Vampires are Really Complicated
Gloria Onyekwere & Briana Farias Period 2
Suppression of Women (Gloria)
Like most novels written by men, Dracula appeals more to the male audience and fantasy. Firstly, it is more than apparent that there are strong themes of female sexuality and its symbolism. The entire Victorian culture revolves around the suppression of women and their belittlement is evident in several scenes and events throughout the novel closing with an ultimate "moral" of the story regarding these "New Victorian" views. In addition, only a subtle factor of how grudgingly a woman’s reputation influences a man’s judgment and leaves very little room for superstition is addressed.
Significance of Christian Tradition (Gloria)
Van Helsing's band of friends represents the Christian tradition, whereas Count Dracula represents a type of anti-Christian tradition. The group of friends uses the paraphernalia of Christian ritual, such as Communion wafers and crucifixes, to ward off the vampires. Vampirism itself is portrayed as a demonic reversal of the Eucharist (Communion), in which the communicant drinks consecrated wine that represents Christ's blood. The wine is believed to nourish the communicant "unto immortality." The vampire, on the other hand, drinks the lifeblood of his victims in order to attain a perverted kind of immortality, the "Un-dead" state whereby he cannot die in the ordinary way but is eternally damned.
The Risky Invention Tested in Dracula (Briana)
During the 19th century, a time before proper, safe medical practices, procedures had to be executed without a definite knowledge of the outcome. In Dracula, it was apparent to everybody that something was off with Lucy's health. Van Helsing was brave enough to attempt to give Lucy a blood transfusion, a procedure that is common today, but was risky during this time period. Although the four transfusions were all successful, the fact that a blood transfusion took place before regulated preparation, training, and sanitation proves that Van Helsing was ahead of his time and Lucy's case was desperate and needing immediate drastic aid.
Contradicting Actions of Jonathan Harker (Briana)
In the novel, Dracula, the main character, Jonathan Harker, experienced many awkward and alarming situations that he acknowledged but refused to act on. There is irony in the fact that Harker noticed that Count Dracula and his castle had a negative vibe from the moment he approached his property. Also, before Harker even completed his journey to the castle, others expressed to him that he should not go, implying that the Count and his castle were dangerous and deserving of suspicion and caution. However, Harker had some desire to maintain a relationship with the Count for the sake of his "business," but he also might just have been too curious in his situation and wanted to see what else would happen if he stayed in Count's presence.
Dark Scary Suspense Music Instrumental by Peder B. Helland
Horror of Dracula - Mina Bitten Again