Each of the prompts should be answered by at least 1 member of blog group 2. 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.
CONNECT.
In our lecture Thursday, we discussed the historical context of late Victorian imperialism and its influence on the novel. Dracula can be seen as a “reverse colonizer” whose actions mirror the British Empire’s own actions in diverse parts of the globe. At the same time, Dracula’s presence justifies a renewal of patriotism and a determination to expel the “foreign” presence.
Connect one scene from Ch. 22-27 to a point raised during lecture. You might want to look at the scenes that depict the vampire hunters’ journey out of Britain back to Transylvania, and the way they literally reclaim soil by making it uninhabitable for the King Vampire. How does the scene critique or celebrate colonization and/or the taking of land?
CLUE.
In this final section, Mina’s “baptism of blood” introduces a ticking-bomb motivation to the action. The protagonists must race to defeat Dracula, and end his influence on her, before she completely turns into a vampire. While Jonathan longs for the chance to “send his soul forever and ever to burning hell,” Mina pleads with him to show mercy.
In light of the novel’s running fascination with religion, pick a scene that offers a clue as to which view of religion the novel sides with: Jonathan’s or Mina’s. You might specifically look at a scene where religious symbols or scriptures are invoked. Does the text ultimately support Christian forgiveness, or is religion mainly about carrying out God’s vengeance on a Satanic enemy?
CREATE.
At the novel’s end, we find out that Jonathan and Mina have a son–Quincey Harker. The boy takes center stage in the final lines, representing the future. At the same time, let’s not forget that his mother came very close to becoming a vampire, and did have Dracula’s blood inside her body at some point…
Create a paragraph, written from young Quincey’s perspective, in which he discuses his parents’ great adventure. What do they reveal to him, and what do they withhold? How does he react? Is there any suggestion of Dracula’s lingering influence? Include 1-2 sentences after the paragraph to support your characterization.
