Motivation Through Faith

Van Helsing takes his role as a leader throughout the book and is the perfect opposite of Dracula. Whether he uses his knowledge of hunting vampires or saving humans, Van Helsing always seems to be at the front of goodness. Van Helsing believes it is the job of men to stop evil. For instance, Van Helsing said, “A brave man’s blood is the best thing on this earth when a woman is in trouble. You’re a man and no mistake. Well, the devil may work against us for all he’s worth, but God sends us men when we want them.” (chap 12; p 160). This passage certainly indicates Van Hesling’s idea of gender roles, but it also represents the influence religion has on him. Firstly, he uses “devil” and “god” in the same sentence, which reflects how much he thinks about the duality of each. Van Helsing uses religion to create his moral code, and that code helps him lead others in the fight against evil. Not only does it help him navigate morality, but religion also helps characters physically defend themselves against Dracula. Van Helsing uses religion to motivate him in his pursuit of destroying evil and uses it as his defense throughout the book.

The fact that Van Helsing is motivated by Christianity makes him the perfect foe for Dracula. On one hand, there is an evil creature that is dead and feeds itself on the blood of humans. The creature is so dark it cannot even survive in sunlight. Dracula is the closest creature to a devil that anyone could conceive at the time, and on the other side is someone who is the complete opposite. He is a leader and healer motivated by God that is set to destroy evil, even at the cost of his own life. The only way to have a story with such a monster is by creating a great hero, and with the background of vampires, the hero in Dracula had to have religious motivations. The theme of good versus evil, or God versus the Devil, is critical for the book and is seen almost everywhere.