Each of the prompts should be answered by at least 1 member of blog group 1. Please confer amongst yourselves as to who will write which prompt. (Each member should try to do a different category than the one(s) they’ve already done!) Responses should be at least 250 words and posted by 11 am the day of class. Please remember to select the appropriate Blog category before posting.
CLUE.
During the late 19th century, the British Empire reached the peak of its territorial expansion. The British colonized people and places all over the world, extracting their resources and changing their culture, in the name of Christianity and progress.
Against this backdrop, focus on 2 scenes in ch. 16-21 that offer clues as to the book’s attitude toward colonialism. You could look at the scene of Lucy’s staking, the scenes where the heroes reclaim British soil from a foreign invader, the scene where Van Helsing describes the enemy, etc. Are vampires – and Dracula specifically – symbols of colonialism’s evils? Or do they symbolise the “savagery” and backwardness that the British saw their Empire as counteracting?
CONNECT.
Van Helsing gives a detailed description of vampires, and of Dracula’s specific history, in Chapter 18. Vampires in general seem very powerful; Dracula in particular seems both powerful and smart.
Connect the description of vampires and Dracula in Chapter 18 with our lecture last week on technology and the 1890’s. In what ways do vampire powers match, or even exceed, the capabilities of modern technology? In what ways does Dracula seem modern, not just a representative of savage history?
CREATE.
One character whose journal entries we never see is Dr. Van Helsing’s. Create a fictional journal entry from his perspective, written right after the events of Ch. 21. What details from the scene are lodged in his brain? As he reflects on the details of Mina’s horrific encounter with Dracula, is he overcome with disgust and fear, or does he maintain heroic determination even in private? How much does he rely on religion for comfort, and how much on his scientific expertise?
After the paragraph, include 1-2 sentences explaining the rationale behind your characterization of Van Helsing.
