Thoughts on Bram Stokers Dracula

[Mnemosyne]

Below is a short reflective article I wrote after reading Bram
Stokers Dracula.I believe this book, as well as the earlier tale "The Vampyre" by John Pollidori, were likely origins for bringing the Vampyre into he 20th century with a new view. This new view was one of the
Vampyre as more of a noble rather than simply a rotting corpse.Later,
Anne Rice more fully fleshed out the romantic aspects and gave us
Vampyres focused on living through immortality with all of the beauty
and pain associated with human desires and emotions.
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My Thoughts on Bram Stokers Dracula
By: Mnemosyne 7/25/2007

I have to say that re-reading this book has been a wonderful
experience.
I was most interested in re-reading it this time looking for as much
as could be found about Dracula himself. I concentrated less upon the
familiar story and more on the vampire lore and legend and tried to
look deeper into what hidden things might be revealed about Dracula
himself. I found it interesting that the name Dracula in Romanian
means Dragon.
The story begins by taking each of the characters out of the realms
of their ordinary lives and slowly revealing how they fit into the
larger goals of the vampire himself. Along side of this, many
elements of classic Vampire lore and powers are introduced. As
Dracula plans to journey from his homeland to a new and unknown place
for himself, each of the characters in turn becomes influenced in his
plan. Not until the end of the book is it revealed that taking up a
new home in London is a great transformation for him after centuries
of power in his homeland that has become stagnant for him. This
journey is revealed as a growth and a progression that he is the
first vampire to dare to undertake.
All along the book reveals more and more of the Vampires powers. Of
most note to me, throughout the book were the many direct as well as
indirect allusions to his shape shifting ability. As a writer, Bram
Stoker more than eloquently captured the many faces Dracula was able
to assume. Besides the outright descriptions of changing into wolf,
bat, or mist, each description of the vampire himself and how he
appears is different and evokes a distinct mood. At times he is old,
sometimes young, sometimes shadow, sometimes putrid and at times we
are even given glimpses into the man himself. This "history" of
Dracula himself interested me most.
Dealing with page after page of the pious and overly emotional
ramblings of Mina Harker (of course this being nothing more than Bram
Stokers slanted presentation of what he thought were deep
understandings of a truly good woman) was annoying. Dealing with his
presentation of strong and right men was almost as offensive. For
Stoker, Dracula himself seems to be nothing more than the backdrop
character which each of these characters gets to test their strength,
morals and other inner demons.
Still, in all of this I think there was a great gem revealed.
Near the end of the book, Stoker begins to turn to the history of the
Dracula's again. (Much as he did in the very beginning, but this time
he moves on to how Dracula came to be as a vampire. This is where
things began to get interesting to me.
Stoker presents some theories of the natural conditions of the land
itself possibly being a factor. He then ventures closer to the truth,
even though he himself was no doubt only relaying a bit of a folk
tale he heard.
On page 285 Stoker mentions that the Dracula's were said to have
dealings with the Evil One. "They learned his secrets in the
Scholomance among the mountains…" This is a school where the "devil"
teaches the secrets of nature to the boldest that dare to enter. He
writes that in the legend it is said that "The devil claims the 10th
scholar as his due". This is of course Dracula. And it is also, for
those who read between the lines a way of saying that one out of
every 10 who will dare to enter the Scholomance will actually
succeed.

Page 375 begins listing off the character traits of Dracula himself.
"In him there were from the first some great qualities. In a hard and
warlike time he was celebrate(d) that he had more iron nerve, more
subtle brain, more braver heart, than any man. In him, some vital
principle have in strange way found their upmost".

"All through there were signs of his advance; not only of his power,
but of his knowledge of it". " In life he was a most wonderful man.
Soldier, statesman and alchemist.". " He had a mighty brain, a
learning beyond compare and a heart that knew no fear. He dared even
to attend the Scholomance…". "… In him the brain powers survived the
physical death".

In the end of the book Dracula dies at Twilight.
" As I looked, the eyes saw the setting sun and the look of hate in
them turned to triumph…"

(All this aside, as the story is written, our grand Victorian heroes
easily dispatch this great and mighty vampire. He simply crumbles to
dust under the knife of a brave Texan in an anti-climatic moment that
makes little sense given his character traits and battle prowess
revealed less than a chapter before. Dracula's long serving Szekely
blooded descendents drop tail and run and the heroes ride off into
the sunset with their virginity bandaged.)

[deacongray]

Wow this is really a great piece.

I think you make some vert good valid points. I guess many things are in how you view them and some times it takes being shown things in a new light in order to see them in new ways.

I always love your work!

Deacon

[The Madame X]

I also enjoyed the book; my favorite part will always be Dracula’s voyage to London. It was terrific to be able to actually follow Jonathan Harker’s steps to Dracula’s castle while I was in Romania…I dared say I had a meal at the inn where he spent the fabled night.

Its terrific to witness how certain (archane) knowledge is calmly passed on as mere poetry.

From what I gather it is Dracul that means dragon and Dracula to mean ‘son of the dragon’. The addition of the “a” is much like the adding “de” in Portuguese, the “von” in German or the “son” suffix in English.

Book reviews are great!
Keep them coming.