Blood Thirst & Power Hunger: How does Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ show the triumph of hope in the face of a tyrannical power? Paige Griffiths Harry Evans In ‘Dracula’, Stoker uncovers the battle between divine power – Dracula – and the perseverance of hope and ambition. Written through the multiple perspectives of different characters’ letters and diary entries, the novel progressively topples the historical gender stereotypes and how they are conveyed within literature.
diegesis finds itself constrained by the religious restraints of the time. Prayers and religious beliefs form the driving force of the hopes of those oppressed both physically and mentally by Count Dracula – the motifs of the cross, as well as the purity of the holy water (used to ward off evils) perhaps represent the power held over them by a divine figure. Despite this, increasing divergence from orthodox religious beliefs towards more Methodist morals, could have influenced Stoker’s underlying cynical tone surrounding a deity’s supremacy shown through his words, ‘You should not put your faith in such objects of deceit.’ Dracula personifies the evil within the ‘Inconsistent Triad’ – the argument against the concept of an omnipotent and omnibenevolent god, whilst malevolence persists. As such, Dracula’s power and aptitude for evil would have caused readers of the day to question the existence of God.
‘There is darkness in life & there are lights, & you are one of the lights.’
Dracula’s developing persona throughout the novel challenges the supremacy of God and the supposed boundaries and societal norms surrounding religion in the late 1800s. First published in 1897, ‘Dracula’s’
Stoker’s depiction of power is also seen through the character of Lucy, whose innocence is exposed throughout her gradual demise. Moreover, this imbalance of power is exhibited through the structural layout of the novel, where Lucy, being resigned to her fate in her final hours, juxtaposes her previous youth and vitality. Through the eyes of Mina and Lucy, differing gender perspectives are exposed. Dr Van Helsing says of Mina towards the end of the novel: “There is darkness in life and there are lights, and you are one of the lights, the light of all lights”. Here, female figures are used as vehicles 38
