Examples Of Christianity In Dracula

Dracula, a vampire that serves as an anti-Christ, is a human embodiment that the Victorians fear and hope to destroy. Stoker describes him as a prominent figure of grieving evil, a curse that is a disgrace to the Victorian society. Having seen Count Dracula being ostracized from deviating from Christianity and creating his own religion, Stoker intends to persuade readers that believing in such religion is required and essential to human survival. One tradition of Christianity that Dracula greatly distorts is the Christian sacrament. It involves drinking wine and eating a wafer that are symbolic to the blood and body of Christ. On the contrary, Dracula draws back when Van Helsing holds a Sacred Wafer, “the Count suddenly stopped, just as poor
Lucy had done outside the tomb, and cowered back” (Stoker 305). The wafer is a symbol related to Christianity, proving that Dracula is the only anti-Christian of the novel. It is interesting to note that during this attack, gathered Englishmen, trying to get rid of Dracula, are not powerful enough to protect a woman, though they are inherently stronger than Dracula. Yet, one holy item, that is the Wafer, does the job. This suggests that in any struggle between the good, that is Christ, and the devil, Dracula won’t ever succeed. In addition, he drinks human blood, rather than wine, to gain his physical, yet soulless life, without the hope of salvation. He is invasive and disrupts one’s soul and spirit, in a manner of trying to gain an intimate relationship. Although he gains power of Mina Harker after drinking her blood, Mina receives something in return, “If I thought that the Count’s power over her would die away equally with her power of knowledge it would be a happy thought; but I am afraid that it may not be so” (Stoker 376). Mina takes advantage of this mind power to keep track of Dracula’s actions and feelings, leading her to Dracula’s hiding spot. Dracula is destined to die at the end of the novel because Mina, in fact, is a true follower of Christianity, “Now God be thanked that all has not been in vain!” (Stoker 411). She is able to bond with God, having trusted him to keep her alive on this mission to kill Dracula, and build that strong friendship with Jonathan Harker and Van Helsing, who are also devoted Christian followers. Mina performs this act of betrayal toward Dracula because he is the antiChrist. As a result, at the end of the novel, Dracula fails to be alive from this religious mission. Having talked about intimacy between Dracula and his victims, Dracula also breaks the tradition of marriage.
In Christianity, marriage is meant to connect the two souls eternally. However, Dracula does not have a soul to begin with. Normally, the body of a corpse dies, and the soul lives eternally.. Yet, Dracula’s soul is lost, and his body is left to be alive. In addition, the three vampire ladies are under Dracula’s influence, but Dracula strives to intimately create a fourth victim either through Lucy or Mina. Stoker implies that Dracula doesn’t have an ideal relationship with his three vampire ladies; therefore, he tries to find a replacement. In fact, the vampire ladies don’t express their love for Dracula. “There was something about them that made me feel uneasy, some longing and at the same time some deadly fear... kiss me with those red lips” (Stoker 40). Jonathan’s sexual desire builds up as he wants to kiss them back. Dracula then becomes furious with the three ladies once he’s found them seducing Jonathan. It is interesting how these vampire ladies are more sexually driven than Dracula. They seduce Jonathan without hesitation and with more aggressiveness, while Dracula sucks Lucy and Mina’s blood when they are asleep at night. The action toward others, like Jonathan or Lucy, determine the extent or nature of Dracula and the three vampires’ relationship. The idea that Dracula starts from being poignant and elegant to being furious and obsessive after this scene
shows his dysfunctional relationship. With Christianity, followers believe that God creates the world from the bottom of his heart. Since God loves those who follow him, he teaches them how to love others who are devoted as well. Again, Dracula is the antiChrist and doesn’t receive help from God. He can’t find the meaning behind true love, such that Dracula can’t make such sacrifice that he will be willing to make for the benefit of others. In contrast, Van Helsing strictly follows the rules of the church regarding marriage. “With my poor wife dead to me, but alive by Church’s law, though no wits, all gone--even I, who am faithful husband to this now-no-wife, am bigamist” (Stoker 188). Stoker implies that Dracula is completely opposite to Van Helsing, who is a devoted Christian follower. Though Van Helsing’s wife is disabled, he continues to see her as his beloved wife and never ponders to separate that relationship. Moreover, one aspect of human survival is bonding and building connections. Dracula clearly does not correctly perform these behaviors. Last aspect of Christianity that is distorted is Dracula’s idea of followers.
With Christianity, God has his disciples whom he truly loves and trusts to spread words about himself. In contrast, Dracula has followers, such as Renfield and the vampire ladies, who he treats them like slaves. “I am here to do Your bidding, Master. I am Your slave, and You will reward me, for I shall be faithful” (Stoker 111). Renfield tells this to Dr. Seward, as if he’s satisfied to be under Dracula’s influence. Renfield also seems carried away by the Christian traditions. If he were to spread positive words to his Master, he would receive a gift, such as receiving an eternal life. Yet, he is blinded by the fact that Dracula will never reward him. God equally treats his followers with respect, as he strives to bring their souls to salvation and lead them to an eternal life. Having also identified Dracula as the Un-Dead, he is blocked by this act of salvation. Unlike God, Dracula kills Renfield because Renfield obstructs his plan to avoid Lucy, Dr. Seward, Mina, and Van Helsing. Killing someone is generally a crime. In a religious manner, Dracula’s action is sinful and won’t be resurrected in order to gain an eternal life. “He had heard him yell; and when he went to him found him lying on his face on the floor, all covered with blood” (Stoker 296). Because Renfield is under Dracula’s influence, he isn’t one of the followers of Christianity as well. Consequently, he dies earlier than other
characters in the novel. Stoker intends to persuade that finding others who follow Christianity will positively determine the fate of his or her own life. In conclusion, Dracula creates his own religion, having sucked human blood, rather than wine, to gain his physical yet soulless life and used followers with no respect to track down those who are devoted Christian followers, that reveals how Stoker uses him to be the perversion of Christianity. In fact, it’s remarkably difficult to not find anyone being ostracized in society, whether it is of religion, race, or gender. Stoker carries this message that not only from a physical aspect, but the need for social acceptance also emerges as a mechanism for human survival.