Influences Of Dracula

888 Words4 Pages
Dracula is one of the most widely known novels written with Gothic literature in mind. Gothic literature “hovers between the uncanny and the marvelous, offering little explanation of events” (“Why is” 1). It often requires the readers to test their sense of reality, and explore the “mind of man” (1). Horror is also continuously found within these types of novels. Bram Stoker created the perfect setting, vivid descriptions, and a vast difference in characters, all of which lead to a good sense of fear in the reader. Dracula has a variety of motifs, which contribute to the Gothic literature itself. For example, he uses shape-shifting, strange and dark places, blood, and death. Although just a few of the motifs were mentioned, the main contributions to the novel are: the pursuit of women, shape-shifting, and strange places. The beginning of the novel starts with Jonathan Harker seeking Castle Dracula. On his journey to the castle, he experiences some strange sights.…show more content…
Shape-shifting is used in various places throughout the novel. This is used by Dracula himself. He shifts into multiple forms in order to seek the individual he desires. The form that the readers see the most is a bat. He also shifts into other things such as dust, wolves, and mist. The readers get a sense of harm coming from all of these different animals. If the reader does not know the history of Dracula, they will not realize that the forms are the character himself. Therefore, the readers get a sense that the forms are causing harm to an individual or object. As stated before, the most common form is the bat. This is seen outside of Lucy’s window the most. It is also seen in many other places. The bat is continuously outside of Lucy’s window as she is very ill. This causes both the doctors and the readers to wonder exactly what the bat is causing, or why it is

More about Influences Of Dracula

Open Document