Prior to reading Dracula, I had many preconceived notions of what the novel would be. All I knew of Dracula was the not quite scary, often-times very normal acting, pop culture figure that haunted halloweens, picture books, and Sesame Street. A mere six pages into the novel Dracula, and it became apparent to me that the original Count Dracula was a being that truly struck fear into the hearts of the religious folk of the novel. When Jonathan Harker leaves for the last leg of his journey, the carriage ride that would take him to the Count’s castle, the people of the village beg him to stay, but when it becomes obvious that Harker will be making the trip no matter what, the people switch tactics. They begin making crosses with their fingers, one woman going so far as to put a rosary around Harker’s neck, saying “For your mother’s sake,” (6). This kickstarts underlying religious themes that become more and more prevalent throughout the novel, informing my opinion that the Count Dracula is a physicalization of religious terror and guilt.
The concept of vampires and the myths surrounding them stem from religious ideals, or in most cases, the church’s concept of the Devil. Emily Gerard’s “Transylvanian Superstitions” highlights these religious themes, stating that most of the superstitions and myths surrounding Transylvania stemmed from the Devil – the vampires, witches, and dragons were more like assistants to the Devil, doing his bidding. This puts the scene where the villagers are all making crosses into perspective, for in their eyes, Jonathan Harker is about to enter the Devil’s den; they are trying to protect him with the religious symbols that they know to protect against the Devil. Further, Gerard also writes that there are two kinds of vampires, the living and the dead. She writes that “The living vampire is in general the illegitimate offspring of two illegitimate persons,” (Gerard), illegitimate meaning not recognized in the eyes of God. This can be viewed as a religious cautionary tale, one that warns against the creation of bastard children, as that child could grow up to birth a vampire. Count Dracula is quite literally a physicalization of these religious fears that people of the time held.
When, in the novel, Dr. Van Helsing discovers Lucy’s undead nature and invites Arthur, Dr. Seward, and other colleagues to observe Lucy’s empty coffin at night, he goes prepared with not only a crucifix, but also communion wafers believed to be the body of Christ. Dr. Van Helsing uses both of these religious symbols to fend off Lucy in her undead state and to keep her from re-entering her tomb, proving that vampires are a religious enemy, one in connection with the devil. Besides the wooden stake and the garlic, all measures taken by Dr. Van Helsing against Lucy have religious meaning, furthering this idea that vampires are almost like devils or demons in their own right. Lucy as well as the count are frequently likened to or labeled as demons, Arthur even asking of Lucy’s body “Is this really Lucy’s body, or only a demon in her shape?” (286). I believe that that is what is so frightening to the characters of the novel, all of whom are religious – vampires are devils in disguise. Religion is one of, if not the, central theme in this novel, and the myth of vampires would not exist if it hadn’t been born out of religion.
Dracula works as a Christian allegory and can be seen through critiques of indulgence. It is largely insinuated throughout the novel that Dracula has many concubines in which they hold a sexual relationship. Largely in the Christian faith, this was reprimanded as an indulgence if one was to have multiple partners. What interested me was how religion was represented in this novel it is less so a devout faith in God as opposed to utilizing religious objects to be used when beneficial to the “good guys” of the novel. They have no issue raiding a tomb and mutilating Lucy’s body for the “greater good.” Great Job!
Very quick follow up I also was pondering how Dracula only feeds on women’s blood and may be seen as a sexual exchange or symbol for sexual intercourse.
It is interesting to see that Van Helsing operates symbolically of “savior based” Christianity and contributes to Dracula being an allegory. Throughout the novel, there’s a pursuit of purity through Lucy’s “exorcism” and the purification of blood. Even down to the label of “Devil” used for the vampires, most of the discourse is rooted out of Christian themes, morals and values. I wonder how these themes will play out for the remainder of the novel.
Religion appears most frequently in my annotations, and it is usually associated with protection, like you mentioned. I think what is interesting is that the characters seem to be using religious practices for protection because the fantastical nature of vampires means that science can’t protect people from them. I think that this is particularly scary for the men (two of them doctors) in this novel because it is “in the midst of our scientific, matter-of-fact nineteenth century” (254). That is, even amidst a crisis of faith there appears to also be a limitation to science.
Demonic language surrounds Dracula and his vampires throughout the novel, and it even seems like something he himself is aware (and proud) of. For example, in purchasing the estate at Piccadilly, Dracula uses the name “Count De Ville,” which almost seems like he’s poking fun at this idea (Stoker 291). I also think it is interesting how mentions of God follow Dracula throughout the novel. In fact, in the log of the ship that carried Dracula to England, the captain wrote that “God seems to have deserted us” (Stoker 94), as if the absence of God defines Dracula’s power.