Dracula

Study Guide
Overall Context:
Bram Stoker
• Irish, incapacitated as a child, interested in philosophy, history, mathematics.
• Wrote dramatic criticism, short stories, novels. Only true notable work was Dracula.
• Dracula became popular through its concerns with hypnotism and the occult.
• Structure of novel – epistolary, combination of journals/letters/newspaper (aping a historical reconstruction).

Chapter 1: In which the British solicitor Jonathan Harker writes of his approach towards and arrival at his client’s castle in the remote Eastern
Europe country of Transylvania.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

“Mem.” Use of shorthand in Shorthand was invented in 1837 as an innovative and phonetic
Jonathan Harker’s journals. way of recording information quickly. The use of shorthand here
relates to Jonathan’s intended audience – his fiancée Mina, who is
later said to also understand shorthand.

a What does Stoker’s referencing of shorthand indicate in regards

to these characters?

Mentions of the ‘West’ and ‘East’ Concepts of the Orient and Positioning of settings in relation to English audience. Fear of the
in describing Transylvania. Occident. ‘other’ – the foreigner as alien.

Stoker’s interest in history steeps this establishing chapter in the

Mentions of superstitions (P.8) Accumulation of detail to establish
flavours of the region (later made more apparent by a
“Wildest and least known setting – lots of historically-relevant
preoccupation with the specific foods of the region)
portions of Europe” (P.8) East European peoples and
countries (Carpathians, Buda-Pesth,
b How has the idea of the ‘Orient’ and accumulation of detail
Turkish). ‘Buda Pesth’ is an
been used by Stoker to establish setting?
anglicisation of a foreign place
name.

“Imaginative whirlpool” Simile. Stoker uses a variety of simple similes to get the reader inside of
Harker’s head and to empathise with the culture shock he
experiences upon his arrival in the East.

“They are, however, I am told, Condescending / Parochial tone Harker’s tone alludes to the attitudes of the Victorian British
very harmless and rather wanting towards the rest of the world; a fatherly but condescending
in natural self-assertion” (P.9) attitude towards the ‘simpler’ peoples of Eastern Europe fits into
this paradigm.
Furthermore, Harker’s tone could also be seen as the hubris
(arrogance) that typically accompanies a tragic hero at the start of
their metaphorical descent to hell.

Many references at the beginning Foreshadowing The title of ‘Count’ is not an accurate title used by Romanian
of the May 4 aristocracy at the time of the novel’s publication (or ever). Stoker’s
entry (P.10) use of this title is, however, in keeping with the Gothic genre, in
EG. “Looked at each other in a which several fictional villains had previously been styled as
frightened way”, “He and his wife ‘counts’.
crossed themselves”, “In a very
hysterical way”. c Activity: Find references in this chapter that foreshadow
Dracula’s true nature.

“The sun sank lower and lower Foreshadowing, metaphor, Stoker uses his description of setting to maintain a suspenseful
behind us, the shadows of the personification. atmosphere that implies evil and discomfort.
evening began to creep round us”
(P.14) d Why does Stoker use a motif of darkness?

“For the dead travel fast” (P.17) Intertextuality. Quote from the This poem from 1774 features a character who returns from the
poem Lenore by the German gothic grave and, with themes of ‘beauty and terror’, has been frequently
author cited as a common influence on vampire literature.
Gottfried August Burger.
e In your own words, how does this show intertextuality?

Wolves, castle, superstitious Stoker uses an array of The use of portents and omens links with the stereotypical Eastern
village people (P.18-19) (now-familiar) horror tropes to traditions of superstition that formed the basis for Victorian
establish a sense of England’s growing fascination with the occult in the late 19th
foreboding. century.
Chapter 2: Jonathan Harker meets his client, the strange Count Dracula, and comes to the realisation that he is now a prisoner in
the Count’s castle.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

“Then he took out my steel Complex sentence with many Harker’s (IE. Stoker’s) style is highly descriptive and can
traps, and placed them on the clauses – including an become longwinded at times, alluding to the form of the
ground beside me as I stood embedded clause. journal as a log of activity for the protagonist.
close to a great door, old and An embedded clause is a section of a sentence that can be
studded with large iron nails, removed without harming the sentence’s ability to make
and set in a sense. Embedded clauses add additional detail where the
projecting doorway of author wants to add more meaning.
massive stone” (P.21)
a Identify the embedded clause in the quote and explain
why it has been used.

Several references to steel, Motif of near- indestructible The repetition of imagery and metaphors/similes explores
iron, stone (P.21) substances. ideas relating to strength, note also the description of
Dracula’s driver’s grip being like a vice.

b Why has this motif been used?

“For just before leaving Mixing past and present tense. Stoker manipulates the reader’s distance from the
London I got word that my protagonist through the use of tense – veering between
examination was successful; past tense to show Harker recalling daily events, and
and I am now a full-blown present tense to remind the audience that Harker is
solicitor!” presently occupying the castle between journal entry; thus
making the entries seem more immediate.

Description of Dracula (P.22, Pointed teeth, pointed ears, hair Dracula is established as a strange-looking character, the
P.24) growing in strange description of the bushy eyebrows that ‘almost’ meet have
places, pale complexion, certain connotations in Gothic 19th century literature. The
‘aquiline’ nose, ‘domed’ ‘unibrow’ was viewed as a suspicious trait associated with
forehead. werewolves and evil characters. The pointed teeth are also,
as far as the reader is concerned, more than enough to
allude to his status as a vampire. Harker’s seeming
ignorance of these things are examples of dramatic irony.

What is revealed about Dracula in this chapter? (Note P.32 in particular)

• He doesn’t like daylight.
• He doesn’t eat or drink in Harker’s presence.
• He has no reflection.
• He is upper class / well-educated
c What is being suggested by these details? How might they reflect perspectives of the time?

Early editions of Dracula, with pre-film

depictions of the Count
Chapter 3: Dracula tells Harker that he’ll be staying at his castle for a month, which leads to an increasing sense of panic and anxiety for
the protagonist. In his exploration of the castle Harker is set upon by Dracula’s women, who attempt to feed on him until Dracula saves
him.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

“The Huns, whose warlike fury had Simile, mythologising, Stoker conjures imagery of the region’s bloodthirsty history with
swept the earth like a living flame” aggressive connotation active and highly figurative language. The Huns were nomadic,
(P.36) of words like ‘warlike’, horse-riding warriors who raided across Eastern Europe and
‘fury’, ‘swept’, ‘flame’. Central Asia from the 4th to 6th centuries and impacted on a lot of
different cultures.

Mentions of blood (P.36, P.37) The motif of blood Note that the word ‘vampire’ hasn’t been used once yet. The author
occurs throughout as a constructs Dracula’s world through language choices and
form of foreshadowing foreshadowing. Page 36 features mentions of crucifixes, garlic (some
that reinforces the versions of the Old Testament say that garlic sprung up in the Devil’s
themes of the novel. place after he left the Garden of Eden), wild rose (a Christian symbol
associated with Christ), mountain ash; all folkloric protections against
vampires that function as a form of dramatic irony in terms of the
narrative and Harker’s ignorance of Dracula’s true nature.
a How has symbolism been used to suggest Dracula’s true
nature?

“My heart grew cold at the Harker uses a metaphor The gothic literary tradition often employs sensory language to
thought” (P.39) to underscore his position the reader from the perspective of the protagonist,
realisation that Dracula experiencing the same terror or growing sense of dread.
intends to keep him at
the castle for at least a
month.

“Should you leave these rooms you Dracula warns Harker The words ‘should’, ‘by any chance’, ‘those’ are all in a key of low
will not by any chance go to sleep in against leaving the modality – Dracula’sthreats are implicit rather than explicit, and
any other part of the castle. It is old, room assigned to him. allude to a psychological game of ‘cat and mouse’ between
and has many memories, and there The language used by himself and Harker, with neither explicitly acknowledging the
are bad dreams for those who sleep the Count is subtle, dynamic of jailer-and-captor that has arisen.
unwisely” (P.40) threatening, and has a b How does the use of low modality add to Dracula’s
tone of low modality. characterisation?

“…my feelings changed to Combined with the The association of animals with evil is rooted in traditions that
repulsion and terror when I saw the presence of wolves in depict Satan as ‘the beast’; a goat-legged, goat-headed demon.
whole man slowly emerge from the Chapter 2 (and later Beast-like qualities also fit into Elizabethan beliefs relating to the
window and begin to crawl down the chapters), this imagery Great Chain of Being, in which a lack of humanity is equated with
castle wall over the dreadful abyss, of Dracula as a ‘lizard’- a lack of godliness. The less human something is, the further
face down, with his cloak spreading like creature alludes to a from Heaven.
around him like great wings (…) just bestial motif. c Perhaps with some additional research, explain what the
as a lizard moves along a wall” Great Chain of Being is.

Dracula’s women are described The women are This is in stark contrast to Victorian values of repressed sexuality.
with “Voluptuous lips” (P.45) described in highly The idea of women, in particular, being depicted in this way is
sexualised language. highly offensive within Stoker’s context. The concept of multiple
women kept in a room within the East-European Castle alludes to
a harem, highlighting Dracula’s foreign and alien nature. The
desire/lust evident in Harker’s journal entry has been elicited by
the demonic forces of the vampire women. In both the context
of the narrative and Stoker’s meta-context as an author exploring
ideas, this allows for the expression of lust in a situation where
Victorian sexuality would normally not be acknowledged (by
both character and author).

“Are we to have nothing Dracula feeds the This segment is highly suggestive, implicit, and understated – the
tonight?” (P.47) vampire women leaving of details to the reader’s imagination makes the scene
something (most likely a much more horrific than it otherwise would be. Author Clive
baby) to sate their Leatherdale has argued that this scene shows that Dracula has
appetite for blood. been reduced to stealing babies in his own country due to
the locals being wise enough to protect themselves against
vampires, and that this is why he wants to move to England.
The final sentence describing the ‘horror’ overcoming Jonathan
has been interpreted by some, such as Lee Klinger, as his horror
at the prospect of a homoerotic encounter with the Count
(contrasted with his earlier desire at being kissed by the women).
Chapter 4: Dracula has Harker write letters home that indicate he is okay, and Harker attempts to escape the castle
before his time runs out. In these attempts he learns that Dracula is travelling to England.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

Harker thinks that the incident Dramatic Irony. It The reader knows that the incident happened even if Harker
with the three vampire women takes another page or is ready to discount it as a dream. This helps Stoker heighten
may have been a dream (P.48) so for Harker to the growing tension in Harker’s situation.
accept the
reality of his situation. a What is dramatic irony and what is the example used
here?

“I know now the span of my Harker’s journal entry This is also an example of parataxis – where the protagonist’s
life. God help me” (P.49) is structured into thoughts become separated and unconnected,
paragraphs up until the demonstrating his fear and the finality of his realisation. His
point where he breaks appeal to God for help also reflects the Christian context of
it off in two short, the novel’s audience.
truncated sentences
‘I know now the
span of my life’ and
‘God help me’.

“This morning, as I was sitting The embedded The use of an embedded clause indicates how articulate and
on the edge of my bed clause features a intelligent Harker is; the adding of extraneous detail expands
cudgelling my brains, I heard visceral and on Harker’s desperation. The author’s choice of words in
without a crackling…” (P.51) hyperbolic metaphor. ‘cudgelling’ has a violent connotation and demonstrates the
effect that Dracula’s hypnotic powers have on the brain.
Pages 52 and 53 develop this idea further to reveal that
Harker has, indeed, been hypnotised.

“There was a silence, a deep, The repetition of A diacope is the repetition of a phrase with additional
awful silence, which chilled me” ‘silence’ in this manner words/adjectives to clarify the phrase further. Diacopes are
(P.57) is an example of a used to express strong emotion and draw attention to a
diacope. particular phrase – in this example Stoker is reinforcing the
atmosphere of horror.

b Create your own example of a diacope.

“God help me in my task” Stoker repeatedly has The countless entreaties to God sets up the relationships of
(P.54), “God helping me” (P.55), “A his protagonist refer to good vs. evil / God vs. Satan, with Dracula characterised as
smile that Judas in hell might be ‘God’ during this the antithesis (opposite) of God. Stoker’s Christian context
proud of” (P.58), the chapter, and features was shared by his audience, who would have (by this point of
capitalisation of “Pit” (P.61) other Biblical the narrative) easily identified Dracula as an affiliate of the
references such as Devil. The Biblical allusion to ‘Judas’ (the disciple who
Judas and ‘Pit’ (an betrayed Jesus) further elaborates on Dracula as a being of
example of pure evil.
antonomasia: where
a Title is substituted c How has antonomasia been used to build atmosphere?
for the proper name
of something, in this
case ‘Hell’).

“gorged with blood; he lay like a Bestial imagery, simile The bestial motif continues, this time with a comparison to a
filthy leech” (P.60) parasite.

d How does this contrast with the more typical depiction of

vampires in popular culture today?

“blaze of basilisk horror” (P.60), Connotative language The ‘basilisk’ is a mythological, horrific creature (a cross
“brain on fire” (P.60) – motif of fire, between a rooster and a lizard) that can turn people to stone
mythological allusion. with its gaze. The figurative language here likens Dracula’s
powers of hypnotism to the basilisk’s terrifying powers.

“many feet dying away in some Stoker’s lexicon uses Note the use of the words ‘dying’, ‘violent’ and ‘hopelessly’
passage” (P.61), “violent puff of intense, negative to describe actions. Stoker’s vocabulary is loaded with
wind” (P.61), “hopelessly fast” terms to describe negative lexical items to continue building the sense of
(P.61) commonplace verbs. foreboding and desperation experienced by Jonathan Harker.
Chapter 5: Jonathan’s fiancée, Mina, writes to her friend Lucy. Both women talk about their suitors, with Lucy having to
choose between three men who know one another.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

Lots of italicised words are used Characterisation. The idiosyncratic grammar used by Stoker in Lucy’s letters
in Lucy’s letter to show helps establish her as a bubbly and excitable character. The
emphasis (P.63) repeated use of italics helps the reader ‘hear’ her rhythm
and way of speaking, and the use of polysyndeton
“We have slept together and Polysyndeton (the continues this further by disallowing the reader to take a
eaten together, and laughed use of lots of ‘breath’ when reading this particular section of the text.
and cried together, and now, conjunctions in the The run-on sentence demonstrates Lucy’s apparent
thought I have spoken, I would one sentence) inability to focus.
like to speak more” (P.64)
a What does ‘idiosyncratic’ mean?
“He had evidently been schooling Run-on sentence (a
himself (…) made me want to very long sentence,
scream” (P.65) often
without any real point).

“I sympathise with poor Intertextuality Lucy refers to Othello, in which the black titular character
Desdemona when she had such a (references to other becomes dangerously jealous towards his white wife,
dangerous stream poured into her texts) Desdemona. Lucy’s reference to Othello as being of an inferior
ear, even by a black man” race demonstrates the inherent racism of the Victorian era, in
which scientific arguments at the time (and the theory of Social
Darwinism) led the British people to believe the other races
were ‘half-devil, half-child’ to be looked after by the British
Empire.

b What does this use of intertextuality suggest about Stoker

and the text?

Lucy talks at great length about Discussion of slang vs. The differentiation between two modes of writing/speaking is
using ‘slang’ language (P.66) formal language. relevant to Stoker’s language choices throughout Dracula in that
he uses a wide variety of text types and first person protagonists
to construct the overall narrative (journal entries written in
shorthand, letters between friends, diary entries, newspaper
articles). This approach to structuring a novel is typical of the
Gothic genre.

c What are some examples of different texts types used in

Dracula and by which characters?

“Why can’t they let a girl marry This is pertinent to Lucy’s flirtations with three separate suitors is a transgression of
three men, or as Lucy’s straight-laced/sexually-repressed Victorian morality. The idea of
many as want her (…) But this is characterisation and is a ‘slutty’ young woman meeting a tragic demise at the hands of
heresy, and I must not say it” a generic convention a monster adheres to now-familiar tropes associated with the
of the horror genre. horror genre (think of the early victims in slasher films – they
almost always do things beforehand that are considered immoral
within the context of their times). Lucy kisses Morris despite
turning down his proposal, which is quite scandalous within the
context of the Victorian era. Later in the novel, Lucy becomes
one of Dracula’s victims.

d What does ‘transgression’ mean?

Lucy Westenra and her three suitors- Dr Seward, Authur

Holmwood (later Lord Godalming), and Morris Quincey,
By Erina Skoura
Chapter 6: Mina befriends an old sailor, Mr Swales, who tells her stories about death. Meanwhile, Dr Seward (one of Lucy’s suitors)
describes the case of one of his asylum patients, the ‘zoophagous’ Renfield.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

“I nodded, for I thought it better Mina does not The observation from Mina may come as a relief to the reader, as it
to assent, though I did not quite understand the old confirms that we are not necessarily meant to understand
understand his dialect” (P.74) sailor’s dialect and her everything that Swales says. The language espoused by the old
reflection here comes sailor is difficult to follow in some parts as it is highly regional and
after the reader has colloquial, however, hidden in his dialogue are some philosophical
experienced Mr Swales’ truths that link to the novel’s themes of superstition and death.
stories for quite a few
lines. On P.76, Swales uses his extensive knowledge of town lore to
reveal to Mina the ugly truth behind the pleasantries written on
gravestones. This highlights the differences between historical
record and truth but, within the context of a late 19th century novel,
it would also highlight to readers that nothing is sacred in Bram
Stoker’s Dracula – not even the seemingly innocent epitaphs on
gravestones.

“…when a horrid blowfly, Renfield wants to feed The bizarre and viscerally-described eating habits of Renfield
bloated with some carrion food, animals and then eat foreshadow, and link to, the relationship between Renfield and his
buzzed into the room, he them, leading to Dr ‘Master’, Count Dracula. The influence of Dracula has made
caught it, held it Seward’s hypothesis that Renfield beast-like, which symbolises the corrupting, Satanic
excruciatingly for a few the patient is influence of evil. The consumption of animals also mimics Dracula’s
moments between his finger and ‘zoophagous’. own consumption of human life.
the thumb, and before I knew a In what way is Renfield representative of Dracula and the
what he was going to do, put it novel’s themes?
in his mouth and ate it” (P.78) Stoker subverts and twists the bodily function of eating into
something unpalatable (the consumption of insects, the feeding of
spiders) in order to evoke a visceral reaction from the reader.
Things that break the taboos of bodily functions have a tendency to
cause feelings of horror in audiences.
b What do you think ‘visceral’ means?

“Everything is grey (…) grey The motif of the colour Mina hasn’t heard from Jonathan and is getting increasingly
earthy rock; grey clouds (…) grey is a form of pathetic anxious about his whereabouts. Stoker reflects this mood in the
grey sea…” (P.82) fallacy – the technique in setting by draining all the colour out of the environment. The
“The horizon is lost in a grey which authors use the weather is also used here to foreshadow Dracula’s approach to
mist” weather to represent England, which will lead to death and tragedy for each of the
emotions. characters.
c What is pathetic fallacy and what is another way it can be used
by an author?

Chapter 7: Newspaper clippings describe the arrival of a ship, The Demeter, which washes up ashore with a dead crew – the only
survivor a mysterious large dog which escapes into the countryside.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

“One of the greatest and Pathetic fallacy. Stoker builds on the use of pathetic fallacy in the previous chapter
suddenest storms on Use of a newspaper to show Dracula’s arrival via a calamitous storm. The implication
records has just been article to forward the here is that Dracula actually causes the storm, which indicates the
experienced here, with plot. extent of his power and his alignment with the Devil.
results both strange and
unique” (P.85) The use of a newspaper article to bridge part of the narrative is
necessary here as Stoker lacked a logical way to include the ship’s
arrival in the diary entries of Seward, Harker, Lucy, or Mina. The use
of a newspaper article also maintains distance between the reader
and the events surrounding the ship’s arrival, which assists in
maintaining a sense of mystery around Dracula and his
movements.

“It had been fighting, and The newspaper article The entire chapter unfolds without any mention of Dracula and it is
manifestly had had a savage describes the mysterious left up to the reader to fill in the gaps on their own. The use of the
opponent, for its throat was death of a dog following newspaper text type leaves a distance of time and space between
torn away, and its belly was slit the arrival of The the reader and the characters featured, and this ambiguity leads to
open as if with a savage claw” Demeter. a heightening of tension. The reportage of the dog’s death in such
brutal detail leaves clues for the audience to construct their own
image of what has happened. a What do you think happened?
Chapter 8: Lucy, now prone to sleepwalking, is discovered by Mina in the arms of a mysterious beast under the moonlight. Mina
disturbs the beast and nurses Lucy after the ‘attack’, watching as her friend grows weaker over a period of several days.
Meanwhile, Dr Seward’s patient Renfield becomes more violent and gloats about the return of his ‘Master’. Mina also receives
word that Jonathan Harker is alive and recovering in a hospital in Buda-Pesth.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

Mina writes about the ‘New Mina gently satirises Through Mina, Stoker pokes fun at the idea of the ‘New Woman’.
Woman’ (P.99-100) the idea of women It is worth noting, however, that Mina herself fits the mould of
gaining more the sort of woman that the author is describing – she is a
independence, positing schoolteacher and therefore financially independent, is
that women may one intelligent enough to articulately write a journal, and doesn’t
day be the ones to have any parents to ‘report’ to. The ‘New Women’ were
propose marriage championed by many writers and newly independent women as
(instead of men). a sign of the Victorian era’s strict moral codes loosening for the
better.
At the time of Stoker’s novel (1897) the suffrage movement was
also beginning to emerge in England. Some women were asking
questions about their role in society – could they work in a
wider range of jobs? Should they have the right to vote? Go to
university?
a What is a ‘New Woman’?

“Something, long and black, Ambiguity and Stoker makes this passage deliberately unclear, perhaps for a
bending over the half sexualised undertones couple of reasons. Dracula may be raping Lucy here – either
reclining white figure” as Dracula ‘attacks’ through the use of hypnotism or force. It’s implied that Lucy’s
(P.100) Lucy. previous sleepwalking may have been Dracula luring her outside
so that he can feed on her. The use of language here also implies
“anxiety about Lucy (…) for There are no entries the possibility of a sexual element to the attack, though this is
her reputation in case the from Lucy in this kept deliberately vague as Victorian audiences would have been
story should get wind” chapter either, which scandalised by any explicit acknowledgement of this (note the
(P.103) helps to maintain second quote on P103). Another reason why it’s kept unclear is
mystery and ambiguity that Mina is observing the event from afar and is unsure as to
over what happens what is happening, which serves to heighten tension and
while she grows sicker. mystery.
b What does this section of the text reveal about Victorian
values?

“I don’t want to talk to you: Antonomasia Renfield refers to a mysterious ‘Master’. If the audience has
you don’t count now; the figured out that this is Dracula then this is an example of
Master is at hand” (P.111) dramatic irony as Dr Seward doesn’t know what this refers to.
Note the tone of Renfield’s dialogue here; the rudeness in the
way he dismisses Seward is indicative of the influence that
Dracula exerts over the patient.

“The real God taketh heed Allegory. With some Stoker offers social commentary on the arrogance of humanity
lest a sparrow fall; but the arrogance, Seward in seeking to play God, that God does not differentiate between
God created from human draws comparison a sparrow and an eagle. This quote reflects the Christian values
vanity sees no difference between the God of of Stoker’s Victorian context and is also ironic through its
between an eagle and the Bible and the God reference to ‘sparrows’ (one of the animals preyed upon by
sparrow. Oh, if man only created in the egos Renfield). The quote is also relevant in that Renfield does not
knew!” (P.111) of men who seek to recognise God, instead pledging his allegiance to Dracula, and
play Him. that Seward’s classism means that he metaphorically sees
himself as the eagle rather than the sparrow.

“Jack Sheppard himself Historical allusion Jack Sheppard was a notorious criminal from 18th century
couldn’t get free” (P.113) England who was famed for repeatedly breaking out of prison. C
c What is the point of this historical allusion?

“I shall be patient, Master. It Epizeuxis (the Renfield’s repetition of ‘coming’ emphasises his excitement over
is coming – coming – repetition of a word in the arrival of his master, Dracula. The use of epizeuxis is
coming!” (P.113) immediate succession) intended to appeal to an audience’s emotions, and Renfield uses
the rhetorical device as a symbol of his own enthusiasm and
inspiration.
d What is the effect of Stoker using epizeuxis here?
Chapter 9: Mina travels to Buda-Pesth to be with Jonathan, who is described as a ‘wreck’ after his mysterious ordeal. Dr
Seward tends to Lucy, whose condition deteriorates, and sends for his former teacher, the formidable Dr Van Helsing, for
help. Renfield tries to escape.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

“Jonathan is waking – I must The use of the hyphen In her relating of Jonathan’s condition, Mina reveals the values
attend to my husband” takes the place of a of the era in regards to marriage and mental illness. The idea of
(P.116) semicolon here. This the woman as a servile wife fits into Victorian ideals regarding
physically and the roles of men and women within a marriage. The concept of
“poor brains” “poor dear”, thematically joins the ‘madness’ is also dealt with throughout the novel in regards to
“poor weak hands” (P.114- two clauses together. Renfield’s disturbing attitude towards animals and Jonathan’s
116) Mina also repeatedly nervous disposition after staying at Dracula’s castle, with very
uses the little understanding expressed towards the characters about
adjective ‘poor’ to either condition. This reflects the ignorance towards mental
describe her fiancé. illness during the 19th century – Jonathan is clearly suffering
from PTSD, something that would 20 years later come to be
described as ‘shell-shock’ in WWI.

a How do you think the Victorians treated something like

PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)?

“I caught the patient’s eye Symbolism – the bat as Some associations had been made between vampires and bats
and followed it, but could vampire. before Stoker wrote Dracula. Fifty years earlier, the penny
trace nothing as it looked dreadful Varney the Vampire featured illustrations of a vampire
into the moonlit sky except as bat-like, and an animal known as the Vampire Bat was
a big bat” (P.119) already known about in the Americas. It was Bram Stoker,
however, that tied the bat to vampirism in a way that would
become iconic. In Dracula, the Count can shape-shift into a bat,
a wolf, and another unidentified beast. Of these, it is the bat
that has continued to endure – perhaps due to the existence of
the real life Vampire Bat and memorable passages like the one
quoted here.

b Think about other vampires in popular fiction – what would

change if Stoker hadn’t created this piece of symbolism?

“Van Helsing (…) a Characterisation. Dr Van Helsing’s association with science could be seen as
philosopher and a Seward describes, with representative of the rise of science throughout the 19th century
metaphysician, and one of admiration, his former as the most influential discipline. Van Helsing’s introduction
the most advanced teacher. into the narrative as a man of science places him as the
scientists of his day; and he antithesis of the supernatural forces of Dracula. As a man of
has, I believe, an absolutely learning, Van Helsing exhibits flexibility in his unorthodox
open mind” (P.122) methods – proving himself to be something of a ‘renaissance
man’ (a ‘polymath’ – a person of multiple and highly different
talents). The character is based on three real life figures – a
German professor of history, a psychic investigator, and a
detective. His first name ‘Abraham’ is also the same as the
author’s.

c What values and cultural ideas are related to the character

of Van Helsing? What is the impact of this character on
popular and contemporary fiction?

“…saw the red disk sink. As Pathetic fallacy. Dr The tying of Renfield to the elements in this way reflects his
it sank he became less and Seward describes allegiance to Dracula and his own animalistic nature. The affect
less frenzied…” (P.127) Renfield’s reaction to that the setting sun has on Renfield calls to mind imagery of
the setting of the sun. disturbed caged animals, and dates back to Roman ideas that
the turning of day to night could affect human behaviour. The
concept of circadian rhythms (a 24 hour cycle) affecting plants
and animals had been theorised at several points prior to
Stoker writing Dracula, most recently through the observations
of two scientists in 1896.
Note also the symbolism of the colour ‘red’ – a primal
connection to blood, evil, and anger.
Chapter 10: Van Helsing and Seward tend to Lucy as she continues to struggle with her mysterious illness.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

“All men are mad in some Simile, Motif, Van Helsing characterises himself and Seward (and, by
way or other… as you Metaphor. Van extension, other scientists and doctors) as the keepers of
deal discreetly with your Helsing draws knowledge. Van Helsing alludes to the idea that knowledge is
madmen, so deal with God’s comparisons to add a form of power, and that explanations need not be given to
madmen, too – the rest of depth to the those who are not disciplined in their use. He also speaks of
the world. You tell not your abstract concept of knowledge being ‘stronger than memory’, highlighting the
madmen what you do nor ‘knowledge’. shifting values of the time towards science and fact as
why you do it (…) so you irrefutable forces of problem-solving. Note the use of a blood
shall keep knowledge in its transfusion on P.131, a new technology that would have been
place” (P.129) highly unusual to 19th century readers.

“Knowledge is stronger than a A famous theorist later said “Knowledge is power”. What
memory, and we should not does this mean?
trust the weaker” (P.130)

“Even death has some Personification, Dr Seward’s personification of death as an antidote to its
antidote to its own terrors” Metaphor, associated ‘terrors’ refers to the concept of some
(P.130) Connotation experiences being worse than death. The later description of
Lucy’s white gums and sickly state provide further proof that
Lucy fears sleep and calls it a she is in an extreme state of suffering.
“presage of horror” (P.135)
A ‘presage’ is an omen, or a sign of something that is about
to happen. The connotation here is that sleep is when Lucy
suffers most (foreshadowing the revelation that Dracula is
draining her blood each night). Intriguingly, throughout
Dracula, it is never completely clear what exactly happens
when the vampires attack the human characters – what the
reader can gather between what Stoker writes and what his
editors may have bowdlerised (censored) is that it’s
something between bloodsucking and sex.

b Why do you think the nature of Dracula’s attacks is kept

vague by Stoker?

“If our young lover should Van Helsing’s creation Van Helsing seems to equate the transfusion of blood (a
turn up unexpected, as of the word ‘enjealous’ bodily fluid) with sexual relations, and therefore a delicate
before, no word to him. It to refer to Arthur’s matter that would make Lucy’s lover jealous.
would (…) enjealous potential reaction at
him” discovering Lucy getting
a blood transfer
reflects his non-English
speaking
background.

“Van Helsing, with his soft, Foreshadowing, The description of Van Helsing walking in a ‘cat-like’ (IE.
cat-like tread” (P.137) characterisation. Quietly predatory) manner foreshadows his later role in the
novel as a vampire hunter.

c What is the purpose of using foreshadowing in this way?

“It is well that we have no Irony. Van Helsing The irony here is that Van Helsing is doing exactly this, using
sceptic here, or he would makes a wreath of the folklore remedy of garlic to ward off potential vampires.
say that you were working garlic for Lucy to Van Helsing clearly suspects more than he is letting on (see
some spell to keep out an wear and rubs the his earlier comment about not revealing knowledge). What’s
evil spirit” (P.141) herb around the interesting here is that, even though he is a man of science,
doorway. his broad knowledge of the world also extends to the
supernatural.

d Why has Stoker included this detail in the text?

Chapter 11: A wolf is reported escaping from the zoo, only to return later covered in glass and cuts. Meanwhile, Lucy’s
mother suffers a fatal heart attack after a wolf tries to get into Lucy’s room while she sleeps.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

“Lying like Ophelia in the Intertextuality – Stoker’s reference to Hamlet refers to the death of the
play, with ‘virgin accents this is a reference innocent Ophelia, who went insane and drowned after
and maiden to Hamlet. covering herself in a variety of flowers and herbs.
strewments’” (P.143) a Why does this textual allusion draw a direct comparison
between Lucy and Ophelia?

“Is there fate amongst Personification of fate, Paganism refers to the pre-Roman world of England; a term
us still, sent down from cultural allusion to used by the early Christians to refer to the ‘Godless’
the pagan world of ‘pagan world’. barbarians that inhabited the British Isles. By the 19th
old…” century the phrase had become near-synonymous with
(P.145) believing in the Devil. Van Helsing refers to paganism here as
a contrasting force to the good he is trying to do.

The newspaper Symbolism of the By this point in the novel the audience is already aware of
interview describes a wolf in connection Dracula’s connection to the wolves. Bram Stoker’s use of the
wolf going to Dracula. newspaper interview here provides an explanation for the
beserk (P.147-151) from Foreshadowing. appearance of the wolf that disturbs Lucy’s mother later in
the point of view of a the chapter.
zookeeper.

“The blood is the life! Renfield’s crazed Stoker uses this phrase to represent Renfield’s zealous
the blood is the life!” repetition of this following of Dracula as akin to a religious belief, and in this
(P.152) phrase calls to mind case Renfield is twisting a Biblical passage that warns
the sort of dictums (or against consuming blood so that it sounds like this quote
proverbs/slogans/max supports the opposite. Note also the re-appearance of the
ims) espoused by novel’s blood motif, and the phrase’s explanation of
cults. Dracula’s source of energy.
b What is the reason for Stoker having Renfield quote this
part of the Bible?

“Surely there is some Seward renders their More dramatic irony in Seward’s lack of knowledge
horrible doom hanging ‘bad luck’ in the regarding Dracula. By this point it is becoming clear that
over us that every possible abstract as a ‘horrible something is interfering with Lucy’s recovery; something
accident should thwart us doom’, though that Van Helsing is most likely aware of but not explaining.
in all we try to do” (P.152) unbeknownst to him, it The reader will know by this point that Dracula is probably
is the unseen hand of behind these events, however, the absence of his name
Dracula that continues throughout the chapter adds a degree of ambiguity and
to cause them so many assists Stoker in continuing to maintain tension.
issues. c How is this dramatic irony?

The 1922 silent film Nosferatu is the

earliest surviving film of Dracula. In an
attempt to avoid being sued by the
Stoker family for using the storyline
without authorisation, the film changed
the name of the monster to ‘Count
Orlok’. The film also invented the idea
that exposure to sunlight would kill the
Count.
Chapter 12: Lucy’s illness continues and she dies before her fiancé’s eyes after the doctors observe a giant bat hovering
outside the window. Meanwhile, Mina marries Jonathan and he inherits the responsibility of running a solicitor business
after his boss dies.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

Seward says “It was a stand up Personification of death Van Helsing is suggesting here that a fate worse
fight with death”, as a force the doctors are than death awaits Lucy if they are not able to
followed by Van Helsing clarifying, losing their fight against. prevent her demise. This refers to the possibility
“If that were all, I would stop here Van that she may enter an undead state and turn into
where we are now, and let her fade Helsing also uses a vampire. In accordance with the Christian values
away into peace, for I see no light figurative language to of the time, any such fate would prevent Lucy from
in life over her horizon” (P.159) allude to secret entering Heaven as her mortal soul would be
knowledge. forfeit. As a creature of Hell, Lucy would face
eternal damnation and never ending suffering.
a In what way does this reveal Victorian values?

“The devil may work against us for Antithesis (when two The forces that make Lucy sick are seen as being
all he’s worth, but God sends us opposites are contrasted the work of the Devil, especially after Van Helsing
men when we want them” (P.160) against one another) – has noted the mangling of her neck from repeated
“Once again we went the doctors characterise nocturnal attacks. A ‘ghast’ is a supernatural
through that ghastly their battle as one creature like a ghoul / ghost.
operation” (P.160) between good and evil. One of the novel’s key contrasts is also being
The use of the adjective reinforced here: science vs. supernatural.
‘ghastly’ has b What are some other ways that the novel
supernatural connotations. explores the idea of science vs. the supernatural?

“One of those bats that they call The Texan suitor, Morris, This is the only reference to the ‘V’ word in the
vampires…” (P.162) tells an anecdote about a entire first 200 pages of the novel. The use of the
vampire bat killing his anecdote here is used to connect the wounds
horse back in America. suffered by Lucy to a real world scenario, helping
the audience to continue suspending their
disbelief in relation to the novel’s more fantastical
elements.

“He spoke in a fierce half Morris, on noticing that The reappearance of Morris at this point of the
whisper; ‘What took it it has taken the blood novel allows for a new perspective to enter the
out?’” (P.163) of 4 adult men to keep narrative, and thus allows Stoker to articulate one
Lucy alive. He wonders of the mysteries of the text so far, in case the
how she could be so audience hasn’t put it together yet. Morris, in his
weak after all this blood horrified ‘half-whisper’, has worked out that
going in… something is draining Lucy’s blood each night (note
his Vampire anecdote above).

Lucy speaks in a “soft, Connotative language. Lucy finally succumbs to death and her
voluptuous voice” shortly before Foreshadowing. transformation into a state of being undead is
dying. After she dies, Van Helsing near-complete. Van Helsing’s ominous warning, “It
remarks, “It is only the beginning” is only the beginning” foreshadows the revelation
(P.172- 173) that she is becoming a vampire. The use of the
sensuous adjective ‘voluptuous’ harkens back to
Dracula’s vampire women in Chapter 4, connecting
Lucy to the ‘weird sisters’. It also highlights the
sexualised nature of the vampire in using its
mouth to draw life from its victims, with Lucy’s
attempted attack on her husband
representing a perversion / inversion of the kind of
kiss they would normally enjoy.
c In what way is Stoker using his text to explore
taboos in Victorian society?
Chapter 13: Lots happens in this chapter! Lucy is buried after her death and Van Helsing places garlic and a crucifix in her
coffin, telling Seward they must quietly return later to cut off her head and stake her through the heart. Meanwhile,
Jonathan Harker passes Dracula in the street, though the count now looks like a young man. The garlic and crucifix
disappear from Lucy’s grave, and reports begin to emerge of children being attacked in the vicinity by someone known only
as the ‘bloofer lady’.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

“She makes a very beautiful Juxtaposition, paradox. The collision of ‘beautiful’ and ‘corpse’ in the one
corpse, sir” (P.174) sentence is representative of the intersection of
romance and horror that characterises Dracula, a
novel that was released at the turn of the 19th
century into the 20th – a period of great change.
a In what way could this quote could be
interpreted as a representation of the way this
text hybridises genres?

“After death faces became Connotative language, The description of Lucy regaining her beauty in
softened and even resolved into paradoxical adjective death alludes to her new status as undead and
their youthful beauty” (P.180) ‘youthful’ used to immortal; she now has everlasting youth. The
describe a dead body juxtaposition of imagery between ‘death’ and
‘softened’ highlights the unnatural state she has
now entered.

“We (…) will have to pass through Van Helsing speaks of The ‘duty’ that Van Helsing refers to is the idea that
the bitter water before we reach the difficult journey each man has their duty to God, above all else. It
the sweet. But we must be brave ahead in metaphorical was completely unheard of for anyone in the
of heart and unselfish, and do our terms. Victorian era to not adhere to Christian values,
duty” (P.182) and Van Helsing knows what terrible things lie
ahead if he is to ensure that duty to God is
fulfilled.
b What is Van Helsing readying Lucy’s husband
for?

“…he gave way to a regular fit of Connotation of Seward’s ‘stern’ reaction towards Arthur betrays
hysteria. He has denied to me since Seward’s description the attitudes of the Victorian age towards men
that it was of Arthur’s who don’t conform to the expectations relating to
hysterics (…) He laughed till he emotional reaction to gender. ‘Hysteria’ was a specific term used by
cried, and I had to draw down the Lucy’s death. doctors to refer to women with uncontrollable
blinds lest anyone should see us emotions.
and misjudge
(…) I tried to be as stern as one c Why is it an issue for Arthur to behave in this
should” (185) way? How have times changed since this novel?

The news article describing the Cultural allusion to The ‘Kensington Horror’ was an attack in which
‘Bloofer Lady’ also current events in two women had their faces slashed by a
makes mention of the Victorian-era mysterious ‘woman in black’ shortly after the
‘Kensington Horror’, ‘The Stabbing London. infamous Jack the Ripper murders had ceased.
Woman’ and ‘The Woman in London newspapers around this time often
Black’ (P.188- 189) featured headlines such as ‘The Stabbing Woman’.
In this case, Lucy’s transformation into a
bloodthirsty creature of the night (that feasts on
wayward children!) is emphasised by her new
urban legend-esque name. ‘Bloofer’ is a child’s
corruption/slang term for ‘Beautiful’.
Chapter 14: Mina learns the full extent of Jonathan’s suffering in Castle Dracula while transcribing his journal and
informs Van Helsing. In examining the case of the ‘bloofer lady’, Van Helsing realises that Lucy is feeding on the
neighbourhood’s children.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

“a man of medium height, Description of Van Particular focus is paid on the head, perhaps in
strongly built, with his Helsing upon his relation to the 19th century pseudoscience of
shoulders set back over a broad deep entrance, from the phrenology – in which skull size and lumpiness was
chest and a neck well balanced on the point of view of Mina used to deduce a person’s intelligence and potential
trunk as the head is on the neck. The
Harker. Accumulation for criminal action. The size of Van Helsing’s head is
poise of the head strikes one at once
as indicative of thought and power;
of details used to build intended here to indicate his great intelligence and
the head is noble, well sized, broad, an image in the cunning.
and large behind the ears…” (P.194) reader’s head. a In what way is Van Helsing’s description an
indication of Victorian values?

“There are darknesses in life, Extended metaphor. Van This quote could be interpreted as a form of
and there are lights; you are Helsing identifies Mina as foreshadowing in that Mina eventually becomes one
one of the lights” (P.196) a force of goodness – of Dracula’s victims and finds herself turning into a
showing his charm.
vampire – the opposite of ‘good’.

“I suppose I was hysterical” Mina reflects on her Mina, despite her independence and potential as a ‘New
(P.197) emotions as a sign of Woman’, wholly subscribes to gendered notions relating
hysteria. First person to hysteria. Paradoxically, her ability to reflect on hysteria
perspective. could be seen as proof that she is not hysterical, or (in the
context of Stoker’s times) male-like enough to recognise
this feminine deficiency. The real life French scientist
Charcot (also mentioned in this chapter) made his career
out of studying hysteria and used hypnosis as a remedy
against it.
b What is meant here by the term ‘gendered
notions relating to hysteria’?

“I am dazzle – dazzle more than Poor syntax / grammar Throughout the novel the reader will perhaps notice
ever” (P.199) in Van Helsing’s that Van Helsing’s speech can sometimes lose
dialogue. consistency in regards to tense, subject-verb
agreements, and sentence construction. This reflects
the fact that English is not his first language and that
he is Dutch.

“It was the doubt as to the Figurative language – Jonathan prefaces this quote with “It seems to have
reality of the whole thing that Jonathan describes how he made a new man of me” – indicating that his level of
knocked me over. I felt felt after leaving self-confidence and sense of masculinity are closely
Transylvania, the way he tied together. The use of the word ‘impotent’ further
impotent and in the dark, and
began to doubt what had
distrustful” (P.200) reinforces this gender-related weakness.
happened to him.

“Do you not think that there are Van Helsing rebukes Dr Van Helsing uses historical allusion (EG. ‘Old Parr’ – a
things which you cannot Seward’s belief in British man who supposedly lived to 152), Biblical
understand? (…) it is the fault of science as something allusion (EG. Methuselah – a 900 year old man from
our science that it wants to explain that can answer all the Old Testament), and examples of unexplained
it all” (P.204) questions, and uses occult phenomena such as corporal transference,
logos via a range of materialisation, astral bodies, reading of thought,
examples to and hypnotism. c What comment is Stoker making
support his argument. through Van Helsing here?
“They were made by Miss Lucy” Cliffhanger. High Stoker utilises the genre of the serial in his structuring
(P.206) modality (language of chapters around cliffhangers. At the end of Chapter
with a high degree of 14 it is revealed that the bite marks on children
certainty) attacked by the ‘bloofer lady’ are from Lucy, who is
now a vampire. The use of a single, blunt sentence
designed to shock the other characters (and reader)
leaves the audience wanting to read more.
d What is a cliffhanger? Does this generic
convention of the ‘serial’ genre still get used today?

Chapter 15: Van Helsing outlines his plan to destroy Lucy’s vampiric Un-Dead state, and enlists the assistance of Lucy’s
husband, Arthur, and her former suitor, Morris Quincey, to put his plan into action.

Quotes and Examples Explanation/ Analysis Context / Further Ideas

“And prove the very truth he Textual allusion. A Seward is describing his own feelings regarding Lucy’s
most abhorred” (P.207) quote from Byron is transformation into a vampire, using the words of the famous
used by Seward poet to describe that which he cannot (in the poet’s case it
here was adultery).

“He was inclined to think it was Further clues are The motif of bats assists the reader in suspending their disbelief
one of the bats which are so given to the in relation to Dracula’s vampiric nature, with Quincy Morris’s
numerous in the northern reader and previous anecdotes about vampire bats used to introduce the
audience to the idea as a plausible one. Bats have long since
heights of London” (P.208) protagonists in
become a generic convention of the horror genre for this and
regards to the links
other reasons (such as their nocturnal nature, size, the sound
between Lucy and they make, the disease they carry, etc.)
Dracula. a What other generic conventions related to vampires do you
recognise from Dracula?

“The tomb in the day-time, and Imagery, motif of Most likely without knowing about it, Stoker is alluding to the
when wreathed with fresh flowers, death. The entire scientific theory of ‘entropy’, a principle of thermodynamics that
had looked grim and gruesome passage theorises that everything in the universe eventually moves from a
enough; but now, some days state of order to disorder. In short: all things must die. In the case
between the (…)
afterwards, when the flowers hung of Lucy’s tomb, the imagery described here represents Death’s
explains the effect influence, which is one and the same as Dracula’s.
lank and dead, their whites turning
to rust and their greens to browns of time and There is also mention on P.211 of ‘body-snatching’, a disturbing
(…) It conveyed irresistibly the darkness on all trend in Victorian times, in which dead bodies were illegally
idea that life – animal life – was things. stolen from cemeteries and sold to early doctors for medical
not the only thing which could research.
pass away”. (P.210) b What does this detail contribute to the novel and its
themes?

“More radiantly beautiful than Contrast / Paradoxically, despite all the decay around her, Lucy looks
ever (…) the lips were red, Juxtaposition when ‘more beautiful than ever’ – the unnaturalness of this links her
nay redder than before” comparing Lucy’s to Dracula’s supernatural powers, her defiance of the normal
appearance to her laws of the universe reveals her ‘Un-Dead’ state. The emphasis
(P.213)
decrepit surrounds of the redness of her lips symbolises her thirst for blood.

“she was bitten by the vampire Van Helsing finally A portmanteau is a new word created from the combination of
when she was in a trance (…) In offers an two previously known words, in this case the attachment of the
time she died, and in trance she explanation for prefix ‘un’ to ‘dead’ to describe a new state of existence that is
Lucy’s neither dead nor living. The use of this portmanteau helps the
is Un-Dead, too” (P.214)
transformation with reader understand the unfamiliar by using their prior knowledge
the portmanteau of of each part of the new term.
‘Un Dead’. c Can you think of any other examples of portmanteau?

“he must have one hour that Biblical allusion, The use of Biblical allusions increase as the novel moves forward,
will make the very face of metaphor. Van revealing the full dimensions of the battle between Van Helsing
heaven turn black to him” Helsing explains and Dracula as one representative of the greater battle between
good and evil; IE. Heaven and Hell. In this quote, Van Helsing
(P.216) why Arthur must
demonstrates how he intends to bring Lucy’s husband onside
see his Un-Dead
before they destroy her body in order to free her soul.
wife in this state.
d What does this reveal about the values and culture of the
Victorian era?
“If it be anything in which my Arthur expresses his These quotes very much reflect the values of the Victorian era –
honour as a gentleman or my adherence to the concept of being a ‘gentleman’ was constructed around
faith as a Christian is Christian honourable and polite conduct, and Christianity in this society
concerned, I cannot make such was homogenous and conformed to by all. Stoker uses Arthur’s
theology as
a promise” (P.218) refusal and his Victorian audience’s agreement with these values
defence
“This is too much (…) this to heighten the tension… the audience knows that Lucy is a
against going into vampire but they would also sympathise with Arthur e How does
desecration of the grave” (219) Lucy’s tomb. this lead to internal conflict and dramatic irony in the novel?

“But this night our feet must Metaphor, Biblical The ‘paths of flame’ refer to the Hell that Lucy’s soul will eternally
tread in thorny paths; or later, allusion. Van Helsing dwell in if they are able to vanquish the vampire from her body.
and for ever, the feet you love Figuratively Van Helsing makes his argument stronger through his use of
must walk in paths of flame!” explains what extended metaphor – likening their ethically-difficult mission to
(219) Lucy’s fate will be. ‘thorny paths’ that pale in comparison to Lucy’s paths of flame.

Chapter 16: While scouting Lucy’s tomb, the four men witness her feeding on a child nearby. Arthur is now convinced
that they must stake and behead Lucy on their next visit, and the men return to the tomb to dispatch her once and for
all.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

“The Host (…) I have an Capitalisation of The ‘Indulgence’ here may be taken to imply that Van Helsing has
Indulgence” (P.224) ‘Indulgence’ implies been given permission to use the holy wafer in this way by the
Christian authority, Church. An ‘indulgence’ in the Catholic context is when the
punishment for one’s sins is lessened by the Church. This
especially as its
indicates that Van Helsing is acting on behalf of the Church in his
preceded by ‘the dealing with Dracula – note that at various points, early on in the
Host’, which refers novel, he keeps returning to Amsterdam on ‘business’. These may
to the holy wafer be conferences with the Catholic Church for purposes of research
used by the and receiving of instructions. As Dracula is, in all but name, a
Catholic church to disciple of the Devil, it makes sense for the Church to be
symbolically supportive of Van Helsing’s efforts to vanquish vampirism from
represent Christ’s England. a Note: The mention of an ‘Indulgence’ may have
body. been added in by an editor as this sentence does not
appear in the manuscript that Stoker submitted to his
publisher. Why do you think this is?

“The sweetness was turned to Description of Lucy, Stoker uses antithesis to draw out the horrifying contradictions
adamantine, heartless cruelty, more juxtaposition - between Lucy’s previous and current self. ‘Sweetness’ is
and the purity to voluptuous between her evil Un contrasted against ‘adamantine, heartless cruelty’ (adamantine is
wantonness” (P.225) an adjective that describes something that cannot be broken),
Dead state and her
and ‘purity’ (a trait associated with virginal young women) is
previous living state. contrasted with ‘voluptuous wantonness’ (wanton has two
equally applicable meanings here – unprovoked violence, and
sexually promiscuous). Stoker is characterising the vampire
version of Lucy as everything that would have been scandalous
and horrifying to the Victorian audience when considering a lady.
b In what way has antithesis been used here by Stoker?

“Arthur (…) seemed under a Literal and figurative The power of hypnotism becomes associated with Dracula
spell; moving his hands from his use of the term ‘spell’; throughout the novel (though Van Helsing also reveals that
face, he opened wide his arms” Arthur seems to be he is able to use this power). The power of Lucy over her
(P.266) hypnotised by Lucy. former lover demonstrates the vampire’s seductive power.

“If ever a face meant death – if Lucy’s reaction is This famous phrase can be traced to Bram Stoker’s use of it
looks could kill – we saw it at described through the here to denote how fierce and aggressive Lucy has
hyperbolic hypothesis ‘if
that moment” (P.226) looks could kill’; also a become. It has been debated that this could be an allusion
mythological allusion. to the monstrous Medusa of ancient Greek mythology – a
snake-haired gorgon who could turn people to stone with
“You are now in the bitter Van Helsing revisits her look.
waters, my child” (P.227) his earlier metaphor

Van Helsing’s instruments for The doctoral background The inversion of the doctor’s surgical instruments from items
destroying vampires are of Seward and Van used to save lives to a collection of weapons is noted by Seward
Helsing renders the as strange yet intellectually-stimulating, an observation made
described by Seward in great
description as ironic and more ironic by Arthur and Quincey’s contrasting disturbance.
detail (P.228-229) subversive c How has irony been used here?
“strike in God’s name” (P.230) Van Helsing reads a The power of Catholicism cited here confirms that Van
prayer while Arthur Helsing and his allies are acting in God’s name against the
stakes Lucy through Devil through their destruction of the vampire-Lucy.
the heart. d In terms of the novel’s narrative and its Victorian
audience, how would this excuse the gory actions visited
upon her body in this chapter?
There is also mention here of ‘nosferatu’, an archaic (out of
date) Hungarian word for ‘vampire’ which has become
associated with Dracula since the creation of the film
Nosferatu in 1922.

Chapter 17: Mina begins to build a narrative using each character’s recording of events. Meanwhile, Jonathan researches
the boxes of dirt that came to England alongside Dracula and discovers that there are fifty of them in total, and that they
were delivered to a chapel next door to Seward’s asylum.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

“Why, this beats even Mina, on realising that The phonograph was a recording device invented in 1877,
shorthand!” (P.235) Seward’s diary is in which sound could be recorded onto a wax cylinder. As
kept on a a man of science, Dr Seward’s use of the phonograph
phonograph. indicates his modern outlook and technological-knowhow.
This sequence also serves as a reminder to the audience
that the information presented in Dracula has been drawn
from a variety of text types – diaries, newspapers,
shorthand, phonograph recordings.

“In this matter dates are Mina’s idea here explains the novel’s structure as a
everything, and I think that if stitched-together narrative of multiple first person
we get all our material ready, accounts. There is even mention of using newspapers to
and have every item put in fill in the gaps between each person’s journal, thus
chronological order, we shall
providing an ‘in-universe’ explanation for the novel’s
have done much” (P.239)
structure and style.
“By dinnertime they will be able
to show a whole connected a In what way is form indicative of genre here?
narrative” (P.240)

“I distrust these quiet moods Seward reflects on The strait-waistcoat (or straitjacket) was used in the
of his (…) have a Renfield’s erratic Victorian era as both an instrument of torture and medical
strait-waistcoat ready in case disposition. treatment. The idea was that the jacket would physically
of need” restrain the patient in such as way as to prevent injury to
others and self. As it was an era of little understanding
towards mental illness, the straitjacket was used to
‘pacify’ patients.
b How have attitudes towards mental illness changed
since Victorian times?

“I suppose one ought to pity Motif of water – Mina’s language explicitly seeks to dehumanise Dracula,
anything so hunted as is the Mina makes the use of ‘the Thing’ and ‘the Count’ are examples of
Count. That is just it: this mention of ‘springs’, antonomasia that indicate Mina’s unwillingness to even
Thing is not human – not think back to the name Dracula at this point; such is her horror at what
even beast. To read Dr ‘bitter waters’ that happened to Lucy.
Seward’s account of poor Van Helsing
Lucy’s death, and what previously c What is antonomasia?
followed, is enough to dry up mentioned.
the springs of pity in one’s
heart” (P.243)
“I suppose there is something Mina reinforces The context of the times in relation to gender saw men
in woman’s nature that makes heteronormative and women sorted into a binary opposition – men were
a man free to break down values practical and stoic, women lacked sense and were
before her and express his relating to gender in emotional. The idea of a man being tender is identified by
feelings on the tender or her Stoker here as ‘derogatory’, though he also goes some way
emotional side without feeling reflection on consoling towards acknowledging that such feelings are sometimes
it derogatory to his manhood” Arthur. unavoidable in the company of women.
(P.244)
“We women have something Mina is characterised as a mother-like figure in her
of the mother in us” (P.245) consolation of Arthur. The subtext of the third quote is
“He had been unable to speak interesting in that it suggests that men are not capable of
with anyone (…) there was no giving sympathy, only women are.
woman whose sympathy
could be given to him” (P.245) d What do these quotes reveal about Victorian attitudes
towards gender?

Chapter 18: The other characters all meet Renfield, who tries to convince them that he is sane in the hope that Seward will release
him. Van Helsing finally explains in full detail that Dracula is a vampire, and outlines his plan.

“My own pet lunatic” Seward describes The term ‘lunatic’ originated in French as a description of someone
(P.249) Renfield by the who became insane due to changes of the moon throughout the
now month. Seward may be using this term here partially in reference to
derogatory term Renfield’s otherwise inexplicable changing moods. Note also the use
‘lunatic’. of the personal pronoun ‘my’ which denotes ownership – this
demonstrates Seward’s parochial attitude towards his patient.
a In the original manuscript, Renfield is referred to by the more
derogatory name of ‘Flyman’. Why do you think this was changed?

“She has a man’s brain – a Van Helsing Possibly, by modern standards, one of the most salient examples of
brain that a man should have compliments Mina. Victorian sexism in the whole novel. Whilst Van Helsing is personally
were he much gifted – and a complimenting Mina, he is also revealing the attitudes of the era
woman’s heart” (P.252) towards women in general – that they are seen as inferior to men in
intellect. The fact that these lines are delivered in completely unironic
terms also indicates that the author mostly likely doesn’t disagree
with this view. b In what way is this quote sexist when viewed from
a modern context?

“We have (…) a power denied Van Helsing Here Stoker reinforces the opposition between the powers of the
to the vampire kind; we have contrasts his occult and the powers of science, with Van Helsing highlighting
resources of science (…) and an advantages over science’s potential allegiance to God rather than the Devil. Being as
end to achieve which is not a Dracula. vampirism is rooted in the supernatural and superstition, it makes
selfish one” (P.254) sense (at least in Van Helsing and Stoker’s minds) that science – in its
“Our scientific, matter-of-fact quest for facts and reason – would be the opposite force. c Why is
19th century” (P.254) science seen as ‘good’ in the context of this novel?

“In old Greece, old Rome (…) Van Helsing makes a Stoker illustrates the universalism of the vampire myth as a
France, in India (…) in China” series of cultural superstition evident in many, many cultures all around the world.
allusions regarding
(P.254) In terms of the narrative, this serves as a form of logos to
the existence of
vampires all over the persuade the reader to suspend their disbelief in regards to the
world. possible reality of vampires. d What is logos and how is it used
here?

“Voivode Dracula (…) who Historical allusion, Voivode is a Hungarian term that translates as ‘Prince’. Here, Van
won his name against the Turk antonomasia. Van Helsing theorises that Dracula is either this medieval prince, now
(…) a great and noble race (…) Helsing explains hundreds of years old, or a descendent. This sequence from the novel
to have had dealings with the Dracula’s origins. has led to some concluding that Stoker based Dracula on the real life
Evil tyrant, Vlad Dracul III (AKA ‘Vlad the Impaler’). Vlad was a member of
One” (P.256) the House of Draculesti, and he fought against the Turks. He was
famous for torturing little animals while imprisoned in his youth
(sounds like Renfield, right?) and became feared across Europe for his
tendency to impale men, women and children on large spikes.

“We must (…) sterilise the Medical jargon / The use of the term ‘sterilise’ has medical connotations relating to
earth, so that no more he can connotation of making something clean again, highlighting the belief that Dracula’s
seek safety in it” (P.257) word ‘sterilise’. earth-laden coffins have been defiled with the essence of evil.
“Manlike, they have told me to go Mina reflects on More gender politics courtesy of Bram Stoker via his female
to bed and sleep; as if a woman the nature of protagonist. General Note: e Compare Mina’s sexlessness to Lucy
can sleep when those she loves men and women. and the role these two characters play in the narrative.
are in danger!” (P.258)

Renfield meets with the other Historical/political Renfield, in his attempt to escape his cell, is attempting to convince Dr
characters for the first time allusion Seward, Van Helsing and the others that he is sane. He speaks
and mentions the Monroe eloquently and charmingly to each person, indicating his intelligence
Doctrine as a though each of his comments – which are tailor-made to appeal to
‘political fable’ (P.259) each person. His mention of the ‘Monroe Doctrine’, an anti-European
policy in America, is designed to impress Quincey.

“Time presses, and in our Renfield becomes The ‘scytheman’ is a reference to Death, and Renfield’s belief that
implied agreement with the old increasingly he will die if he isn’t let out – the ‘contract’ is a metaphor for the
scytheman, it is the essence of desperate and
relationship between humanity and God/the Devil. In light of later
attempts to
the contract” (P.260) events in the novel, it is possible that Renfield is being perfectly
convince the other
Renfield also says he is a “sane characters that he honest when he says he is fighting for his soul – which lends a
man fighting for his soul” should be let out. tragic air to this scene.

“You will, I trust, Dr Seward, do me the Foreshadowing. Renfield’s warning serves as an ominous cliffhanger, indicating that
justice to bear in mind, later on, that I did
what I could to convince you tonight”
awful things are to come. f In what way does this serve as a form of
foreshadowing?

Chapter 19: The protagonists investigate the chapel at Carfax and find 29 of Dracula’s dirt-boxes. They use a pack of dogs
to chase off a pack of rats and return to the asylum so Van Helsing can interview Renfield as to the whereabouts of the
other 21 coffins, but Renfield is unco-operative. When Mina goes to bed she notices a strange mist travelling towards the
asylum, and dreams of the mist pouring into her room.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

“He seems so mixed up ‘Indexy’ is an example of Van Helsing describes Renfield’s actions as ‘indexy’,
with the Count in an antimeria (the use of an meaning that they could plot Dracula’s comings and-goings
indexy kind of way” existing word in a by referring to records of the asylum patient’s behaviour in
different way, EG. A noun
(P.264) much the same way as one would an index.
as a verb, or an
a Give an example of what Van Helsing means.
adjective)

“In manus tuas, Latin, Biblical Traditionally, Latin has been the language of the Catholic
Domine!” (P.266) allusion. Van Church. This particular phrase translates as part of a prayer
Helsing says this as that says “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” –
he crosses into a indicating that Van Helsing is asking for protection from
room previously God before he steps into the room.
inhabited by b In what way is Stoker using this phrase, in the Victorian
Dracula. context, to strengthen characterisation of Van Helsing?

“pungent, acrid smell of Olfactory imagery The sense of smell is invoked through Stoker’s language to
blood” in Jonathan’s give the reader a visceral feeling relating to disgust,
“air stagnant and foul” journal to describe emphasising Dracula’s beast-like nature. The bad breath of
“every breath exhaled by Dracula’s lair in vampires is well-noted in the horror genre, representing
that monster seemed to Carfax. the consumption of blood as well as the more metaphorical
have clung to the place and corruption they symbolise.
intensified its c Has this generic convention continued in the
loathsomeness” contemporary context of modern vampire texts?
“nauseous whiff” (P.267)

“It is too great a strain for Jonathan worries about More Victorian sexism… perhaps unintentionally ironic
a woman to bear” (P.270) his wife. here since it is Jonathan who is the concerned one; and he
is arguably the character who seems to be put under the
most strain prior to this part of the novel (his hair even
turns white later on).d Is Mina actually tougher than her
husband, despite what Stoker and Jonathan tell us?

“Last night I went to bed This quote from Mina is Mina demonstrates that she is a good, dutiful Victorian
when the men had gone, followed and preceded woman who obeys the men unquestioningly. Her sudden
simply because they told by several mentions that bouts of crying seem uncharacteristic in comparison to
she can’t stop crying.
me to” (P.274) earlier parts of the novel.
“Some leaden lethargy Alliteration, metaphor, It’s probable that this is foreshadowing Dracula’s attack on
seemed to chain my foreshadowing. Mina in two chapter’s time, with her paralysis linking to his
limbs” (P.275) Mina describes her power to hypnotise his victims. It’s ambiguous as to
inability to move. whether this is a dream or whether Dracula enters the
room as mist. e What do you think?

“I asked Dr Seward to give Mina recounts her need An opiate is a drug used for pain relief, EG. Morphine. The
me a little opiate of some for drugs. plant that it comes from, the Poppy, is also responsible for
kind, as I had not slept well the narcotic drugs opium, laudanum and heroin. In
the night Victorian times, opiates such as laudanum and morphine
before” (P.277) were used as a prescription-styled drug to calm nerves. By
today’s standards, these drugs can be highly dangerous.
Some readings of Dracula (and, indeed, the 1992 film
version) have interpreted the novel in a way that theorises
Dr Seward as addicted to morphine (due to a few small
references such as this). The Victorians had a casual
attitude towards these sort of drugs. f How have values
changed in regards to these particular drugs?

Chapter 20: Jonathan Harker tracks down the locations of Dracula’s other dirt-boxes. Meanwhile, Renfield begins to act
out of character, and is later found in a pool of blood in his cell.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

“well, guv’nor, you’ve Dialect / colloquialism Stoker represents the gulf between the social classes that
treated me very ’an’some” used by supporting made up Britain’s class system. With the exceptions of
(P.279) “phonetic spelling character denotes Count Dracula and Arthur (members of the aristocracy),
had again misled me” working class status, and most of the main characters are middle class (or
(P.280) Jonathan later remarks bourgeoisie). Stoker’s use of near
“I act on the part of Lord on his own inability to indecipherable phonetic dialogue for the working class
Goldaming (…) These words read this character’s characters (such as the carter, the zookeeper in the news
put a different complexion writing. article, and the sailor that Mina befriends at the
on affairs” (P.284) beginning of the novel) reveals the prejudices of the era.
One such working class character in this chapter, Thomas
Snelling, is too drunk to even speak to Jonathan. Note
also the power carried by Arthur’s formal title.

a Which part of the class system do you think Stoker

came from and why do you think this?

“lairs arranged by Connotation, metaphor, A ‘lair’ is place where a wild animal lives. The choice of
Dracula” (P.282) motif the word ‘lair’ in this fashion continues the bestial motif
relating to Dracula, and encourages the reader to make
animal-like associations with Dracula. The word has since
become synonymous with the hideouts or bases of
villains in a variety of genres.

Renfield compares himself Analogy, Biblical Allusion Renfield’s uses the Old Testament figure of Enoch as an
to Enoch, “he walked with analogy for his relationship with Dracula. Enoch is one of
God” (P.287) only two figures in the Bible who are said to enter
Heaven alive rather than dying beforehand, a special
privilege bestowed on them by God. This reference may
indicate Renfield’s arrogance or his belief that Dracula
will give him special treatment for being his follower.

Renfield’s Syndrome is the name now sometimes given to ‘clinical vampirism’ in the real world – an obsession with the
drinking of human blood.
b What do you think of Renfield? What is the influence of this character on the vampire genre?
Chapter 21: Renfield, dying, admits that Dracula visited him often. He rebelled against Dracula when he realised the Count
was taking blood from Mina, hence why he has now been killed by his Master. Van Helsing and the others rush to Mina and
Jonathan’s room, and interrupt Dracula while he feeds on Mina. The Count turns into a bat and escapes.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

“The minutes in which Slow motion writing Stoker ‘explodes the moment’ by slowing time down and
we waited passed with – at this point in the showing everything in lots of detail. This builds suspense and
fearful slowness…” narrative there is a subverts the reader’s expectation that they will shortly find out
(P.295) lot happening very what will happen next.
quickly.

“he used to send in the flies Symbolism. The Death’s Head Hawkmoth is named after its unusual markings,
(…) and big moths, in the Renfeild is which are said to resemble a human skull. Due to this, this insect
night, with skull and describing the has symbolic connection to death, evil, and the supernatural. In
cross-bones on their bodies” ‘Death’s Head Britain it was superstitiously believed that the moth first arrived in
(P.297) Moth’. the country when King Charles I was executed at the end of the
English Civil War. Across Europe the moth is seen as a bad omen,
and it has been recorded that in Romania the moth was thought
to hold the souls of reincarnated vampires and should be impaled
when caught. a Can you think of moth symbolism in any other texts?

“All these lives I will give you, ay Biblical allusion, one The action of ‘falling down’ implies a complete surrender of the body
(…) if you will fall down and clause is dependent to Dracula’s power; the idea of Renfield worshipping the Count
worship me!” (P.298) on the other clause emphasises the Biblical dimensions of their relationship as
god-and-disciple. Unlike the Christian God, however, Dracula appeals
(Dracula says he
to Renfield with the materialistic offering of the lives of animals. In
“I saw His eyes. They burned will give Renfield
Renfield’s remembrance of Dracula’s offer, the Count is surrounded by
into me, and my strength the lives if he will rats.
became like water. He slipped worship him. The capitalisation of pronouns when referring to Dracula echoes the
through it, and when I tried to
conventions used when referring to God, and Renfield’s figurative
cling to Him, He raised me up
Capitalisation, references to water make the Count seem like a force of nature – such
and flung me down” (P.299)
simile. is his power. b How do you think Victorian audiences would have
reacted to this sequence of the novel?

“The Count had held his wife Sexual connotation Even in the repressed context of the Victorian age, Stoker’s language
in that terrible and horrid in describing Dracula’s attack on Mina is more like a twisted parody of
position, with her mouth to a sexual relationship rather than a physical altercation. Jonathan also
seems involved, “his face flushed and breathing heavily”, and Dracula’s
the open wound in his
torn clothes imply the possibility of rape in regards to both characters.
breast” (P.303)
c Why do you think Stoker constructed this sequence in this way?

“And ah, my God, my God, pity Juxtaposition of The contrast between the sensory adjective ‘reeking’ and the
me! He placed his reeking lips imagery idea of someone placing their lips on someone highlights the
upon my throat!” (P.306) perversion of the action as an evil mockery of kissing.

“Me (…) who Hyperbole? Dracula The idea that Dracula once ruled over multiple countries may or
commanded nations” boasts of his past. may not be a form of hyperbole. It, at the very least, reinforces
(P.306) his characterisation as an arrogant figure. It also goes some way
towards supporting the suggestion that he is the same Dracula
who once led his people against the Turks hundreds of years
ago. d What do you think in regards to Dracula’s claim?

“Harker was still and quiet; but Symbolism, pathetic Jonathan Harker’s hair turns white as a result of Dracula’s attack
over his face, as the awful fallacy, diacope on Mina – a symbol of the trauma he has experienced. The
narrative went on, came a grey phrase ‘deepened and deepened’ is an example of a diacope,
look which deepened and
and demonstrates the depth of Jonathan’s trauma. The ‘red
deepened in the morning light,
streak’ of morning light sounds anything but gentle, and can be
till when the first red streak of
the coming dawn shot up, the
seen as an example of pathetic fallacy in this instance. e In what
flesh stood clearly out against way is the quote an example of a diacope?
the whitening hair” (P.307)
Chapter 22: Dracula visits Renfield once more and breaks his neck to ensure he is dead. Jonathan and the others go to the
chapel and sterilise each of Dracula’s coffins using the holy wafers. Van Helsing places a Holy Wafer on Mina’s head to
protect her but such is her infection from Dracula that it burns her skin.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

“Poor Mina told me just now, Alliteration, Hendiadys is a technique in which two words that essentially
with tears running down her Hendiadys mean the same thing are used together. It can represent a lack
dear cheeks, that it is in (doubling – of clarity, or a character’s anxiousness, and in this case Stoker
trouble and trial that our “trouble and is using it to show the lack of surety experienced by Jonathan
faith is tested” (P.308) trial”) and Mina in facing the terrible power of Dracula.

“Her eyes shone with the Biblical allusion, Jonathan describes Mina’s eyes as ‘shining’ to demonstrate
devotion of a martyr” (P.309) metaphor her strong faith. A ‘martyr’ is someone who dies for their
beliefs (usually in a religious context), which A) Shows how
strongly Mina believes that they will retain their faith, and B)
Reminds the reader that Mina may ‘die’ as a result of her
encounter with Dracula. a Can you think of any other
examples of martyrdom in vampire-related or supernatural
fiction?

“We run down our old Motif, Metaphor Stoker refers to earlier references of the characters hunting
fox” (P.311) Dracula down, and the bestial motif associated with him.
Fox-hunting, in the British context, is also associated with the
aristocracy – b in what way is this ironic?

Van Helsing places the Holy Symbolism, simile The incompatibility of the Holy Wafer with Mina’s
Wafer on Mina’s forehead Dracula-infected body demonstrates the evil that now lives in
and it “had burned into the her. Stoker uses the visceral simile of ‘white-hot metal’ to
flesh as though it had been show how serious it is.
a piece of white-hot metal”
(P.316)

“Unclean! Unclean! Even the Epizeuxis (“Unclean! Mina’s reaction, heavily loaded with Biblical dimension and
Almighty shuns my polluted Unclean!”), persuasive rhetoric, shows the extremity of her reaction.
flesh! I must bear the mark Antonomasia c In what way is this extreme reaction is perfectly in keeping
of shame upon my forehead (“the with the Victorian context of Christian belief?
until the Judgment Day” Almighty”),
(P.316) Biblical Allusion
(“Judgment
Day”)

Dracula was reinvented in 1972 as Blacula, a film in the blaxploitation genre.

Blaxploitation (a portmanteau of the words ‘black’ and ‘exploitation’) was a genre of films
initially marketed towards black audiences in America. They became popular with
mainstream audiences due to their use of stereotypes and soul/funk music. They were
also among the first films to feature African-American actors as leading characters.
Chapter 23: The protagonists hunt down Dracula’s other boxes and sterilise them. In this process they realise that one box
is still missing, and Van Helsing hypnotises Mina so that he can access her link to Dracula, discovering that the Count has
left England and is travelling by sea.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

“the monster has been Metaphor used to Van Helsing repeatedly refers to Dracula as having a ‘big
creeping into knowledge describe Dracula child-brain’ in this section of the novel. The Victorians
experimentally” (P.322) learning – contrast believed that the brains of children were highly suggestible
between verb and lacking in logic.
‘creeping’ and a How does this, along with the quoted example,
abstract concept of dehumanises the Count and remindsthe reader that the
knowledge. novel’s villain is not a human character?

“I came for nothing (…) Connotation, Biblical ‘Creation’ is a Biblical word for the Earth (IE. Everything
except to wipe this brute Allusion God ‘created’). The words used in this sentence have
from the face of creation” violent connotations – ‘wipe’, ‘brute’, ‘face’ – and show the
(P.323) depth of feeling now against Dracula.

“With your pale faces all in Simile b Why does Dracula use this simile?
a row, like sheep in a
butcher’s” (P.326)

“Oh God let these poor Characterisation Through Mina, Stoker reminds the reader that Jonathan’s
white hairs go in evidence hair has gone white and why
of what he has suffered”
(P.329)

Mina hears someone outside Red Herring After Dracula’s previous visits and the attack on Mina, the
her room at night and fears expectation from the reader (and Mina) is that the
that it’s Dracula, though it disturbances in the night may be the Count making
instead turns out to be another attack. The revelation that the ‘someone’ is
Quincey keeping watch. Quincey serves a form of false of foreshadowing, otherwise
known as a ‘red herring’, which continues the novel’s
suspenseful nature. c What is a ‘red herring’?

“A pack of men following Motif, Simile More of the hunting / bestial motif in relation to the
like dogs after a fox” characters hunting down Dracula.
(P.334)

“he can live for centuries, Cliffhanger, The dramatic piece of dialogue from Van Helsing about the
and you are but mortal personification as time heightening stakes in regards to Mina being Dracula’s
woman. Time is now to be as an enemy. victim is followed by a single, simple sentence describing
dreaded – since once he Mina’s equally dramatic reaction. This serves as another
put that mark upon your strong example of the structural technique known as the
throat. I was just in time to ‘cliffhanger’, a convention of the serial genre.
catch her as she fell
forward in a faint.” (P.334)

Fox-hunting was popular in

England in the 18th and 19th
centuries. Note the presence of
dogs, which were often used to
seek out the foxes. In Chapter 19
the protagonists use a whistle to
call some dogs to assist them in
clearing Dracula’s rats out of the
chapel at Carfax.
Chapter 24: The protagonists discover that Dracula is onboard a ship heading back to where he came from. Van Helsing
declares that they should hunt down the Count and destroy him for the benefit of everyone, and Mina convinces the
others to let her accompany them so they can use her psychic link to Dracula to continue tracking him.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

“The very place, where Allusions to the occult During the 19th Century, the Victorians developed a keen interest
he have been alive, in the occult – perhaps to help explain many new phenomena that
Un-Dead for all these had been discovered in then-recent times (electricity, magnetism,
centuries, is full of chemical reactions, geological concepts like ‘deep time’). The
strangeness of the inability to explain all of these things can be linked to
geologic and chemical the increase of interest in magic and Satanic forces, such as those
world (…) Doubtless, commanded by Dracula (hypnotism, materialisation,
there is something transformation, etc).
magnetic or electric in a In a general sense, how could the novel Dracula be seen as an
some of the exploration of Victorian interests and concerns?
combinations of occult
forces” (P.340)

“in an age when the Dr Seward ‘Ptomaines’ are the chemical components that cause unpleasant
existence of ptomaines reflects on how tastes and odours associated with the putrefaction of plant and
is a mystery we should ‘the Vampire’s animals after they die. In this case, the existence of ptomaines
not wonder at anything” baptism of could be interpreted as a byproduct of death’s evil – hence their
(P.343) blood’ is affecting relevance in the broader sense of the novel.
Mina.

“I grasped his hand Simile describing Van Helsing’s assertion that Quincey is “all man” reinforces the
instinctively and found Quincey’s gender expectations of the era, as does Jonathan’s description of
it as firm as a piece of strength the man’s strength. Quincey’s characterisation throughout the
steel” (Jonathan, novel as the token American firmly leans on conventions
describing Quincey, associated with cowboys and the wild west (note: Quincey
P.349) suggests that they all carry Winchesters, a brand of gun
“Quincey is all man, associated with the wild west) and firmly fits with the Victorian
God bless him for it” – stereotype of manhood.
Van Helsing (P.349)
b How have modern vampire texts subverted or played against
gender values of the Victorian era?

Wolves were extinct in

England by the 1500s, and, by
the 1800s, only really survived
in Europe in the East (in
places like Transylvania).
Wolves feature in the
mythologies of many
European cultures, and
superstition was so
widespread in the 16th century
nearly 30 000 people were
accused of being werewolves
in France alone .
Chapter 25: Mina makes the others promise her that, if the times come, that they will dispose of her the same way that
they did Lucy. They travel to Varna, the port where Dracula’s ship is expected, but learn that his ship is headed to another
port instead – leading Van Helsing to deduce that Dracula is able to use Mina to spy on them.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Context / Further Ideas

Analysis

“Think dear, that there have been Historical allusion, Mina calls upon previous historical examples of men
times when brave men have killed pathos killing the women they love in order to protect them
their wives and their womenkind, from worse fates (an allusion to rape and torture by
to keep them from falling into the enemy soldiers) to appeal to Jonathan’s emotions.
hands of the enemy (…) It is c What does this reveal about the Victorian era’s
man’s duty towards those whom values in regards to men and women?
they love” (P.352)

“How I miss my phonograph! To Humour d Why would this be considered quite humourous by
write my diary with pen is irksome Victorian standards?
to me” (P.356)

“We do not mention our Euphemism Dr Seward expresses how thankful he is to have a
thoughts (…) awful though it be (using gentler clinical, and less emotional, term for the act of mercy
to contemplate. ‘Euthanasia’ is an terms for harsh killing someone (in this case the euphemistic term of
excellent and comforting word! I ideas) ‘euthanasia’). In the classist atmosphere of the Victorian
am grateful to whoever invented era, euthanasia was suggested by one journalist in 1881
it” (P.357) to be a potential solution to London’s ‘homeless’
problem, which demonstrates that the ethical
dimensions of the concept may have been significantly
different in the 19th century. e What does this reveal
about the Victorian era in comparison to the modern
day?

“Transcendentalism is a beacon to Biblical Dr Seward is referring to Kant’s philosophical concept of

the angels, even if it be a allusion, transcendent idealism – the idea that each person’s
will-o’-the-wisp to man” (P.359) folkloric store of knowledge is based on their own sense of self.
allusion This curious sentence refers to each person interpreting
their arrival in the port of Varna differently. In order to
illustrate these differences in perception, Seward is
contrasting the mightiness of angels against the
will-o-the-wisp (a ghostly light observed over swamps).

“There is a peculiarity in Code-switching In his explanation, Van Helsing is attempting to illustrate

criminals (…) This criminal has (Van Helsing how Dracula thinks. He is profiling the Count, something
not full man-brain (…) he be of switches modes of that is also assisted by literally getting into Dracula’s
child-brain in much (…) he learn language in order mind via Van Helsing’s regular hypnotising of Mina. The
not by principle, but to explain scientific last part of the quote alludes to the idea that Van
empirically” (P.362) concepts to the Helsing believes Dracula can only learn by experiencing
other things, he is unable to think in abstract or philosophical
characters) terms – once again demonstrating the villain’s lack of
humanity.

The Italian criminologist, Lombroso, is mentioned in this

chapter as well. Lombroso believed that some people
partook in criminal behaviour because they were less
‘evolved’ than other humans. f How does this fit in with
our modern perspective of such ideas?
Chapter 26: Van Helsing’s hypnotism of Mina begins to yield less results, which makes it difficult for the protagonists to
track Dracula. Mina works out three different routes to Castle Dracula, so the group splits up across all three in order to
continue hunting the Count.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

“Would none of you like a cup Bathos (an Stoker diffuses the tension of Mina’s vampirism by
of tea?” (P.366-367) anticlimactic sense having her unexpectedly ask if anyone would like a cup
given by switching of tea. Whilst the scene is problematic from a modern
from the serious to standpoint due to its inherent Victorian sexism, it’s
the trivial) primarily intended as a humourous twist – especially
coming at a point where the other characters think she
is losing her internal battle with Dracula.

a What is bathos and how has it been used here?

Captain Donelson (P.370) Scottish dialect Bram Stoker phonetically represents the Scottish dialect
of the Captain. This could be interpreted as classism on
the part of the author, in similar fashion to his depiction
of Swales and other working class characters.

“A Hebrew (…) with a nose like a Anti-Semitic simile The subtext to this brief description is that the audience
sheep, and a fez (…) and with used by Jonathan would expect this character to ‘bargain’.
little bargaining he told us what to describe the
he knew” (P.371) Jewish character b What does this description reveal about Victorian
attitudes towards Jewish people?

“Our dear Madam Mina is once Mina analytically Once more, Mina demonstrates her ‘man-like’ capacity
more our teacher” (P.373-376) analyses the issues for logic, which is signposted by Van Helsing
faced by the characters complimenting Mina’s teacherly qualities.
in tracking Dracula
across the Eastern
Europe countryside.

“the old fox is tied in his box” Motif Hunting the fox again!

“The morning is bitterly cold” Jonathan and Dr The mention of the cold serves two purposes for Stoker.
(P.379) Seward both The first purpose is that he is reminding the reader of
“I wish it wasn’t so cold. There describe the weather the setting; using detail to establish the environment.
are signs of snow coming; and if – The second purpose is that the danger posed by heavy
it falls heavy it will stop us” reinforcing setting. snowfall helps to heighten the stakes as the novel moves
(P.382) towards its climax. c What technique is this?

“If Jonathan and I were driving In a callback to an Stoker subverts Mina’s earlier wish to see Eastern
through it alone what a earlier scene in Europe by bringing her to this location in dire, horrible
pleasure it would be” (P.382) the novel, Mina circumstances. It can be interpreted as a form of
ironically reflects on her situational irony and a recurring theme.
wish to travel through
Transylvania with her
husband in better
circumstances.

Bran Castle in Romania is one

of several real life castles
linked to Dracula / Vlad the
Impaler.
Chapter 27: Van Helsing approaches Castle Dracula and is visited by the three vampire women. He tracks them to their tomb
and destroys them, and then seals the castle using Holy Wafers so that the Count cannot enter it. The other parties arrive,
chasing after Dracula, who is being escorted by some Gypsies. They fight, and Quincey stakes Dracula through the heart
before he himself is killed.

Quotes and Examples Explanation / Analysis Context / Further Ideas

“The great spurs of the Imagery, Mina describes Stoker’s description and mention of the
Carpathians (…) now seem to gather their surroundings Carpathians helps to establish setting.
round us and tower in front” (P.385) a What examples of intimidating language
are used to convey the formidable nature
of the mountains?

“God grant that we may be guided aright Biblical allusion The talk of ‘His wrath’ alludes to the God of
(…) I am not worthy in His sight. Alas! I the Old Testament, who was not above
am unclean to His eyes, and shall be until ‘smiting’ (destroying) his enemies and
He may deign to let me stand forth in His punishing people directly for their sins.
sight as one of those who have not Mina’s encounter with Dracula is an
incurred His wrath” (P.385) encounter with an ancient evil, the full
dimensions of which are alluded to in
Mina’s invoking of the older, angrier, and
less forgiving version of God.

“Swaying round forms (…) the ruddy Connotation, sexualised Stoker frequently revisits ‘voluptuous’ as a
colour, the voluptuous lips (…) sweet language used to describe kind of shorthand for the sexually alluring
tingling tones…” (P.390-391) the ‘weird sisters’ (the nature of women once they’ve turned to
female vampires that live in vampires. Each of the words utilised here
“the beautiful eyes of the fair woman Dracula’s castle) are used to demonstrate the appeal and
open and look love, and the voluptuous hypnotic power of these women, and the
mouth present to a kiss – and man is helpless, corruptible nature of men who
weak” (P.393) have been driven to lust.
b How does this reflect the values of the
Victorian era? In what way has sexuality in
the vampire genre changed?

“They are racing for the sunset. We may Truncated sentences The author employs fast, brief sentences to
be too late” (P.397) depict the quickening pace of the scene.
The setting sun heightens the stakes further,
drawing tension out of the scene as the
reader is led to wonder if Dracula will be
able to rise in all his power after the sun sets
(before the protagonists are able to stop
him).

“A gallant gentleman” (P.401) Positive adjective used The word ‘gallant’ implies heroism, in this
to describe Quincey case illustrating Quincey’s brave
self-sacrifice in fighting Dracula. The pairing
of ‘gallant’ and ‘gentleman’ evokes notions
relating to masculine behaviour in the
Victorian era, with Quincey’s death
characterised as the ‘right’ way for a man to
die.

Mina and Jonathan travel to Coda, Reflection This scene continues the idea of Mina
Transylvania 7 years after the novel’s getting to see Eastern Europe as a tourist
events. rather than a potential vampire, and calls
back to two earlier moments in the novel.
This style of ending is sometimes referred to
as a ‘coda’, a passage of writing that brings a
story to an end. Mina also reflects on
events, a common convention in ending
horror stories.