Book Analysis: Dracula
Written in 1897, the greatest horror book in its time was created, Dracula, by Bram Stocker. This book contained different aspects of vampirism that was had associated itself with flight of the imagination of romanticism. Freud's idea of psychoanalysis was basically intertwined with this book, because his psychoanalytical reasoning's was based on this book. "All human experiences of morbid dread and aggressive wishes and in vampirism we see these repressed wishes becoming plainly visible." -Sigmund Freud. The way psychoanalysis and this book relate is how the Victorian ideology affects the war how people think and act according to the situation. Such as many of the characters in this book had suffered from the fog of confusion which they had believed in. Many of the Freudian perspectives are noted in this book such as when Jonathan had gone to Dracula's castle without proper reason. Even though many of the people in his city had tried to talk him out of it, he disregarded everyone, and continued his journey on to Transylvania. Along the way he noticed blue flames alongside the road, as the "Driver"(Dracula) places stones around the flame, Jonathan irrationalizes what he sees even though it is viewed in front of him. "I took it that my eyes deceived me straining through the darkness."(Stocker 22) This quote shows how the confusion of the Victorian ideology comes in to play, even though he sees this he wants believe in reality instead of what he actually sees right in front of him. "A man should not strive to eliminate his complexes, but to get into accord with them; they are legitimately what direct his conduct in the world." - Sigmund Freud. This quote describes how Jonathan is somewhat becoming insane by the fact that he will not believe what he sees with his eyes but his own interpretation which corresponds with his beliefs. Without knowing reality he will not be able to survive mentally or physically at Dracula's castle. Though he thought he was a guest of
Cited: * Freud, Sigmund. "Quote by Freud, Sigmund on Insanity." Quotations Book 19 Aug. 2010. General OneFile. Web. 17 Feb.
* Freud, Sigmund. "Quote by Freud, Sigmund on Mind." Quotations Book 19 Aug. 2010. General OneFile. Web. 17 Feb.
* Michels, Robert, and Sterba, Richard. "Freud, Sigmund (1856-1939)." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Ed. Suzanne M. Bourgoin. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale Research, 1998. General OneFile. Web. 17 Feb. 2011.
Pranav Patel
Dracula Criticism Essay
English IV Period 3rd