dracula - 1785 Words

Eun-Ah Lee Professor L. Tromly ENGL 1200 A01 5 April 2013 The Effect of Supernatural Aspects on the Victorian Society Bram Stoker s Dracula, presents an interesting perspective on death and illness in the Victorian period. This can be viewed as a creativity on Stoker s part, or as a form of religious or social commentary on his changing era. There are several flaws presented throughout the novel as the plot unfolds, which are: characters in the novel dismiss the old traditional belief of the supernatural, the constant power struggle between the sexes and the Victorian views on sexuality. The supernatural or metaphysical aspects presented in Dracula reflect the tragic flaws of the patriarchal society during the Victorian Era. One†¦show more content†¦This was the era of the confronting New Woman , who strove to be emancipated both politically and sexually, a concept which much of the society at the time found highly seditious and unsettling. Not only is the idea of the New Woman despised by the society, but the concept of a patri archal society changing towards modernity poses as a threat to the Victorian men. For example, Lucy is the first victim of Dracula in England who turns into a vampire and the men are shocked at the appearance of what she has changed into: My own heart grew cold as ice, I could hear the gasp of Arthur as we recognized the features of Lucy Westenra. Lucy Westenra, but yet how changed(196). Dr. Seward is the speaker of this quote and he is horrified by Lucy s transformation because the former Lucy had characteristics of an ideal Victorian woman; which is to be frivolous and naà ¯ve. However, now she is a woman who is carnal and unspiritual, which is the perceived danger represented by the New Woman . This posed a threat to the upper middle-class heterosexual Protestant male in the society because the New Woman is thought to be equal to men. In addition to the society moving towards modernism, due to the contagion of an ancient creature, the gender roles are constantly in flux. For instance, a wolf controlled by Dracula kills Lucy, Mina allowed Arthur Holmwood toShow MoreRelatedDracula, Gothic And Epistolary Novels Of Dracula And Bram Stokers Dracula1357 Words   |  6 Pagesinformation and old European folktales to create famous Gothic novels like Dracula; Before writing Dracula, he studied for eight years stories of vampires. The title of Stoker’s story has historical significance to Vlad Dracul the 3rd, a Wallachian ruler who impaled his victims on stakes. Bram Stoker also was influenced by his lifetime, before the publication of Dracula, Gothic and Epistolary novels were on the rise hence why Dracula is classified as both. Stoker’s life as a Victorian can be seen in hisRead MoreDracula853 Words   |  4 Pagesmade people fear them by terrifying his reader’s with his persona Dracula. The Count has been known to be a very complex character with many odd quirks and traits. Nowadays these have been changed or kept by our new generation o f authors to fit different types of bloodsuckers, but Dracula has been the starting point for all. All vampires have the craving for the blood of humans. Without this blood they could not survive. In Dracula multiple vampires drank human blood, and one was even using childrenRead MoreDracula And Dracula Essay1760 Words   |  8 PagesCPT Formal Essay Dracula: Lucy, Mina, and the Similarities Differences Between Them Dracula, a novel which had originally been written by Bram Stoker in 1897, is commonly classified as a ‘horror novel’ by the majority of its readers. 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In London, Dracula seduces and bites a young woman by the name of Lucy Westenra. When Lucy falls sick, no one knows how to help her because while Dracula has bitten her many times she has alwaysRead MoreViolence in Dracula1277 Words   |  6 Pagestypes of literature, violence exists to enhance the reader s interest in order to add a sense of excitement or conflict to a novel. This statement withholds much truthfulness due to the fact that without violence in a pie ce of literature such as Dracula by Bram Stoker, the plot would not have the same impact if it were lacking violence. So to holds true to that of the movie. The movie bares different characteristics then that of the book. First off, the whole ordeal with the wolf escaping and jumpingRead More Dracula Essay1456 Words   |  6 Pages Bram Stoker’s Dracula Lords of the darkness, Darkling Dancers, Nosferatu, Vrikolakas. And the list goes on like this. The vampire concept is thought by the most to be a myth that has crept into almost every culture. It has influenced many writers to write novels on them and many directors to shoot films on. Vampire myths go back way into the times of first recorded history. Many different legends are known about them varying from the Chinese belief of the glowing red eyed monsters with green orRead MoreCarmilla and Dracula1362 Words   |  6 Pagestwo gothic tales ‘Carmilla’ and ‘Dracula’ in relation to cultural contexts in which they exist as being presented to the reader through the gender behaviour and sexuality that is portrayed through the texts. Vampire stories always seem to involve some aspect of sexuality and power. Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu wrote Carmilla. It was first published in 1872 as part of the collection of short stories titles ‘In a Glass Darkly.’ Carmilla predates the publishing of Dracula by 25 years. Laura, who is alsoRead MoreThe Vampire Powers Of Dracula1373 Words   |  6 Pagespower in general, can take over a single person s mind. Power has the ability to brainwash the mind and control whoever and whatever. Dracula, the main character and Van Hesling are two power hungry characters in the novel that use their strength of power and thirst for control to use people and take advantage of their vulnerability. The vampire powers that Dracula invokes does have that characteristic of strength. His vampire powers as they are called are different from a human’s ordinary power