Dracula
By Bram Stoker
Contents:
1. Title
2. General Information
3. Gothic Fiction, Setting, Conflict—Protagonists/Antagonist
4. Character List
5. Characteristics of Dracula, the character
6. Themes
7. Motifs
8. Assessment Information
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General Information for Dracula, the Novel
 Bram Stoker was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1847. He was often
sick as a child; as a result, his mother entertained him with
stories about myth, folklore, and adventure. This probably
explains his vivid imagination.
 Vampire legends have been a part of popular folklore in many
parts of the world since ancient times. For example, throughout
the Middle Ages, and even in the modern era, reports of the
“undead” rising with supernatural powers were/are still
widespread.
 Village outbreaks of tuberculosis could explain some beliefs
about vampirism. For example, when tuberculosis outbreaks
occurred in villages, the villages didn’t know what was causing
the problems. They did not know much about viruses, etc. Not
knowing any better, they assumed an evil force was behind the
illness. Since tuberculosis victims are often weak—and they
usually cough up blood from the lungs—it is no stretch of the
imagination to see why people assumed a vampire was the
culprit.
 The family of Dracula, which Stoker describes with pride in the
early pages of the novel, was based on an actual 15th century
family. This family’s most famous member, Vlad Dracula, had a
bloody, violent career. As the Prince of Wallachia, Vlad was a
notoriously savage, and perhaps psychotic, general who was
known to impale his enemies on long spikes. Thus, he was
known as Vlad, the Impaler. Stoker’s fictional Count Dracula is
supposed to be a descendant of the real Vlad Dracula—but
they are not the same person. Vlad Dracula actually existed—
Stoker’s character of Count Dracula is pure fiction.
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Gothic Fiction
Bram Stoker relies heavily on the conventions of gothic fiction, a genre of
literature that was extremely popular in the early nineteenth century (1800s).
Gothic fiction traditionally includes elements such as:
 Gloomy castles
 Stormy nights
 Harsh/threatening landscapes
 Paranoid local folk
 Innocent maidens in need of rescue
Setting
Dracula has many settings:
 A train ride to Transylvania
 Transylvania and other Eastern European areas
 A hotel/inn
 A hazardous carriage ride to Castle Dracula
 Castle Dracula
 A lunatic asylum
 A ship of dead bodies
 A country house in England
 Etc.
Conflict
Protagonists—the main character(s)
 Jonathan Harker
 Mina Murray
 Arthur Holmwood
 Abraham Van Helsing
 Dr. Seward
 Quincey P. Morris
These characters above represent good. They are out to eliminate evil and save
the world. They must work together in order to survive.
Antagonist—character who goes against the protagonist(s)
 Dracula
He makes a formidable enemy for the protagonists.
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Character List
Count Dracula:
 Suave, persuasive; great orator; very knowledgeable about things ranging from places to
politics
 Tall; difficult to guess his age since he looks almost ageless
 Shapeshifter—can change to mist, dog, fog, bat
 Clean-shaven with long, white mustache
 Clad in black
 Long, sharp teeth
 Etc.
Jonathan Harker:
 Engaged to Mina Murray
 Solicitor (lawyer); travels to Transylvania for legal, real estate purposes
 Courageous, loyal
Mina Murray:
 Engaged to Jonathan Harker
 Assistant schoolmistress
 Intelligent; good with shorthand and paperwork
 Courageous, loyal
 Respectable
Abraham Van Helsing:
 Professor; very scientific
 Understands the new developments in science, medicine, and technology. However, he
is also skilled in the “old ways” of folklore.
 Courageous, loyal
Dr. Seward:
 Psychiatrist in charge of a lunatic asylum in England
 Cool, confident
 Courageous, loyal
 Has professional relationship and friendship with Van Helsing
 Keeps journal of asylum patient information; particularly interested in a patient named
Renfield
 Trusts science more than folklore; one of the last to accept the existence of vampires
 In love with Lucy Westenra
Lucy Westenra:
 Three men propose to her, and she has trouble deciding
 Mina Murray’s friend
 Very beautiful and flirty
 Frivolous (unfocused, not serious)
 Designed to be opposite of Mina
Quincey P. Morris:
 Texan who loves Lucy Westenra
 Has had many adventures
 Courageous, loyal
Arthur Holmwood:
 nobleman who loves Lucy Westenra
 Courageous, loyal
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Characteristics of Dracula
Other writers since Stoker have edited Count Dracula’s
characteristics. Here are the original Stoker-created
characteristics:
Abilities and Supernatural Traits:
 He is potentially immortal, but there are steps he must
take.
 He survives on the blood of others.
 He has the physical strength of twenty men when he is
“healthy.”
 He can shape-shift into other forms.
 He has no reflection.
 He casts no shadow.
 He has hypnotic powers over his victims.
 He can turn others into vampires if he chooses.
Sometimes, he just kills them—sometimes he
transforms them.
Limitations:
 He must have an invitation to enter a household.
However, the invitation does not have to be verbal. An
unlocked window/door is enough.
 His powers decrease during the daylight hours, but they
do not totally disappear.
 He must sleep on the soil of his native land.
 He can cross running water only at the slack or the
flood of the tide. Shape-shifting can help here,
however.
 He is repelled by garlic and holy (Catholic) symbols
such as crucifixes, holy water, and communion
wafers—referred to as “sacred wafers.”
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Themes of Dracula
1. Good versus Evil
a. The evil has supernatural powers.
b. The good consist of ordinary people—God-fearing and courageous.
c. The good are consistent with their efforts—even if it means
sacrificing themselves for the other members of the group.
d. Etc.
2. The Consequences of Modernization (out with the old and in with the
new)
a. The end of the 19th Century (1800s) brought big developments that
forced society to forget about some of the “old ways.”
b. Beliefs that had been held for centuries were being questioned. (for
example: Darwin)
c. The Industrial Revolution brought big changes to rural societies.
d. While advances are helpful, it is dangerous to drop all the older
ways…just because they are old. Some of the older ways are
beneficial and worth saving.
3. The Threat of Female Sexual Expression
a. In Victorian England, women’s sexual behavior was dictated by
society’s extremely strict expectations. In order to be respected, a
woman either had to be a virgin—the model of purity and
innocence—or a wife/mother. If she was neither of these things,
she was considered a loose woman, unworthy of respect.
b. For Victorian men, it would have been shocking to read about some
of the women in Dracula. Some of these women do not follow the
rules of good, moral, Victorian behavior.
4. The Promise of Christian Salvation
a. The most effective weapons against evil are the symbols of
unearthly good. In the novel, these symbols include crucifixes, holy
water, communion wafers, etc.
b. The crucifix itself is not the weapon. The weapon is what the
crucifix represents or symbolizes.
5. Bravery and Loyalty
a. All the protagonists are loyal to the teachings of God.
b. They know that their triumph is God’s triumph.
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Motifs of Dracula
I. Blood
A. Family Lineage…the blood of your ancestors lies
within you, etc.
B. A way to eternal life
1. Catholics strive for eternal life when they take
communion and drink the blood of Christ.
2. Dracula strives for eternal life by drinking the
blood of his victims. This is considered
sacrilegious.
C. A life force
1. Blood is seen as the essence of life.
2. When Dracula takes blood, he is taking life.
II. Science and Superstition
A. Advances in science caused the English people to
dismiss the reality of the very superstitions, such
as vampires, that seek to destroy them.
B. Van Helsing bridges the gap between growing
science/technology and ancient superstitions.
1. He has knowledge of both East
(Transylvania) and West (London).
2. He knows ancient folklore and modern
medicine.
III. Christian Icons
A. Peasants of Easter Europe use crucifixes.
B. Van Helsing uses crucifixes and communion
wafers.
C. etc.
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Assessment Schedule
Dracula is separated into five sections. After each section,
you will have a short quiz. After the novel is finished, there
will be a large exam over the entire book.
 Section 1, chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 _____________________
 Section 2, chapters 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ________________
 Section 3, chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 ___________
 Section 4, chapters 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 ______________
 Section 5, chapters 22 to end ____________________
 Novel exam___________________________________
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