Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Dracula Culminating Project Autosaved
Dracula Culminating Project Autosaved
Period 1, English 11
December 4, 2016
Dracula
By Bram Stoker
In this picture, we see Dracula envisioned by director Francis Ford Coppla and played by Gary
Oldman. In the picture, we see an old picture from past centuries of the Count, still looking as
A major conflict I noticed in Bram Stokers Dracula is how man interferes with a change
being made to society. During the late 1800s, female expression was frowned upon and was
seen as disrespectful and sinful. It was thought that women were to serve and always be
submissive to men. Dracula is seen as a threat by the male characters because his mindset and
power challenges the already established societal standards. The whole meaning of being a
vampire is that you represent evil and unholy ways. The boundaries of society is broken by
vampires since they are not human, establishing the idea that women who lust are seen as
inhuman and sinfully corrupted. The Counts power challenges the societal view of modesty and
is therefore seen as an evil and sinful monster. "The fair girl went on her knees and bent over me,
fairly gloating. There was a deliberate voluptuousness which was both thrilling and repulsive,
and as she arched her neck she actually licked her lips like an animal... I could feel the soft,
shivering touch of the lips on the supersensitive skin of my throat, and the hard dents of two
sharp teeth, just touching and pausing there." (Stoker, 42). Harker describes how the woman
turned by Dracula was trying to seduce him in order to have a chance to turn him as well. He
describes her behavior as repulsive, but yet he was attracted to her in a lustful way. I believe it is
both an internal and external conflict throughout the book. It is external because it goes against
with what society believes is the perfect image of a woman and the Count was tainting that
image with his power and lust. It is also internal because although the men know that what the
vampire women stand for they cant help, but be seduced by them. There is an internal battle
amongst them between their morals and their lust. In the end, the conflict is detained when
Another conflict I noticed in the book is how the group of people who have set out to kill
the count must also battle with his supernatural powers. The Count shows his various powers
throughout the book and it makes it more and more difficult to stop him. Some of his powers are
that he is much faster than the group, he can shapeshift into a bat, and he has the power to turn
you to do his bidding. His power however, varies through the book due to the fact that he has fed
on everyone in his homeland and is now searching for new food. This is an external conflict
because it is based on the physical strength and abilities of the characters. The conflict is
resolved when Harker and Seward catch the Count off guard and Harker manages to build up his
courage to push a stake through the Counts heart. Good God, Professor! I said, starting up.
Do you mean to tell me that Lucy was bitten by such a bat; and that such a thing is here in
London in the nineteenth century? (Stoker, 76). Here, Seward does believe such a creature
existed, but he does not believe it exists now in his modern 19th century. Once they realize that
the Count really is a vampire and that he has abilities more powerful than they imagined they
know they must fight with all will and with which ever weapon they can acquire. Not only are
they accepting such a big responsibility, but they are accepting to face probable death at the
The protagonists of my novel are Jonathan Harker, Mina Murray, Dr. John Seward, Lucy
Westenra, and Dr. Van Helsing. I believe one major lesson the characters all together learn is that
no matter how much knowledge they learn, in the end it is like theyve learned nothing. After
Lucys death, Dr. Van Helsing politely asks of her husband if he could go to her grave at night
and cut off her head. Upon opening her coffin, the men realize that Lucy has two puncture
wounds in her neck and they spend the whole night examining her neck until finally they
conclude that she indeed was turned into a vampire. The men return the next night and Arthur
stakes his wife in the heart. Even after all the knowledge Van Helsing has on vampires it is as if
though it is all their first time learning of one. Continuing their journey to find Draculas last
coffin, the men believe that Mina is too fragile to take in the information of vampires and thus
leave her out of their conversations. During this time, Mina starts looking very pale and is
suddenly sleeping longer than she should. These symptoms are the same as the ones Lucy was
having when she got turned, but instead of noticing quickly it takes them days to piece together
what is happening to Mina. When they finally realized what was happening to her they rush into
her room only to find Dracula with his teeth sunk into her jugular. The characters all together
seem very dimwitted even after all four of the men kept journals with the knowledge they had of
vampires and the symptoms Lucy went through. I asked Dr. Seward to give me a little opiate of
some kind, as I had not slept well the night before. He very kindly made me up a sleeping
draught, which he gave to me, telling me that it would do me no harm, as it was very mild.
(Stoker, 277). Mina has been having trouble sleeping for days and would think all night. She
usually would fall asleep quickly but she cant seem to because of the vampire blood. She asked
for a bit of opiate to help her sleep and yet the doctor didnt even question if something was
wrong. Mina is such a pure woman, but even then, no one questioned why she may need a
dosage of a drug.
This novel connects to my life in the way of how women must be viewed by everyone.
Today, the morals of women have changed very much throughout the different parts of the world.
Sadly, it is still viewed by many that a woman seducing a man is wrong and should be frowned
upon. I have been told so many times that I am to appear like the ideal woman in front of people
by my grandmother. She tells me I should be able to attend to every one of my future husbands
needs, that I am to obey my future husband in every way, and that I will remain polite and
submissive to my future husband. She is one of God's women, fashioned by His own hand to
show us men and other women that there is a heaven where we can enter, and that its light can be
here on earth. So true, so sweet, so noble, so little an egoistand that, let me tell you, is much in
this age, so skeptical and selfish (Stoker, 203). This quote proves how the representation of the
perfect woman was Mina and this is what my grandmother expects of me. To her and to many
others, I am to be the purest flower to be loved and have an amazing life. However, I dont want
to be perfect. I want to be able to make my own choices in my own life. The moment I hunch
over or eat too much, I get scolded by other members of my family because it doesnt appear
lady like. I believe we should have shocked the "New Woman" with our appetites. (Stoker,
100). Once Mina and Lucy are turned they slowly go against the idea of the perfect woman. They
begin eating far more than before until they are satisfied. It makes the men both shocked and
uncomfortable just as it does to my grandmother when I reach for a second slice of cake.
International Connection
While reading the book, I connected the story to a major problem happening in the world
today. Many of the scenes in Dracula connect to sexual rape. So many young men and women
have been victims to rape. I find it very hurtful knowing that girls and boys as young as 4 years
old are used for the pleasure of dirty minded people. These victims must not only go through the
physical pain it caused them but the mental pain as well. Many are left with trauma that haunts
them every time they close their eyes. Some even begin to feel as if they have lost their worth as
a person and they have various trust issues with lovers or they have breakdowns because of the
trauma. With his left hand he held both Mrs. Harker's hands, keeping them away with her arms
at full tension; his right hand gripped her by the back of the neck, forcing her face down on his
bosom. Her white nightdress was smeared with blood, and a thin stream trickled down the man's
bare breast which was shown by his torn-open dress. (Stoker, 300). In this scene, Harker walks
in on his wife being forced by the Count to drink his blood. The Count represents the lustful
minded rapists who force their victims to do as they want for their pleasure. Mina represents the
young women, married or single, who are kidnapped and raped. In Minas case, she was forced
in her own house on the bed she shares with her husband. However, this does not happen to only
girls, but also to many men. The fair girl went on her knees, and bent over me, fairly gloating.
There was a deliberate voluptuousness which was both thrilling and repulsive, and as she arched
her neck she actually licked her lips like an animal, till I could see in the moonlight the moisture
shining on the scarlet lips and on the red tongue as it lapped the white sharp teeth. (Stoker, 43).
Jonathan Harker was taken by the weird sisters and one was about to suck the blood from him.
This scene is known to represent rape, but this time with a male victim and a female rapist.
Harker is held down so he wouldnt try to escape which is always present in scenes of rape.
Theme 1
The most obvious theme in Dracula is good vs. evil. It may be very clich, but as you
read the book it is obvious to see who will triumph in the end. The Crew of Light who set out to
end Dracula are obviously the good guys whereas Dracula is obviously the bad in the story. Even
if it is obvious who will win the question is how big the cost will. The first mentioning of how
evil the Count is happens when Harker observes his menacing figure. But my very feelings
changed to repulsion and terror when I saw the whole man slowly emerge from the window, and
begin to crawl down the castle wall over that dreadful abyss, face down, with his cloak spreading
out around him like great wings. (Stoker, 39). Bram Stoker describes what Harker sees as one
would describe a dark and scary monster. So, what is scarier than a dark monster? When the
monster disguises itself. Lucy's eyes in form and colour; but Lucy's eyes unclean and full of
hell-fire, instead of the pure, gentle orbs we knew. (Stoker, 226). Dracula turned Lucy and she
was full of the same evil as his. What frightened the crew more is that what they saw in front of
them was the same sweet gentle Lucy theyve known. Her eyes although the same werent full if
her kindness but of darkness and fire. To make matters worse, they knew they had to end her. It
was tough for them since appearance wise she was their Lucy. Their friend theyve known for so
long. However, they knew she wasnt inside. That makes the Count far more frightening. H can
corrupt whoever he wants even your best friend because he knows that in the end you must kill
them and it will destroy you along with the action. Thus are we ministers of God's own wish:
that the world, and men for whom His Son die, will not be given over to monsters, whose very
existence would defame Him. He have allowed us to redeem one soul already, and we go out as
the old knights of the Cross to redeem more. Like them we shall travel towards the sunrise; and
like them, if we fall, we fall in good cause. (Stoker, 339). Van Helsing describes how their
voyage to kill the Count is something they must do in order to stop the Earth that God has given
us from being run by monsters. He knows that many may die on the way, but he assures them
Throughout the book there are various signs of symbolism. Symbolism plays an
important part in the story and it helps the ready understand the story more and go into more
details when they find out as to why a certain symbol was used. Two symbols I noticed in the
story where the bats that always seem to be around when Dracula takes his victim and the
A group of bats always seem to appear whenever Dracula feeds on his victim. Vampire
bats are an animal representation of Dracula because of how they feed. Vampire bats feed
primary on the blood of other animals just as the Count feeds on the blood of his victims. These
bats are also nocturnal creatures just as the Count doesnt enjoy the light of day and prefers to
feast and search for victims in the night. The animals also are very small in size and can fly into
places the count as his human figure cannot which is why he has chosen them as the ideal
creature to take the appearance of. Little by little the characters begin to notice how many times
they have seen a bat when they encounter the Count. "Between me and the moonlight flitted a
great bat, comeing and going in great, whirling circles." (Stoker, 103). Harker explains how he
noticed a bat flying in circles near him after he saw the Count outside of his castle. At first, he
didnt notice until Mina and Lucy begin noticing them too. However, once the Count is defeated
the bats that where at his command seem to have been hypnotized by the count and left to where
Another use of symbolism is when the crucifix is show to the characters as a way of
protection from Dracula. The cross to Dracula is a symbol of fear and loathing because of the
fact that his actions bring sin to the world and a Christian figure is his enemy. Sin can be
redeemed if one comes to the cross and the Count fears it for he does not want to end his ways.
The cross is also seen as a symbol of resurrection and the gift of an eternal life to Christ.
Dracula, being undead, has already been given the curse of immortality but not through Christ.
He can be seen as an anti-Christ since his ways go against what the Christian church has taught
the followers of Christ. When the Count saw my face, his eyes blazed with a sort of demonaic
fury, and he suddenly made a grab at my throat. I drew away, and his hand touched the string of
beads which held the crucifix. It made an instant change in him, for the fury passed so quickly
that I could hardly believe that it was ever there. (Stoker, 28). The characters start using the
crucifix against the count and start wearing them so he could avoid them at all cost. It was like