Personal Reflection

Over the process of the classic novel study, I feel that I’ve matured greatly as a writer. Processing, analyzing and studying a Classic Novel and novelist contributed greatly to my ability to organize my thoughts within my writing, being able to touch on all subjects I wanted to cover while still being efficient and avoiding writing too “flowery”. This was also brought about by my mindfulness that peers would be reading my posts as well.

The novel Dracula, by Bram Stoker itself, has given me great insight into the kind of monsters that can be created whenever people:

a) Let all of their primal urges and feelings loose on the world through their actions or

b) Keep all of these feelings inside, repressed from their minds. This is a very important thing to anyone to understand, as human beings can be turned into “vampirism” figures by following through with both approaches.

It has also given me more exposure into the conflict between actions based off of Faith and Feelings (like Doctor Van Helsing) and those based off of Rationality and Fact (like Mina). I myself have always had a divided standpoint in the debate, although I more often than not lean in the direction that Mina did. Nevertheless, the clash between these two mental tactics was interesting and entertaining in Dracula and was certainly food for thought.

I’ve noticed a trend in many older forms of literature (not necessarily Classic Literature) out of the same time period as Dracula (late 19th century to early 20th century) are written in first person, often but not always to be read as journal excerpts. Such examples are Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World, Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth and 20 000 Leagues Under the Sea, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ The Land that Time Forgot and most everything I’ve read by H.P. Lovecraft. This kind of narrative is very popular still today but seemed to have a real dominance over literature in this era. I wonder why exactly it lost a bit of its hold on the world of books.

All in all, Dracula was a fantastic novel to read and the Classic Novel Study gave me a great deal of growth and maturity as a writer and student.

Works Cited

Kuehl, BJ. “Was ‘Dracula’ the first fictional vampire story to be written?” stason.org, Oct 21 2010. Web. 22 Nov. 2010.

n.a. “Dracula: Theme Analysis”. Novelguide.com. n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2010.

n.a. “Vlad the Impaler”. Vlad the Impaler. 2002. Web. 22 Nov. 2010.

Moore, Alan. “Whitby's Dracula connections”. BBC- York and North Yorkshire. 2 July. 2009. Web. 22. Nov. 2010.

Apologia

Vampire stories existed long before Bram Stoker wrote Dracula. These creatures have terrorized our folklore for thousands of years. Perhaps the first vampire story was told by a primitive man around a fire in a cave while his companions kept their ears open for prowling Saber Toothed Cats. Before Dracula, such stories as J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s 1872 story Carmilla (Kuehl) struck fear of these undead creatures into the hearts of readers. So why is it then that Bram Stoker was able to write a vampire story that not only survived through the years since its publication in 1897 - regarded as a classic of literature - but also mistakenly credited as one of the first vampire stories?

Most likely it is because of this novel’s strong social commentary on the espoused values of its time (although it still contains such themes that can certainly be applied to any era). Dracula is after all, widely regarded as a tale of repressed sexual urges (Dracula: Theme Analysis) as well as high-class behavioral expectations. As evident in the disturbing, creepy and sometimes even melancholy descriptions of the Brides of Dracula, Lucy Westenra, Mina Harker and Count Dracula himself, it’s clear that Stoker was hinting that all humans have within them urges and dark sides (not that the two are always linked) and its not healthy for us to entirely repress them but also, not to let them take over our personalities.

For example, when Jonathan Harker walks into the room inhabited by Dracula’s three “Brides” they immediately begin to behave in suggestive, sexually ravenous ways likely due to how repressed they’ve been as the Count’s permanent guests. Jonathan himself feels a strange, lustful discomfort at this point as well, likely due to his own repressed sexual feelings. On the other side, Lucy becomes an absolute monster after she’s bitten by the Count, letting her now instinctive lust for blood and sexuality completely takes over her personality. Only Dracula himself appears to have a healthy relationship with his vampirism, appearing as a very civilized gentleman for the most part, and only performing such deeds occasionally. This is part of what makes Dracula such an intriguing character. A monster, yes, but nevertheless a monster with class and mindful control over his actions.

Interestingly enough, Bram Stoker was in fact influenced in the creation of the character by a historical figure who, in my (and many other people’s) opinion was much more cruel and evil than the fictional Dracula ever was. Vlad Dracul Tepes, (also known as “Vlad the Impaler”) was without a doubt among the most deranged and horrible people in recorded history. This Transylvanian warlord ruled between 1456 to 1462 with an iron fist and was made famous by both his involvement in the resistance from the Turkish army’s invasion from Transylvania as well as his love of torture. Vlad was a demonic madman, practicing such methods as burning, mutilation of sexual organs, boiling alive, exposure to wild beasts, removing limbs and ears and, of course, impalement towards outlaws and prisoners of war, regardless of age or sex (Vlad the Impaler).

While this supports the idea that one of Stoker’s themes was the darkness within man, it should be noted that Vlad actually took pleasure in causing pain and death. For example, he made sure that the stakes he impaled people on were dull so their demise would last longer, whereas Count Dracula was just motivated by natural urges to survive. Dracula’s inner darkness is more akin to natural instincts which are not surprising since Charles Darwin’s On the Origins of Species was published within the same half of the century as Dracula, in 1859 (Dracula: Theme Analysis).

Perhaps Bram Stoker is telling his readers that while it’s true that mankind is indeed an animal, we still need something to keep us civilized and in control of our primeval feelings, such as Van Helsing with his faith in God, or Mina Harker with her love for Jonathan.

It should also be noted that Stoker drew inspiration for the setting and atmosphere of Dracula from a holiday he took with his family to the fishing village of Whitby in Yorkshire. This small community had a tremendous influence on the final product of Stokers novel. “By all accounts, he was quite smitten with the atmosphere of the town; the red roofs, Whitby Abbey, the church with its tombstones and even the bats flying around the many churches, (Moore)” writes Alan Moore, a contemporary Whitby resident. This setting has become a universal association with vampire stories ever since.

These are the reasons that Dracula is such a significant novel in literature. It not only provides an excellent insight into human nature, but it provided a thoughtful commentary on the social structure of its era of publication. It has proven to be incredibly influential to Vampire literature as well. A true classic.

Dracula: Evil or Warped?

At the end of the novel Count Dracula is slain by Jonathan Harker and Quincy Morris while Dr. Van Helsing watches over Mina, who is in the crucial state of almost becoming a vampire. Van Helsing also kills the three female vampires that attempted to seduce Jonathan at the start in the process, thus eliminating a significant amount of danger for the others. Once Dracula is killed (unfortunately, Quincy dies as well), Mina’s transformation ceases, leaving her as human as she was before being bitten.

Dracula, the source of all the suffering, demonic occurrences and evil is finally stopped in the last few pages of this book. But was he really a manifestation of evil, or just a puppet of its influence? As Mina Harker describes his dead (yes, it’s not un-dead anymore at this point) corpse “there was in the face a look of peace, such as I never could have imagined might have rested there.” Mere seconds before Quincy Morris’s knife was forced into the vampire’s chest, her description was more along the lines of “the red eyes glared with the horrible vindictive look which I knew so well”. Strange. This is not unlike the situation with her best friend Lucy when she was a vampire. The Count may have been a villain for the majority of the novel and that’s what his place in popular culture will likely forever be, but at one point in his existence, he was very likely a carefree, innocent human being that would have shuttered at the thought of what he would become.

Much like someone going insane due to traumatic experiences and isolation or an animal going mad as a result of disease, Dracula likely had no choice in his nature. How could he? When Lucy was bitten, the creature that many saw as Lucy, indeed had her body, but it was not her mind or soul performing its deeds. And as she was finally laid to rest when the “vampire” was killed, so was Dracula.

What Bram Stoker was trying to communicate with us here, I believe, is that such things as mental instability, primal “instincts” (animalistic behavior, aggression) and evil from within are blind to ones personality and can affect any human being if the right circumstances should occur. This is why I think that Dracula while yes, destructive and a creature that needed to be stopped was still, at point, a man.

The Woes of Mina Harker

November 8th

Mina Harker, the beloved wife of Jonathan Harker, who barley managed to escape Dracula’s grasp at the start of the novel, has been bitten by the Count. Upon her being bitten, Jonathan Harker, Dr. Van Helsing, Quincey Morris and Dr. Seward decide to rid the world of this repugnant Count once and for all by following him back to Transylvania, where he has escaped to again. In the process of killing the Count, they hope Mina will be saved from the transformation from human to vampire before it completes itself. Before they all depart to Transylvania however, Mina requests that if, for whatever reason, she becomes a vampire in the end, to kill her.

Mina Harker’s character in this situation appears to be another embodiment of Dracula’s theme of sexual repression and the attitude towards the sexuality of women during the Victorian Era. Poor Mina would rather be killed then become a “monster” of ravenous sexual impulses and animalistic behavior. Could this be a commentary on the sometimes narrow and potential harmful expectations of people of “class” in Victorian Society? Death before something weird and seemingly “demonic”?

Could be. It is very possible that this could be the case. A rather cynical conclusion. There are other views. Perhaps this is not a commentary on Victorian social habits but more so, a demonstration of Mina’s sense of pride in her relationship to John.

Vampirism has already caused such horrible incidents for her, her friends and her love and she would rather not become part of this horrible phenomenon. She wouldn’t be who she once was if she allowed the transformation to occur and became an Undead Vampire. Her love of life and John is so great that she would rather leave the world as who she was and have John remember her that way.

Personally, I believe that both of the statements referenced above are possible.

Whatever the message behind this situation, it’s very much an example of character vs. self. Mina now has something within her that is not truly herself, inserted by a malevolent force. This new energy within her will continue to change her into something she’s not, a twisted, mockery of the original being and it’s her decision to have her killed should it succeed. So, as much as this is a story about character vs. character conflict, in the main protagonist’s struggles against Count Dracula, character vs. self comes into play with Mina’s internal and emotional conflicts once she is bitten.

"May I cut of the head of dead Miss Lucy?"

Dracula was written in 1897, a time when manners were still very important. As is evident when Dr. Van Helsing asks Arthur Holmwood, “May I cut off the head of dead Miss Lucy?” after his fiancée is mysteriously bitten (by Count Dracula), and begins to become very sick, dies and later, appears to be rising from the dead to attack small children at night. As it turns out, according to Dr. Van Helsing, the best way to dispose of such a problem would be to cut off Lucy’s head and fill her mouth with garlic.  At first, Arthur is appalled by this idea but soon comes to realize that its only way that Lucy can truly be laid to rest.

Afterwards Van Helsing, Arthur and Lucy’s two other suitors (she received marriage propositions from three men all together) Dr. Seward (the POV character in this portion of the novel) and Quincey Morris all descend into Lucy’s tomb to perform the beheading. Upon opening her coffin they find her appearance has changed in the sense that her teeth have become pointed and her mouth voluptuous describing it as “seeming like a devilish mockery of Lucy’s sweet purity.” Once again, sexuality coming into play with vampiric conditions, making me wonder if the novel is one that:

a) Views sex as a negative or

b) is providing commentary on sexual repression common in the 19^th century.

This is followed by Arthur staking Lucy in the heart to “kill” her (or at least as dead as you can make the undead) while Van Helsing reads a religious missal aloud. As soon as the stake pierces her skin, Lucy screeches in a horribly demonic way and begins to writhe, twist and convulse but eventually lies still. As a result of being staked, Lucy’s body returns to as was in life “with her face of unequalled sweetness and purity.”

Dr. Van Helsing seems to be much more superstitious than those around him and it proves incredibly useful as he does see the true cause of Lucy’s sickness and is able to solve it with due to his great knowledge of the supernatural. His faith in magic and superstation is evident in that he uses religious items such as crosses and missals during his dealings with the supernatural and that he is willing to cut of the head off the body of a kind, sweet and deceased human being and fill the mouth with garlic because of the supernatural forces he believes are behind it. This is effective of course seeing as these magical elements in the world of the book are very much real. It would appear that perhaps one of the themes of the novel as expressed through this character would be that of the importance of faith. Van Helsing is perhaps the only character who is able to identify the true cause of Lucy’s failing health due to his vast knowledge of folklore while the other characters seek out a logical explanation.

It should also be noted that Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species was published in the same half of the 19^th century that Dracula was and people were still getting used to the ideas that it put forward. It could be that the almost animalistic behavior of the vampires (the drinking of blood, the climbing up walls) may have been a reflection on some peoples feelings towards the notion that human beings are after all animals and descended from them as well. What I like about Dracula so far is that, while it seems to promote faith and superstition over logic and fact in some cases, it still seems to embrace scientific ideas such as evolution as fact by presenting the animalistic behavior of the vampires as a reflection on these new ideas. It’s possible Bram Stoker is trying to communicate that, “yes human beings are animals in many senses but we should still always keep in mind what separates us from the rest of zoology”.

Dracula Post One: Vampires and Sexuality

October 19, 2010,

I’ve reached a point in Bram Stoker’s Dracula that’s proved to be rather intriguing, involving a scene which is reminiscent of a typical teenage male fantasy soon turned into a horrific dreamscape nightmare. To briefly give to some back story, Jonathan Harker, a solicitor has been living in the castle estate of Count Dracula, located in the mountains of Transylvania and has been living as a prisoner. He begins to notice strange behavior displayed by the Count at night such as climbing around the castle’s exterior “just as a lizard moves along a wall.”

This inspires Jonathan to take walks around the castle at night with escape on his mind which is where said scene picks up. One night while searching for a way out of the castle, he happens upon a room occupied by three beautiful women, two described as being dark and with “high aquiline noses, like the Count” as well as sharing his “great dark, piercing eyes” and one as “fair, as fair as can be, with great wavy masses of golden hair and eyes like pale sapphires.” Jonathan also describes them as being ladies from the way they dress. However, despite their beautiful and elegant appearances, he feels unease as well as arousal by their suggestively sexual behavior. “Thrilling and repulsive” is an interesting description he offers. Just as he begins to give in to the “temptation” the Count intervenes, furious at the ladies for this but promises “when I am done with him you shall kiss him at your will.” Jonathan blacks out at this point.

Wow. This scene has a lot of impact on the reader as it’s rife with primal elements of the human nature - sexuality being the most obvious. Interestingly, sexuality has often been associated with vampires. Of course, the most well known example today would be Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Saga and its film adaptations (although most vampire enthusiasts would argue that this is hardly a legitimate vampire fiction) with its heart-throbbing cast of gorgeous high-school hotties. However there are many more examples that could be considered much more true to traditional views of vampires involving sexuality and romance such as Ann Rice’s Interview with a Vampire series, Charlaine Harris’s True Blood series and The Underworld films staring a whole cast of “beautiful people” such as the gorgeous Kate Beckinsale as a werewolf destroying vampire assassin who falls for an eventual vampire werewolf hybrid played by Scott Speedman. Even in vampire fiction that doesn’t involve a lot of heavy (if any) romance or sexuality, there is still often a vibe that vampires are very good-looking creatures such as the Blade series (the only overall unattractive vampires that appear are infected with a disease that renders them as sickly, vein covered, pale creatures with mandibles). And then there is of course the scene I just described involving three beautiful, probably sexually repressed females (who I believe are likely vampires) almost unleashing their primal urges on Jonathan Harker. Why is it that vampires are so often associated with sexual instincts, romance and lust?

There are many explanations for this. There is, of course, the vampire’s immortality which would add as a powerful element to the sexual urges. Immortality has often been associated with isolation in time and of course, isolation can often lead to great sexual repression as well as an attractive, possibly deep, personality.

Then there is the idea that a vampire’s attractiveness may also owe some of its power to the fact that they can be pretty impressive when compared to humans. Among humans, vampires have no real bounds other than sunlight, religious items and garlic (depending on the source of the lore). They live by their own rules and they’re beautiful while they do so. They are the majestic, solitary alpha males and the elegant, brooding swans that often pose such sexual power and status in nature. They’re cool, good looking and in some ways free. And even better, some of them have extraordinary powers involving strength, speed or control over animals to name a few. The perfect image.

And then there is the possibility that a vampire’s beautiful appearance may just be a trap to use when they hunt. Like a carnivorous plant, attracting unwary prey into its grasp or like a leopard, using its beauty to hide itself until the right second, the vampire can unleash the personality that keeps it alive on the prey.

All these and more could be the reasons that sexuality is so important to vampiric lore. One thing is for sure: vampires aren’t going away anytime soon (have they ever really) and neither is the sexual element of the stories they star in.

Luke Dickey