Category: 2021 Blog Post

When it comes to Lucy Westenra, the most obvious thing about her that is mentioned over and over again is her beauty and its influence on other people. In fact, one of the first things that we learn about Lucy is that she is so beautiful that three men proposed to her within one day, resulting in this rather strange passage in the text:
“Why are men so noble when we women are so little worthy of them?…Why can’t they let a girl marry three men, or as many as want her, and save all this trouble? But this is heresy, and I must not say it” (Chapter V).
While a first reading suggests that this is due to Lucy not wanting to hurt the masculinity of these men (emphasizing the importance of masculinity in the Victorian era), comparing this to her depiction as a crazed and voluptuous vampire also suggests that Lucy has many desires that cannot be fulfilled. Judging from other characterizations of Lucy in the text (sleepwalking a lot, quick transitions from cheerful to illness almost akin to bipolar disorder), its safe to say that she is of a sensitive nature, although I would reword this as easily influenced. Thinking about this in terms of Dracula’s sinister influence over her lends a lot more plausibility to the interpretation that Lucy has many desires that cannot be fulfilled. What then, shall we make of the fact the Lucy’s death allowed for the intimacy between the men to grow (even more so after they “killed” her again)?
“And now, Arthur my friend, dear lad, am I not forgiven…Forgiven! God bless you that you have given my dear one her soul again, and me peace…We have learned to believe, all of us—is it not so? And since so, do we not see our duty?” (Chapter XVI)
Much like the relationship between Robert and George in Lady Audley’s secret, I think that this fact is not only saying something about Victorian society but is also an important plot point that pushes the story forward. Consider again what was said about Lucy: “The career of this so unhappy dear lady is just begun. Those children whose blood she suck are not yet so much for the worse; but if she lives on, Un-Dead, more and more they lose their blood and by her power over them they come to her; and so she draw their blood with that so wicked mouth” (Chapter XVI). And then what was said about Mina: “I come here full of respect for you, and you have given me hope—hope, not in what I am seeking of, but that there are good women still left to make life happy—good women, whose lives and whose truths may make good lesson for the children that are to be” (Chapter XIV).
What Van Helsing says at the end of chapter XVI insinuate that they still have to rid Dracula from the world so that no one might corrupted by him ever again (note the emphasis on ‘duty’). So then, even if Lucy is completely innocent, the fact that she is so easily influenced by evil forces make her an obstacle to Victorian sensibilities (and in extension masculinity). It also does not help that she was preying on children potentially turning them into vampires and spreading Dracula’s “wickedness” had she been left to live (quite a clear contrast to Van Helsing’s compliments of Mina). It seems that for the Victorians, no matter how beloved and dear an individual might be, they are ultimately expendable for the wellbeing of society.

For my analysis I looked particularly at a lot of the words and language that is used on page 87 of the novel. In this current moment of the novel there is very little being said that is actually about Dracula however a lot of the words being used to allude to him broadly and if not to him to a “Undead Monstrous” type person. Roared, devouring monster, grim clasp, fatalities, dangers, ghostly fashion, spirits, and death are all words that are used on this page. I think it is very interesting as I said these are all words that could be used to describe him but were not describing him in the moment but were used to set a scene that he would be in eventually. I think it was very clever how this was done because the fact that the words are grouped in this way pointed to the concept of undead or a dangerous person by describing elements of the ocean and the weather at this moment in the novel.

Count Dracula is one of the most famous characters of all time, a vampire story that has lived on for a little over a century now. So what is it about Bram Stoker’s Dracula that created such an iconic monster that has been continually recreated and inspired other vampire stories to come about. Bram Stoker uses a lot of gothic elements in his writing in order to create the eerie and enjoyable story of Dracula. The use of landscape in Bram Stoker’s novel is one of the most important gothic elements used to create this classic. The atmosphere created by Stoker perfectly produces fear and terror in this novel. On the way to the castle, Jonathan hears a lot of different strange noises like the wolves howling which causes the horses to become scared, and in turn allows fear to creep into Jonathan’s mind. In Harker’s journals about the castle, the use of this setting creates a very eerie space for the reader. Towards the end of Chapter 2, Jonathan writes in his Journal “But I am not in heart to describe beauty, for when I had seen the view I explored further; doors, doors, doors everywhere, and all locked and bolted. In no place save from the windows in the castle walls is there an available exit. The castle is a veritable prison, and I am a prisoner!” (33). This passage comes after Jonathan eats breakfast alone and notes how weird it is that he has not seen the Count eat with him yet. Stoker sets an incredible setting and atmosphere for a gothic book. Between the desolate castle with endless bolted doors, the aspects of the nature around the castle including wolves and a vast forest, the gloomy weather and constant thunderstorms, all add an atmosphere that allows for the fear of Dracula to grow.

Within Gothic literature the idea of the supernatural makes frequent appearances, but why is that? Because things and ideas we cannot comprehend to our fullest extent provoke feelings of fear and uncertainty. Throughout Bram Stoker’s Dracula there is constant questioning and occurrences that trigger “the unknown”. Within the first chapter when Jonathan is making his journey to the castle in the back of the carriage, he continuously notes the darkness of the night. During this journey Jonathan writes “he kept turning his head to left and right, but I could not see anything through the darkness” (19). What he writes alludes to the idea that there is more beyond that layer of darkness, however, it is not visible to him. This inability to see in the darkness represents the inability to comprehend something unexplainable thus, causing Jonathan to feel unsettled. This theme of “the unknown” continues through events such as the time Jonathan was shaving near Dracula. He writes, “I could see him over my shoulder. But there was no reflection of him in the mirror…this was startling and coming on the top of so many strange things, was beginning to increase that vague feeling of uneasiness…” (32). While he notices that there is something incorrect in the way that there is no reflection, he cannot arrive at an answer to explain the phenomenon and is overtaken with a feeling of uneasiness. This idea of being unable to “see” the truth that is hidden by the darkness of the unknown is able to trigger fear and uneasiness within the author. I believe that this novel is trying to communicate that while monsters and creatures of the supernatural are scary as is, our inability to formulate answers or having understanding of them, is what fuels the fear that we experience reading Dracula.

   Between pages 67-68 of Stoker’s Dracula, there is an in-depth look at how the role of women and sexuality interact not only with the text, but also with the time of the Victorian Era. The passage is a letter written by Lucy, to her dearest friend, about her stream-of-consciousness regarding male suitors of this time. In particular, the last two paragraphs of the letter on page 68 underscore the young woman’s conflicting views on not only her miscellaneous male suitors, but also on her relationship to men as a whole. This correspondence is a testament to how Stoker depicts the subtlety of Lucy’s vanity lying under the surface of a tearful letter; a successful weaponization of sexuality that was a popular theme in the texts of the Victorian Era. Lucy begins the letter with discussing her fear about becoming an old, settled-down married woman, while pairing this gripe with the additional anecdotes about her multiple requests for a hand in marriage. This raises the question of whether these statements are a progressive, feminist standpoint or the complete opposite. On the surface, one could say the idolization of men in her letter could be aligned with how women were expected to perceive men during this time, but the claim is that this is a condescending statement on Lucy’s part, who is actually gathering power from her gender. Lucy laments about how each man responds to her denial in a hand in marriage, with a repeated notion of “happiness.” This could be about the happiness Lucy is experiencing, or the lack thereof presented by her suitors. Lucy contradicts herself repeatedly when sharing the heartbreak of her lovers, and complaining about the inability to have multiple lovers at once by sharing the strength that men have and to see them in pain breaks her heart, but also repeatedly shares that she is happy. In the end of the letter, Lucy finishes with, “My dear, this quite upset me, and I feel I cannot write of happiness just at once, after telling you of it; and I don’t wish to tell of the number three till it can all be happy.” (68) This statement is followed immediately with a further telling about her third suitor, implying that this happiness she speaks of is present, but will not let herself express it externally out of guilt or perception of others. This reinforces the idea that Lucy is secretly aware of her power as a woman against men, and revels in it by consistently proclaiming the strength of men. Therefore, if she is able to harm a man, she is inadvertently more powerful than him. 

When one thinks about Dracula their first thought is about vampires and the horror the characters experience as a result. One of the most important factors that emerges, however, is the role of women. Women are given a clear guideline as to what is good and bad when it comes to their sexual expression. Mina and Lucy are, I would say, shown in a positive light and manner as two major female characters of the work. They also show good virtue and reserve when it comes to their sexual expression. That is unlike the demonic women that given Harker a massive dilemma. The dilemma comes from those women playing on a sort of male fantasy. The monstrous creatures, as the reader is aware, are described as “voluptuousness which was both thrilling and repulsive, and as she arched her neck she actually licked her lips like an animal” This is one description that shows both the type of internal conflict one of the main characters must face which comes down to the appealing sexuality as a trap. These devilish women are meant to show that women during this time are expected and should be reserved. Women who are so openly sexual are dangerous to Victorian society and to men themselves. There is also this interesting contrast between Mina and Lucy versus those voluptuous women as polar opposites where one represents a type of Victorian ideal, whereas the others show the exact villainous opposite. This novel may be less about the horror or the gothic and more about the role of women in Victorian society than it may seem. As the story continues the threat of over sexuality, instead of just becoming a vampire victim, to these pristine models of the Victorian woman becomes a further proof of that focus.

“When I got almost to the top I could see the seat and the white figure, for I was now close enough to distinguish it even through the spells of shadow. There was undoubtedly something, long and black, bending over the half-reclining white figure. I called in fright, ‘Lucy! Lucy!’ and something raised a head, and from where I was I could see a white face and red, gleaming eyes.”

In the above passage, there is evidence of gothic elements that contribute to the monstrous nature displayed in Dracula. For instance, the juxtaposing repetitions of white and black (along with shadow and light) contribute to the chilling setting. In addition, the colors play with purity and corruption. Furthermore, Dracula is constantly referred to as a “figure”, “it”, and “something”, an unrecognizable and monstrous abomination of nature that cannot and will not be named. With this doubt of what Dracula is in this passage, there is a mood of eerie uncertainty that further emphasizes the concept of fearing the unknown.

The utter powerlessness Jonathan feels comes from not being able to identify the something before him. If we know the name of something, it helps to ease our fear of it. You could say that true names hold power. Actually, this reminds me of holding control over a demon when you discover and say it’s real name. 

Throughout the text we are able to see many examples of juxtapositions. One that is constantly referenced is the difference between light and dark, and day and night. It is in the morning when Jonathan Harker feels safest while he is a captive of Dracula. Jonathan says, “No man knows till he has suffered from the night how sweet and how dear to his heart and eye the morning can be” (Stoker, p. 54). During the day, Dracula is gone, along with the three strange and seductive women that Jonathan struggles to get a handle on. He claims that seeing the striking rays of the sun hitting the highest point of the gateway seemed to him as if “the dove of the ark had lighted there” (Stoker, p. 54). Jonathan takes these claims even further, saying how his “fear fell from him” and it was all because of the “courage of the day” and the rising of the sun.

Later on in the text, after Jonathan has figured out where Dracula goes during the day (to his coffin) and he is trying to get released from the Count’s home as quickly as possible, he says that Dracula “smiled, such a soft, smooth, diabolical smile that I knew there was some trick behind his smoothness” (Stoker, p. 57). With words like “diabolical” and “trick” we can easily see that by this point, the monster that Dracula is trying to hide within himself is rearing its ugly head. Finally, after Jonathan finishes his conversation with Dracula and he decides to stay in the Count’s home because of the fear of being slaughtered by the howling wolves that roam around during the darkest hours of the night, he says, “The last I saw of Count Dracula was his kissing his hand to me; with a red light of triumph in his eyes, and with a smile that Judas in hell might be proud of” (Stoker, p. 58).

After being provided with this evidence, we can see how the darkness was undesired because it hid within it the scary things that are thought to go bump in the night, such as wolves, monsters, and other terribly demonic things. Things simple humans can’t even begin to imagine. However, it is during the safety of the warm, bright day that these wicked and evil things disappear. I think that many people, like Jonathan, have a greater sense of security during the day when there is light because they are aware of the things around them, and it gives them a greater understanding of the world in which they live.

Throughout the novel, we see Dracula being portrayed as the Devil and a menace of the night. He commits his evil sins and treacherous acts only when the rest of humanity is asleep and at their most vulnerable. He is believed to be a trickster, a master of seduction and debauchery, and a vile specimen that deserves to be punished and done away with forever. While Dracula is definitely not without fault and makes horrible choices throughout the book, I think there is a reason why he is depicted in this way throughout the text.

I believe that Dracula is portrayed as a foreigner and the Devil, because many British citizens believed that foreigners were sinners and unworthy of God’s love or the acknowledgment of the British Empire because they did not adhere to the same cultural beliefs that the Crown insisted were the right ones. If you acted, spoke, or thought differently than those who were members of the British aristocracy and the rulers of England, you had no place in their world. I believe this to be true because the Victorian Era was also known as the Age of Doubt and the Age of Empire. While many British people struggled with where they stood in terms of their religious beliefs, there was still this notion that it was because of God’s grace and love for the Empire, that they were able to truly succeed.

Dracula goes against everything they hold near and dear to them. He is different, in both physical appearance and moral principles. However, he is able to hide himself well and speak in their native tongue, and this is scary because they can’t control him if they can’t recognize his differences. If the British citizens aren’t careful, they fear that Dracula’s darkness and evil will slither in and taint the good members of British society. So, they believe that they must uphold God’s will and fight the darkness with their light and purity, similarly to how the sun fights the inky tendrils of the night.

Many uncertainties and concerns were coming about in this new age of social, political, and technological revolution. Although quite fascinating, many people found these new technologies to be frightening and unnatural with their immense capabilities. An example of this fear being portrayed through the writing was when Van Helsing was attempting to convince John Sweard of Lucy and other things that he may not, or choose not to, understand. In this passage he said, “Let me tell you, my friend, that there are things done today in electrical science which would have been deemed unholy by the very men who discovered electricity – who would themselves, not so long before, have been burned as wizards.” (Stoker, 204) This quote exemplifies the concern and question of religious faith aligning with the innovations being created. Words such as “unholy” and “wizards” create many emotions such as anger, fear, and anxiety among people. These emotions also seem to align with the thoughts and feelings about the overall new revolution at that time. For example, with new medical technologies, doctors were able to help people live longer and healthier with their innovations in medical procedures and medicines. Although this was beneficial to the overall health of the population, some were very against it because they saw these practices as interfering with the work of God and his plan for every single person. Interfering with God was especially distressing at this moment in time because a lot of persuasion used to get people to believe, and continue to believe, in God was fear based. Consequences like His wrath and burning in Hell were common themes for people who do not seem to abide by His holy ways. Because of this, people did not want to be seen in any association with something that could be deemed “unholy” by other people, the church, our God Himself. 

As in many other texts of gothic literature, Bram Stoker’s Dracula contains the elements and monsters of the supernatural that would freeze any man where he stands were he to encounter it in person. However, as it is evident through even the beginning of his novel, Stoker decided to leave this supernatural element unexplained, writing passages filled with evidence that Count Dracula is in fact an actual vampire. Jonathan Harker, eventually realizing he is imprisoned by this beastly creature, begins to question his own sanity, wondering if he has gone mad and yearns for the feeling of safety away from the Count and his castle. In Jonathan’s journal he writes, “Safety and the assurance of safety are things of the past. Whilst I live on here there is but one thing to hope for: that I may not go mad, if, indeed, I be not mad already.” (43). However, the self-notion of Harker being at the precipice of madness is the least of his worries, as he then writes, “…then surely it is madness to think that of all the foul things the lurk in this hateful place the Count is the least dreadful to me…” (43). Taking a deeper look into his writings, it appears Harker is not necessarily afraid of what he can see and comprehend, but what he cannot see and comprehend. This may be a stretch, but what I think this passage, and entire text, is claiming that it is the unknown and the anticipation of what may exist in the unknown that drives individuals mad. Although the Count is a vile monster, Harker has this connection to him, an almost human connection where he can turn to the Count for safety when it appears that none exists. Without the Count, who knows what else may lurk within the castle walls, and without the familiarity of something to keep Johnathan sane, slipping into a state of madness is only a matter of time.