Bram Stoker

primarily interested in marriage, and rarely, if ever, encountered real hardship. These are now well worn stereotypes. While these traits can be found in many of the female characters in novels written during this era, the book Dracula, written by Bram Stoker in 1897, deviated from this stereotype. Two of the main female characters, Mina and Lucy, represented the types of women that were known during that time. Comparing…

Bram Stoker employed his novel as means to comment on contemporary ideals, fears, and themes of Victorian society. Although written in the 19th century, Dracula withstands time not only because it paved the way for numerous gothic writers, but also since it remains a relatable tale addressing fears and themes of modern society. Although the illness has victimized people of all centuries, depression and its power has proved to be a constant worry among modern society. Dracula exemplifies a…

Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu - Carmilla Laura, the narrator in Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s novella Carmilla, fits into the appearance of a typical female victim in vampire literature. Long before she meets the titular character, she had a dream or rather a nightmare about a woman bearing a striking resemblance to Carmilla, who sang her fangs into the maiden’s body. Despite the fear, she helps the woman after the accident and invites her in. Laura easily and without much thought happens to trust…

Dracula by Bram Stoker illustrates a fearful character that has been manipulated in all kinds of perplexing ways through a range of mediums. Earlier adaptations between 1930-1970, Universal Productions conveyed Dracula as an irrefutably heinous creature, likewise, in Hammer Films (1950-1970) except with further implementations of violence and sex. As times have changed however, we witness Dracula change from a character of abjection and abhor to one with compassion, human becoming in Francis…

and has begun to endorse these mesmerizing creatures in a more favorable light. These vampires have haunted our popular culture for centuries and have gone a long way to increase its popularity. Starting with the classic gothic novel Dracula by Bram Stoker and Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice, focuses on drinking blood and causing turmoil than progress…

Dracula and Wuthering Heights: Did They Conform? Both the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and Dracula by Bram Stoker conform to the societal norms of their time but not in a direct way. The characters in Wuthering Heights like Catherine for example, do make decisions like marrying Edgar Linton instead of Heathcliff which is a reasonable decision as she wants to keep her status and be rich. The characters in Dracula, especially the females, conform to society as they do not meddle in…

in order to convey a message of fear to their audience. However, while vampires represent the fears of a society, they simultaneously provide some insight on society’s hopes and desires. Despite the fact that Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla (1872) and Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) were written twenty five years apart, the vampires in these works of literature represent the same ultimate fear of infiltration, but differ in the kind of subtle desires they projected – Carmilla was fixated on the hidden…

Creatures of the Night From feared creatures of the night to romantically misunderstood, vampires have been a widely popular character in modern fiction. The characteristics have changed to a less frightening monster who is tormented with living for eternity versus the blood thirsty creature who haunts the dark and empty streets for unsuspecting victims. Vampire myths were part of European civilization since the Dark Ages. Science was a new concept and everyone turned to religion or the…

Dracula is one of the most influential horror novels of all time. Written in 1897 by Bram Stoker, the novel gained popular and critical acclaim and has influenced almost every facet of entertainment. Being a prime example of old Gothic literature Dracula is written in a constant dark and ominous tone. Dracula is also a epistolary novel meaning it is compromised of journal and diary entries which help enhance the horrifying qualities of the overall novel. The novel begins with a series of…

Purity and Danger: Dracula, the Urban Gothic, and the Late Victorian Degeneracy Crisis by Kathleen L. Spencer- Formative Assignment In ‘Purity and Danger: Dracula, the Urban Gothic, and the Late Victorian Degeneracy Crisis’, Spencer posits that the Dracula’s evil lies in his otherness, revealing the Victorian anxiety that the British Empire might be overthrown by foreign powers. She notes that “in such a society, the universe is dualistic; what is inside is good, what is outside is bad” , and…