Reading Response #1

Bram Stoker's Dracula-Character

Throughout the beginning of Dracula  I found that the characteristics of Jonathan Harker and Dracula himself are established. I found that Harker shows an exceptional amount of transformation and evolution in his personality. In the beginning of the novel we experience this world through the eyes of Harker, giving us the ability to see what he is truly like. Upon Harker's journey and arrival at Dracula's castle, I found him incredibly naive. After being warned of what lies ahead of him and persisting in ignorance, I found it begged the question, how could someone be so blind? In personal experience I know not of a single person who, when warned of their impending doom, would be so stupid as to go through with it. "The light and warmth and the Count's courteous welcome seemed to have dismantled all my doubts and fears" (24)

Upon Harker's arrival it takes him quite some time before he is to realize that there is something strange going on in the castle. It is only after noticing that he has not seen a single soul in the castle besides the Count and his mysterious disappearance at sunrise does he begin to believe that there is something strange going on. The very idea that it took Jonathan so long to have an idea as to what is going on shows his trusting and good-hearted nature. His naive ways continue even after seeing all of these weird happenings. It is not until one specific incident that Jonathan realizes what is truly going on; the mirror.

The famous tell tale sign that someone is a vampire is no reflection in a mirror. This is exactly what Harker experiences. "suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder, and heard the Count's voice saying to me 'Good morning.' I started, for it amazed me that I had not seen him, since the reflection in the glass covered the whole room behind me... This was startling, and , coming on top of so many strange things, was beginning to increase that vague feeling of uneasiness which I always have when the Count is near..."(38) It is at this moment where I am finally able to relate to Harker. Finally he is seeing what I, the reader have been seeing all along, Dracula is vampire, or at least in his opinion not really a man. It is at this very moment that we start to feel anxiety as the reader, as from all past experiences in thriller movies have shown us, something is about to happen. "The castle is a veritable prison, and I am a prisoner!" (39) From this sentence on there seems to be a shift in Jonathan's personality. He is not going to let the typical Stockholm Syndrome get the best of him. He is a fighter and in the last part of Jonathan Harker's journal demonstrates exactly this. Up until this point I found it very hard to read but after this it became hard to put the novel down. I found myself fascinated with the prospect of what the new found Harker might do.

While Jonathan is busy being unaware and naive to the events, Dracula knows full well what is going on and has a malicious plan. Upon his guest's arrival Dracula appears to be a genuinely nice person. "'Welcome to my house. Come freely. Go safely; and leave something on the happiness you bring.'" (26)Although in his later actions he seems to be normal person, the quote startled me. I found it intriguing that he would feel the need to say such things. In our world no one would ever say "Come freely. Go safely..." (26) as this would be seen a strange and unusual, more than likely putting a person into a state of worry.

In the following pages it is obvious that Dracula has something wrong with him. At this point his inquiry about Whitby and England seems over the top.  His orders to Harker to not go in any rooms "where the doors are locked, where of course you will not wish to go" (32) lead me to wonder about what he is hiding that could be so horrific he wants none to lay eyes on it. The idea that the count has deep dark secrets is one that is increasingly obvious, creating anxiety about what it is, until the point where the answer is found.

Even though the Count conjures feelings of uneasiness, it is not until the final page of this section that his true character is revealed. "When the Count saw my face, his eyes blazed with a sort of demoniac fury,  and he suddenly made a grab at my throat. I drew away, and his hand touched the string of bead which held the crucifix. It made an instant change in him, for the fury passed so quickly that I could hardly believe it was ever there." (38) It is at this very moment that being from the 21st century I realize what he is. After all there has been enough of it in the media; Dracula is a vampire!

Reading Response #2

Bram Stoker's Dracula-Point of View

In the novel of Dracula there is a major shift stylistically that alters the novel drastically. Upon Jonathan’s attempt to escape from his impending doom and the failure on his part, the reader is left at a cliffhanger; fearing for his life. The preceding pages are written in the familiar style of a journal or a diary. In my opinion this style is preferable to read as it is easy to follow and keep tabs on what is happening in the story.

“At least God’s mercy is better than that of these monsters, and the precipice is steep and high. At its foot a man may sleep as a man. Goodbye, all! Mina!” (35)For me this quote is quite profound. In this quote I see a man that accepts his fate whatever it may be, something that at least in my opinion is extremely difficult. This is the very last entry from Harker for over 100 pages. At this point where my concern for Jonathan is so prevalent, all I want to see is him write again; to say that his is okay, to say he survived, or at the very least to know the outcome, even if for the worst. This is not what I am given.

Instead the style drastically shifts to multiple characters back in Whitby, where Harker is from, none of whom have any idea what events have just unfolded. At this point I find myself very frustrated and confused. At first I am not even sure it is the same novel, it seems to not pertain at all, but after a page or so it turns into frustration because I do not know of Harker’s where abouts, whether it be in this world or the next.

Although this style is frustrating at first, it soon becomes the norm and intriguing to read. The ability to see all of the different character's points of view does have its perks. This style of writing allows me to understand more thoroughly what is truly going on it this book. "I want to keep up with Jonathan's studies, and I have been practising shorthand very assiduously. When we are married I shall be able to be useful to Jonathan, and if I can stenograph well enough I can take down what he wants to say in this way and write it out for him on the typewriter at which I am practising very hard." (72) In this quote I am able for the first time to see a different point of view on a matter, Mina's who is set to be Jonathan's wife. "I must say you tax me very unfairly with being a bad correspondent." This quote by Lucy illustrates how the novel changes from single view point to the perspective of many characters in the section proceeding Harker's cliffhanger. This may seem insignificant and useless at the current point in the novel, but later on it becomes crucial in establishing the plot.

Reading Response #4

Bram Stoker's Dracula-Setting/Historical context

It is very evident in the novel Dracula that the setting of this book is not like the world we live in today. In the first section, prior to the text becoming multi-viewpoints, the novel takes place in Transylvania. Upon learning of this setting I was quite confused as to whether this was an actual country. I had heard about this country through word of mouth and the Rocky Horror Picture Show, but despite this I did not actually believe it was a real place. This sparked my interest and I set out in search to find my answer. What I found shocked me. Transylvania was actually a region at one point in time. Today it lies in central Romania, near the Carpathian mountains. Historically speaking this region got around. In the tenth century it was part of the Hungarian kingdom, then in medieval times was shared between Hungarians, Germans, Ottoman empire and the Szekelys. After WWI it became part of Romania but then during WWII there was much battle over its control but control was awarded back to Romania by its finish.

"Saxons in the south, and mixed with them the Wallacks, who are descendants of the Dacians; Magyars in the west, and Szekelys in the east and north." (5) Transylvania is described in the book as being a very rural area full of many different heritages. "Before us lay a green sloping land full of forests and woods, with here and there steep hills, crowned with clumps of trees or with farmhouses, the blank gable end to the road... Right left of us they towered, with the afternoon sun falling full upon them." (11)When comparing the description in the book and my head with present day Romania, it seems almost the same. It begins by taking place in a rustic rural village in Romania with rugged dirt roads and a very close knit feel. I am sure that this is what life would have been like for the people in Transylvania during the 1800's. Looking at pictures of what life is like today it seems almost as if they are frozen in time. As illustrated by the image it looks as if they still live a very simple way of life; choosing to ride horse and carriage with dirt roads, old homes and wearing traditional garb. Although I recognize that this would not be what it is like in the more suburban areas it appears to be what life is like in rural areas.

Transylvania is not the only location that Dracula takes place. After the stylist transformation of the novel, the setting shifts to Whitby, England. Although my research about Transylvania proved that it was an actual place, I still wanted to test Stoker to see if both of his settings were actual locations. It turns out that Whitby is a real place, located on the east coast North Yorkshire, England. Whitby is famous for its ruins specifically, Whitby Abbey.

In the novel Whitby is described as a small harbour town, with, in my mind, an old feel to it. "The houses of the old town the side away from us are all red-roofed, and seem to piled up over the other anyhow, like pictures we see of Nuremberg." (84) Unlike Transylvania Whitby appears to have become somewhat more industrialized looking than described in the novel. The church where Lucy is bitten is described in great detail. "It is the most noble ruin, of immense size, and full of one of the windows." (84) This description did not mean much to me prior to searching pictures of Whitby.  When looking up the Abbey I was amazed by what I found. The Abbey was exactly what I had pictured in my head, minus the fog and creepy spider webs that had always managed to become part of my image. This similarity I did not believe to be in my head, something about the description must have given me this image. That made me think that Stoker must have done extensive research about Whitby, maybe even visiting prior to writing the novel.

Dracula takes place in a significant time period. In the 1800's the world was just at its adolescence of technology. This is evident in the types of technology used in the novel. Mina's first journal entry talks about learning to type on a typewriter, a big technological advancement at this point in time. "if I can stenongraph well enough I can take down what he wants to say in this way and write it out for him on the typewriter at which also I am practising very hard." (72) Also many of the entries come from telegrams. "Telegram, Arthur Holmwood to Seward." (145) This was one of the first steps, at least in my mind that shows globalization. In this time period it is also evident that women hold a much different role than they do today. It becomes apparent that women are much below men and are there to serve, something that I already knew. Throughout the novel, most notably in the case of the three women's encounter with Harker, women appear to be viewed as evil if they become too sensual. From my understanding these women tried to seduce Harker, something Mina never would have done as it was shameful and society did not approve of this behaviour. In summary Dracula is based in a much different time period, but the settings seem to have stood still in time.

Reading Response #3

Bram Stoker's Dracula-Foreshadowing

Later on in the novel Dracula the author uses foreshadowing to help the reader anticipate what is about to happen. In the book the author describes the sea in great detail to show this. Fog, rain, storms, vicious waves and wind are just some examples of pathetic fallacy that are used to anticipate that an absolutely dreadful event is about to occur. "The waves rose in growing fury, each over topping its fellow, till in a very few minutes the lately glassy sea was like a roaring and devouring monster." (103) Upon nature's warning, a ship crashes into the Whitby's harbor. At this event my worst fears are realized even though the book is not explicit in its telling of this event. Dracula has in some form come to Whitby. At the crash site there is a dog who escapes from this ship and is barking uncontrollably. This got me thinking about the significance of why is there a dog barking. Is it that the dog can sense that something horrible is happening? At first glance I think that Dracula himself is the dog after all it came from the mysterious ship. I thought that he must have transformed himself into a dog. I was very naive in thinking this. Dracula was not himself the dog but the dog was warning of his presence and the terrible events that were about to unfold.

In my opinion this pathetic fallacy and foreshadowing is very well done. It plays on people's beliefs that dogs have a sixth sense and are able to sense evil. This foreshadowing makes me want to see if there are any real life cases of an animal being able to do this sort of thing or if it is all fiction. Sure enough this is exactly what I found. I was able to find entire books on exactly this sort of thing. Take for example an article on Discovery News called "Do Animals have a Sixth Sense About Earthquakes?"  In this article it proves that animals, specifically dogs appear to have some sort of way of sensing that something bad is about to happen. This is much like in the novel where the dog knows something bad is going to happen. This proves that this is not only pathetic fallacy but an actual fact and a potential realistic event.

This gets me thinking if the author uses such a blunt use of foreshadowing what other foreshadowing occurs in Dracula. One that really stands out in my mind is in the very beginning when Harker is given a crucifix by the locals. This serves as a symbol that something so terrible is in his destiny and he will need such a thing. Also by the need of such a christian symbol it shows that there is about to be an anti-christian figure that will appear. Both these things are the very essence of Dracula. From here I looked directly at what happens next and right under my nose is yet another example. Foreshadowing the events that are about to unravel, Harker experiences a rough carriage ride and mysterious blue lights that are seen along the way. At the time of reading I didn't think anything of this, I just thought that it is a little strange. It is not until I read the following chapters that I understand that these are all warning signs of the terrible events that are about to happen. Later on in the novel there is an event that I would not today classify as foreshadowing, as for me with all my prior knowledge it is really obvious what is going on, but a person in the 19th century this is not as obvious. What is this event? Two pin pricks of wounds on Lucy's neck! "I was sorry to notice that my clumsiness with the safety-pin hurt her." (124) For me I find this so obvious what is going on I am angered by the characters being so naive, but for someone back then this is not the case. They have not heard many, many stories about a person being bitten on the neck by a vampire. They only know what the book tells them. This event is a precursor to Lucy becoming undead, all of the havoc that is about to happen, and most of all Dracula arriving! 

Welcome Post

Welcome to my classic novel study blog. In choosing my classic novel, it struck me that there was only one correct choice for me, Dracula. This novel particularly intrigued me as I wanted to figure out the history and evolution behind the vampires that we know and love today. In the following weeks I will be critically analysing the novel Dracula, by Bram Stoker. What makes this book interesting is that although it was published over 100 years ago, people continue to study it and it is still influencing the writing of today.  This novel begins by following the seemingly naive accounts of Jonathan Harker in his arrival at Count Dracula’s castle. Harker being the optimist continues to go ahead with travelling to Dracula’s castle despite the locals warnings. Upon arriving at the castle a series of  eerie events unfold, eventually leading to the understanding that Count Dracula is a blood thirsty vampire. After merely escaping with his life the novel switches styles, going from only the diary writing of Harker to a much broader range of people including Mina, Lucy and many others. The antagonist Count Dracula travels to England where all of the characters live and brings with him all of the eerie events and wreaks havoc on the city of Whitby.  In the end it is a nail bitter and a classic good versus evil story where we are left worrying about the well being of the characters.

Stoker, the author of this classic was born November 8th 1847 near Dublin.  Stoker started out writing theatre reviews where he became famous in his own field. He then moved up to creating works such as “A Star Trap” and “Mick the Devil”. After marrying his love, actress Florence Balcome, Stoker published his most famous novel Dracula in1897.  From there he went on a writing spree, writing novels such as The Man, The Lady of the Shroud and The Liar of the White Worm.

In the following posts what I hope to achieve is a better understanding about where our recent fascination with vampires began and in what ways has this novel has become a classic. I would like to understand why this novel, 100 years later is still able to captivate people’s imaginations. Surely the information provided above is just the beginning of what I will learn about this novel. I hope to be able to compare and contrast our concept of vampires and horror today with that of the late 19th century. I hope all of you will enjoy reading my blog in the coming weeks.