Mr. Gonzales
March 21, 2013
Period 1
Dracula Essay
In the novel, Dracula by Bram Stoker, he developed the writing of his novel by addressing the struggles between a modern society of progress, science, and technology with superstitions, folk beliefs and from the past. Bram stoker became interested in ancient superstitions including one from Cluj in Transylvania, Romania. He was a sickly child whose mother used to tell him ghost stories. Throughout the novel, two characters addressed these behaviors, Abraham Van Helsing, a Dutch professor who is a doctor and a lawyer and a philosopher and metaphysician. Also, Dr. John Seward a young doctor who studies psychological and owns his own asylum. Both of them showed their work by stopping the Count Dracula and killing him and going through rough obstacles.
Firstly, Stoker introduces superstitions with a philosopher doctor, Abraham Van Helsing who when arrives, goes to help Lucy Westerna, a poor girl who has gotten bitten by Dracula, a vampire. He suspects what has Lucy all wrong is two red bite marks on her throat, whom believed by Van Helsing is caused by a vampire. Van Helsing quotes that “the disease – for not to be all well is a disease-interest me” (Stoker121). In this quote states that he suspects something not so well with Lucy’s well-being and wants to figure out the conclusions. One way he tries to use garlic to “treat” Lucy, he spreads it all around her room and makes her wear a wreath around her neck when sleeping and closes the window so nothing evil gets to her while sleeping. A quote that states this superstitions would be “ first he fastened up the windows and latched them securely, next taking a handful of the flowers, he rubbed them all over the sashes, as though to ensure that ever whiff of air that might get in would be laden with the garlic smell”(Stoker 138). Also, when treating Lucy, they come up with modern science/technology, for example Lucy keeps getting worst and looks