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Dramatic Irony In Dracula

Decent Essays

Bram Stoker’s Dracula does not follow the norm of the nineteenth century novels, that is, it is not written in a straightforward narrative but instead comprises of a collection of letters, journal entries and diary scrawls. Apart from that, it also includes a ship's log, numberless clippings from newspaper and also, a "phonograph diary.” This form of writing invariably helps in developing the “mystery” aspect of this horror novel since it either gives us no information about a particular thing or gives us information from various points of view so that it is impossible for the readers to come to one conclusion and they keep playing with different possibilities in their minds. Dracula, because of its huge success and wide readership, has now …show more content…

More often than not, dramatic irony causes the novel to not be as gripping as it could be since the readers already know a large part of the suspense. However, in the case of Dracula, it is anything but this. Dracula was one of the first novels of its kind and gave the readers a new kind of thrill and is as gripping as any of the contemporary horror novels. The dramatic irony actually acts as a means to keep the readers glued to the novel since the readers know what Jonathan’s fate will be but can do nothing but wait for the inevitable. As the novel proceeds, the readers cannot help but worry about the safety of Jonathan and this makes the novel very …show more content…

The normal Victorian representation of a woman would be that of a weak character, who would faint at the sight of blood; a character who would only discuss weather and art. In this novel, the stereotype of an ideal Victorian woman is broken as it is contrasted with the modern woman. The two best friends, Lucy and Mina, are each a representation of each. While Lucy is shown as all weak and someone who gives in easily, Mina stays on the “good side” even after she has been bitten by a vampire and her conversion has started. She is presented a hero, who plays an important role in bringing Dracula down through her intelligence and resourcefulness. Hence, by representing Mina as such a powerful character, Stroker breaks the stereotypical idea of a

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