First Impressions Of Dracula

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 comparison to the modern interpretations of the vampire genre, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is slower in progression, yet deeper in meaning. In modern interpretations of the genre, stories such as Twilight, Vampire Diaries, and The Originals progresses quickly, and vampires are portrayed as redeemable. Contrasting these stories, Dracula progresses sluggishly with Stoker giving too much information throughout the entire novel. Moreover, Count Dracula is seen as an irredeemable, soulless monster. Having been accustomed to the modern interpretations of this genre, Dracula was an extremely dull read. At various points in the story, I expected stronger plot development or suspense, but the story lacked both. Additionally, the story lacked cohesion as the vast imagery and explanations of the character’s internal thoughts contributed nothing to the plot.

It’s never exactly rare to find an iconic vampire in vampire literature. Dracula, from Bram Stoker's novel, and Lestat, from Interview with the Vampire, are far from the same but they do appear as similar in readings. They both appear as powerful leaders in the novels. As vampires they share very similar characteristics but the novels surrounding them show less similarities. For example the other turned vampires don’t share the same characteristics and have different outlooks of being a vampire. Although these two novels can be seen as similar, they possess many differences through formatting, setting, and the vampires’ perception of their lives.

During the Romantic Era, Bram Stoker created a timeless monster in his novel, Dracula. Stoker uses a series of letters and journal entries to tell the story form a first person point of view. The Count, for whom the book is named, seems to be invincible to mere man. Stoker uses his character of Dracula to reflect the elements of romanticism through his supernatural powers, a fascination with youth and innocence, and imagery.

To start off, the manner Arnold Friend and Dracula 's facial and physiological traits are described allow us to compare how monstrous they really are. The Count is said to be a tall thin old man with a shaved face, except for his heavy mustache. His face is a strong aquiline with a high bridge of the thin nose and peculiarly arched nostrils. Stoker notes that his ears are pale and pointed, his chin is broad and strong and his cheeks firm and thin. There is an insistence on Dracula 's mouth that is fixed and cruel-looking with sharp white teeth that protruded over his vital-looking lips. His eyebrows are massive, almost meeting over his nose and he has bushy hair that grows around his temples and his lofty domed forehead. Another element that is focused on in Stoker 's novel is the vampire 's extreme pallor. This description is not particularly frightening since we immediately know the character is a monster : he does not look human at all and is not hiding it. There is no place for

In Bram Stokers Dracula, the Count Dracula represents a homosexual figure, which in Victorian times was seen as an inversion of the “typical” male figure. Diana Kindron states the Victorian idea of a homosexual was one of a male body being fused with a female soul. This is just what Count Dracula represents in Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula.

Dracula is a fantastic piece of literature written by Bram Stoker. Since it was published in 1897, Dracula has never been out of print (Ying and Zhang). When one looks at the story close enough, one may notice that there are several fascinating features of it. So then comes the question: how should the fantastic piece of literature called Dracula be interpreted? There are many different aspects of it that one doesn’t realize until he or she begins researching it.

Discuss possible answers to this question with reference to at least two critical or theoretical essays and at least two tellings ' of the Dracula story._______________________________________________

The late nineteenth century Irish novelist, Bram Stoker is most famous for creating Dracula, one of the most popular and well-known vampire stories ever written. Dracula is a gothic, “horror novel about a vampire named Count Dracula who is looking to move from his native country of Transylvania to England” (Shmoop Editorial Team). Unbeknownst of Dracula’s plans, Jonathan Harker, a young English lawyer, traveled to Castle Dracula to help the count with his plans and talk to him about all his options. At first Jonathan was surprised by the Count’s knowledge, politeness, and overall hospitality. However, the longer Jonathan remained in the castle the more uneasy and suspicious he became as he began to realize just how strange and different

Evil never conquers because good always overcomes it. A good example of this is the book Dracula by Bram Stoker because the author expresses the nature of good vs. evil. Dracula wants to come to London because he wants to turn everyone into vampires. The basic background of the book Dracula is when Jonathan Harker, a realtor who is sent to Transylvania to complete a transaction with Dracula so he can come to England. What Harker does not know is that Dracula has a plan for world domination. Well, while Harker is on a train to Transylvania he enters “the east, a section of Europe whose peoples and customs will be for the most part, strange and unfamiliar” (Dracula, 20). Harker arrives at Bistritz on the eve of St. George’s Day,

Dracula embodies male power through his social position, Jonathan Harker in his journal recounts a conversation he had with the Count when he speaks of his family lineage ‘the pride of his house and name is his own pride, that their glory is his glory, that their fate is his fate’ (Pg.52) The Count represents an ancient family line that embodies male power, especially during the time that Dracula was published where the higher social classes ruled. The Count is also portrayed as a highly intellectual individual with vast knowledge and education which is exposed when Harker questions the Count about his knowledge of London ‘He clearly had studied before-hand all he could on the subject of

     Throughout many types of literature, violence exists to enhance the readers interest in order to add a sense of excitement or conflict to a novel. This statement withholds much truthfulness due to the fact that without violence in a piece of literature such as Dracula by Bram Stoker, the plot would not have the same impact if it was lacking violence. Dracula's power and evilness led to the violent happenings which began with the conflict of Jonathan's inner struggle, as compared to the conflict which blossomed later on with good versus evil.

Many scenes in ‘Frankenstein’ are pastoral, thus creating a non-threatening atmosphere, however, it is circumstances and ignorance which result in the creature becoming despised and hunted which in return change his nature and character when he seeks revenge for the injustices done against him. Dracula, from the beginning, is the embodiment of evil - he plots and schemes. One could make excuses for him and say he needs blood or he becomes extinct and it is a form of self-preservation. This is so, however, throughout the novel we are faced time and again with examples of gratuitous malevolence he makes no distinction between man or woman, child or baby. Many scenes in ‘Dracula’ are set in the dark and ominous Castle Dracula, this results in a pervading atmosphere of apprehension.

The epistolary form of the novel consists of a narrative based on letters, diary entries, newspaper clippings and other documentary records. It helps to bring realism into the narrative by lacing it with personal and historical references. It helps to add believability by incorporating a variety of perspectives on the events and characters in the novel. This form works for Dracula because the log of the ship captain and the diary entries of Jonathan Harker provide personal witness accounts to prove that the events are real as opposed to imaginary. Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster are a novel composed nearly entirely of letters by the orphan Jerusha Abbott to her benefactor John Smith. The form helps to record the growth of the character over the years.

While in Stoker’s novel, the alluring Count Dracula spends the nights continuously feeding on the blood of the innocent, the villagers all the while living in fear. He sucks the life from young maidens, transforming them into his unholy minions.