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Dracula themes - Coggle Diagram
Dracula themes
Foreign
The theme of the foreign is one of the themes we are first introduced to as a reader through Jonathan Harker.
Context: During the time in which Stoker wrote this book the British Empire had seen a sharp decline in their power, wealth and influence. This therefore caused the British people to be unnerved as they felt that without the power they once held, they are vulnerable to attack, by foreigners, especially in Europe.
The theme of the fear of the foreign is closely linked to that of the fear of invasion, as the British people at the period thought that the foreign were going to be the one that invades them. This view is heavily supported in the book.
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The reader is often confused as to the theme of the foreign. They are displayed to be completely different to them, they are also depicted to be evil and savage, this idea is seen by Harker when he arrives in Bistriz and he describes the nature and the people to be wild. However there is an anomaly to the the way that foreigners are depicted and that is Abraham Van Helsing.
Van Helsing could be suggested to be the outlier to the depiction of foreigners, as he is presented as kind, helpful and a father-figure to the rest of the main characters. The fact that Stoker develop the construct of Van Helsing this way opposes his initial depiction of the foreign. Therefore, the reader is uncertain whether he truly supported or rejected the foreign.
Madness
In Victorian England, madness was a concept that had very little understanding. They could not understand the cause of madness, therefore they isolated those who were suffering from it, moreover, they were treated terribly. The character that can be associated to the theme of madness is Renfield.
Madness is a key motif that helps to established the different constructs present in the book, as all of them had to make peace with the supernatural and the occult that was ongoing in the book. Throughout the novel, many of the characters doubted their own senses and thought that they may have been going mad.
The theme of madness is very important as the characters found it easier to believe that they were going mad, than actually believe in the supernatural - this was a very British attitude.
The construct of Renfield epitomises the theme of madness and the lack of awareness and understanding about it. Renfield conveys the non-sequitur logic of a madman, where at one time he is violent and energetic, however at another time he is depicted as calm and level-minded.
In addition, the fact that Renfield is closely associated to Dracula may suggest that madness may be linked to the devil.
Religion VS Science
Throughout the novel, the reader could argue that there is a conflict between olden and modern views, which may be presented by religion and science.
There are references to religion and how important it is in defeating Dracula. All these religious items are used to hurt Dracula or in some cases prevent him form entering certain places.
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However science could be argued to be as equally important, as it was science that saved Lucy's life (blood transplant), it is also the progression of science that was used to catch up to Dracula, by train, steamboat and more.
The idea that the conflict between religion and science is presented in the novel could be relevant to the time period. As Victorian England was moving towards a period of modernity (Fin de Siecle), therefore religion had a weaker hold on the Victorian audience. However religion cannot be completely dispelled as it is always relied upon when science fails - humans having an innate act of turning to God in their time of need.
In the period the play was set, science was just beginning to advance and this was a monumental achievement for the British as it revolutionised the way things were done before - for example communication and transport.
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Blood
Blood is a key motif in the novella, due to the idea of vampirism and the portrayal of Dracula. Furthermore the motif of blood is also used to emphasise the colour of red throughout the novel.
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Blood is important as it helps the reader understand the idea of vampirism better. The reader is aware that blood is required to sustain a vampire.
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The theme of blood can also be associated to the Christian faith, the blood of Jesus, as the wine represents the blood of Jesus. This reference is quite interesting as the motif of religion is responsible for defeating the dark forces of Dracula.
The theme of blood is used to convey sexual intercourse - due to the drawing and exchange of body fluids.
The supernatural
The theme of the supernatural closely relates to vampirism and Dracula, as they are considered the supernatural. The definition of the supernatural is: "(of a manifestation or event) attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature." This is interesting as the constructs in the novel at the early chapters could not fathom the supernatural - this links to the British attitudes of Victorian England.
The supernatural is presented as menacing and malicious as it is directly linked to Dracula himself. Dracula is used to portray and represent the idea of the supernatural powers that vampires posses.
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