Essay
Why did Bram Stoker write Dracula?
- Module
- Dracula- Bram Stoker
- Institution
- PEARSON (PEARSON)
3 paragraphs and a conclusion
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
Content preview
Why did Stoker write Dracula?Implicit- suggested but not directly expressed Explicit- stated clearly and in detail
Implicit Explicit
Sexuality British Empire For entertainment God vs evil- religion
Horror has been used for years to reflect moral panics over colonial Dracula was written in 1897 which was in the midst of Bram Stoker did not intend for Dracula to serve as fiction,
issues. The late Victorian era saw a growing uneasiness over the the gothic era in the 19th century but as a warning of a very real evil.
morality of imperialism. The historical context for which this story Setting of Transylvania- Transylvania also has ties to the
was written presents a series of cultural issues reflecting the late Islamic world traditionally seen as outside the bounds of
Victorian era, one being attitudes around race. During this time in Europe; as Harker explains, “The impression I had was that
Britain there was a growing uneasiness over the morality of we were leaving the West and entering the East.”
Imperialism – Imperialism refers to a policy extending colonial Transylvania, with its reliance on superstition above reason,
power and influence through use of military force and by other is positioned as the place where a vampire can originate .
hostile means. Dracula presented a narrative of reverse Message of Dracula- Dracula represents evil or evil ways
colonisation by which the ‘primitive’ forces from outside the through which he wants to assert his power over others and
‘civilised’ world are able to rise and conquer. In many instances the his superiority. However, Van Helsing knows that this evil
protagonist in late Victorian horror finds themselves in the position could face defeat through goodness. That is why he frames
of the colonised in a reversal of roles and has become the victim. this battle as a conflict between good and evil.
In the novel Dracula, Bram Stoker provides a controversial
conception of good versus evil. In the novel, evil is seen
Dracula’s journey from Transylvania to England invokes the late through the characters and concepts that contradict the
Victorian nightmare of reverse colonization. Harker’s anxiety that overall societal
Dracula will ‘create a new and ever widening circle of semi-demons opinions. The good refers to the ideas and people that
to batten on the helpless’. Dracula becomes a threat to national conform to society, and also those who
identity, and this is reinforced in Van Helsing’s simile comparing remove this evil from their world.
vampire reproduction to a ‘circle…ever widening, like as the ripples “eyes blazed with a sort of demonic fury…”
from a stone thrown in the water’. The ‘ripples’ multiply and Helsing speaks on how they are not very knowledgeable
increase in size until they occupy a larger space in the body of about Dracula. He explains, “All we have to go
water, and this is synonymous with the way in which degeneracy upon are traditions and superstitions… Yet must we be
increases in severity as it passes from one generation to another. satisfied… because, after all these things, tradition and
The threat that Dracula poses is multiplied when he completes his superstition, are everything” (341). While they cannot be
journey to England and begins to attack his adversaries through completely sure about
what was perceived to be the weaker sex: the female. Initially, the Dracula, they know that he is evil and kills innocents
male protagonists are powerless to protect their women and this mercilessly, all on the basis of their traditions and
challenges their masculinity. British masculinity was deemed to be superstitious beliefs. On the contrary, Van Helsing and the
crucial to the maintenance of the British Empire and therefore Crew of Light are
Dracula is targeting the heart of patriarchal society. British women portrayed as good. These men are the ones who sought out
were morally colonised to utilise their ‘feminine’ virtues of to kill the vampire, and justify this
gentleness and passivity. Thus, there is a shared oppression by stating it is God’s command. Helsing states, “Thus are we
between British women and the colonial territories abroad, and if ministers of God’s own wish”
the colonial territories, or in this case the women, could not be
maintained the whole Empire would arguably suffer.
Van Helsing to J- “And you, their best beloved one, are now
to me, flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood, kin of my kin,
my bountiful wine-press for a while, and shall be later on my
companion and my helper.”
To express the threat of female sexuality, held by many, in the 19 th century
‘Dracula’ suggests that Stoker was threatened by female sexuality- In Victorian society, there was often a repression of
female sexuality that was dictated by the strict traditions and rigid gender roles. A woman was either a virgin who was seen
as pure an innocent, a wife and mother, or she was a whore. Lucy Westenra appears to be a proper Victorian young lady at
the opening of the story because she does not need to work to support herself, but she is unusual in many other ways. The
tone of Lucy’s letter to Mina is more playful compared to Mina’s and it expresses more passion and emotion. The main
topic of Lucy’s letter is her excessive line-up of possible husbands, “three proposals in one day!”, the exclamation stresses
her excitement over the statement, proving that she likes the attention that she is getting and accentuating her awareness
of her desirability. When Stoker kills off Lucy, one of the most powerful female characters, and it causes the readers to
draw the question of whether this was because of the threat of female sexuality she imposed on the novel. It can be
interpreted as suppression of her sexuality due to the description of Lucy after the stake has been driven through her
heart, “but Lucy as we had seen her in life, with her face of unequalled sweetness and purity” The association of sex with
evil is an extremely common one. This can be seen as Stoker warning the readers of the threat of powerful female
sexuality, as too much of it leads to harm and downfall. This theme is seen as far back as Adam and Eve, where a woman’s
desires lead to the downfall of humanity. The three female vampires at the beginning of the novel were outwardly
sexualized and seen to be very beautiful but very dangerous women. Stoker displayed their sexuality as a threat through
physical descriptions of their physical attributes and the type of mental and emotional trance that they put their victims in.
One of the women is described as, “fair, as fair as can be, with great masses of golden hair and eyes like pale sapphires”,
giving angelic imagery thus making her seem desirable. This idea is ironic because though she looks like an angel she is later
depicted as a creature from hell. . The word “voluptuous” is repeatedly used throughout the passage and the word has
clear sexual undertones, presenting the women as sexually aggressive, this aggressiveness threatens the male dominant
view society has, thus breaking the rules that society had.
To provide a controversial conception of good versus evil
In the novel Dracula, Bram Stoker provides a controversial conception of good versus evil. In the novel, evil is seen through
the characters and concepts that contradict the overall societal opinions. The good refers to the ideas and people that
conform to society, and also those who remove this evil from their world. Dracula represents evil or evil ways through
which he wants to assert his power over others and his superiority. Dracula is presented as an evil being from the
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller leahvadher05. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £4.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
53920 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now