Horror And Symbolism In Bram Stoker's Dracula

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Up until now, people thought Dracula was a creation from the movie films. There are various vampire tales stemming from the original Dracula. They usually tell a story symbolically portraying an old man trying to purloin the living’s virtue (life force). Written by Bram Stocker, the novel that started it all has transcended into a various episodic movies, television shows, cartoons, myth, and other areas. Dracula is a novel of adventure, fantasy, horror and gothic fiction all in one book considering all the events that take place within the book and also may even be considered an early science fiction with the introduction of blood transfusion and what not within the storyline. The original novel tells the story of Dracula’s scheme…show more content…
Furthermore, as stated by Thomas Foster in regards to Dracula and other ghost stories, “ghosts and vampires are never only about ghosts and vampires” (Foster 18). Therefore, meaning that that there is much to jump into when looking more philosophical at the novel Dracula. Research demonstrates that Dracula is based off real world aspects while also being influenced through the style of Victorian era containing various amounts of symbolism throughout the novel and sets the path for future vampire stories. In fact, the character Dracula is most likely to be connected to a real man named Vlad III Dracula and his family that lived in the 15th-Century whom was a ruler of Wallachia in Eastern Europe predominately from 1456 to 1462. Vlad although not an actual vampire in life, he was nicknamed “Tepes” also known as the “Impaler” for his devotion of impaling his victims and in even one occasion drank human blood from one of his victims. In addition to the Count’s real life history of killings, Stoker is able to make utilize the Death Bringer by having him provide an unprecedented tradition for future vampire stories to replicate. The renowned…show more content…
An epistolary novel is a novel that is composed of various documents written by characters within the story that advance all or most of the plot and story. This is done by the use of characters that essentially deliver the story to reader through the use of documents such as letters, diary log/entries, newspaper clippings, and other forms of documents. The epistolary novel in turn can add a greater sense of realism as the story is progressed through realistic contrasting viewpoints mimicking the actions found in the real world with no necessity for an omniscient narrator. However, through the use of this epistolary style we find symbolism in the way that the characters are portrayed and do the things they do. First, we find science and superstition as Dr. Seward’s “documents” are from the writings of phonograph, while the Mina typewrites on one of the new technology as the typewriter. Dracula, stands as a satanic figure, in his doings as he has the abnormal “evil” like qualities of fangs and eyes as described by the Harker, “When the Count saw my face, his eyes blazed with a sort of demoniac fury” (42). Furthermore, meaning can be found within the death of Quincy Morris at the end of the novel with the “American” man dying, possibly emphasizing the rivalry between the United States and Great Britain. After all, during the era the United States economy was growing and Great
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