unique in the way that it drains water along the ninety-nine meter elevation drop down which it flows. The water drained differs according to the time of the day and the season as some water is diverted to create hydroelectric energy. The volume of water during the day over the Niagara Falls when it is tourist season, April 1st to October 31st, must not be less than 2,832 m3/s. During the winter months, anything not in the tourist season, the water flow over the Fa...
A noticeable difference in the way movies have changed over the years is evident when comparing and contrasting two films of different eras which belong to the same genre and contain the same subject matter. Two vampire movies, Dracula and Bram Stoker's Dracula, present an interesting example of this type of study.
As the saying goes, “Women can do everything Men can do.” In the Gothic Novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, there is a constant theme of sexuality, from both male and females in society. In the Victorian era, the roles of male and females have caused a lot of tension. After reading Dracula, some would argue the roles men and women hold in society. As mentioned in Dr. Seward’s Dairy from Val Halsing., “Ah, that wonderful Madam Mina! She has man’s brain—a brain that a man should have were he much gifted—and a woman’s heart. The good God fashioned her for a purpose, believe me, when He made that so good combination” (Stoker and Hindle, 2003 250). A women’s mind is not the always the first thing on a males mind. Some would overlook what a woman really has to offer.
While the character of Renfield is ostensively extraneous to the central plot of Dracula, he fulfils an important role in Stoker’s exploration of the central themes of the novel. This paper will examine how Renfield character is intertwined with the three central themes of invasion, blood and otherness. Firstly, through Renfield’s inner struggle we learn that he is ‘not his own master’ (Stoker, 211). The theme of invasion is revealed by the controlling and occupying powers of Count Dracula. Secondly, the recurring theme ‘the Blood is the Life’ (Stoker, 121), is portrayed throughout the novel and has been interpreted through Stoker’s character Renfield. Then finally, a look at the social construction of the ‘other’ in Dracula and how, through Renfield, who is ‘unlike the normal lunatic’ (Stoker, 52), the Count emerges as the ‘other’ of all ‘others’.
Dracula, by Bram Stoker, is a classic tale of Gothicism. Traditionally, gothic tales only carried single theme of horror. Through Dracula, Stoker breaks this single theme barrier. The theme throughout Dracula is clearly displayed through the characters as they step from ignorance to realization in this tale of horror.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula is the story about how the small company of men and a woman lead by Professor Abraham Van Helsing combats against Count Dracula, who moves from Transylvania to England in order to manipulate people as “foul things of the night like him, without heart or conscience, preying on the bodies and the souls of those [they] love best” (223). Stoker employs an epistolary format in this novel and nowadays, Dracula becomes one of popular literary works representing epistolary novels written in the nineteenth century. The term “epistolary novels” refers to the novels composed of different types of documents, such as journals, letters, newspaper clippings and so forth. One of the effects created by using an epistolary format is providing the characters’ inner state throughout the story, which “focuse[s] on a broader exploration of the insights that made up the conscious self by and [the broader context]” (Ştefan 73). Consequently, Stoker’s use of fragmentary narratives delivers the main characters’ emotions and thoughts in more picturesque ways. In Dracula, the epistolary format of the novel increases terror and suspense, which derived from tension when the story alters after alluding characters’ insecure future and immense power of Dracula affecting not only the main characters, but the third parties who are irrelevant to them.
Niagara Falls reigns as one of the most popular tourist attractions in all of New York. Known as a series of three parts that connect the border between the United States and Canada, Niagara Falls holds a lot of tourism potential as the world’s second largest waterfall at 3,950 feet wide (Conservative Institute). Even so, many people venture from all over the world to see its wonders and stare in awe at its grandness and beauty. The three parts that together make up this major landmark include the Bridal Veil Falls, the American Falls, and Horseshoe Falls. Both the Bridal Falls and the American Falls lie completely on United States territory, while the Horseshoe Falls lies on the border between the United States and Canada (History.com Staff, 2010). Over the years, Niagara Falls has been a subject of many topics, including its formation, discovery,