Dracula, Section 2, Chapters 5-10
Response Activity
Spoiler Alert!!
There is an activity
after chapters 5, 7,
8, and 10.
Although we may read a novel, play, or work of non-fiction for enjoyment, each time we
read one, we are building and practicing important basic reading skills. In our evermore complex society, in which reading has become more and more crucial for
success, this, in itself, is an important reason to spend time reading for enjoyment.
Some readers, however, are able to go beyond basic reading techniques and are able
to practice higher thinking skills by reflecting on what they have read and how what they
have read affects them. It is this act of reflection—that is, stopping to think about what
you are reading—that this activity is attempting to encourage.
1. Chapter 5—Mina, Harker’s fiancée, and Lucy are very good friends. Their letters
to each other are warm and friendly. The two letters from Lucy to Mina tell a
great deal about Lucy. In a paragraph of at least 75 words, describe the kind of
person Lucy is. Describe her feelings for Mina, her personality, what is going on
in her life, what her problems are, and whether or not you would like to have her
for a friend…and why. Please provide a word count.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
1
2. Chapter 7—Whitby, a seacoast town in northwest England where Mina and Lucy
have been spending the summer, is the setting for the mysterious events of
chapter 7. Stoker uses three different forms of writing to convey the action and
other information to the reader: a report in a newspaper, a record of a ship’s log,
and a journal entry. Each is written from a different point of view. Using the
three headings below, tell who wrote the section and what you found out about
the story in each one of the sections:
a. The Dailygraph Newspaper
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
b. The Log of The Demeter
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
c. Mina Murray’s Journal Entry
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2
3. In chapter 8, Mina shows that she is an independent-thinking and caring woman.
She is very solicitous about Lucy’s well-being; when she finds that Lucy is
“sleepwalking” on the cliffs, she goes out looking for her in the middle of the
night. Suppose you have doubts about what Lucy is really up to and that Mina is
a good friend of yours. Suppose Mina let you read her journal with her
description of Lucy’s nighttime behavior. What would you tell her your opinion of
this behavior is? What advice would you give Mina concerning her friendship
with Lucy? Please write at least 50 words, and provide a word count.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
4. In chapter 10, Lucy receives another blood transfusion, and, of course, is much
better afterward. Now is a good time for you to write a prediction of where you
think Lucy will be and what her life will be like in five years. In your prediction, tell
whether you think she will have married Arthur, and if not him, who she will have
married, and if she will have children. Simply answer this in a few sentences.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
3