Close Readings...Close Enough to Bite!
On this page, you will find "close readings" of certain textual excerpts. These short readings (1-2 paragraphs) will seek to explicate the particular moment of the text, looking closely at the language in order to explicate its relevance to the meaning of the text as a whole.
This article does a fantastic job of drawing comparisons between Jack the Ripper and Dracula. It also gives strong attention to the relationship between sexuality, Lucy/Mina, and the infectious nature of Dracula's beastly sensuality, as well as drawing comparisons between the attitudes towards and of prostitutes of Victorian England at the time. The idea of Jack the RIpper as a 'Medical Maniac' is an interesting one, and while I think it's a stretch, it makes sense that the Ripper as a doctor would inspire both awe and terror characteristic of the time period. In relation to Dracula, Dracula infects women with savagery and sexuality that pushes them out of the realms of "virtuous women" and into the realm of prostitutes that were so looked down upon by the male society. Dracula encourages sin, and if Jack the Ripper does not punish it, at the least he seems fascinated by it.
Emily Seymour
"'And oh, my God, my God, pity me! He placed his reeking lips upon my throat!' Her husband groaned again. She clasped his hand harder, and looked at him pityingly, as if here were the injured one..." (288)
I also noticed what Sarah wrote below about Mina's personal need to appease and comfort everyone around her. Her character is in constant conflict, because she is simultaneously advanced for a woman and trapped by her role as woman. She helps the men enormously by writing up the entire account, providing constant support, and remaining brave throughout her transformation. However, she also does their every bidding, and is all right with being "in the dark" about their Dracula-hunting affairs. She is content to cry into her diary about being left behind, but does not stand up and force herself into their search party.
It makes sense that as soon as she physically commands attention with her newly gained monstrosity, she is let into the circle—literally, they kneel together in a circle—of the men's world. Of course, because they deem that Mina has no business in the terrifying ordeal of tracking Dracula, he is able to freely feed on her without all the pesky men around. I have a hard time finding Stoker's stance on a woman's proper place...
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I also noticed what Sarah wrote below about Mina's personal need to appease and comfort everyone around her. Her character is in constant conflict, because she is simultaneously advanced for a woman and trapped by her role as woman. She helps the men enormously by writing up the entire account, providing constant support, and remaining brave throughout her transformation. However, she also does their every bidding, and is all right with being "in the dark" about their Dracula-hunting affairs. She is content to cry into her diary about being left behind, but does not stand up and force herself into their search party.
It makes sense that as soon as she physically commands attention with her newly gained monstrosity, she is let into the circle—literally, they kneel together in a circle—of the men's world. Of course, because they deem that Mina has no business in the terrifying ordeal of tracking Dracula, he is able to freely feed on her without all the pesky men around. I have a hard time finding Stoker's stance on a woman's proper place...
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“And now I am crying like a silly fool, when I know it comes from my husband’s great love and from the good, good wishes of those other strong men” (226).
As her physical strength gradually being lessens from Dracula’s nightly visits, Mina’s emotional strength that was originally so inherent to her character begins to whither due to the stress that Harker and the other men impose on her. Though the men are trying to protect her, they draw life and energy from her like a child does from his parents and she feels like she has to support them emotionally.
In juxtaposition to Lucy, a woman who steals the hearts and thoughts of men in her own female vampiric influence, Mina is the opposite of a vampire; she is a mother. Instead of taking energy, she gives it away, willingly and sometimes unwillingly, to the men in her life. She comforts Arthur in his grief and protects Harker in his worries about her. Men feel like they have a connection to her in that they find comfort in her presence – a possible Freudian connection? And lastly, unlike Lucy who takes the blood of others, it is Mina’s blood that is taken by Dracula like a baby takes nutrients from its mother in the womb.
[sarahbalun]
As her physical strength gradually being lessens from Dracula’s nightly visits, Mina’s emotional strength that was originally so inherent to her character begins to whither due to the stress that Harker and the other men impose on her. Though the men are trying to protect her, they draw life and energy from her like a child does from his parents and she feels like she has to support them emotionally.
In juxtaposition to Lucy, a woman who steals the hearts and thoughts of men in her own female vampiric influence, Mina is the opposite of a vampire; she is a mother. Instead of taking energy, she gives it away, willingly and sometimes unwillingly, to the men in her life. She comforts Arthur in his grief and protects Harker in his worries about her. Men feel like they have a connection to her in that they find comfort in her presence – a possible Freudian connection? And lastly, unlike Lucy who takes the blood of others, it is Mina’s blood that is taken by Dracula like a baby takes nutrients from its mother in the womb.
[sarahbalun]
Dracula in the beginning is depicted as this type of unique vampire where in the beginning of the text he is a vampire depicted as one more focused on the maintaining the appearance of being as human-like as possible. This idea is emphasized when Dracula desires companionship of normal human beings that he goes as far to request the presence of a man and providing him (Jonathon) with every possible accommodations so that he wouldn’t want to leave. Yet as the text continues to develop, Dracula is then seen to gain more perspective his “true-vampirism” where instead of trying to keep molding and adapting to the norms of society. Where this idea is clearly seen through Dracula making Mina take is blood. Then once again, at the end of the book, it is shown through the birth of Mina and Harker’s son that this fear of vampirism as a whole is completely ignorant. Since it is through the son, Quincy, who possess both the blood of the old and new is also attributed to the “rebirth” of Jonathon Harker who lost his sense of purpose during his time at Dracula’s residence.
- Kimberly Belgrave
- Kimberly Belgrave
Anna H:
"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. "
I find it slightly disturbing how possessive everyone is towards Mina. As we talked about in class, she is not fully a part of their team when it comes to taking action upon Dracula, but they still treat her as an object. The line above shows Dracula's claim on her. He basically says that she belong to him and he owns her body, mind and soul. What bothers me the most is not Dracula's expression of ownership, but what feelings Van Helsing has towards Mina. Another line of the book Stoker writes "Then she raised her head proudly, and held out one hand to Van Helsing who took it in his, and after stooping and kissing it reverently, held it fast. The other hand was locked in that of her husband, who held his other arm thrown round her protectingly". It seems like there is being a claim out on her by Harker, her husband, but also by Van Helsing as he held her hand tightly, kissing it. Another thing is, was the sense of security from her husband not enough to keep her happy? All the men are in some way mark her as their possession. Dracula does it by blood, Van Helsing by kiss, and Harker by body.
I was struck by the idea of the woman's place in these few chapters. Mina allows herself to be cast into the role that the men of the company see as being appropriate for her, and to act as the nurturing woman. "We women have something of the mother in us that makes us rise above smaller matters when the mother-spirit is invoked" (339/Chapter 17). This notion stands in contrast with the effects of vampirism on women. For example, we see Lucy feeding off children, which is a reversal of the image of the nurturing mother. It seems that the vampirism for these women allows them to reverse these feminine tropes by which they are bound. Mina, as a human woman, allows herself to be disregarded. As a vampire, she commands focus. In the former state she as a sponge for Arthur's grief; in the latter, she is the source of their distress. The vampiric infection allows Lucy and Mina to be selfish in ways that are otherwise condemned by social norms. - Ariel Udel
Will Cohen: “Unclean, unclean! I must touch him or kiss him no more. Oh, that is should be that it is I who am now his worst enemy, and whom he may have most cause to fear.” The obvious implications in Mina’s description of Dracula’s dark ritual notwithstanding, this passage is perhaps one of the strongest images of rape in Dracula. The section demonstrates a common reaction of rape survivors; guilt. Mina has been compelled by a force well beyond her means, utterly consumed by the vampire’s power, but she takes the responsibility on herself, internalizing it, disgusted with herself and her inability to oppose her tormentor. Furthermore, she has been violated in a deeply sexual manner, resulting in a sexual manifestation of her rejection; she is not worthy of her husband, her lover. As disturbing as Lucy’s death was, this pushes the envelope of upsetting and heartbreaking in an already dark novel.
Ben Urcioli: Reading through the ending of chapter 21 I was struck by Mina's reaction to the realization of her pseudo vampiric nature. She rejects herself as "unclean", someone who's become "his worst enemy". Interestingly she doesn't know right away she has been infected, only realizing later due to the flow of her body fluids (another layer of sexual metaphor, how surprising). During her attack Jonathan is rendered immobilized making him a passive spectator with no control over the spread of the disease. The implication of the helplessness is that it is not the fault of the male if sickness should enter a relationship. It falls then to the woman to ensure that she doesn't let any impurity in and heaven forbid that her weakness taint her husband.
Ava Jaulin
Whilst he was speaking, Jonathan had taken my hand. I feared, oh so
much, that the appalling nature of our danger was overcoming him when I saw his
hand stretch out, but it was life to me to feel its touch, so strong, so self
reliant, so resolute. A brave man's hand can speak for itself, it does not even
need a woman's love to hear its music.
When the Professor had done speaking my husband looked in my eyes, and I in
his, there was no need for speaking between us.
"I answer for Mina and myself," he said.
This annoys me to no end but at the same time it goes back tot he patriarchal/ sexist attitude we've been talking about.
While Miina is clearly the most astute of the lot, she is still "the woman". In this quote, clearly the one who is scared and she is not yet she attributes him with male courage and lets him speak for her. They created this committee all together to chase the monsterous outsiders (Dracula), yet within the group she is the outsider for having the fairer sex. She doesn't acknowledge the fact that it was probably the act ofholding HER hand that that made him so "strong" and "self-relieant" and that the "sweet music" is coming from her support given through their eye contact. Mina, even above Van Helsing, is the strongcenter of the group against the turmoil.
Whilst he was speaking, Jonathan had taken my hand. I feared, oh so
much, that the appalling nature of our danger was overcoming him when I saw his
hand stretch out, but it was life to me to feel its touch, so strong, so self
reliant, so resolute. A brave man's hand can speak for itself, it does not even
need a woman's love to hear its music.
When the Professor had done speaking my husband looked in my eyes, and I in
his, there was no need for speaking between us.
"I answer for Mina and myself," he said.
This annoys me to no end but at the same time it goes back tot he patriarchal/ sexist attitude we've been talking about.
While Miina is clearly the most astute of the lot, she is still "the woman". In this quote, clearly the one who is scared and she is not yet she attributes him with male courage and lets him speak for her. They created this committee all together to chase the monsterous outsiders (Dracula), yet within the group she is the outsider for having the fairer sex. She doesn't acknowledge the fact that it was probably the act ofholding HER hand that that made him so "strong" and "self-relieant" and that the "sweet music" is coming from her support given through their eye contact. Mina, even above Van Helsing, is the strongcenter of the group against the turmoil.
Kristin Clarke-Cole 4/6/12
There is a hint of male dominance because throughout the novel women are discouraged to get involved in dangerous situations, especially when Mina is left to stay behind as the men hunt for the vampire. Dracula plays the role as a man handler taking control of the innocent woman. Dracula seems like he is taking revenge on Jonathan Harker with making Mina his helper. When Mina encounters Dracula, he puts a lot of force on her, she explains, “[w]hen the blood began to spurt out, he took my hands in one of his, holding them tight, and with the other seized my neck and pressed my mouth to the wound, so that I must either suffocate or swallow some of the- [blood],” (252). Dracula takes advantage of Mina when she is the vulnerable and soon she will be used as bate in order to infect and to keep Van Helsing to discovering his secret. In this aspect, women are always used as the victim or a tool for men to get what they want. On the other hand, I believe when Dracula is holding Mina’s hand and she is then pressed upon his chest, it seems like Dracula is longing for that affectionate relationship. The image of Mina drinking the blood is as if Dracula and Mina are becoming one similar to a marriage. Dracula is transferring those fluids to develop a deeper relationship between them and claim Mina as his property.
Mack Morris 4/6/12
"I was bewildered, and strangely enough, I did not want to hinder him. I suppose it is a part of the horrible curse that such is, when his touch is on his victim."
i immediately compared Mina's description of Dracula's attack on her as a rape scene, like several others of us did; the Count forces himself upon her and penetrates with his fangs, very much against her will, and with her husband helpless to save her -- a nightmare scenario for any couple.
yet after our discussion of Lucy's staking the other day, and how the entire scene came across like a brutal gang rape, i couldn't help but compare the two scenes... the latter scene is shockingly violent and bloody, yet it is apparently for Lucy's benefit, while Dracula's attack -- though similar in tone and appearance -- is clearly negative.
it almost strikes me as though the men in the novel are in a struggle with the vampire over the "rights" to the bodies of the women... the frequent parallels between Van Helsing and Dracula serve only to intensify the comparison. poor Mina and Lucy are at the center of a contest to determine who holds them in their thrall.
i immediately compared Mina's description of Dracula's attack on her as a rape scene, like several others of us did; the Count forces himself upon her and penetrates with his fangs, very much against her will, and with her husband helpless to save her -- a nightmare scenario for any couple.
yet after our discussion of Lucy's staking the other day, and how the entire scene came across like a brutal gang rape, i couldn't help but compare the two scenes... the latter scene is shockingly violent and bloody, yet it is apparently for Lucy's benefit, while Dracula's attack -- though similar in tone and appearance -- is clearly negative.
it almost strikes me as though the men in the novel are in a struggle with the vampire over the "rights" to the bodies of the women... the frequent parallels between Van Helsing and Dracula serve only to intensify the comparison. poor Mina and Lucy are at the center of a contest to determine who holds them in their thrall.
Corinne Manning 4/6/2012
Am I the only one who is starting to find “Dracula” dreadfully irritating?
I am starting to have significant trouble trying to stomach the power struggle that is going on under the surface of what is otherwise a well-executed story, particularly between the males and females of this book. I am by no means a feminist, but even I cannot help but wonder why, when Mina is so praised and loved by Van Helsing and his men (especially for how useful and helpful she is in gathering the details to destroy Count Dracula), she is immediately shunted off to the sidelines when the real action begins? I believe, that when Van Helsing so wholeheartedly praises her (she “has a man’s brain and a woman’s heart”) his descriptions of Mina help to separate her from other women, yet at the same time assert her as weaker to men, as her “women’s heart” is the same heart that could fail at the horrors that lay ahead (an argument that conveniently forgets that it was Jonathon suffering trauma from the accounts and recollections of Dracula, not Mina). If that is the case, then could Van Helsing and the others be somewhat afraid of Mina’s power, and are thus trying to keep said power in check? Could Mina somehow stand as an example of the ‘New Woman’? And who the hell leaves the supposed weakest part of the team by themselves when there is a vampire running around outside!?
Hannah Van Deusen Ferris 4/6/12
Since you wanted us to pay the most attention to chapter XXI I found myself returning Draculas words, "Flesh of my flesh". Since we talk a great deal about sexual promiscuity's of the novel as well as the advanced eroticism present in the novel, i found it only fitting to ask incest? If he wants mina to be flesh of his flesh doesnt that suggest familial almost like a daughter like bond? Isnt that what being of ones flesh and blood is? Or does he simply mean kind, in this case vampire? If he means the prior then doesnt this suggest incest because of the eroticism that the two evoke passage to passage?
Since you wanted us to pay the most attention to chapter XXI I found myself returning Draculas words, "Flesh of my flesh". Since we talk a great deal about sexual promiscuity's of the novel as well as the advanced eroticism present in the novel, i found it only fitting to ask incest? If he wants mina to be flesh of his flesh doesnt that suggest familial almost like a daughter like bond? Isnt that what being of ones flesh and blood is? Or does he simply mean kind, in this case vampire? If he means the prior then doesnt this suggest incest because of the eroticism that the two evoke passage to passage?
The Rape of Mina (Simone 4-6-12)
The binding of Mina to Dracula came off as both a rape scene and an example of contrapasso. To Mina and the audience Dracula forces himself upon her threatening to kill Jonathan if she screams or does not comply, “Silence! If you make a sound I shall take him and dash his brains out before your very eyes” (Stoker 466). Mina complies but her compliance is due to duress and thus is reminiscent of a victim who is raped because escaping would produce, what they in the moment consider to be, worse results. It doesn’t help that Dracula’s touch produces a similar effect as the date rape drug, “…he placed one hand upon my shoulder and, holding me tight, bared my throat with the other…I was bewildered, and, strangely enough, I did not want to hinder him” (Stoker 466). What is more terrifying about Mina’s situation is not that just that she couldn’t stop him but that she didn’t want to. Dracula then proceeds to penetrate her and take her blood. All the while she is helpless to fight back due to his strength, mind powers, and her fear to bring harm to Jonathan. Again I come back to how this scene reflects a rape.
The scene also reflects Dante’s concept of contrapasso, punishment to fight the crime, as Dracula views the exchange as a way she will, “be punished for what you have done. You have aided in thwarting me; now you shall come to my call” (Stoker 467). Dracula is using Mina as a way to punish her, for assisting the men in trying to kill him, and the men who, “…should have kept their energies for use closer to home” (Stoker 467). By making Mina an instrument for his will he has begun to thwart the plans of Van Helsing and company while also making them fools for thinking that Mina was safer at home.
The binding of Mina to Dracula came off as both a rape scene and an example of contrapasso. To Mina and the audience Dracula forces himself upon her threatening to kill Jonathan if she screams or does not comply, “Silence! If you make a sound I shall take him and dash his brains out before your very eyes” (Stoker 466). Mina complies but her compliance is due to duress and thus is reminiscent of a victim who is raped because escaping would produce, what they in the moment consider to be, worse results. It doesn’t help that Dracula’s touch produces a similar effect as the date rape drug, “…he placed one hand upon my shoulder and, holding me tight, bared my throat with the other…I was bewildered, and, strangely enough, I did not want to hinder him” (Stoker 466). What is more terrifying about Mina’s situation is not that just that she couldn’t stop him but that she didn’t want to. Dracula then proceeds to penetrate her and take her blood. All the while she is helpless to fight back due to his strength, mind powers, and her fear to bring harm to Jonathan. Again I come back to how this scene reflects a rape.
The scene also reflects Dante’s concept of contrapasso, punishment to fight the crime, as Dracula views the exchange as a way she will, “be punished for what you have done. You have aided in thwarting me; now you shall come to my call” (Stoker 467). Dracula is using Mina as a way to punish her, for assisting the men in trying to kill him, and the men who, “…should have kept their energies for use closer to home” (Stoker 467). By making Mina an instrument for his will he has begun to thwart the plans of Van Helsing and company while also making them fools for thinking that Mina was safer at home.
Melissa McCann 4/5/12:
“I must not deceive myself; it was no dream, but all a grim reality.”
In Renfield’s final moments, he confesses to his “relationship” with Count Dracula. Despite his situation of being classified as a madman, Renfield has actually resembled quite an intelligent and rational man. A lunatic may be interpreted as an individual who cannot distinguish between what is real and what is fake; they live in their own world. However, Renfield recognizes that his interactions with the vampire have been all too real as he lies in a pool of his own blood on the floor. Unlike the other characters in the novel, Renfield accepts the actuality of an evil supernatural creature who has come to prey on the people of London. When Jonathan Harker was locked in Dracula’s castle, he convinced himself that his imprisonment was a dream, leading others and himself to have suffered from a brain fever. Similarly, Lucy had no recollection of her encounters with the Count, blaming her restlessness on dreadful dreams, not being able to distinguish the real from unreal. Like her husband and dear friend, Lucy believed her visions of mist entering her room, fatigue, and paleness to be a result of troubled sleep. In all three cases, Harker, Lucy, and Mina all abandoned the thought of such a “grim reality,’ hoping and believing their terrifying experiences were simply dreams. Mina is the most surprising culprit of deniability, as she is a full believer in the presence of a wicked monster, yet she doesn’t even think that she could actually be a victim of the vampire. With his last breaths, Renfield proves he is sane, and probably more perceptive than any character gives him credit for, in admitting to not only seeing and aiding, but believing in the reality of the malicious Un-Dead.
“His eyes flamed red with devilish passion the great nostrils of the white aquiline nose opened wide and quivered at the edge; and the white sharp teeth, behind the full lips of the blood- dripping mouth, clamped together like those of a wild beast.” Dracula embodies not only a killer but also a predator in this passage. The resemblance of the animalistic characteristics reflects the relationship between prey and predator. As it is difficult for Dracula to witness holy embellishments, it is also difficult for Seward to witness the unfolding events as well. It is an animalistic battle between the two. Dracula is a savage while the others are his prey. The image that Dracula presents represents a wolf. The savagery the wolf has towards its prey also mirrors the cruelness Dracula has toward his own “prey.”
Roula Giokas 4/5/12
Roula Giokas 4/5/12
Brooke Powers April 5, 2012
In class on Wednesday, we took a closer look at Lucy's victims and attempted to analyze the significance of the victims she went after. It was suggested that she preyed on those weaker than her (children) and were less likely to resist, or fight off her attack. Several news clippings from The Westminster Gazette warned readers about the presence of a "bloofer lady", which is meant to refer to Lucy and her recent kidnappings. It was mentioned in these clippings that the children always wanted to go back and play with this mysterious woman. This points to the role of women in this novel in particular as someone meant to be motherly, sweet, innocent, and caring. However, as a whole Dracula switches gender roles and casts the women of the novel as the aggressors as well as the victims of the all powerful Dracula. We see this later on with Mina as well when she comes under Dracula's spell even though she was arguably the most sensible and level headed character in the book. Something worth noting about Mina however, is that she was always coddled and treated as a weak woman that the men didn't want to frighten with the harsh realities of their situation. Several moments in the text have one of the men expressing relief at not involving Mina in the man's work element of their task even though she was the driving force behind the project from the get go. To point to one moment in particular in Dr. Seward's journal he mentioned a conversation in which he said, "'I agree with you with all my heart' I [Dr. Seward] answered earnestly, for I did not want him to weaken in this matter. 'Mrs. Harker is better out of it. Things are quite bad enough for us, all the men of the world, and who have been in many tight places in our time; but it is no place for a woman, and if she had remained in touch with the affair, it would in time infallibly have wrecked her'" (220). The irony of this statement and the others like it is that as a result of being kept out of the loop she is left alone to be preyed on by Dracula. It seems that these men constantly trying to protect the women from the dangers of Dracula and from reality in general ironically puts the women in greater danger of encountering Dracula.
In class on Wednesday, we took a closer look at Lucy's victims and attempted to analyze the significance of the victims she went after. It was suggested that she preyed on those weaker than her (children) and were less likely to resist, or fight off her attack. Several news clippings from The Westminster Gazette warned readers about the presence of a "bloofer lady", which is meant to refer to Lucy and her recent kidnappings. It was mentioned in these clippings that the children always wanted to go back and play with this mysterious woman. This points to the role of women in this novel in particular as someone meant to be motherly, sweet, innocent, and caring. However, as a whole Dracula switches gender roles and casts the women of the novel as the aggressors as well as the victims of the all powerful Dracula. We see this later on with Mina as well when she comes under Dracula's spell even though she was arguably the most sensible and level headed character in the book. Something worth noting about Mina however, is that she was always coddled and treated as a weak woman that the men didn't want to frighten with the harsh realities of their situation. Several moments in the text have one of the men expressing relief at not involving Mina in the man's work element of their task even though she was the driving force behind the project from the get go. To point to one moment in particular in Dr. Seward's journal he mentioned a conversation in which he said, "'I agree with you with all my heart' I [Dr. Seward] answered earnestly, for I did not want him to weaken in this matter. 'Mrs. Harker is better out of it. Things are quite bad enough for us, all the men of the world, and who have been in many tight places in our time; but it is no place for a woman, and if she had remained in touch with the affair, it would in time infallibly have wrecked her'" (220). The irony of this statement and the others like it is that as a result of being kept out of the loop she is left alone to be preyed on by Dracula. It seems that these men constantly trying to protect the women from the dangers of Dracula and from reality in general ironically puts the women in greater danger of encountering Dracula.
Hannah Van Deusen Ferris April 2 2012
In our virtual discussion Corinne (I believe) said in response others "from what we learned about the Jack the Ripper murders the newspaper seems to have some control over not only what we read about a situation, but how we read a situation. Kind of like Dracula's doors; Dracula is controlling what Harker knows and how he sees it." I think that this would be something to follow further today. As we continued our readings of Dracula, the readers conceptions and ideas of power (at least for me) began to flux. What does Power and Control mean? Are they directly related or connected? If you have one do you inherently have the other? Do the meanings change to suit the holder? Ask these questions with the specific passages from chapters 10 and 11 in mind. Lucy's ever fluctuating states of death and health is i guess almost resurrected by Van Helsing and Seward over and over again by blood transfusions of their very own blood. Does their blood have power? Usually in Vampire works it the vampiric blood that hold the healing powers and not the blood of the "good".
In our virtual discussion Corinne (I believe) said in response others "from what we learned about the Jack the Ripper murders the newspaper seems to have some control over not only what we read about a situation, but how we read a situation. Kind of like Dracula's doors; Dracula is controlling what Harker knows and how he sees it." I think that this would be something to follow further today. As we continued our readings of Dracula, the readers conceptions and ideas of power (at least for me) began to flux. What does Power and Control mean? Are they directly related or connected? If you have one do you inherently have the other? Do the meanings change to suit the holder? Ask these questions with the specific passages from chapters 10 and 11 in mind. Lucy's ever fluctuating states of death and health is i guess almost resurrected by Van Helsing and Seward over and over again by blood transfusions of their very own blood. Does their blood have power? Usually in Vampire works it the vampiric blood that hold the healing powers and not the blood of the "good".
Brooke Powers April 1, 2012
Something that struck me as I read was the line, "I shall save my soul, and my honour as a captain," on page 73. The idea of saving one's soul in this context was what really struck me and cast a light on the role of having a soul and moral integrity in the novel. In the case of the captain of the ship when he reflects on one of the members of the crew jumping overboard, he relates that action to saving his soul. Something worth noting here is that this sailor reacts with fear great enough to commit suicide, which is a very human reaction to certain death. In this instance it seems that safeguarding one's soul is part of remaining human and protecting oneself from the undead. Several times in her diary, Mina uses the word "soul" in such contexts as "the town seemed as dead for not a soul did I see" (78). This line in particular uses the words "dead" and "soul" in the same sentence which seems to emphasize the idea of vampires as undead and soulless. Perhaps the author utilizes these words in order to get across the idea that to be human one must have a soul. This point is later emphasized in Mina's diary where she wrote about Lucy's terrible night. In that scene Lucy described, "my soul seemed to go out from my body and float about the air" (84). This quote is significant because as the reader knows but Mina has yet to find out at this point, that Lucy has been bitten by a vampire.
Something that struck me as I read was the line, "I shall save my soul, and my honour as a captain," on page 73. The idea of saving one's soul in this context was what really struck me and cast a light on the role of having a soul and moral integrity in the novel. In the case of the captain of the ship when he reflects on one of the members of the crew jumping overboard, he relates that action to saving his soul. Something worth noting here is that this sailor reacts with fear great enough to commit suicide, which is a very human reaction to certain death. In this instance it seems that safeguarding one's soul is part of remaining human and protecting oneself from the undead. Several times in her diary, Mina uses the word "soul" in such contexts as "the town seemed as dead for not a soul did I see" (78). This line in particular uses the words "dead" and "soul" in the same sentence which seems to emphasize the idea of vampires as undead and soulless. Perhaps the author utilizes these words in order to get across the idea that to be human one must have a soul. This point is later emphasized in Mina's diary where she wrote about Lucy's terrible night. In that scene Lucy described, "my soul seemed to go out from my body and float about the air" (84). This quote is significant because as the reader knows but Mina has yet to find out at this point, that Lucy has been bitten by a vampire.
Kimberly Belgrave
In selfish men caution is as secure an armour for their foes as themselves. What I think of on this point is, when self is the fixed point the centripetal force is balanced with the centrifugal; when duty, a cause, etc., is the fixed point, the latter force is paramount, and only accident or a series of accidents can balance it. (Chap.V; p. 62)
In this novel, it seems, selfishness is not a sin but a means of survival. This quote seemingly implies that looking out for one’s self keeps people alive since they are using caution as an armor and are more likely to see things that don’t seem right or dangerous. Dracula is clearly a monster that feeds off of people and could have easily overpowered Jonathan, but it’s the latter’s caution and self-preservation that has kept him around for so long. This idea is also a further direct correlation to the fact to this survival of the fittest lifestyle - where it serves as a manner to call to attention the readers that sometimes this idea of changing to survival will be the cause of an individual destruction/death.
In selfish men caution is as secure an armour for their foes as themselves. What I think of on this point is, when self is the fixed point the centripetal force is balanced with the centrifugal; when duty, a cause, etc., is the fixed point, the latter force is paramount, and only accident or a series of accidents can balance it. (Chap.V; p. 62)
In this novel, it seems, selfishness is not a sin but a means of survival. This quote seemingly implies that looking out for one’s self keeps people alive since they are using caution as an armor and are more likely to see things that don’t seem right or dangerous. Dracula is clearly a monster that feeds off of people and could have easily overpowered Jonathan, but it’s the latter’s caution and self-preservation that has kept him around for so long. This idea is also a further direct correlation to the fact to this survival of the fittest lifestyle - where it serves as a manner to call to attention the readers that sometimes this idea of changing to survival will be the cause of an individual destruction/death.
Abby Cone
Mina, while comforting Arthur on his loss of Lucy, is very physically close to him. In chapters before when female characters get physically nearer to male characters it is in order to seduce them or be involved with them romantically. In Mina's case, however, she refers to women as having "something of the mother in us…" and in spite of the fact that Arthur's head was on her chest she thinks of it "as though it were that of a baby that some day may lie on my bosom, and I stroked his hair as though he were my own child" (Stoker, p. 202). Men love Mina because she is safe to love. She represents a virginal mother figure for all of them, even Jonathan who never refers to her in terms of physical passions of any kind. Lucy, on the other hand, has a more threatening kind of female presence in that it is a sexual one. Because of this, the dichotomy between Mina and other female characters, particularly Lucy, is representative of the virgin mother and the whore.
Corinne Manning (April 1, 2012)
Upon reading the comments posted in the Virtual Class discussion, I found myself reconsidering Lucy’s position in “Dracula”. Although I was already aware that she becomes a vampire and that she has an inner dark side, I never thought of how that dark side contrasted against the ‘purity’ ad virtue of her character. And now that I think about it, I find myself wondering if Lucy really had any purity to begin with; Melissa made this point when she contrasted Lucy’s love of three men to the blatant sexuality of the Count’s weird sisters, and Ava coupled this with the idea that Lucy is divided between the goodness of her wakened state and the subconscious vice that emerges while she is sleepwalking. With these excellent points, I have to wonder how Lucy is still able to stand as such a paragon of virtue; I’m rather inclined to think that her submissive nature, and her being openly (and verbally) aware of the lower, ‘unworthy’ position she holds against men, largely contributes to this image—when she becomes a vampire and loses these demure characteristics, I think that’s what makes her change so utterly monstrous; she has become a force of unbridled sexuality that lies outside the control of men.
Read ahead a bit to the fate of Lucy- this is a great scene, as we get both some of the anatomy, the inner workings and tickings of vampires and the transformation process, and the interactions of Van Helsing and co. The idea of trying to revitalize Lucy after the attack made for some tense moments and good suspense. The best part, I think, comes once Lucy has already gone into the ground, and the men are reflecting on the deed. " I give my blood for her, though I am old and worn. I give my time, my skill, my sleep. I let my other sufferers want that she may have all. And yet I can laugh at her very grave, laugh when the clay from the spade of the sexton drop upon her coffin and say 'Thud, thud!' to my heart, till it send back the blood from my cheek." What a great quote! The contrast of the young dying, despite the efforts of the old, and that the young died to sustain the half-life of an "immortal" monster, is full of wonderful questions and thoughts. I think Bram may be trying to communicate that, regardless of the efforts of our wisdom and those we consider wise, the gluttony, lust, and other vices that a vampire embodies (and that so often consume the years of our youth) will prevail in a visceral way. The old men have come to terms with their inadequacy, and can only laugh at the irony of the situation- those who should have buried them are now buried by their own hands. To know that she died in service of a great evil is not the focus of their mirth- rather, they are taking what mirth they can from the situation.
Brooke Powers
This set of readings to me focuses a lot on the role of writing. The main theme that comes up in connection with the letters that are written and comprise these chapters is the idea of illegitimacy in writing and not being able to trust what is written. An example of this illegitimacy is the three letters that Dracula forces Harker to write to friends detailing his preparation to leave as well as his fake departure. In this scene the reader comes to fully understand Dracula's power and the improbability of Harker's escape. That being said it is in those letters written by Harker that the significance of words is a major theme in this work because ultimately the word that Harker can manage to get out to his relatives and friends are his only hope of survival. Another moment to look at that focuses on this theme is the letters sent between Mina and Lucy. These letters display the significance of words and how they are shared by people. Mina sees the role of writing as a way to express herself when she feels inspired; as she explained to Lucy, "I don't mean one of those two-pages-to-the-week-with -Sunday-squeezed-in-a-corner diaries, but a sort of journal which I can write in whenever I feel inclined. I do not suppose there will be much of interest to other people; but it is not intended for them" (47). Here it seems clear that Mina writes for her own pleasure and not with the interest of others in mind. This is contrasted by Lucy who writes dramatically, complaining of not having anything of interest to share but then goes on to talk about three proposals that all happened on the same day. This particular letter emphasizes Lucy's dramatic way of retelling her stories and also brings to light the differences between these two women. This section of readings really deals with the overall role of writing in the novel and how information shared in these writings might be exaggerated or complete works of fallacy.
This set of readings to me focuses a lot on the role of writing. The main theme that comes up in connection with the letters that are written and comprise these chapters is the idea of illegitimacy in writing and not being able to trust what is written. An example of this illegitimacy is the three letters that Dracula forces Harker to write to friends detailing his preparation to leave as well as his fake departure. In this scene the reader comes to fully understand Dracula's power and the improbability of Harker's escape. That being said it is in those letters written by Harker that the significance of words is a major theme in this work because ultimately the word that Harker can manage to get out to his relatives and friends are his only hope of survival. Another moment to look at that focuses on this theme is the letters sent between Mina and Lucy. These letters display the significance of words and how they are shared by people. Mina sees the role of writing as a way to express herself when she feels inspired; as she explained to Lucy, "I don't mean one of those two-pages-to-the-week-with -Sunday-squeezed-in-a-corner diaries, but a sort of journal which I can write in whenever I feel inclined. I do not suppose there will be much of interest to other people; but it is not intended for them" (47). Here it seems clear that Mina writes for her own pleasure and not with the interest of others in mind. This is contrasted by Lucy who writes dramatically, complaining of not having anything of interest to share but then goes on to talk about three proposals that all happened on the same day. This particular letter emphasizes Lucy's dramatic way of retelling her stories and also brings to light the differences between these two women. This section of readings really deals with the overall role of writing in the novel and how information shared in these writings might be exaggerated or complete works of fallacy.
Janine Perry 3.29
Chapter V consists of numerous letters passed between Mina, Lucy, and Lucy's amorous suitors. The letters that Mina and Lucy write to each other provide a vivid characterization of Lucy's class status. Mina first writes about Jonathan, to whom she is committed; she clearly focuses her affection on him as a future husband. Mina asks Lucy for an update about her life and mentions a rumour about a "handsome, curly-haired man" (60). In response, Lucy bemoans her current state of affairs by writing, "I have nothing to tell you" (60). She then proceeds to describe, in detail, the number of proposals she has received in one day alone.
These letters would not be as remarkable if they hadn't been enhanced by a footnote to the text which reads, "...Lucy's family has aristocratic connections, while Mina, as an assistant schoolmistress, is middle class" (61). This note alone throws their relationship in sharp relief. It is now perfectly clear that men are scrambling to marry her because she is of a prominent family. By the tone of her writing, Lucy seems self-interested and shallow. In one letter she writes, "Dress is a bore" (61), languorously complaining of the finer aspects of life to which she is privy. I suspect that the object of her desire, Arthur, may end up letting Lucy down, given that he has not yet expressed much interest in her. Lucy writes, "I wish i were with you, dear...as we used to sit", which indicates that the two old friends now communicate only by letter. It seems that this distance spans a chasm wider merely than the miles which separate them, and that the stratification of English society contributes greatly to it.
These letters would not be as remarkable if they hadn't been enhanced by a footnote to the text which reads, "...Lucy's family has aristocratic connections, while Mina, as an assistant schoolmistress, is middle class" (61). This note alone throws their relationship in sharp relief. It is now perfectly clear that men are scrambling to marry her because she is of a prominent family. By the tone of her writing, Lucy seems self-interested and shallow. In one letter she writes, "Dress is a bore" (61), languorously complaining of the finer aspects of life to which she is privy. I suspect that the object of her desire, Arthur, may end up letting Lucy down, given that he has not yet expressed much interest in her. Lucy writes, "I wish i were with you, dear...as we used to sit", which indicates that the two old friends now communicate only by letter. It seems that this distance spans a chasm wider merely than the miles which separate them, and that the stratification of English society contributes greatly to it.
Kristin Clarke-Cole 3/30/12
The women in this novel play distinctive roles between how the mortal women of the novel are portrayed in comparison to the vixens. Overall, what they both have in common is that they want to satisfy the men in some type of way. Mina wants to be useful, while the crazy sisters wanted to sexually seduce him. Mina mentions in her letter to Lucy that, “[w]hen we are married I shall be able to be useful to Jonathan, and if I can stenograph well enough I can take down what he wants to say in this way and write it out for him on the type writer, at which also I am practicing very hard,” (Stoker 55). Mina emulates a type of submissive character to Jonathan Harker; she wants to be useful in order to win his love. Women are taken for granted and the stereotype is that they are left doing administrative tasks instead of creating their own empowerment for themselves. Women being seen as property or a tool for success are seemingly the norm for the 19th century. When Lucy writes back to Mina, she then asked, “[w]hy can’t they let a girl marry three men, or as many as want her, and save all of this trouble?” (Stoker 60). There is an early argument for gender inequality and questioning norms of what men have the ability to do in comparison to a woman. Furthermore, from the previous section when we were introduced to the crazy sisters, they emulated a type of seductive power. From the gender perspective, the novel points to that women only have power through their seductive ways that are deemed deviant to society, but on an intellectual level women are the inferior.
Melissa McCann:
Mina describes her friend Lucy’s sleepwalking incident one night, “She tries the door, and finding it lock, goes about the room searching for the key.” (Stoker 73). When reading this line, my mind immediately jumped to Jonathan Harker and his struggle to escape Dracula’s castle, but all the doors are locked so he attempts to look for the key. Even though Lucy may be unconscious of her actions while Jonathan is very much aware of his, I believe there is a connection between the two characters’ pursuits. Perhaps Lucy’s sleepwalking is induced by her desire to no longer be separated from her lover Arthur; even her unconscious self yearns to break from the constraints of locked doors and a lonely a heart. Similarly, Harker longs to be free from Dracula’s grasp to return home to Mina, as Mina also wished to hear from her beloved. Jonathan constantly refers to Mina in his journal and makes his last thought about his lover whenever he believes to be in his last moments. I find the relationship between needing to escape a lonely “prison” to be with one’s other half is an intriguing aspect to be further explored throughout Dracula.
Mina describes her friend Lucy’s sleepwalking incident one night, “She tries the door, and finding it lock, goes about the room searching for the key.” (Stoker 73). When reading this line, my mind immediately jumped to Jonathan Harker and his struggle to escape Dracula’s castle, but all the doors are locked so he attempts to look for the key. Even though Lucy may be unconscious of her actions while Jonathan is very much aware of his, I believe there is a connection between the two characters’ pursuits. Perhaps Lucy’s sleepwalking is induced by her desire to no longer be separated from her lover Arthur; even her unconscious self yearns to break from the constraints of locked doors and a lonely a heart. Similarly, Harker longs to be free from Dracula’s grasp to return home to Mina, as Mina also wished to hear from her beloved. Jonathan constantly refers to Mina in his journal and makes his last thought about his lover whenever he believes to be in his last moments. I find the relationship between needing to escape a lonely “prison” to be with one’s other half is an intriguing aspect to be further explored throughout Dracula.
Close Reading Entry (Nick Rendon)
Dr. Seward scolds Renfield for consuming insects, but in return Renfield claims, “I scolded him for it, but he argues quietly that it was very good and very wholesome; that it was life, strong life, and gave life to him” (Stoker 69). I found this quote interesting because of how Renfield relates to Dracula. Dr. Seward’s research of the lunatic, Renfield, who consumes living entities from spiders to flies, can be related to Dracula consuming children. A “homicidal/zoophagous maniac”, Renfield embodies similar attributes as Dracula: secrecy and driven by purpose. The fact that Dracula and Renfield share similar motives with their desire/need to consume living beings shows that there is in fact a connection between the two characters. I also noticed that both Renfield and Dracula share these intentions with the beautiful women vampires that attempt to sink their teeth into Jonathan in chapter three, but are nevertheless given a bag containing a “half-smothered child” by Dracula to consume instead.
Dr. Seward scolds Renfield for consuming insects, but in return Renfield claims, “I scolded him for it, but he argues quietly that it was very good and very wholesome; that it was life, strong life, and gave life to him” (Stoker 69). I found this quote interesting because of how Renfield relates to Dracula. Dr. Seward’s research of the lunatic, Renfield, who consumes living entities from spiders to flies, can be related to Dracula consuming children. A “homicidal/zoophagous maniac”, Renfield embodies similar attributes as Dracula: secrecy and driven by purpose. The fact that Dracula and Renfield share similar motives with their desire/need to consume living beings shows that there is in fact a connection between the two characters. I also noticed that both Renfield and Dracula share these intentions with the beautiful women vampires that attempt to sink their teeth into Jonathan in chapter three, but are nevertheless given a bag containing a “half-smothered child” by Dracula to consume instead.
Abby Cone:
Dracula steals the "suit of clothes which [Jonathan] had worn whilst traveling..." and wears it while going out to the nearby village on a few occasions (Stoker, 37). Because Dracula is both inhuman and from a period of time that is so far away from when the novel is set, he has to keep up the appearance of normality and aristocracy. By wearing Jonathan's clothing he is able to borrow his identity, which upsets Jonathan because "he will allow others to see me, as they think, so...that any wickedness which he may do shall by the local people be attributed to me" (37). The process of stealing Jonathan's identity in order to perform criminal actions solidifies his own identity by making Jonathan into a criminal other in the eyes of the locals. Those who come close to the castle either are there to support Dracula or to call Jonathan a monster for stealing their children. Becoming othered by Dracula's actions must make Jonathan especially frustrated because for him, the white English tourist, the Transylvanian's are the others.
Dracula steals the "suit of clothes which [Jonathan] had worn whilst traveling..." and wears it while going out to the nearby village on a few occasions (Stoker, 37). Because Dracula is both inhuman and from a period of time that is so far away from when the novel is set, he has to keep up the appearance of normality and aristocracy. By wearing Jonathan's clothing he is able to borrow his identity, which upsets Jonathan because "he will allow others to see me, as they think, so...that any wickedness which he may do shall by the local people be attributed to me" (37). The process of stealing Jonathan's identity in order to perform criminal actions solidifies his own identity by making Jonathan into a criminal other in the eyes of the locals. Those who come close to the castle either are there to support Dracula or to call Jonathan a monster for stealing their children. Becoming othered by Dracula's actions must make Jonathan especially frustrated because for him, the white English tourist, the Transylvanian's are the others.
Simone H.I The Anxiety of Contagion
“This was the being I was helping to transfer to London, where, perhaps for centuries to come, he might, amongst its teeming millions, satiate his lust for blood, and create a new and ever widening circle of semi-demons to batten on the helpless. A terrible desire came upon me to rid the world of such a monster” (Stoker 82).
This quote links the novels of Stoker, Shelly and Stevenson to the Victorian anxiety of contagion. The quote begins with Harker overcome with fear and concern for the repercussions of his agreement with the Count—to secure him property in London town, “This was the being I was helping to transfer to London” (82). Harker’s fear echoes that of Frankenstein when he realizes the monster he has created does not reviver human life and is capable of death and destruction. The mere idea of Frankenstein creating another monster is terrifying to him for he believes he would be plaguing the world with a race of demons. Harker feels similarly. He blames himself for providing an avenue to make the people of London prey, a means by which Dracula can “satiate his lust for blood” (82). Harker also worries that Dracula will create more vampires like himself and his brides creating “a new and ever widening circle of semi-demons” (82) that in turn will “batten on the helpless” (82) to satiate their needs. Harker like Frankenstein is afraid of contagion, specifically the way in which a monster can contaminate society with more of its ilk, overrunning humanity.
In response to the fear of contagion Harker acts in (unknowing) accordance with Frankenstein, for they both desire to “rid the world of such a monster” (82). Where Frankenstein succeeds with the female monster and fails with his original creature, Harker and team will eventually succeed losing one of their own in the process—much like Frankenstein lost his family. The desire to destroy the source of contagion is also exhibited by the women in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In this story the women needed to be restrained from attacking Hyde after he trampled the girl. One of the great fears about the source of demonic contagion that all three texts describe is that, as it is not human, no one knows if there is a statute of limitation on the threat. Harker worries that Dracula and those he sires could be around for “centuries to come” (82). Similarly Frankenstein worries about how long his creation will live and what abilities he would have to procreate should a female of his kind come into being. Even Jekyll is concerned about his darker sides ability to take over his body without prompting. On the whole the words and anxieties of Harker personify the spread of contagion within the empire.
An Entrance to Make Fabio Proud
In an exhaustive letter, Lucy carefully details her amorous adventures to her long-time friend, the recently--and unbeknownst to her--widowed Mina Harker ("How insensitive!" you might say. "Has she no circumspection?") She takes unbridled glee in the visits of Sewerd and Morris, especially the parts where she takes two confident and successfully young men, and piddles all over their romantic self worth. See? Dracula is not the only person feeding off of others! (although while Dracula drinks his victims' blood, Lucy subsists on a strict diet of nothing but the tears of grown men.) This is commentary carefully matching H. Ridder Haggard's stride; women in power cause nothing but the suffering of men. Here we have to masters of their fields, and Lucy devastates them with a single well-aimed kick. (Metaphorically, of course. The women in this novel aren't that liberated.)
But I digress. The section I am most concerned with is the timely arrival of Bachelor Number 3, with whom "it seemed only a moment from his coming into the room till both his arms were round me, and he was kissing me." (Dracula ch V, Williams 200) There is a wealth of passion between the two, of unchecked emotion. And that, ladies and gentlemen, drives novel. Unchecked emotion, be it fear, passion, pride, envy, what have you, becomes central to each of the characters. Dracula, inhuman and emotionally dead (actually dead, too) seems more or less in control of the situation the entire time because he follows his brains, not his heart. It's not till Van Helsing arrives on scene--sadly having left his gas-powered, semi-automatic, crossbow behind, the only memorable part from that movie--that the poor, unsuspecting heroes brain up and stand a fighting chance. This coincides with a resurgence of enlightenment and scientific advancement that marked turn of the century England. A conscious and deliberate move away from foreign tradition and superstition, towards the empirical might of the Empire.
Also, re-read thepost script. I can see him ripping her bodice. If that's not standard romance novel language, than I've been reading the wrong books.
Will Cohen
But I digress. The section I am most concerned with is the timely arrival of Bachelor Number 3, with whom "it seemed only a moment from his coming into the room till both his arms were round me, and he was kissing me." (Dracula ch V, Williams 200) There is a wealth of passion between the two, of unchecked emotion. And that, ladies and gentlemen, drives novel. Unchecked emotion, be it fear, passion, pride, envy, what have you, becomes central to each of the characters. Dracula, inhuman and emotionally dead (actually dead, too) seems more or less in control of the situation the entire time because he follows his brains, not his heart. It's not till Van Helsing arrives on scene--sadly having left his gas-powered, semi-automatic, crossbow behind, the only memorable part from that movie--that the poor, unsuspecting heroes brain up and stand a fighting chance. This coincides with a resurgence of enlightenment and scientific advancement that marked turn of the century England. A conscious and deliberate move away from foreign tradition and superstition, towards the empirical might of the Empire.
Also, re-read thepost script. I can see him ripping her bodice. If that's not standard romance novel language, than I've been reading the wrong books.
Will Cohen
Catey Oakley
In Lucy’s letters to Mina, she discusses the proposals she receives and her interactions with men. Feeling flattered by being proposed to three times in one day, Lucy writes, “My dear Mina, why are men so noble when we women are so little worthy of them?” (199). This one sentence is crucial because it essentially sums up the role of women in all of Dracula. Women are always underlings, or objects that are desired and craved. The Count threatens this safe role by having the weird sisters, and wanting to turn Lucy and Mina into vampires as well, effectively turning women into the opposite of what they should be in society. The weird sisters are full of sexuality and dominance over Jonathan Harker in his journal entries, which both excites and terrifies him, all the while he is writing about Mina, searching for the woman who is safe and comfortable and who won’t threaten his masculinity or safety.
Mack Morris
Following the funeral service of the sea captain, we have a passage where a man's dog reacts violently to the grave: "One of the men who came up here often to look for the boats was followed by his dog. The dog is always with him. They are both quiet persons, and I never saw the man angry, nor heard the dog bark. During the service the dog would not come to its master, who was on the seat with us, but kept a few yards off, barking and howling. Its master spoke to it gently, and then harshly, and then angrily. But it would neither come nor cease to make a noise. It was in a fury, with its eyes savage, and all its hair bristling out like a cat's tail when puss is on the war path. "
This passage recalls our reading of "Christabel," when the old mastiff stirs at the approach of the evil woman, and we have seen previously in the novel that Dracula holds some peculiar sway over wolves. There appears to be a recurring theme of animals being able to sense the presence of evil in a way that humans cannot, which is found in other fiction as well. So far the characters who have encountered Dracula have been unaware of the danger they were in until it was too late; Jonathan Harker finds the man very agreeable despite his bizarre nature until he has already been lured into the castle and trapped there. Like with Christabel and Carmilla, the true evil of the monsters is hidden under a human guise, and quite effectively, it seems. I shall keep watch out for other signs of the monster's deception.
This passage recalls our reading of "Christabel," when the old mastiff stirs at the approach of the evil woman, and we have seen previously in the novel that Dracula holds some peculiar sway over wolves. There appears to be a recurring theme of animals being able to sense the presence of evil in a way that humans cannot, which is found in other fiction as well. So far the characters who have encountered Dracula have been unaware of the danger they were in until it was too late; Jonathan Harker finds the man very agreeable despite his bizarre nature until he has already been lured into the castle and trapped there. Like with Christabel and Carmilla, the true evil of the monsters is hidden under a human guise, and quite effectively, it seems. I shall keep watch out for other signs of the monster's deception.
Rebecca Suarez
In chapter 4, on pg. 83, Harker says “I shall try to scale the castle wall farther than I have yet attempted. I shall take some of the gold with me, lest I want it later.” I think this is interesting because instead of just being concerned with escaping and surviving, Harker also wants to steal the counts gold “just in case he’ll want it.” This goes back to the issue we all had with his obsession with the food and how delicious it was. It reveals his desire for material gain, which is so exaggerated that even when his life is in danger, he thinks about it. This could be a criticism of England at this time. Stoker could be suggesting that because England is so preoccupied with gaining more wealth and land, they don’t preserve their existence as a nation, they put it at risk.
“Then she (peasant woman) tore her hair and beat her breast, and abandoned herself to all the violences of extravagant emotion” (15). ---Leah Smith
Johnathan’s description of the peasant woman’s wailing as she demands her child struck me as very odd in the context of his own emotional state in Dracula’s castle. He himself cries multiple times at the thought of his coming death and is so frightened by the female monsters that he faints at one point. The motif of female hysteria and extreme emotion is common in Victorian literature, and it is definitely part of the construction of male versus female identity (rational versus irrational), but the hypocritical nature of Johnothan’s judgment of the woman (especially since he knows the terrible fate of her child) seems more like a desperate attempt to mask his own fears (which tend to effeminize him).
"I shall have to invent a new classification for him, and call him a zoophagous (life-eating) maniac; what he desires is to absorb as many lives as he can, and he has laid himself out to achieve it in a cumulative way" (71).
As Dr. Seward delves into his occupation so that he can forget the pain that Lucy's rejection caused him and move on with his life, his mental patients works to end the lives of animals. There is a method, however, to his madness. The patient starts with small insects which are then eaten by spiders which are then eaten by birds which are then supposed to be eaten by kittens. The patient then eats the birds, seeming to think that eating the birds means absorbing not only their flesh, but their life and therefore, the lives also of creative they have eaten. There is a power chain of who eats who and the mental patient puts himself at the top of it. This blood lust represents vampires who suck the blood of humans as if they were animals. The powerless animals which he eats are like the peasants which Dracula feeds on. And when Dracula feeds on a person, a being of which he puts no value on the life of it, and turns then into a vampire, they in turn, start to absorb the lives of other people, thus creating a chain of power on which vampires come out on top.
sarah balun
As Dr. Seward delves into his occupation so that he can forget the pain that Lucy's rejection caused him and move on with his life, his mental patients works to end the lives of animals. There is a method, however, to his madness. The patient starts with small insects which are then eaten by spiders which are then eaten by birds which are then supposed to be eaten by kittens. The patient then eats the birds, seeming to think that eating the birds means absorbing not only their flesh, but their life and therefore, the lives also of creative they have eaten. There is a power chain of who eats who and the mental patient puts himself at the top of it. This blood lust represents vampires who suck the blood of humans as if they were animals. The powerless animals which he eats are like the peasants which Dracula feeds on. And when Dracula feeds on a person, a being of which he puts no value on the life of it, and turns then into a vampire, they in turn, start to absorb the lives of other people, thus creating a chain of power on which vampires come out on top.
sarah balun
Excuses. Excuses. (Leah Smith)
It seems strange that there is so much justification at the close of each diary entry or letter. The characters are always describing how they would write more, but: someone is waking up, there was a sound at the window, they feel tired, etc. I wonder if there is more to this constant reference to reasons for stopping narration than what I’ll admit could simply be a common writing framework for the Victorian period. I see a connection to this sign-off trope with the diary entries that discuss the events directly prior to their recording and the entries that display a break in narration (for an event) followed by descriptions of what that break entailed. This whole construction of narration points to a need to make these documents seem like real time. As a reader, you do not so much get the distanced sense of reading someone’s removed reflections on an event so much as their immediate reaction. This, along with the implied brevity of time between event and recording gives a certain authority of truth to the events. The narrators do not seem to have time to lie or contrive or edit what is happening, because they are in the middle of living it as it is being recorded. It creates a strange narrative that despite being in epistle form lives in a hyper-present. The reader can only focus on the events as they are at the moment (for instance, we forget about Harker when we are reading the news account of the ghost ship or follow Lucy in her terrible nightmares). It creates a strange dramatic sense to the text.
"...for Lucy's sake, if for no other reason." (81)(Leah Smith)
This phrase, "for Lucy's sake," is repeated over and over in the text (especially in chapter 17). I am concerned that the men in this novel (and even Mina once or twice although she is relatively masculine) feel the need to attribute all their actions to a woman -- a dead woman. Why can't self-preservation be the reason to kill Dracula? Why not outright revenge? It seems a strange device to hide behind (and I'm not sure that hiding is the right term for it). Perhaps it is that the men need a source of courage. Something to spur themselves on to face Dracula. Maybe by pledging actions to Lucy, the site of their common love/desire, they build themselves up for the coming challenges/horrors/dangers and in an indirect way pressure each other into continuing. Whatever the cause, it does not create a particularly manly effect. The men perceive (as they claim in their accounts) the highest manhood in each other, and yet none of them seem to embody the virile confidence of stereotypical masculine constructions. Whether that is a comment of the men (or English men) themselves or the overwhelming nature of the horror of Dracula, the jury is out.
"Phonetic spelling had again misled me." (89) (Leah Smith)
Harker's trouble following the written instructions of the carpenter when trying to track down the boxes of earth emphasizes the role of writing in this text and how it is such an integral source of knowledge. Not only is the entire record (as the reader has it) from the written records (or transcribed from phonograph), but the characters themselves communicate mostly through text. Mina types out all the diaries and makes many copies so that the whole party can understand the story of the case up to date. Also, at points characters mention that it is easier to have people read their journal entries rather than to tell them verbally what happened. This points to the way that the bourgeois professional constructs identity.
There is that moment when Mina is copying over Dr. Seward's journal and tells him that the phonograph, "is a wonderful machine, but it is cruelly true. It told me, in its very tones, the anguish of your heart. It was like a soul crying out to Almighty God. No one must hear them spoken ever again! See, I have tried to be useful. I have copied out the words on my typewriter, and none other need now hear your heart beat, as I did" (76). This acknowledges that the verbal word lends extra meaning to words through the manner of utterance. That the bourgeois professionals in this novel (namely Seward, Harker, and Mina) use the written word and a central means of communicating experience suggests that they are interested in maintaining the more neutral tone of the written word to tone down their emotions (emotions that as part of a higher class they should be able to control). They describe their fear, but the reader does not gain the sense of the emotions as he/she would if he/she were listening to a recording via phonograph. Bringing this back to Harker and the carpenter, he is led astray by the inability of the lower class to legibly and accurately write directions. The moment places writing -- the source of knowledge -- specifically in the hands of the upper classes, which use it as a means of recording information, but also manipulating it.
There is that moment when Mina is copying over Dr. Seward's journal and tells him that the phonograph, "is a wonderful machine, but it is cruelly true. It told me, in its very tones, the anguish of your heart. It was like a soul crying out to Almighty God. No one must hear them spoken ever again! See, I have tried to be useful. I have copied out the words on my typewriter, and none other need now hear your heart beat, as I did" (76). This acknowledges that the verbal word lends extra meaning to words through the manner of utterance. That the bourgeois professionals in this novel (namely Seward, Harker, and Mina) use the written word and a central means of communicating experience suggests that they are interested in maintaining the more neutral tone of the written word to tone down their emotions (emotions that as part of a higher class they should be able to control). They describe their fear, but the reader does not gain the sense of the emotions as he/she would if he/she were listening to a recording via phonograph. Bringing this back to Harker and the carpenter, he is led astray by the inability of the lower class to legibly and accurately write directions. The moment places writing -- the source of knowledge -- specifically in the hands of the upper classes, which use it as a means of recording information, but also manipulating it.
"He has all along, since his coming, been trying his power..." (102) (Leah Smith)
This quote refers to VanHelsing's theory that Dracula has a child-brain that is growing, learning -- evolving -- since he has come to London (or perceived of the idea to come to London). Here is a site of very Anglo-centric and London-centric thought (and coming from VanHelsing, a foreigner whose knowledge is mostly not that of London, but that of old traditions and superstitions). Why is it that the Count only begins to test the limit of his powers once in London even though he has been "living" for hundreds of years? Or more specifically, why does VanHelsing perceive his growth in this way? Because no foreign (colonized or simply "uncivilized") society could possibly advance without the aid of the English. London is clearly the source of knowledge as well as power in this narrative, as hinted at in the framing of Dracula's evolution as something that begins there.
"Is there not more at stake for us than for him?" (102) (Leah Smith)
Here VanHelsing's comment on Dracula's movements and actions seems a strange departure from the brazenly religious brow-beating that has characterized the rest of the texts' dialogue around the vampire. This quote seems to suggest that VanHelsing sees that the vampire has motive to what he/she/it does, going completely against the rhetoric of the wholly and undeniably evil creature that preys on its own kind (which is technically not true, because vampires which are no longer human prey on humans, not vampires). This rhetoric of good versus evil certainly returns in VanHelsing's speech, but in this moment there seems to be hinted the suggestion that that the vampire has a reason for trying to expand his range by moving to London. This reason and motive would normally lead to the thought process that as a predator, the vampire needs to feed and cannot deny its own nature. It is like any other predator (including humans). But, this reason is overcome by religious beliefs as well as the personal and intimate nature of the prey that fall victim to Dracula (Mina and Lucy). The men continue to trumpet the idea that they are saving the whole human race (which has been surviving for hundreds of years with this and other vampires about), but they are mostly interested in saving Mina and avenging the personal evils that they have suffered from the vampire. They are not the selfless heroes that Mina's comments about "brave men" would have them be.
"...dear husband of Madam Mina..." (107) (Leah Smith)
It is worth noting the change in how Johnathan is named in this text. In the beginning he is his own identity - Johnathan Harker, solicitor, professional, etc. Even though he shows fear at Dracula's castle (not manly), he also shows bravery and redeems his masculinity by venturing twice into Dracula's chapel. However, when he finally returns to London and becomes the husband of Mina, a strange thing occurs. Rather than Mina becoming known strictly as "Madam Johnathan Harker" or the like, Johnathan becomes "husband of Madam Mina". It is an inversion of the norm that suggests the underlying threat of the strong female (Mina). When she is well, she is the dominant partner in the pairing and takes over Johnathan's identity. This dynamic is supported by Johnathan's relatively unmanly status compared to the burly Quincy or the gentlemanly Arthur (maybe suggests that strong femininity is a threat to middle class most of all). Johnathon only regains his identity and masculinity after Mina is victimized by Dracula and becomes ill. She is partly ostracized from the group and is no longer a full and strong member of their "counsel". At this point Johnathan is characterized as a strong man defending his woman: he is described as always clasping or stroking his long knife (which he later uses to kill Dracula), he is once more called by the name "Johnathan" rather than "husband", and the accounts describe him as valiant and cruel in battle -- brave. In essence, we see Johnathon throughout the text, go from what may be considered fairly masculine, to completely emasculated by his strong female wife, to overcoming that emasculation by the reassertion of an even stronger masculinity in the end.