Gothic Elements in Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Samuel Gow

Gothic Literature

Professor LeBlanc

10 November 2014
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Vampires have fascinated the public mind for ages, and continue their legacy today in a

variety of ways, whether it is through film, literature, or television shows. This fascination with

vampires is a long running tradition, with origins dating back to folk legends many hundreds of

years old. There have been a number of hugely influential vampire stories told over the past

couple centuries, which have had a large impact on the genre, however perhaps none have been

so influential as Bram Stoker’s masterpiece Dracula. This story details Jonathan Harker’s

encounter with the notorious Count Dracula, and the attempts between Harker and his cohorts to

kill the Count. Stoker’s Dracula relies heavily on the Gothic tradition, which features

prominently in the theme, setting, atmosphere, and character prototypes, all which contribute

heavily to the nature of the work as a horror story.

Thematically Stoker’s novel deals with the conflict between good and evil. In this novel

an evil force endangers the virtuous characters, but with their faith, wisdom, and endurance they

manage to overcome and triumph against it. This evil force, embodied by the vampire Count

Dracula threatens Harker and his companions not just personally but also their society as a

whole. This theme features prominently in a number of gothic novels such as those written by

Ann Radcliffe, “Monk” Lewis, and Charles Robert Maturin (Gates 15). In this novel the struggle

between good and evil is made even more difficult by the human frailties found in the champions

of good. Dracula’s corruption of Lucy Westenra, the embodiment of innocence in the novel, is a

symbol of women’s vulnerability when left unprotected. Harker, in another example of human

weakness, attempts to forget his experience in Transylvania, but quickly realizes his ignorance is

no defense. Harker soon recognizes that in order to defeat the Count he will have to share his

knowledge of him. It is clear in Stoker’s novel that in order for virtue to combat against evil it

needs the aid of wisdom and experience. Dracula also deals with a number of other themes
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common to the Gothic genre, such as imprisonment, persecution, and tyranny. Harker is

imprisoned in Dracula’s strange castle and menaced by the aristocratic villain, and later on in the

course of the story both Mina and Lucy are persecuted by Dracula, as he continually saps away

at their life force, draining the blood from them that he needs to survive. These themes are all

critical to the novel’s interpretation and effect as a horror story as reader is forced to watch with

rapt attention as the battle between the forces of good and evil plays itself out.

The Gothic tradition features prominently in Dracula’s setting, and many stereotypical

Gothic elements can be found scattered around the novel, which add to the overall effect of the

work. Dracula has multiple setting changes, though nearly all of them are traditionally Gothic or

have some traditional Gothic elements contained within them. In the opening scenes, Harker

travels to Count Dracula’s castle in Transylvania, which operates as a Gothic setting on multiple

levels. This castle is all by itself, completely isolated from any surrounding towns, and the

interior is a warren of hallways and rooms, and is a “haunted castle in the tradition of Otranto,

Udolpho, and the others” (Gates 21). However it is not just the castle that is Gothic, but also

where it is found. This castle is located in far off Eastern Europe, an incredibly mysterious place

for the native British citizen, where normal conventions and logic do not apply, as noted even by

the Count who declares to Harker “Transylvania is not England. Our ways are not your ways,

and there shall be to you many strange things” (Stoker 26). This castle and foreign setting are

designed to bring out the fears and anxieties Harker, and the farther he travels into Transylvania

the more apprehensive he and the reader get. The castle though is only one part of the setting,

and though they are not depicted in such vivid detail as the castle, the Carfax estate, Seward’s

lunatic asylum, and Whitby Abbey all strongly resemble the stereotypical Gothic setting.

Whitby abbey, though playing only a minor role in the story, is highly reminiscent of the
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“corrupt monasteries and convents which were an essential part of the novels of Ann Radcliffe,

Matthew Lewis, and Charles Robert Maturin” (Gates 22). The lunatic asylum is another building

that is highly evocative of Dracula’s Gothic roots, as asylums are conventionally places of

imprisonment, as in this case serves as a perfect backdrop for Seward’s ruminations on sanity,

madness and vampirism. The Carfax estate is another Gothic setting, as an isolated country

house, and upon Harker and his companions’ break-in to the house they describe the odor of evil

that permeates the air.

An important note in regards to setting is also the time period in which Stoker writes the

novel. Instead of setting the novel in a medieval setting or at some unknown point in the past, it

occurs in Victorian England, fully embracing society of the day. This adaptation of the time

period is important to the modernization and subsequent urbanization of the later period of

Gothic. Dracula is rooted “firmly in the modern world” (Arata 621), and thus for most of the

novel, this translates to the novel taking place in the urban setting, as the city was a prominent

feature of the modern times. This transition of Gothic into the city and modern times allows the

author to bring “the terror next door” and “gave an entirely new direction to horror literature”

(Spencer 201). Stoker’s Dracula developed a setting that readers might actually find themselves

living in, and thus brought the terror much closer.

Gothic elements are also pervasive in regards to Stoker’s efforts to build and sustain an

atmosphere of terror and horror. When examining the initial story setting of the castle in

Transylvania, Stoker builds an atmosphere using fairly traditional Gothic methods. Through the

deployment of a chorus of warnings from the local superstitious peasants, various mysterious

nocturnal noises, and of course the howling of the wolves, by the time Harker and the reader

reach the castle they are thoroughly on edge. Harker then must adapt to Dracula’s nocturnal
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habits as the routines of day and night are reversed. This reversal makes the nighttime the

primary setting for this point of the story, and helps to add to the atmosphere, nighttime is

traditionally the hour at which most supernatural events occur and the forces of evil are the most

powerful. This is particularly true in Dracula because while the Count can function in the day he

is nowhere near as deadly as many of his abilities are significantly reduced. Stoker ties many of

the elements of his setting into the atmosphere, as he develops the setting so does the atmosphere

develop into a horrifying place where the reader is fully on edge.

In regards to developing atmosphere Stoker also deploys another important technique, in

that the novel is written as an epistolary piece, through journal entries and letters. This narrative

style and context suggests an authenticity, which makes the story more believable. The idea of a

discovered manuscript or a tale passed down through the years is pervasive throughout a number

of Gothic stories. This context of this style, because it adds to the stories believability,

contributes heavily to the horror, anxiety, and realism of the piece.

Stoker relies heavily also on the Gothic tradition when developing his characters, as they

are patterned heavily on those penned by earlier writers in the genre. Stoker works “variations on

the traditional types of the persecuted maiden, the stalwart young hero, and the diabolic villain”

(Gates 31). Stoker’s young heroes are much like those found in other Gothic works, as they hold

fast to their manly virtues in the face of adversity. However because they are unyielding

characters who refuse to change as a result of the events unfolding in the story they become very

one-dimensional characters, and thus it is not their character and virtues that commands the

attention of the reader, but rather the predicament that they find themselves in. The traits of

Stokers masculine heroes here are also a byproduct of the modernization and urbanization of this

period of Gothic. Instead of the emotional outbursts of tears and anger found in other, earlier
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periods of Gothic, Stokers heroes are instead denied this and must remain stoical empiricists,

displaying the behaviors expected of late-nineteenth century gentleman.

Stoker’s heroines are also much like the traditional Gothic heroines from which they are

derived. Mina, as one of the heroine’s in this novel, is much like her predecessors in regards that

she is a persecuted maiden who, as a vulnerable female, needs to be protected. Mina is to be

menaced and threatened by the Count, and she nearly dies, but ultimately is saved by the hero,

who she happens to be a perfect match for. Stoker also happens to use a pair of heroines in his

novel, which is reminiscent of Walpole’s “Castle of Otranto”, which pairs Matilda and Isabella

as the two heroines. Ultimately though Stoker’s heroines fall into two categories: victim and

survivor, as Mina and Lucy are juxtaposed against one another in a variety of ways. Lucy

Westenra as the victim portrays women as frail and beautiful creatures, but whose virtue is no

protection against evil. Mina on the other hand, as Stoker’s “ideal woman” (Gates 48) is made of

sterner stuff than her counterpart and is able to endure the threat of evil with a little help from the

heroes. Mina, as the ideal woman, is beautiful, intelligent, and resourceful, and if need be

courageous, however she remains vulnerable and in no way a threat to male superiority. These

gothic heroines, like the male heroes, also remain fairly static characters, and do not develop

despite the myriad of external pressures and environmental factors, which is a fairly typical

feature of the Gothic heroine.

Stoker’s Dracula is “pure evil, repulsive, and terrifying” (Peters). Dracula as the

diabolical villain plays more of a role in the novel as a presence rather than as a person or

character. Dracula is seemingly omnipresent, dominating the novel without actually appearing in

the majority of it. Dracula’s character is shrouded in mystery and secrecy, though his role as a

titled aristocrat is a “feature of the Gothic and Byronic heroes” (Carlson 30). Dracula displays
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several traits typical to that of the Gothic villain: “pride in his heritage and status, a brooding

melancholy, and an hypnotic charm” (Gates 62). Stoker provides just enough qualities to

motivate his villain, but leaves the rest mysterious and vague, though Van Helsing’s commentary

will later turn Dracula into an almost legendary figure. Dracula is the embodiment of evil, just as

the young heroes are the embodiment of good and virtue, and thus pitting the two against each

other is the perfect way to illustrate the god versus evil theme.

Vampires have fascinated people for hundreds of years, and likely will continue to

captivate public interest for many more. Stoker’s Dracula is the definitive vampire novel, and

many of the later vampire works draw on the story and characteristics defined by Stoker. In

Stoker’s decisive work the Gothic tradition is on full display, as Stoker draws on those literary

traditions to define critical aspects, such as the theme, setting, atmosphere, and characters of his

story. The development of these aspects is crucial in the overall effect of the novel as a Gothic

horror story.
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Works Cited

Arata, Stephen D. "The Occidental Tourist: "Dracula" and the Anxiety of Reverse Colonization."

Victorian Studies Summer 33.4 (1990): 621-45. JSTOR. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.

Carlson, M. M. "What Stoker Saw: An Introduction to the History of the Literary Vampire."

Folklore Forum 10.1-4 (1977): 26-32. Web.

Gates, David. "Bram Stoker's "Dracula" and the Gothic Tradition." Thesis. McMaster University,

1976. Print.

Peters, Sarah L. "Repulsive to Romantic: The Evolution of Bram Stoker's Dracula." Thesis.

Henderson State University, n.d. Print.

Spencer, Kathleen L. "Purity and Danger: Dracula, the Urban Gothic, and the Late Victorian

Degeneracy Crisis." ELH Spring 59.1 (1992): 197-225. JSTOR. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.

Stoker, Bram. Dracula. New York: Barnes and Noble, 2003. Print

Walpole, Horace. The Castle of Otranto. Ed. Paul Negri. New York: Dover Publications, 2004.

Print.