Marco Antonio Rivera Martínez

Dra. Aurora Piñeiro Carballeda

Seminario de literatura gótica II

04/08/2020

Crime and Gothic: Abraham Van Helsing as the Occult Detective in Bram Stoker’s

Dracula

Bram Stokers Dracula is an epistolary novel written in the form of journals, diaries, letters,

newspaper clippings and telegrams. In this text, there are several narrative voices that lead

the reader throughout the story, usually presenting different points of view of the same

events. Dracula is, perhaps, the most popular vampire book ever written and the reason

why Stoker’s name is recognized. It presents the story several characters who find

themselves in beyond-human-understanding circumstances that force them to chase for a

Romanian vampire that personifies the villain par excellence. Dracula will be an

enchanting, mysterious and uncanny character who is barely based on the figure of Vlad III

“The Impaler” (Voivode of Wallachia D. 1477), references to him are mentioned many

times throughout the novel. Stoker’s text itself seems to be based on previous works such as

Polidori’s Vampire and Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla.

In Bram Stoker’s Dracula there is a character who represents the occult detective:

Abraham Van Helsing. His image has transcended time and texts until he has become the

perfect reference of the monster slayer. Using unconventional methods and tactics
He is a philosopher and a metaphysician, and one of the most advanced scientists of his

day; and he has, I believe, an absolutely open mind… with an iron nerve, a temper of the

ice brook, and indomitable resolution, self-command and toleration exalted from the virtues

to blessings, and the kindest and truest heart that beats—these form his equipment for the

noble work that he is doing for mankind— work both in theory and practice, for his views

are as wide as his all-embracing sympathy. (87)

Arthur bent eagerly over to kiss her; but at that instant Van Helsing, who like me, had been

startled by her voice, swooped upon him, and catching hum by the neck with both hands,

dragged him back with a fury of strength which I never thought he could have possessed,

and actually hurled hum almost across the room. (Stoker 123-124)

“He turned to me, and said with grave solemnity:— ‘Not so! Alas! Not so. It is only the

beginning!’” (124)

He came back with a handful of wild garlic from the box waiting in the hall, but which had

not been opened, and place the flowers amongst the others on around the bed (126)

I want to cut off her head and take out her heart (126).

Friend John, there are strange and terrible days before us (127).

Well, I shall tell you, My thesis is this: I want you to believe… to believe in things that you

cannot (147)

Here, there is one thing which is different from all recorded: here is some dual life that is

not as the common. She was bitten by the vampire when she was in a trance, sleep-walking

—oh, you start… in trance she died, an in trance she is Un-Dead, too (153)

He, our enemy have gone away; he have gone back to his castle in Transylvania. I know it

so well, as if a great hand of fire wrote it on the wall (236)

He is clever, oh, so clever! He know that his game her was finish; and so he decide to go

back home (236).

The Count is a criminal and of criminal type. Nordau and Lombroso would so classify him,

and qua criminal he is of an imperfectly formed mind… His past is a clue, and the one page

of it that we know… tells that once before…, he went back to his own country from the

land he had tried to invade, and thence, without losing purpose, prepared himself for a new

effort. (255).

As he is a criminal he is selfish, and as his intellect is small and his action is based on

selfishness, he confines himself to one purpose… his own selfishness frees my soul

somewhat of the terrible powers which he acquired over me on that dreadful night (255).