The Importance Of Blood In Bram Stoker's Dracula

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When there is a focus on vampires, an instant connection would relate to sucking innocent individuals’ blood. Normally, blood is the main source of life among vampirism. Blood is considered a family lineage, a way to gain eternal life, and a life force in Bram Stoker’s gothic novel, “Dracula.” Blood is used to recruit family members, such as, Jonathan (as the desired son), Mina, (as the New Woman), and Lucy (as the desired wife); Count Dracula uses blood imbibing as a way to give eternal life among his recruited “family” members, and blood is a life for the essences of life (gaining life by taking life of another person). Among vampirism, blood (as a motif) is the main source for repopulating and restoring life. The word “blood,” can be used …show more content…

Lucy could be considered Count Dracula’s experiment to see if she is independent enough to be potential wife. For Lucy, he initiates into his “family.” “In Lucy, Dracula begins the process; in fact, she becomes lethargic, almost like a woman experiencing morning sickness, as one who is pregnant with vampire desire (or decadence)” (Mascia, 169). In this case, “Lucy is not Dracula’s first choice” (Mascia, 169). She eventually turns full vampire, and begins to “attempt” to recruit more children for Count Dracula. For Mina, on the other hand, Count Dracula “recognizes the New Woman qualities and wants that strength of character for his newest bride” (Mascia, 170). When Jonathon does not write Mina back after some time, she gets very worried. With Mina feeling worried, it is an instinct because she loves Jonathon. “Since Mina is both domestic and educated, she will be a strong partner and mother to his three vampire-daughters and to Jonathan, who the author asserts he desires as a son” (Mascia, 168). If individuals compared Mina and Lucy with Count Dracula’s desires: “Lucy is weak but Mina is strong. Lucy has many suitors; whereas, Mina shows loyalty to one man, Jonathan. In Mina, Dracula can copulate and procreate while enjoying the aesthetic beauty of her body and mind” (Mascia, 170). To sum up what Dracula’s foremost perseverance is with Lucy, Mina and Jonathan, “he seeks to impregnate and to damn to …show more content…

“The motif of blood drinking became the hallmark of the literary vampire” (Johnson, 2). Count Dracula consumes human blood to extend his physical appearance. Blood being consumed represents the Christian rite of Communion, but in a corrupt logic. However, “blood is symbolic of life, love, passion and hope” (Mascia, 168). Therefore, without blood, there is no eternal life for Count Dracula. At one point, Dracula’s appearance was taken as a “tall old man, clean shaven save for a long white moustache, and clad in black from head to foot, without a single speck of colour about him anywhere” (Stoker, 40). However wait, “the vampire live on, and cannot die by mere passing of the time; he can flourish when that he can fatten on the blood of the living” (Stoker, 244). Because later in the novel, Dracula consumes blood, and instantly, his appearance changes to appear more youthful. For example, when Dr. Stewards states, “Even more, we have seen amongst us that he can even grow younger; that his vital faculties grow strenuous, and seem as though they refresh themselves when his special pabulum is plenty” (Stoker,

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