Three Motifs in
Bram Stoker’s
Dracula
Motif 1: Blood



Family lineage--The count proudly recounts his family
history, relating blood to one’s ancestry.
A way to gain eternal life--Rather than gain eternal
spiritual life by consuming the blood of Christ, Dracula
drinks actual human blood in order to extend his
physical—but soulless—life.
A life force—blood is often seen as the essence of life.
Some religious groups even believe the blood houses
the soul. This idea connects with Dracula’s practice of
consuming human blood—he gains a kind of “life” by
taking the life of another.
Motif 2: Science and Superstition
When Dracula arrives in England, he is able to carry
out plans with no problems because the people
are not “on the lookout” for such evil—people
have forgotten about things like vampirism, etc.
Van Helsing bridges the gap between growing
science/technology and ancient superstition. He
is equipped with the unique knowledge of both the
East (places like Transylvania) and the West
(places like London and Ste. Genevieve).
Motif 3: Christian Icons
The icons/objects of Christian, and
particularly Catholic, worship appear
throughout the novel.