...attention grasping, and addicting. Dracula by Bram Stoker is just another novel made into the film Bram Stoker’s Dracula by Francis Ford Coppola. Distinct changes take place from the novel on paper to the film on the screen. The characters of Dracula, Lucy, and Mina tend to share some of the same characteristics in both the film and novel, but the movie changes aspects of the characters to be more sensational and dramatic. Just as the characters are changed and reshaped, the plot has tweaks of its own. The novel and the film have similarities, but the differences are clearly visible. Count Dracula is portrayed as animal and beast-like in both Dracula and Bram Stoker’s Dracula; he also displays aspects of humanity. Within Dracula, Count Dracula survives by quenching his thirst for blood. He is driven by this yearning for blood and nothing seems to get in his way. He has the attributes of a lion in search of its prey and feeding off of it; he cannot control it, nor does he want to stop. Killing does not disturb him in the least, and he is in search of power. He displays the characteristics of a beast through his continual vicious, grueling slaughtering of his prey- humans. He feels no remorse for his process of survival and life; he is a savage beast. However, the Count appears to be human and has human qualities; he can walk, talk, and breathe just like the average human. Count Dracula also controls a ferocious animal named the wolf within Dracula. The wolf comes at his call and...
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...Running Header: Dracula Page 1 Bram Stoker’s Dracula March 7, 2011 Randy McMeans Professor Leigh Baldwin Page 2 Bram Stoker’s Dracula “Vampires,” fascinating creatures of the night. They roam the night portraying themselves as members of society. Their appeal is ever so alluring and lustful, yet beautiful, bone chilling evil. Our very souls are at risk for eternal damnation to be devoured and consumed by these evil creatures. The risk of eternal life consumes the imagination of men and women alike. Bram Stoker, author of Dracula could not have foreseen the magnitude of fascination of that which he created. The question that plagues the minds of Dracula enthusiasts is the Romanian Slavic ruler “Vlad Tepes”, the mysterious Dracula. As we are introduced to Dracula in the novel, Jonathan Harker is dropped off at the front door of the mansion belonging to the frightful Count Dracula, by whom he is employed. It is already late and the wolves are howling in the background. Jonathan Harker feels a chill up his spine as he knocks on the massive wooden doors. Moments pass and the door is answered by Dracula himself. “Welcome to my house! Enter freely and of your own free will.” (Dracula p.22) As we are introduced to this character...
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...Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a novel focused on vampirism during Victorian time. Vampirism is a curse that awakens the dead as blood sucking monsters, however, it is also a metaphor or a symbol for disease. Vampirism can correlate with animal related illness such as rabies and bubonic plague seen in Dracula’s transformations. Although associating with animal related disease vampirism can also be associated with venereal disease such as syphilis shown in Dracula through the infection of Lucy and Mina. Vampirism rate of infection is closely related to the infectious theory. Bram Stoker’s Dracula is riddled with text that supports disease. “As the count leaned over me and his hands touched me, I could not repress a shudder. It may have been that his breath was rank, but a horrible feeling of nausea came over me, which do what I would, I could not conceal. The count, evidently noticing it, drew back; and with a grim sort of smile, which showed more than he had yet done this protuberant teeth, sat himself down again on his own side of the fireplace” (Stoker 24). Specifically, “shudder”, “rank”, “nausea”, and “grim” all words hinting toward Dracula’s ill presence. These words are being used to describe an encounter with Dracula, they also happen to be the same words that could be used when describing illness. Dracula was written in a time when little was known or understood of infectious disease. However, while reading the novel’s subtext one can believe that vampirism and infection...
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...My Blood is Your Blood “I want to suck your blood,” is a popular adage found when speaking of Dracula (although not found in Bram Stoker’s Dracula). Is it because it is his life line? The short answer would be yes, but is that all it is to Dracula? No. It is in fact the basic human life line. Without blood, there can be no human life. The same rings true for the undead, which is the case of Dracula. Blood is the essential fluid for all beings on Earth but blood stands for more in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Blood also produces other underlying topics such as lineage race and health. Blood is essential to all beings but why is it so essential to Dracula? The question can be raised does Dracula eat to live or does he eat to survive? In Dracula, it is known that for him to live he drinks or eats blood. This is his food. It is what he needs to continue to live and thrive. It is not a life force that he can produce on his own so he has to acquire it from several parasitic relationships. In this case, some live to tell the tale and others die a gruesome death. We see instances in Dracula where blood was merely to sustain life such as the event in chapter 4 where the mother of the stolen child is yelling outside of the castle for her baby to be returned to her unharmed (48). In this moment, you are given the sense that this was a meal. It was also the incident on the ship, the Demeter, where the men came up missing (81). We know that this was also a feeding frenzy. We know...
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...| | |Fin de Siècle Writing and Culture. | Discuss any two fictional texts studied in the light of fin de siècle theories of degeneration. The era of the Victorian fin de siècle ‘…from the 1880s to the end of the century…generated an enormous amount of scientific and cultural debate concerning the future civilisation and the human race itself.’[1] It was an era of technical progress, Imperial gain, and a nation at the pinnacle of progress. ‘…bolstered by Darwin’s theory of evolution, Victorians regarded themselves and their society as the acme of human development.’[2] However, it was an era that balanced on the age of a new century that seemed to accentuate and highlight numerous anxieties. Ledger and Luckhurst (2000) further state that this was an ambivalent period; with major progress in science and technology but also a time of real decline, in which Britain’s global economic power was rivalled by Germany and America. This ambivalence at the turn of the century created fears and anxieties concerning the decline of the British race. A crucial influence on British anxieties of decline was underpinned by scientific and medical knowledge known as Theories of Degeneration. Ledger and Luckhurst (2000) state, at this time, that ‘…degeneration was one defining structure which can be traced across many disciplines…’[3] These theories of degeneration impacted over many discourses within Victorian culture...
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... Section 3 Religion and Dracula Bram Stoker’s Dracula In modern day society pretty much everyone has heard of and/or seen an interpretation of vampires and, the supposed king of all vampires, Count Dracula, whether it be in all the several different variations and interpretations that can be seen in movies (most recently the series of Blade movies starring Wesley Snipes) that have been released over the last few decades all the way to “The Count” on “Sesame Street” the long running children’s television show) or “Count Chocula” (on the cover of a children’s cereal box). When people hear either the word vampires or Dracula, most of the time people tend to think about the mythical blood sucking race of immortals called vampires and also some people that know a little more than the average person does about vampires may think about several of their stereotypical characteristics such as: they are from a place called Transylvania, they have sharp, pointy teeth to draw blood from the necks of humans, they can not come outside during the day, they sleep in coffins, turn into bats, and they are killed by pure silver, garlic, and several religious artifacts. However, people do not really think about all the connections between the vampires and all of the religious artifacts that are said to kill them. Religion plays a major role in the story of Dracula, because when one looks closely enough to what vampires and Dracula are all about one can see that vampires...
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... Count Dracula Count Dracula is practically the protagonist and antagonist of this book. The book is literally named after him. Bram Stoker, the author, describes the count as “a tall old man, clean shaven save for a long white mustache, and clad in black from head to foot, without a single speck of colour about him anywhere…[h]is face was strong- a very strong- aquiline, with high bridge of the thin nose and peculiarly arched nostrils…[a] lofty domed forehead and hair growing scantly round temples, but profusely elsewhere…eyebrows were very massive, almost meeting over the nose and with bushy hair that seemed to curl in its own profusion. The mouth […] was fixed and rather cruel-looking, with peculiarly sharp teeth; these protruded over the lips. […] His ears were pale and at the top extremely pointed. The chin was broad and strong and the cheeks firm through thin.” In addition, he had sharp nails and very bad breath. What many don’t know, is that Stoker made a very distinct allusion to a real Dracula; Vlad Dracul III. The count has many similarities to Vlad Dracul but still differentiates to the extent of making Stoker’s Dracula a very popular icon. The book mentions three women living in his castle with him and even argues about how he doesn’t love in page 43 chapter 3. In response, Dracula states that they know how he has been able to love and they should know from the past. According to the book Dracula, some writers in the twentieth century...
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...Vampires: Killing Machines or Sex Machines? The sexualization and carnality of modern vampires can be tied to the commercialization of peoples interest in the supernatural and a contrasting society. In less than a century, vampires have gone from scary and repulsive monsters to beautiful, mysterious creatures. This transformation is brought on by the common advertisement of sex and the attentiveness of people to abstract societies nowadays. The look and feel of vampires has also changed due to the resources of entertainment producers and a capitalist society focused on building revenue. Nosferato vampires compared to modern vampires: In Nosferatu, the most important and popular element in the movie was the accuracy of Dracula/Count Orlok. The description in the book matches the actors portrayal, “…a tall old man, clean shaven save for a long white mustache, and clad in black from head to foot, without a single speck of colour about him anywhere,” (Stoker, 21). Later in his letter, Jonathan mentions the physical structure of the Count who stands before him: “His face was a strong—a very strong—aquiline, with a high bridge of the thin nose and peculiarly arched nostrils …The mouth, as far as I could see it under the heavy moustache, was fixed and rather cruel-looking, with peculiarly sharp white teeth; these protruded over the lips, whose remarkable ruddiness showed astonishing vitality in a man of his years,” (Stoker, 23). Nosferatu came out in 1922, a time...
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...As a child I was always frightened by vampires, and evil spirits. Due to books and movies like Dracula, I am still fearful of evil spirits. Dracula is the embodiment of evil and has affected the way vampires are portrayed today. This can be seen by Bram Stoker's character of Dracula, the use of a dark setting, Dracula’s unusual abilities and the fact that Dracula is a vampire. But what do I know? How sinister could Dracula actually be? A dark setting can set the mood for the entire story. As we see in Dracula, the dark setting gives off a creepy and scary mood, the perfect mood for evil and vampires. Bram Stoker does a great job of describing the dark setting. Jonathan Harker’s trip to Castle Dracula was very unusual and also creepy. Jonathan...
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...every vampire story ever told, and that is blood. In Bram Stoker’s Dracula, blood is a powerful symbol. Throughout the novel, it represents life, lust, and weakness. The most obvious use of blood symbolism in Dracula is blood symbolizing life. All of the characters, whether they be humans or vampires, rely on blood to stay alive. The more blood Dracula takes from...
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...Bram Stoker’s Dracula is set in the Victorian Era, a time where a woman’s body and the rights to it were not her own, they were either her husband’s or father’s, or the government’s. This time period was one of sexual oppression, especially for women. Women were either both pure and innocent or a wife and a mother, if not, she was considered a whore and scorned by society. Those who did partake in pre-marital sex were left unable to be married due to their lack of purity and the shame it would cause the male to be seen with them. The idea that male sexual pleasure was worth more than female sexual pleasure as it is necessary for reproduction, and female pleasure is not, was a common thought in the Victorian age. This statement shows that this was a very patriarchal one, where men were in control. It was also a time where men began to fear female sexuality; however these feelings were often contrasted with feelings of desire. The fear of female sexuality was created through the idea, that if women gained power of their sexuality, they would also gain control of the men. So in order to prevent this from occurring, female sexuality had to remain oppressed. Bram Stoker was married to Florence Balcombe; however this has never stopped the rumours of his sexuality. As Stoker was around the same time as, and friends with, Oscar Wilde, who was imprisoned for being a homosexual, it is thought that Stoker’s wife may have been a cover up so that he would not be imprisoned also. His novel...
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...In Bram Stoker's Dracula, the most blatant and powerful symbol is blood. He takes the blood that means so much to the believers of this legend and has it represent more than even they could imagine. Blood is the main object associated with vampires and vampirism. From a mythical standpoint, it is the basis of life for the vampires as they feed off of the blood of young, vibrant souls. From a more scientific standpoint blood is what would drip out of the corpse's mouth when family members would dig up their dead kin to check for the dreaded disease. Stoker takes the significance of this symbol and puts his own unique twist to the meaning of blood. He combines the traditional folklore of vampirism and the immense sexual undertones of the Victorian era to create a simply horrific tale which completely confuses the emotions of his readers. Stoker knew bloods importance in vampire history and used the overwhelming symbolism to convey his own personal lust and sexual obsessions. The scenes where Lucy is receiving transfusions; first from Holmwood, then from Seward, and the unforgettable vampire baptism between Dracula and Mina all have these very erotic, sexual feelings associated with them. What makes these so powerful is the combination of violence and sex. As a reader, you know that what Dracula is doing are horrific and wrong, but because they are so sexually described and associated you think you should enjoy them, but you can't. This is the confusion which stoker implements into...
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...Dracula is a Gothic horror novel written in 1897 by an Irishman named Bram Stoker. At the turn of the century, when Stoker wrote this novel, England and much of Europe had fought and overthrown the Feudal systems of Aristocracy and the middle class morality of the Victorian bourgeois was held as the epitome of proper living. England was emerging as a Capitalist power after squashing its foreign invaders. It was this environment that influenced Stoker to characterize his villain as a blood sucking, blue blooded aristocrat. Dracula, as the mouldering aristocrat, is the foreign parasite who, literally sucked the lifeblood of the peasants. By casting Dracula as a Gothic aristocratic villain, Stoker, dramatized for middle-class audiences the exaggerated...
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...The Myth of Dracula Jenny Martinez, Com 220 University of Phoenix Cole Chatterton January 9, 2008 THE MYTH OF DRACULA In October of 1999, a television series began that would run for approximately four and a half years. This series would again sate the American appetite for vampire stories begun by the likes of Bram Stoker, Anne Rice, Tanith Lee, and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. The name of the series? Angel. The Premise? A vampire, originally named Angelus, had been cursed by a gypsy victim, with a soul, and could no longer kill humans. And if he fell in love with one, his dark side would return, which he feared more than anything else. The series featured many flashbacks to many centuries past because the vampires depicted were several centuries old. Not only that, but the vampire had true eye-appeal for the female audience. He was tall, dark, and handsome, just like almost every vampire in almost every myth America has ever heard (Angel site, 2004). But could such a creature truly exist? Although the vampire myth is present in many societies around the world through the centuries, there is a basis in science and fact, for this legend. To start off with, one of the most popular modern vampire stories, written in 1897, was Bram Stoker’s Dracula. To this day, it sets the bar for the modern vampire. Authors have a tendency to pull juicy pieces of many different tales together to patchwork them into something to hold the reader’s interest. ...
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...In Anne McWhir’s essay titled “Pollution and Redemption in Dracula” she examines the theme of the stark contrasts between pure and unclean. Pollution in the sense the writer was going for does not mean landfills and gas guzzlers, but when the unclean taints the pure. Going beyond the surface definition, the book Dracula has many instances of contrasting values surrounding the thoughts of purity. The ideas of good and evil, life and death, new and old, and civilization and savagery are examined throughout the novel. Dracula as a whole is a story of the characters quest to purify the world of the evil and uncleanliness that is Count Dracula. The novelty of Dracula is that often these lines can and have to be blurred in order for the characters to succeed. The book portrays the main three men of the novel as heroic hunters going out to find and kill Dracula. Is this heroism, or have they reverted back to an animalistic blood thirst, not unlike the animal they are hunting. The ideas of science and superstitious ritual also come into conflict throughout the novel. The further and further you read into the novel the more muddled these lines become, and the more the characters of the book must cross them in order to defeat Dracula. One big blurry area in the novel is the notion of blood. Blood in Dracula has multiple powers. It has the power to heal, or it can cause great pollution. It can be used to show undying love, or it can be used as the most violent attack. The removal...
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