Breaking Down And Analyzing Dracula By Bram Stoker

Breaking Down and Analyzing Dracula
Have you ever pondered what the true meaning of Dracula is or what purpose it was written for? In the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker there are many literary elements that fall into the tome. Many of which can be detected with ease and some of which that are trying to recognize. Bram Stoker intended the novel to be this way and wrote it so the reader would find more elements with each endeavor. Five of them in particular stuck out among many evaluations. Symbol, motif, character, conflict, and theme are the five main literary elements that portrayed themselves highly among reading. For what is a book without these five elements? This analysis will dive deeper into the Dracula novel and better explain some of …show more content…
He can be seen as a symbol, a figurehead for a larger being, or a tool being used for a larger purpose. There is a plethora of ways one can view Dracula and his symbolism. One of the many ways to view him would be that he is the Anti-Christ, or is Anti-Christianity. This is proven by his twisted methods and use of reverse Christianity. A quote that proves his Anti-Christian ways is “…starts to attack him, he notices the beads and the crucifix and backs down “You should not put your faith in such objects of deceit”” (Stoker 31). This demonstrates how Dracula is repelled by holy objects such as a rosary or cross, which would lead someone to believe that he is unholy in the manner of he hates all things holy and lives to destroy them. Dracula can be interpreted as the Devil with is sharp teeth and unholy powers of shapeshifting and flying. That would only make the protagonists in the novel disciples of God. “And now, my friends, we have a duty here to do. We must sterilize this Earth, so sacred of holy memories, that he has brought from a far distant land for such fell use. He has chosen this Earth because it has been holy. Thus we defeat him with his own weapon, we make it more holy still” (Stoker 316). This passage shows Dracula’s true intent to destroy everything holy and make it his own unholy environment. Eventually, Dracula’s unholy desires will be his end due to the fact that the team of protagonists use …show more content…
“God does not purchase souls in the wise…Buts God is merciful and just…He knows your devotion to that dear Madam Mina” (Stoker 322). Stoker definitely reinforces his belief in God within this novel, the literature is swamped with references to God and Christianity and that can be seen by just a glance. The only way to defeat Dracula is by using Gods tools. The only way to help Mina is by using Gods tools. There is absolutely a theme to be seen here. “At least God's mercy is better than that of these monsters, and the precipice is steep and high. At its foot a man may sleep—as a man” (Stoker 124). In this selection, God is being directly contrasted with the monsters. Stoker heavily relied on Christianity within his writing and he sought to make it his final solution within Dracula. “Indeed, in the fight against Dracula, these symbols of good take the form of the icons of Christian faith, such as the crucifix. The novel is so invested in the strength and power of these Christian symbols that it reads, at times, like a propagandistic Christian promise of deliverance” (The Promise of Christian Salvation 1). Even the face of Dracula himself assumes a look of peace after he is defeated by the holy band of friends. Stoker presents a particularly generous vision of salvation in his implication that the saved don’t necessarily need to be