Category: Blog: Dracula, 16-21

After Witnessing such a horrible tragedy, I could not help but think about poor Madam Mina that my hand holds dear. It kept me thinking all night thinking that very soon it would be the last time I will be able to do such an act. Of course there is the thought of her young lover, how will he press on after the evils that have taken his wife against the name of God? We can’t do another transfusion knowing what we know, and the only known cure is death. Why God? Why must you have let another young, innocent soul be tainted by the unholy abominations that spawn from below? If only you were a little bit sooner to ward off the foul creature that preys on our purest of hearts. As much as I am saddened by the events that transpired before my eyes, I still believe in you God. For with your divine arsenal of holy artillery, we can put an end to this unspeakable evil and save our world from future invasion. The two lasses may be too late to save, but their souls will ascend to heaven where they can be eternally happy. It will be how God repays these poor souls for the tragedy that has harmed them.  

 

Van Helsing almost seems too reliant on the powers that may be. He tends to believe that God will make everything right in the end, yet he may not come right away. Van Helsing has this almost internal struggle with God as he is still losing these innocent people to a demon, but still believes that God will make things right in the end.

In the story of Dracula, there are 2 scenes that offer clues to the book’s attitude towards colonialism. One of those scenes is when Dracula goes to take over London. This hints colonialism because Dracula is trying to take over the land with his own race, which is just like colonialism. Also, Dracula takes control of Mina and Lucy instead of just killing them. If he killed them straight away, that would probably be related to an invasion or some sort of terrorizing attack. Just like how Great Britain wanted to take over weaker forces, Dracula was very similar if not the same. Let us remember that he is from Transylvania, making him a foreign invader. Van Helsing mentions, “adding new victims and multiplying the evils of the world”. This sounds just very much like colonialism doesn’t it? Except that colonialism isn’t exactly always evil. Sometimes its just to expand while other times are to get stronger. The vampires are like the evils of colonialism. They want to take over with their own intentions, but not for the greater good. Dracula, is especially a symbol of evil. He has hunger for not only blood, but power as well. When the men managed to stake Lucy, they basically released her from Dracula’s control. Lucy was reclaimed from Dracula. A colony (Lucy) being freed from a larger power (Dracula). I feel like there is some symbolism of savagery that the British saw their empire as counteracting, but not too much unless I missed something along the way.

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.