Preview

Book Analysis: Dracula

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
762 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
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

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Psychological Sigmund Freud, Volume XIV (1914-1916): On the History of the Psycho-Analytic Movement, Papers on…

    • 3089 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Psy250 Week1 Individual

    • 1265 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Sigmund Freud, was an Austrian physician, he was responsible for the development of the psychoanalytic theory in the early 1900s. “According to Freud’s theory, conscious experience is only a small part of our psychological makeup and experience. He argued that much of our behavior is motivated by the unconscious, a part of the personality that contains the memories, knowledge, beliefs, feelings, urges, drives, and instincts of which the individual is not aware.” (Feldman, 2011).…

    • 1265 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dracula, written by Bram Stoker in 1897, is a novel that has influenced generations of thrilling gothic novels and horror movies alike. The vampire Count Dracula is not the first of his kind in literary history but he is without a doubt the most famous. Most novels written about vampires after 1897 can trace some of its roots to Dracula. One of the unique characteristics about the novel is the point of view in which the novel is written. The story is told through letters, journal entries, and newspaper articles accounting for the characters interactions with Count Dracula. One of the most telling characters in the novel is not represented through his own point of view, but by others interactions with him. Renfield…

    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The views of the people during the Victorian Era hold true in this book until they are brought out by Dracula’s power. This power of seduction is very visible throughout the entire novel, and brings out the character’s repressed sexual thoughts. Each character affected by this power shows a change in their sexuality in some…

    • 1679 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Abraham Stoker was born on November 8, 1847 in the small town of Clontorf, Ireland. His father, whom he was named after, was a civil servant and his mother, Charlotte Matilda Blake, was a social activist. As a child Bram was very sick, so he was unable to leave his bed for most of his childhood. As an adult, Bram went to Trinity College and was a very brilliant student. Graduating with Honors in Mathematics in 1870. After his education, Bram served in the Irish Civil Service for 10 years. Bram was an aspiring writer in which his 10 years of Civil Service he wrote for the Dublin Mail. As years went on Bram started to write and publish novels. His first was The Snakes Pass which he wrote in 1890. His most well-known novel, Dracula, was published in 1897. Dracula was received very well by the public which helped garner him a greater audience of readers. Stoker then began to work with the London Telegraph and wrote more horror novels such as: The Lady of the Shroud (1909) and The Lair of the White Worm which was published in 1911. The following year after the publication of The Lair of the White Worm Stoker died in London.…

    • 1568 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Stoker uses isolated settings to perpetuate fear of the unknown. Just like telling myths, stories, and grim tales, inside of each kind, there are always those spooky, mysterious, and petrifying “things” that makes everyone go nuts over it. For example, a haunted house, the basement, or the forest all in which creates terror and fear of what is lurking around these settings. In “Dracula,” Stoker creates this sensational feeling of isolation: the fear of the unknown. Here we see Jonathan traveling to Transylvania to Count Dracula’s mansion. Jonathan had wrote that, “…the driver was in the act of pulling up the horses in the courtyard of a vast ruined castle, from whose tall black windows came no ray of light, and whose broken battlements showed a jagged line against the moonlit sky (pg.18)” literally meaning that this was no ordinary location within the bounds of society as we see “vast ruined castle.” Moreover as well as the “tall black windows [which] came no ray of light” which intensify the gist of isolation pertaining to human society as well as nature aspects because it shuts one out on human contact and also, the fact that one is going to…

    • 1735 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Other than being remade into other forms such as movies and cartoons, Dracula was a relatively new concept during the time of its publication and had a major impact to its surrounding society. Today, the novel’s uses of multiple unique elements of writing such as dramatic irony, the everyman, and suspense/mystery continues to speak to interests of readers. In addition, the character itself, like any other supernatural beings including ghosts and witches, naturally intriguing us just based on many people’s love of getting scared; Dracula is portrayed in the novel as a completely evil and manipulative character that feasts upon the lives of mortals for his survival. Throughout the course of “Dracula,” Stoker used an epistolary form of writing not only for its prevalence in the Victorian era, but also for its effectiveness in portraying first person point-of-views and first-hand accounts for multiple characters. By doing so, he was able to make readers feel as if they themselves could have been in the characters’ shoes. Because it was an epistolary format and readers knew exactly what each character knew and did not know, his application of dramatic irony became clearer than other literary pieces as well. Dramatic irony was used in the course of the novel in multiple ways. The Victorian readers already knew of the vampire concept by the 18th century and Dracula was written in the early-mid 19th century. As they read the novel, they generally would have known what Dracula was, and had a similar idea to what we think now, before Jonathan Harker’s realization of Dracula’s intentions (Stoker 22). Another way dramatic irony was added in the novel was the placement of each journal. For instance, readers were notified first of Jonathan’s experiences in his journal and then Mina’s journal was revealed with her wondering about the condition of her finace (Stoker 27,…

    • 1029 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gothic literature originated in the late 19th century and was a branch of the larger Romantic Movement. Like the Romantics, Gothic writers also endeavoured to provoke deep emotions in their readers, however their motive was to access the darker side of humanity and create an atmosphere of mystery, apprehension and extreme fear through the use of the genre’s conventions. Authors employ secluded and grotesque settings, supernatural beings and events, combines horror and romance as well as highlighting overwrought emotions. The ability to enthral reader’s emotions through the exploration of human weakness has allowed the Gothic genre to continue into the twenty-first century, modifying to reflect present societal concerns. The works of Bram Stroker’s in his novel Dracula and Angela Carter’s modern short story The Lady In The House of Love explore the concepts of Gothic setting and characterization through the use of description, symbolism, imagery, simile, sibilance and emotive language.…

    • 890 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As he travels to Count Dracula's castle, Jonathan ignores the warnings that the locals give him about Dracula, but does accept a gift of a crucifix. He continues obliviously on his way to the castle. His travels to the castle are largely uneventful, with the exception of a run in with a pack of wolves and a mysterious carriage driver.…

    • 554 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dracula Essay Example

    • 365 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Like many books from this time, Bram Stoker’s Dracula deals with one of the greatest human conflicts: the struggle between good and evil. In Dracula, Bram Stoker highlights the interplay of good and evil through the use of characters, symbols, and natural elements.…

    • 365 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dracula Queer Theory

    • 478 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The existence of alien and intolerable behavior generates fear into society’s mentality of the expected conduct. But does the ‘queer’ lurk under the bed? Or is it a part of all of us? The classic text “Dracula”, written by Bram Stoker, is valuable in understanding the course of society in its exploration of tabooed acts and mentalities, supported by the “Queer Theory” prevalent in the mid 1900’s. Although the queer theory describes the author’s subconscious drive for homosexual and feministic expression, Stoker’s stand point, however, is to highlight society’s vulnerability caused by their oppression of individuality and lack of conformity. Through this text we have been able to understand the flaws in a conformist society where individuality and the “different” are oppressed.…

    • 478 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Dracula

    • 1445 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In one’s novel, themes successfully assist to highlight the social, cultural and historical context in which can impact the experience one can face. In ‘Dracula’ by Bram Stoker we are confronted by three protagonist who are un aware of the fact that vampires are lurking around, they experience various attacks and shocking discoveries which leads them to a new concept on the world which they must stop before it is too late. During their time the way they perceived these occurrences was heavily influenced by the social, cultural and historical context at the time of 19th century or the Victorian Age. Stoker has used the themes of Gender roles, Good vs Evil, Religion and Superstition to help reflect the context in which Dracula was set in.…

    • 1445 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dracula

    • 757 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Bram Stoker wrote the novel Dracula, which was published in May the 26th in 1897. The novel positions the audience to believe Dracula is the antagonist because he is different and in society being different is bad. The novel Dracula is a prime example of a gothic love story genre. It has remained a popular novel by representing the life of the Victorian era. ‘Dracula’ utilises the concepts of power and gender as shown in the book. Men are supposed to be strong, brave, and decisive, whereas women are supposed to be sweet, pure, and innocent.…

    • 757 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the year 1897, Bram Stoker releases the crown jewel of the 20th century: his vampire epic Dracula. Ever since Dracula, Transylvania, and castles have been associative of vampirism, the world has become “bloody”. There are slight deviations to the novel, but the majority of them are fairly partial to the novel. Worldly views show Dracula as an old man with a new face. The inception of Bram Stoker’s Dracula has been the melting pot of the recreations and incarnations of the world’s deadliest, blood-sucking vampire, Count Dracula.…

    • 1096 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The novel “ Dracula” by Bram Stocker is one of the most famous horror novels in literature history all over the world. This well –known work of art was insight into the mind of many reader generations . Therefore, it took for granted that they impressed character Count Dracula on the memory through the attractive written pages of author.…

    • 1732 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays