Plot Structure

In the 19th century, Bram Stoker wrote one of the most widely recognized gothic horror stories,

Dracula. In the 19th century, Bram Stoker wrote one of the most widely recognized gothic horror

stories, Dracula.

Jonathan Harker visits Count Dracula’s castle in Transylvania to purchase real estate in London

for him. At first, the Count is very friendly; however, Jonathan begins to suspect that Dracula

may not be a normal man or even a man at all.

After Jonathan sees Dracula crawling down a wall like a lizard, he realizes that he is a monster.

A few nights later, Jonathan is almost killed by three mysterious women but Dracula arrives and

sends them away. However, Dracula makes it clear that after he is fully prepared to leave the

country, they can kill Jonathan.

Eventually, Dracula leaves the castle with the help of some Gypsies. For some reason, he takes

boxes of dirt with him. Fearing for his life, Jonathan tries to escape by climbing down the wall.

In his journal, he says goodbye to his fiancée Mina.

In England, Mina Murray visits her friend Lucy Westenra and her mother, who are on vacation.

Lucy is currently being courted by three different men: Arthur Holmwood, Dr. John Seward and

Quincey Morris. Lucy chooses to marry Arthur but the other men are cool about it.

Sometime later, a ship crashes on a beach. A wolf is seen leaving the area. The only person

found on the ship is the captain, whose dead body is tied to the wheel. Through the captain’s log,

we learn that SOMETHING was killing all the men on his ship. Obviously, that thing was

Dracula, who was the dog that escaped.

A little while later, Lucy starts behaving strangely. She starts sleepwalking and has a hard time

remembering things. When Lucy begins to waste away, Dr. Seward invites his old teacher,

Abraham Van Helsing. Van Helsing realizes that Lucy is being attacked by a vampire but he

refuses to tell the others. Van Helsing tells the other men to give Lucy their own blood. He also

places garlic all around her room. However, someone always removes the garlic, whether it’s

Lucy's mother or Lucy herself. While both doctors are absent, Lucy and her mother are attacked

by a wolf and Mrs. Westenra dies of fright on the spot. Lucy herself eventually dies from blood

loss. After Lucy's burial, the newspapers report children being stalked in the night by a "bloofer

lady". Van Helsing decides to tell the others the truth. The men track Lucy down and, after a

struggle, stake her heart, behead her, and fill her mouth with garlic. Around the same time,

Jonathan arrives from Budapest and he and Mina get married. The vampire hunters stay at Dr.

Seward's home to come up with a plan. Mina begins collecting all the info they have on Dracula

and makes copies to give to the others. Harker tracks down the shipments of boxed earth and the

estates which Dracula has purchased in order to store them. The two doctors analyze the

behavior of one of Dr. Seward’s patients, a mad man called Renfield, who they learn is being

influenced by Dracula. They also research historical events, folklore, and superstitions from

various cultures to understand Dracula's powers and weaknesses. When they discover the various

properties Dracula had purchased, the men set out to raid each property. Anytime they find a

box, they pry it open then put sacramental bread inside. This makes the boxes of earth

completely useless to Dracula because he is unable to touch holy ground. After Dracula learns of

the group's plot against him, he kills Renfield, who tried to protect Mina from him. He then

attacks Mina and makes her drink his own blood. She doesn’t immediately turn into a vampire

but she is becoming more and more like one.

The heroes realize that because of what Dracula did to Mina, she is able to see his surroundings

and actions. Van Helsing is able to use hypnotism twice a day, at dawn and at sunset, to put her

into a trance in order to track Dracula's movements. Mina tells the men not to tell her their plans

because she thinks Dracula might be able to do it to them too. After the protagonists discover and

purify 49 boxes, they learn that Dracula has fled with last box back to his castle in Transylvania.

They split up into teams once they reach Europe; Van Helsing and Mina team up to locate the

castle of Dracula while the others attempt to ambush the boat Dracula is using to reach his home.

Van Helsing raids the castle and kills the vampires inside. After discovering Dracula being

transported by Gypsies, the three teams meet up with each other and attack the caravan. After

dispatching the Gypsies Dracula, the vampire hunters gang up on him. Quincey, who is mortally

wounded, stabs Dracula in the heart. Dracula crumbles to dust, and Mina is freed from her curse

of vampirism. Quincey dies from his wounds. Seven years later, Jonathan writes a note detailing

his married life with Mina and the birth of their son, whom they name after all four members of

the party, but address as "Quincey". Quincey is depicted sitting on the knee of Van Helsing as

they recount their adventure.

Themes

Dracula’s main themes are sexuality, science and faith.

Science - Count Dracula represents that which cannot be rationalized by science. His mere

existence is an anomaly to what was understood at the time. Dracula does not work the way

science says the world works and this is partly why he was able to evade the heroes, men of

science, for so long. His adversity to the heroes could be seen as a representation of the classic

magic VS science argument.

Ironically, the heroes manage to defeat Dracula not with science or magic, but rather with a

combination of the two. For example, Van Helsing was able to track Dracula by using Mina and

predict his actions by using psychology.

Sexuality - In Victorian society, sexuality was repressed because it was deemed improper.

Vampirism was associated with lust and sexual depravity. When Lucy became a vampire, she

behaved not unlike a prostitute. Dracula himself often behaved similar to a rapist. He had a

penchant for attacking women during the night. Furthermore, the act of turning someone into a

vampire is extremely intimate in nature. Dracula bites Lucy on her neck and forces Minato drink

his blood. One could say that vampirism is very similar to an STD.

Faith - Throughout the story, Catholic symbols are used as aids in overcoming Count Dracula.

In the very first chapter, Jonathan is given a crucifix by the local innkeeper. In later chapters,

sacred wafers are used to purify the boxes of earth that Dracula brought to England.
Along with the crucifix and the Sacred Wafer, the holy sacraments are also used. Van Hellsing

leads a prayer after Lucy’s death and Dracula forces Mina to go through a pretend marriage

ceremony.

The usage of Catholic symbols is ironic because Protestantism was the dominant religion in

England. During his stay at Castle Dracula, Harker notes the irony of seeking solace in a crucifix

because he was taught since childhood that it was a symbol of idolatry.

Character Analysis

Dracula

Dracula, at his core, was a physical manifestation of the decadence that was associated with

aristocrats. Although he was intelligent and cultured, he was not a complex individual. I believe

this was Bram Stoker's intention because in many scenes, Dracula either exhibits the traits of an

animal or outright turns into one. Despite being considered the most famous vampire in fiction,

Dracula directly appears only several times in the story. The vampire is more a force of nature, a

plot device, than a character.

Dracula’s visage was a sign of what kind of person he was. In Victorian society, it was believed

that criminals were racially degenerate. Many characters pointed out that Dracula was downright

ugly and Van Helsing explicitly stated that he did not have a normal brain. Van Helsing’s

comment suggested that Dracula was a sociopath.

Dracula's longevity also has something to do with his personality. According to the monster

himself, he was once a soldier. This may be the reason why Dracula had such a dismissive view

of the story's heroes and apathy towards humanity in general. He spent much of his life killing

humans even before he became a vampire and thus, the idea of becoming one was not

unappealing to him. In fact, the vampire often made proclamations that suggested that he was a

social Darwinist. Social Darwinists are people who believe that “survival of the fittest” should

apply to human society.

In many ways, Dracula is very similar to the devil himself. Satan, while cunning, was incapable

of performing in-depth thought. He was also able to transform into different animals, specifically
predators such as wolves. In short, Dracula’s character is line with the devil archetype that is

very popular in fiction.

Mina Harker

Mina was Jonathan’s fiancé and eventual wife. Despite being a woman in Victorian society,

Mina was a character that overcame the confines that gender roles and stereotypes placed on her.

She was just as competent as the men, if not more. She began the story delicate and passive and

ended it confident, principled and world weary.

Mina was extremely perceptive of a situation. When she learned that she had a psychic link to

Dracula that allowed her to see his movements, she realized that Dracula might be able to see

hers in return. She was also perceptive of others’ feelings. She could tell when her husband or

the others were in emotional distress. It was this perceptiveness, along with empathy, that caused

Renfield to betray Dracula in order to protect her.

Mina was also a deeply compassionate person. She felt empathy for even the most undeserving

of creatures, including vampires. Despite the fact that Dracula murdered her best friend, Mina

pitied him because she believed that vampirism was a curse that bound Dracula’s soul. This is in

stark contrast to Dracula and Renfield who both believed that vampirism was a blessing.

However, Mina’s sympathy towards Dracula may very well be a form of Stockholm syndrome.

She only began pitying him after he forced her to drink his blood, an act that caused her to form

a psychic link to the vampire.

However, Stockholm syndrome or not, Mina proved that she had mental fortitude. She was able

to resist the urge to betray her friends for Dracula. She also made it clear that, if she became a

vampire, she should be killed so she would not be threat to anyone.

At first glance, Mina is a character who is a bit of a damsel in distress. However, she is the

greatest example of humanity’s indomitable spirit in the story.

Renfield

Renfield was a patient at a mental institution. As a result, he was a complex character. It's never

made clear how Renfield found out about Dracula or where his obsession with becoming

immortal came from. Despite his actions, Renfield was not a malicious man. He was, at his core,

a somewhat decent man, whose morality is tested by Dracula’s.

Renfield’s mental illness made him think that he needed to consume animals and insects that

were still alive. Dracula visits him and offers to give him a thousand rats in exchange for inviting

him into the asylum. Renfield was more than willing to accept.

Later on, Renfield is visited by Mina, who treats him genuine kindness, whereas everyone else

patronized him. He began to second guess his deal with Dracula, especially after the vampire

kept brushing him off. When Renfield realized that Dracula was attacking Mina, he decided to

betray him. When the vampire returned to asylum to attack Mina again, Renfield tried to kill

him. However, Dracula was much more powerful and Renfield was killed. Before he succumbed

to injuries, Renfield admitted his misdeeds. This act cemented Renfield as a tragic character.
Point of View

Dracula is told from the 1st person point of view. Bram Stoker used the epistolary style to write

his novel. An epistolary novel is also called a novel of letters, because the story itself is told

through recordings such as journal entries, newspaper clippings, telegrams, ship’s logs etc. This

style allows the writer to have more than one narrator, which is exactly what Stoker did.

The 1st person POV was used to divulge to the reader the respective character’s thoughts and

fears. The reader is thrust into the story and is up close and personal to the horror that is Count

Dracula. The reader is also shown different angles of the same events. The story was also non-

linear at times. This means that sometimes, different characters would begin narrating at earlier

points in time.

The decision to use multiple narrators also helped to increase the suspense. In the fourth chapter,

Jonathan said goodbye to his friends and his fiancée, Mina, because he believed that he was

going to die in Dracula’s castle. The next chapter opens with a letter from Mina herself.

The epistolary style may not be very popular, but when used properly, it is extremely appealing.

Tone

Due to the way in which the story is narrated, many entries give the reader an idea of how the

narrator was feeling at the moment. The following entry is about Jonathan Harker meeting the

vampire sisters:
“There was something about them that made me uneasy, some longing and at the same time

some deadly fear. I felt in my heart a wicked, burning desire that they would kiss me with those

red lips. It is not good to note this down, lest some day it should meet Mina's eyes and cause her

pain; but it is the truth.”

Jonathan’s repressed lust is revealed in the first two lines. The last line shows his fear of his wife

reading the entry and shame over his lust.

Imagery

Bram Stoker uses imagery in order to help the reader see, hear, and feel the scene both physically

and emotionally, as if they were there. I personally found the imagery very effective. Dracula is

currently the only novel that made me feel uncomfortable.

Visual imagery is used when Jonathan discovers Dracula climbing down a wall – “I saw the

fingers and toes grasp the corners of the stones, worn clear of the mortar by the stress of years,

and by thus using every projection and inequality move downwards with considerable speed, just

as a lizard moves along a wall.”

Visual imagery is used again when Mina meets Dracula face to face for the first time – “Beside

the bed, as if he had stepped out of the mist, or rather as if the mist had turned into his figure, for

it had entirely disappeared, stood a tall, thin man, all in black. I knew him at once from the

description of the others. The waxen face, the high aquiline nose, on which the light fell in a thin
white line, the parted red lips, with the sharp white teeth showing between, and the red eyes that

I had seemed to see in the sunset on the windows of St. Mary’s Church at Whitby”

In both instances, the characters are witnessing something that they have NEVER seen before.

You, the reader, get to vicariously feel the visceral fear that they are feeling. Due to Bram

Stoker’s writing style, no flowery language is used to describe Dracula’s appearance and actions.

This makes the respective scenes more realistic.

Other rhetorical devices

Simile – After Van Hellsing pulls Arthur away from Lucy, who was a vampire at the time he is

described as follows: “And he stood between them like a lion at bay.”

Situational Irony – Lucy died because her mother removed the garlic that was keeping Dracula

away from her.

Dramatic Irony – Dracula tells Jonathan that he is free to leave the castle but when Jonathan

tries to, wolves appear and they scare him off. It’s heavily implied that Dracula summoned the

wolves.

Style
Most of the story is narrated matter-of-factly because most of the narrators are men of science.

Whenever Mina took over narration, the style would become more casual due to her being a

Victorian woman. Later on in the story, a ship captain takes over narration. At first, the captain

narrated in a matter-of-fact way. However, when he realized that something was killing all his

men, he became erratic and emotional.

Stoker also utilises suspense in order to subvert the reader’s expectations. In the third act, after

Mina was attacked by Dracula, she began to exhibit characteristics that were exhibited by Lucy,

who was also attacked by Dracula. The heroes had failed to prevent Lucy from becoming a

vampire and were forced to kill her. Mina had even told the rest of the team to kill her if she fully

turns into a vampire.

Setting

The story has two main settings. The first is Transylvania, located in the obscure mountainous

areas of Hungary. It is a mysterious setting full of superstitious people and unknown forces of

evil. This foreignness helped accentuate Dracula’s mysteriousness.

The other setting is London. Bram Stoker most likely chose London so that the reader would be

further immersed in the story.

Trivia

1. Count Dracula’s name was inspired by Vlad III Dracula AKA Vlad the Impaler. Bram

Stoker came across the name while reading about Romanian history, and chose this to

replace the name Count Wampyr. Some scholars argue that Stoker knew little of the

historic Vlad III except for the name "Dracula" in addition to a few bits of Romanian

history. Stoker mentions that his Dracula fought against the Turks and was later betrayed

by his brother, historical facts in the novel which point to Vlad III.

2. Lucy is given multiple blood transfusions by several men. During Bram Stoker’s time,

blood transfusion was a recently discovered medical treatment. Scientists did not know

about the existence of blood types yet. However, one could rationalize that Lucy was a

universal receiver.

3. In the first set of years after this novel's publication, it was heavily despised by

Romanians as being a xenophobic "story made up by a foreigner to titillate other

foreigners" which is not wrong since the novel's plot is largely about an evil Eastern

European count coming to steal the pure and virtuous Anglo-Saxon. It is also disliked by

others for painting Vlad the Impaler as a monster, and making the name of the Christian

"Order of the Dragon" (which is what Dracula is supposed to mean) into a demonic

being. In modern times, Romanians have come to terms with Bram Stoker's Dracula and

have even been willing to capitalize on the fictional Count Dracula's association with the

country by selling vampire related souvenirs. However, it is still not wise to talk about

Dracula at length. Ironically, Dracula himself is supposed to be an ethnic Transylvanian

Hungarian and not Romanian, meaning that Stoker got the nationalities mixed up too.
4. Bram Stoker was a sickly boy; he wasn't even able to stand up on his own until he was

seven years old. Fortunately for the literary world, this gave him plenty of time to read,

and that's when he developed his love of literature.