This is almost like an epic poem. The theme in this case is of good
versus evil. The evil has almost supernatural powers yet the good
triumph over it. The good consists of ordinary men, god fearing and
courageous. They are consistent in their effort to stamp out evil. In
the end they triumph over evil even though the evil is very strong.
This theme slowly and steadily gathers momentum until it becomes
clearer in the end.
In Dracula, Bram Stoker emphasizes how as the daylight ends, the
horror begins, for from the depths of the swirling mist, he (Dracula)
appears, his pointed teeth gleaming as he edges towards his victims.
This is Count Dracula the King of the Un- dead - the dreaded vampire.
Centuries old, he walks the earth to quench his insatiable thirst for
the blood that gives him life.
STYLE
The style of the author is simple, in a narrative manner the story of
Dracula unfolds. Stoker is almost autobiographical in context, where
he projects himself into all of the major characters of Dracula. His
family is thrown into the hued characters of the book and bristles
with repression, apprehension of homosexuality, devouring women and
rejecting mothers. The style is vastly descriptive especially the
physical aspects. His style especially the sexual tension in the
scenes not only titillates with its potential for homo-erotic union,
but also arouses the characterî–¸ hidden wells of sexuality and fantasy,
which were earlier unspoken of amongst Victorians.
Stoker exposes the sexual aspect of the book by making the women (the
three women vampires) usurp the male prerogative of initiating sex. It
shatters the myth that only f...
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...cience,
an issue of his time, when religion and superstitions were examined
and rejected by modern science. This issue has been discussed in other
Gothic novels as well; for example in Lewis′ The Monk, religion and
men of the church are presented as evil, with plans of sexual
seduction and power.
Dracula has had many interpretations and was analysed by many
researchers over the years. It has been a very popular novel, this is
why there will always be the danger of over-interpretation to deal
with. However interesting all these theories may be, the fact is that
Bram Stoker wrote a Gothic novel full of dark places and people, that
still fascinates us with its vampires and the struggle of common human
beings against darkness and evil; having in mind anything else than
that, could destroy the joy of reading the book.
own will, which embodies the fear of Stoker. The corruption of science can be view in many parts in the novel, such as the scene when Dracula forces Mina to drink his blood as an act of rape, “Her face was ghastly, with a pallor… eyes were mad of terror.”(Stoker 301). Nevertheless, one can view it as an act of technological creation and is a characteristic of a scientist. In this act Mina Harker is turned into a medium of connection for his sound and enables him to extend his manipulation. Stoker represents the corruption of science through human experimentation since it is seen as a taboo. One can say she was converted into a telephone, which is how Dr. Seward describes her functions, “same power that compels her silence may compel her speech”
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.
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
The late nineteenth century Irish novelist, Bram Stoker is most famous for creating Dracula, one of the most popular and well-known vampire stories ever written. Dracula is a gothic, “horror novel about a vampire named Count Dracula who is looking to move from his native country of Transylvania to England” (Shmoop Editorial Team). Unbeknownst of Dracula’s plans, Jonathan Harker, a young English lawyer, traveled to Castle Dracula to help the count with his plans and talk to him about all his options. At first Jonathan was surprised by the Count’s knowledge, politeness, and overall hospitality. However, the longer Jonathan remained in the castle the more uneasy and suspicious he became as he began to realize just how strange and different Dracula was. As the story unfolded, Jonathan realized he is not just a guest, but a prisoner as well. The horror in the novel not only focuses on the “vampiric nature” (Soyokaze), but also on the fear and threat of female sexual expression and aggression in such a conservative Victorian society.
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.
Fiction of each era reflects the insecurities, concerns, and ideals of its generation, and through this genre, authors are able to construct entire universes of their own fantasy. These universes might contain characters that push boundaries for what is socially acceptable, but the authors need not be held accountable for their actions. The same holds true for works of the 19th century, where authors question traditional Victorian notions of the boundaries of acceptable gendered behavior and sexual roles. Specifically, Bram Stoker’s Dracula pushes social conceptions of customary gendered conduct through the vampires’ and Dracula’s actions and characterization as mutable. Qualities, such as intelligence, sexuality, and parenthood as portrayed
Similar to almost every piece of literature ever created, Dracula by Bram Stoker has been interpreted many different ways, being torn at from every angle possible. Just as one might find interest in interpreting novels differently, he or she might also find interest in the plot, prose, or theme, all of which ultimately lead to the novels overall tone. Throughout the novel, it becomes blatant that the novel contains an underlying theme of female incompetence and inferiority. Through a true feminist’s eyes, this analysis can clearly be understood by highlighting the actions of Mina and Lucy, the obvious inferior females in the book. Through Stoker’s complete and utter manipulation of Mina and Lucy, he practically forces the reader to analyze the co-existence of dominant males and inferior females in society and to simultaneously accept the fact that the actual text of Dracula is reinforcing the typical female stereotypes that have developed throughout the ages.
show the audience that the film is in this style, such as the mise en
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;
Dracula by Bram Stoker is an authentic Gothic novel that manages to hit on every Gothic literature aspect. Gothic literature is usually set in an isolated setting and has a dark, mysterious, and evil tone. In this type of literature, there are usually dark castles, palaces, presences of supernatural beings, and religion. The book Dracula is about a Count from Transylvania that goes to London in search of new victims and a group of Victorian citizens who end up defeating him and his evil ways. The use of setting and atmosphere in Dracula is filled with a world full of mystery and fear. Bram Stoker manages to capture the Gothic element with his use of castles, symbols, and isolated setting.
I’ll Have My Blood Low Fat and Carb Free, Please. Gothic imagery and themes include castles, coffins, monsters and strange lands and pose the background to the classic Gothic novel. The Gothic element is synonymous with the horror and uncanny- a feeling rather than form, in which transgression is the central topic (Wisker 7). The vampire is a figure that transgresses society’s limits to form the central dynamic of the Gothic. “We enjoy seeing the limit transgressed-
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.
Over the years people have given new out looks on the original vampire, Dracula. He was a tall non-attractive looking man who would never come out during the day. Hollywood however has made new vampire stories such as Twilight, True Blood, and The Vampire Diaries/The Originals that have new ideas of a vampire. These novels/books all have differences, but some still have key characteristics of the original vampire.
An Atmosphere of Fear and Horror in the Opening Chapter of Dracula by Bram Stoker
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.