Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. The gothic theme in dracula by bram stoker essay 907. Dracula is an 1897 gothic horror novel by irish author bram stoker. An analysis of womens roles in bram stokers dracula. Bram stoker was born on november 8, 1847 in dublin, ireland. Focusing in on the recurring themes, characters and settings used throughout the novel one sees how dracula has set the standard for gothic literature today. It follows the vampire count dracula from his castle in transylvania to england, where he is hunted while turning others into vampires. He was a sickly boy but he fully recovered when he was seven. You may have seen every dracula movie ever made, but you do not know the real count dracula until such time as you have read stokers book. Perhaps the most prominent theme is the derogatory portrayal of women. Dracula, novel by bram stoker, derived from vampire legends and published in 1897, that became the basis for an entire genre of literature and film.
Much has been made of this aspect of the novel, particularly in 20thcentury criticism, and with good reason. In her book the essential dracula, clare hawordmaden suggested that the castle of count dracula was inspired by slains castle, at which bram stoker was a guest of the 19th earl of erroll. Stoker visited the seaside town of whitby in england in 1890 and found inspiration for his excellent novel dracula. Bram stokers book dracula has been adapted into films by the same name. During the time period dracula was written, there was a large feminist movement and. The storyline remains the same, but here the tale is simplified and shortened. During the time period dracula was written, there was a large feminist movement and womens traditional roles were starting to change. The dracula study guide contains a biography of bram stoker, literature essays, a complete etext, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary an.
Draculas message and theme the words of dracula mean more than is read by most. One of the things that makes dracula so scary besides the bloodsucking, of course is that hes foreign. The count admits he prefers to blend in, as he does in his own home country. According to that reading of the novel, draculas immigration to britain represents a kind of invasion. This struggle is a major theme of stoker s dracula. The novel tells the story of draculas attempt to move from transylvania to england so that he may find new blood and spread the.
Bram stokers iconic novel dracula begins with a young man, jonathan harker, arriving in transylvania where he has an appointment to keep with a certain count dracula. Bram stokers dracula is renowned for its complex themes on female sexuality, good vs. Bram stoker s dracula is renowned for its complex themes on female sexuality, good vs. In terms of the genre itself stokers novel was a relative late comer to the market being published in 1867. The novel tells the story of draculas attempt to move from transylvania to england so that he may find new blood and spread the undead curse, and of the battle between dracula and a small group of people led by.
Women in dracula dracula is a complicated novel with many themes. It is believed by most that a large number of the themes are catholic oriented, which is very understandable due to the books time period and what the book consists of. Classic vampire tale is sexier and darker than you remember. Bram stoker seems to have been obsessed with the latest technologies. The authors use of imagery and detail make the novel complete and help to further the readers understanding. Dracula representing the old royal order of princes being the lords of the manor and the common people being their chattels. Dracula, practically as old as religion itself, stands as a satanic figure, most obviously in his appearancepointed ears, fangs, and flaming eyesbut also in his consumption of blood. Romantic love, seduction, and sexual purity theme in. Though stoker begins his novel in a ruined castlea traditional gothic setting he soon moves the action to victorian london, where the advancements of. Regardless of the true history of dracula, the creation of bram stokers novel could not be confined to the printed page.
Told in epistolary form through a series of letters, diary entries, and other correspondence, dracula is considered one of the earliest works of vampire fiction, and it is the introduction of the iconic character of count dracula. Dracula, novel by bram stoker, derived from vampire legends and published in 1897, that became the basis for an entire genre of literature and. The motif of hands begins rather early on in the novel and is constantly harked on by stoker. Eventually, the count will insinuate himself into harkers life in england, turning harkers associates wife, lucy, into one of the undead, and eventually trying to win. The count is looking for a london home and jonathan, who has the details of a large house that might suit dracula, is keen to make the counts acquaintance and visit him in his. Many characters in stoker s novel experience a struggle between the old customs of britain and the new social ideas of a more industrialized society. So much of the plot, in fact, that bram stokers widow won a lawsuit against the makers of the film.
With gary oldman, winona ryder, anthony hopkins, keanu reeves. It is believed by most that a large number of the themes are catholic oriented, which is very understandable due to the books time period and what the book. The gothic theme in dracula by bram stoker bram stokers dracula is a true gothic novel that belongs on any gothic literature course. Throughout the novel, religion is the most prominent theme. The setting of the novel is a dark crumbling castle, the tone is mysterious, there is a villainous character, and there is the sense that the. Dracula by bram stoker meet your next favorite book. Instead, dracula consists of series of diary entries, letters, telegrams, memoranda, and occasional newspaper. The centuries old vampire count dracula comes to england to seduce his barrister jonathan harkers fiancee mina murray and inflict havoc in the foreign land. For example, he fills lucys room with garlic because he. According to miller, he first visited cruden bay in 1893, three years after work had begun on dracula. Seward stands firm in the latest convictions of modern medicine, closedminded to anything it cannot explain. Bram stoker s dracula is a 1992 american gothic horror film directed and produced by francis ford coppola, based on the novel dracula by bram stoker. He uses many concept of christianity, like the holy communion, and perverse it to fit his needs.
Mar 17, 2017 bram stoker s dracula is a classic vampire tale. For dracula, he requires drinking actual blood to live. Although an invalid in early childhoodhe could not stand or walk until he was sevenstoker outgrew his weakness to become an outstanding. He makes a big point of having his characters use really uptodate for 1897 gadgets for communicationjack seward, for example, records his diary on a phonograph, which is. Apr 16, 2020 bram stoker, byname of abraham stoker, born nov. Seward stands firm in the latest convictions of modern medicine, closedminded to. The author, bram stoker, a young victorian theater professional, was probably inspired by the strange epidemic of vampirism that occurred in remote parts of eastern europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. Bram stokers dracula is, hands down, the greatest horror novel ever written. To start, blood can be tied to lineage, which dracula boasts of to jonathan early on in the novel. After reading the gothic novel dracula written by bram stoker in 1897, it is amazing how the storyline is similar to the 1931 horror film, dracula directed by browning, starring bela lugosi. Yet only one tenth of the themes feature on the first two hundred pages.
The symbols throughout dracula, have often been thought to mean many diffrent things throughout history. It introduced count dracula, and established many conventions of subsequent vampire fantasy. Bram stoker was an irish horrormystery writer best remembered for his influential novel dracula. Bram stoker biography will help you with any book or any question. Have you ever wondered why bram stokers book dracula is. There is also an element of the new professional class versus the old ruling class. It introduced the character of count dracula and established many conventions of subsequent vampire fantasy. Dracula is an epistolary gothic horror novel written in 1897 by bram stoker, an irish author who became famous after writing about the vampire named count dracula, who later on had many interpretations theater, movie and television. After harker compliments count dracula on his impeccable english, the count responds by claiming that although he mastered the technicalities of the language, he cannot truly speak english as a native speaker does. This is the ladybird retelling of bram stokers classic novel dracula. Bram stoker very thoroughly described the technology used by the main characters. Though stoker begins his novel in a ruined castlea traditional gothic settinghe soon moves the action to victorian london, where the advancements of.
Bram stokers dracula is renowned for its complex themes on female sexuality. Also, in the context of christian mythology a very prevalent theme throughout the book, blood symbolizes life and is made manifest from the ritual of drinking wine. The genre itself started around the time of the publication of the castle of otranto in 1764 and gained popularity throughout the centuries. In this lesson, well look at each of these themes using quotes from the. In 1897, stoker published his masterpiece, dracula. The setting of the novel is a dark crumbling castle, the tone is mysterious, there is a villainous character, and there is the sense that the hero is struggling against an inescapable fate. This is the ladybird retelling of bram stoker s classic novel dracula. Romantic love, seduction, and sexual purity theme in dracula. In bram stokers dracula professor van helsing is the only one in the book that seems to have the knowledge and expertise to defeat dracula. Draculas bloodthirstiness is a perversion of christian ritual, as it extends his physical life but cuts him off from any form of spiritual existence. Dracula, by bram stoker, is a wellthought out, complex novel that leaves the reader pageturning into the late hours of the night.
I have used a copy of bram stokers book that is 450 pages long. If he were alive now, hed be that guy who makes sure hes first in line to get the newest iphone. Some critics think of dracula as a kind of allegory about the collapse of british imperialism check out, for example, stephen aratas article, which we link to in best of the web. While the book garnered critical success after its release, it didnt achieve peak popularity until well after its authors death. By becoming involved with dracula, jonathan harker learns of the true horror of the counts power, but little does he know just how far the monsters power will reach. In addition, it is also an enduring classic of literature. It stars gary oldman as count dracula, winona ryder as mina harker, anthony hopkins as professor abraham van helsing, and keanu reeves as jonathan harker dracula was theatrically released in the united states on november, 1992 to. The gothic theme in dracula by bram stoker bram stoker s dracula is a true gothic novel that belongs on any gothic literature course. Dracula as a gothic novel bram stokers dracula has all of the classic elements of a gothic novel. Doc patterns, symbols and themes in bram stokers dracula.
The novel tells the story of dracula s attempt to move from transylvania to england so that he may find new blood and spread the. The 1922 silent film nosferatu stole much of its plot from stokers book. May 11, 2012 to start, blood can be tied to lineage, which dracula boasts of to jonathan early on in the novel. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in dracula, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Bram stokers dracula is a 1992 american gothic horror film directed and produced by francis ford coppola, based on the novel dracula by bram stoker. First published in 1897, the novel was influenced by a history of vampire myths and stories, but stoker shaped all those fragmented tales to create a literary legend that was just the start of what we know and understand about vampires in current literature. Apr 12, 2019 in 1897, stoker published his masterpiece, dracula. He also has many followers, like renfield, the sisters, and lucy and has inhuman characteristic, like god. Dracula contains a long meditation on proper, sociallysanctioned love, and improper relations of lust and seduction. The gothic theme in dracula by bram stoker essay 907 words. Many characters in stokers novel experience a struggle between the old customs of britain and the new social ideas of a more industrialized society.