Dracula: An Epitome of the Gothic Novel

Throughout the novel Dracula, the text prominently features the ‘uncanny.’ In literature and other texts, the uncanny refers to an unfamiliarity that is frightening familiar. It’s presence in Dracula is obvious as we and the novel characters see Dracula as uncanny. Both appropriations of Dracula, Nosferatu (1922) and Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), reflect their context and hence reflect the values, idea and themes prominent in their context. Nosferatu resembles its isolated German Expressionist Cinema context through its jewish propaganda portrayed by many techniques, most notably its heavy use of dramatic lighting. Bram Stoker’s Dracula’s contrasting themes include its romanticisation of Dracula which expresses the romantic notions prominent

            Another important element in creating a good horror story is of course mood, and there are many descriptive passages in Dracula that demonstrate mood.  A great example is in the first chapter of the book, "They were a hundred times more terrible in the grim silence which held them than even when they howled.  For myself, I felt a sort of paralysis of fear."  (Stoker, 12).  This takes place still in the first chapter of Jonathan Harker's journal, when the driver calls to the wolves and then "commands" them to become silent.  Here, the event that the last quote was hinting at is at last revealed, and the quote above summarizes the mood of the protagonist at this point.  He was "paralyzed with fear", meaning that he was so fearful that he could not even move.  Stoker is very proficient at including vivid descriptions of mood in order to create a haunted atmosphere.

Gothic literature is dominated by gothic horror, for instance dark and mysterious objects or events. It is a type of literature that combines fiction, horror, and romanticism. As Bram Stoker wrote his famous novel, Dracula he makes sure to include many different characteristics of gothic literature. Three important motifs that are stated in Dracula which also fit into the gothic literature category would be; blood, dreaming or nightmares, and superstition. This particular novel has many gothic motifs, but these are three that I believe really stand out.

A horror classic by Abraham Stocker, Dracula, may be one of the most notorious villain stories of all time. Bram Stocker is a Irish writer who changed the view of what to read in his time. He shows dark and twisted situations and metaphors throughout Dracula and many other of his horror novels. This novel was released in the Victorian era, which saw his type of writing as equivalent to the devil. This era was a long time of peace and bright minded people. Stockers style surprised many readers, because he always has you thinking it can’t get any darker than it is but it always exceeds the previous twisted situation or event. Bram Stocker shows Dracula as an iconic creature, with many reasons to be feared, but displayed in the wrong time era.

Stoker creates a fearful and eerie mood for his readers to experience through his diction choice. The novel is centered around the Antichrist, or Dracula, so most of the descriptive language ties back to him. Mina begins by explaining that her awful dreams were all connected to “death”, “vampires”, “blood”, “pain”, and “trouble” (Stoker 304). These words specifically evoke a dark image and feeling of doom. In addition, the words that Stoker uses to describe Dracula help create chills for the reader. He is described as having a “waxen face”, “sharp white teeth”, “red eyes”, and “red lips” (Stoker 305). The red connects to the blood motif, which is what Dracula thrives off of. The

he is also held back by this as he knows he doesn't want to betray his

In Dracula, Stoker portrays the typical women: The new woman, the femme fatale and the damsel in distress, all common concepts in gothic literature. There are three predominant female roles within Dracula: Mina Murray, Lucy Westenra and the three vampire brides, all of which possess different attributes and play different roles within the novel. It is apparent that the feminine portrayal within this novel, especially the sexual nature, is an un-doubtable strong, reoccurring theme.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a story of horror, suspense, and repulsion. The main antagonist, Count Dracula, is depicted as an evil, repulsive creature that ends and perverts life to keep himself alive and youthful. To most onlookers that may be the case, but most people fail to see one crucial element to this character. Dracula is a character that, though it may be long gone, was once human, and thus has many human emotions and motives still within him. Let us delve into these emotions of a historically based monster.

In everyday life, as in literature, there will always be an opposing force to evil. In the novel “Dracula,” by Bram Stoker, Professor Van Helsing acts as Dracula’s main antagonist. An antagonist is the character who acts against the main character, which increases the conflict of the story and intensifies the plot. Through the use of theme, characterization and specific events, the author shows readers how Dr. Van Helsing effectively fits the role of Dracula’s most threatening adversary.

“Doors, doors, doors everywhere, and all locked and bolted. In no place... is there an available exit. The castle is a veritable prison, and I am a prisoner!” (Stoker 27). Dracula is a nineteenth-century thriller that contains horrific factors of gothic literature and takes place during the Victorian era. In the novel, Bram Stoker chooses to present strongly-written characterization of Mina Harker to counteract the elements of gothic literature by having her bring a positive mood to the story, represent women of the future, and associate loyalty with the essential characters.

Dracula is a work of fantasy published by Bram Stoker. Its uncanny success comes from its capability to play on all-inclusive human fears. The novel is a reflection of the anxieties and fears which troubled his era; the figure of Count Dracula is both a timeless vision of evil and the incarnation of turn-of-the-century England's strongest fears. The 1992 movie “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” is an adaptation of the 1897 book. This movie is not the traditional monster movie you would expect at first like the book itself portrays. Alternately, it’s a very affectionate and romantic story, illustrating Dracula as a tormented being with emotions that much like himself can not die. By comparing Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, to the film adaptation, many differences

Arguably no literary villain is as diabolical or complicated as the original Count Dracula from Bram Stoker's gothic classic Dracula. On the surface, Dracula is a common vampire. He posses all the usual traits; sucks blood, turns into a bat, pale with fangs, has no reflection, and is nocturnal. However, digging deeper we see that Dracula is more than a simple vampire in what he represents.

Bram Stoker’s ingenious piece of work on writing Dracula has set the expectation for gothic novels all over the world and time to come. The mindset of writing Dracula through the Victorian Era really sets the tone for the reader by creating a spine-tingling sensation right through the novel. With this in mind, Stoker wouldn’t have been able to succeed his masterpiece without the effective uses of symbolism, imagery, foreshadowing, and its overall theme.

“He speaks in perfect English and welcomes Harker inside, shaking his hand with an ice-cold, vice-like grip” (Dracula, 55). Dracula explains to him that he will no be able to make the trip to London, but one of his trusted servants will be going along with Harker back to London. After supper Jonathan analyzes Dracula and notices one very strange feature, his mouth is thick and white; they cover sharp white teeth, which stick out over his lip. What Jonathan does not know is that those teeth are canine teeth only found in animals. There are exceptions, for instance, vampires have these teeth so they can puncture the human’s carotid vessel in their neck and suck their blood. The first time that Jonathan sees Dracula’s cannibal teeth grow is when Harker starts shaving. He accidentally cuts himself and Dracula leaps for his throat so he can suck his blood. Harker touches his crucifix and Dracula’s “demonic fury” vanishes. The strangest event that Harker notices in Dracula’s castle is “Dracula emerge from his room on the floor below, slither out, head downward, in lizard fashion, with his cloak spread out around him like great wings” (Dracula, 179). This shows that “Dracula is not a person. He is a presence, an absence that requires concealing” (Wolf, 368). This tells Harker that something is very wrong with this man. He recalls how the peasants behaved

The theme in Dracula is that classic Gothic theme of the epic battle of good versus evil. In this novel this is expressed in a very direct way, there is never any question as to who is right and who is wrong. As it can be clearly seen the protagonists on the side of good have many endearing qualities while the antagonists on the side of evil have a pact with Lucifer and are of the purest evil. The main antagonist in this story, Dracula, has