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.

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’ 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

‘There is of the holy water (used to ward off evils) perhaps represent the power held over them darkness in life by a divine figure. Despite this, increasing divergence from orthodox religious beliefs & there are lights, towards more Methodist morals, could have influenced Stoker’s underlying cynical tone & you are one surrounding a deity’s supremacy shown through his words, ‘You should not put of the lights.’ 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. 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

for hope; their purity garnering protection from their male counterparts. In contrast, we never see Dracula’s perspective, which separates him from the action of the plot as well as fabricating his more austere and untouchable exterior. The first glimpse of the Count is seen by Lucy – excluding Mr Harker, whose sanity deteriorates rapidly after doing so. His decline emphasises the sheer power held by Dracula, whilst also creating space for Mr Harker’s claims to be questioned. Comparatively, Harker’s bildungsroman progresses through his wife, Mina’s, hope and grave sincerity. When nursing her husband back to health upon the revelation that he has escaped Dracula’s abode, she learns of the Count’s true nature and is determined to return her husband to the man he once was. This inspires Dr Seward – the first character able to give credibility to Mina and Mr Harker’s initially fanatical claims – to lead a group to butcher Dracula and overthrow the invisible tyrant through the power of a shared moral conscience. Thus, their collective hope spurs the story on. Victorian sexuality is another key way that power is manifested in the novel. “I felt in my heart a wicked burning desire, there was both a deliberate voluptuousness that was both thrilling and repulsive… I closed my eyes… and waited with a beating heart.” Mr Harker, having just witnessed the ethereal, yet minacious, beauty of the three immortal women residing in Castle Dracula, battles with his super-ego’s objections – readily submitting to their sensuality and immodesty. These contrasting depictions of women personify the evident struggle for female power and the threat it poses to traditional masculinity. Lucy in her most powerful position – once transformed into a vampire – is demonised and rendered immoral and corrupt, a far cry from her previously demure persona. The constraints of Victorian sexuality and social hierarchy are seen through this. Lucy shares her thoughts with Mina – ‘Because I did that last night… in my dreams’ - the antithesis of the words of Dr William Acton, published in the late 1800s. ‘The majority of them (women) are not very much troubled by sexual feelings at all’. Despite these deep constraints, the Victorian era did lay the foundations for relationships as we know them today, with the terms ‘heterosexuality’ and ‘homosexuality’ being first created. Therefore, the evolution of Lucy’s position within society – being initially the wallflower and later publicly persecuted – would have marked a conceptual shift in the way that women

were portrayed in literature. The typical power dynamic seen in Victorian patriarchal society is subverted, providing a sense of hope for those escaping a similar repression. The fortification of Lucy and the three anonymous immortals’ power, through the drinking of a man’s blood, threatens masculine power. In conclusion, ‘Dracula’ utilises religious themes in order to convey Stoker’s underlying criticism of the ‘prison’ that was the Victorian era; “This castle is a veritable ‘The typical power prison, and I am the prisoner”. The constraints of the castle itself mirror dynamic seen in how Mr Harker is trapped by his own fear of Dracula and, in turn, is set free Victorian patriarchal by the divulgence of his own hope - society is subverted’ evident through the presence of his wife Mina. The shadow of despair cast over much of London and Transylvania by Dracula’s presence – both places being physically darker and drearier than before his arrival – is juxtaposed by the almost cinematic rising of the sun in the final chapter. This emulates both the rising hope of the band of ‘vampire slayers’ as well as marking the end of a period of metaphorical and physical darkness, making way for tranquillity. Stoker closes his novel with clarity and optimism; “seven years ago we went through the flames, and the happiness of some of us since then is… well worth the pain”. Parallels could be drawn with tyrannical powers in today’s society, whether they be political or medical. For instance, the anticipated conquest by the human race over the Coronavirus Pandemic, or the tenacious perseverance of like-minded individuals preaching equality among all races, ages and genders. They forge our path into the future.