After finishing the novel Dracula, by Bram Stoker, I realized that throughout the text it shows a theme of distrust of strangers and foreigners and gaining power. Throughout the book you can see these themes popping up all around the text. One of the main times that I saw it was in the beginning of the book when Jonathan was staying at Dracula’s castle. When he was first there he felt safe, even though he was staying at a complete stranger’s castle. This is because Dracula was such a good host when Jonothan was there. As time went on Jonathan became more and more suspicious of Dracula due to his behavior, which made him trust Dracula less. In the book it seems like Dracula’s whole mission is to gain power. He does this by killing people and making them into vampires. “My revenge is just begun! I spread it over centuries, and time is on my side. Your girls that you all love are mine already; and through them you and others shall yet be mine—my creatures, to do my bidding and to be my jackals when I want to feed.”(Stoker 245 Chapter 23). This shows how Dracula is wanting to gain power and feel powerful and he does this by making people feel afraid. When people are afraid of him then he feels more in power and more in control. These themes might show how in the Victorian age there was a distrust to foreigners and strangers in their society, and also how they might have been craving power and what they do to get it.
I agree with you about the prevalence of the fear of foreigners during the Victorian era. Christina Rossetti discusses this idea in Goblin Market. In Lauras reasoning as to why Lizzie should not buy the fruit is because “who knows upon what soil they fed” (Rossetti, line 44). Similar to Dracula, the goblins are seen as untrustworthy due to them being foreigners. And, both Dracula and the goblins hope to invite their victims, and make them feel at home (the goblins want the people to eat the fruit there as a “feast”). This idea of generosity before evil shows how the Victorian fear was not only of foreigners, but that their ability to “hide,” being a host, feeding and taking care of their guests before unleashing their true intentions.
I agree with you about the element of distrust throughout Dracula, especially during the part when Jonathan initially visits Castle Dracula. I also think you made a strong connection between the fear surrounding Dracula’s lust for power, and the fear the Victorians had of foreign powers taking control of them. This is much like what was said in the essay we read about anxiety of reverse colonization.