Jonathan Harker

Along Jonathan Harker's journey to Dracula's castle, he stumbles upon many people with various warnings. The most significant, the landlady at Bistritz who asks him if he knows “what day it is?” When he says that he doesn't, she then replies, “It is the eve of St George’s Day. Tonight, when the clock strikes midnight, all evil things in the world will have full sway.” She is very persistent in warning him and places a crucifix necklace around his neck, which shows to be useful later on in the…

Bram Stoker’s, Dracula (1897), details the myth of the legendary vampire who wreaked havoc on the lives of Mr. & Mrs. Harker as well as many others along the way. At first glance, it seems as though Dracula fills the role of any malicious occult figure that would grace the literature world at the time this was published, however, I like to believe that Dracula is not necessarily evil. He is rather an organism that is trying to fulfill its biological requirements to reproduce and continue its…

sleep since her mysterious attack. Garlic is a recurring symbol in the text because it was used as a powerful weapon against evil. By being under the care and supervision of Dr Van Helsing and the use of the garlic flowers Lucy has found some sort of peace. She felt secure for her fear had vanished for a moment. Stoker makes it clear that Lucy feels protected the following is proof of this, “Dr Van-Helsing has been with me all this bad dreaming seems to have passed away: the noises that used…

The Power of Hypnotism In “Dracula” Hypnotism is an astounding power that many psychologists nowadays use in their treatment of patients. This is such a great skill that is capable in helping others overcome personal issues. However, like most great tools, in the wrong hands it can be devastating. In literature, hypnosis typically is used by villains to do their will. It is very rarely portrayed in a positive light. The story of Dracula by Bram Stoker is no different. Analyzing the…

In death of the woods, the old woman was a symbolic vampire. Before we discuss vampires, it might be helpful to know what vampires are. Foster talks about vampires in chapter 3 when he says, “It’s also about things other than literal vampirism: selfishness, exploitation, a refusal to respect the autonomy of other people, just for starters.” In this paragraph, I will show that the old woman did all three. First, the woman refused to respect the autonomy of another organism. When Jake went to get…

Kathryn Boyd, in her analysis of Dracula, questions whether the actual status of Mina in the novel is exemplified as her tale of female empowerment or female subjugation. The portrayal of Mina has often been considered to be demeaning since she has become an intentional part of Dracula’s revenge. Boyd examines the idea of Mina being a figure who exemplifies the injustice that women felt during Stoker’s era, where women were merely used in a man’s world for their pleasure. Boyd uses a clear,…

Dracula Dracula has been heard of for many years, but have you ever realized the roles that gender plays in the novel? The novel, written by Bram Stoker in the late nineteenth century is typically thought of as a horror novel. After analzyation, I have realized the book itself has many symbols and themes for female sexual symbolism within its pages. Dracula was set in the Victorian culture. During this time, women were to be put down socially and men were to be praised and known for their…

Dracula is a horror novel set in Europe in the mid 1800’s. The book starts with Johnathon Harker heading to Transylvania on a business trip to sell Dracula, a wealthy count in Transylvania, real estate in London. After strange incidents of Count Dracula attempting to suck Johnathon’s blood, and imprison him, Johnathon escapes. The novel then switches to Mina Murray’s, Johnathon’s fiancé, and her friend, Lucy Westenra’s, points of view through their letters. It is mostly just gossip, but there…

Supposedly based loosely on an erotic dream of Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ (1897) embodies one of the most fascinating and symbolically sexualised characters in English literature. Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ addresses Victorian anxieties regarding its women’s feminist awakening and breaking of patriarchal chains during the time and highlighted this fear in his novel. By focusing on these topics in his novel, Stoker, who was a staunch conservative Anglican and advocate of patriarchy, emphasises how women’s…

One of the pioneering and most influential works of horror fiction, Dracula by Bram Stoker has been rediscovered in the late 20th century from the gender studies perspective. Many scholars have pointed out since then that under a classic adventurous vampire story Stoker managed to hide his contrasting understanding of the gender roles of late Victorian Britain, especially the contradicting images of femininity. While Stoker’s attitude toward women is a debatable topic, with some scholars viewing…