Dracula And Wuthering Heights Essay

Books for centuries influence countless people and the world itself. Some novels describe the life at the time, and others defy society any way thought of. Wuthering Heights written by Emily Bronte and Dracula by Bram Stoker lie on the side of defying society. These two novels were written against the odds due to their various themes and topics. Both contain material that would be considered scandalous or daring, and one of these multiple themes include dominance. Dominance runs rampant in both texts. Throughout the two novels, dominance emanates in fascinating and unexpected ways.

To start off, Cathy in Wuthering Heights attempts to achieve what she yearns for from the men. She discovers a way to control men through her voice. The young

lady detects a way to utilize “the power of language” to “control against the dominant order” (Barreca). Cathy acts a particular way and receives her wishes. Her voice contains this power due to the love that those around her have for the young lady. In a way Cathy’s words charm because Heathcliff and Edgar fall for her heart without her doing a single thing except speak around the two of them. For example, one day while Heathcliff visited the Linton’s place, insults were exchanged between Cathy and Heathcliff against Edgar. Edgar trying to remain calm did not lash back until push comes to shove, smacks Heathcliff in the face, and storms off. Later the same day, Edgar asks Catherine to pick between him and Heathcliff, but she refuses to pick and drives herself deathly sick. Edgar, a few days later, checks up on her, but Cathy complains to Edgar crying out, “Hush! I don’t want you, Edgar: I’m past wanting you” (Bronte 73). Catherine complains to him to get her way and make him leave on his own and let her wallow in misery alone. Edgar only desires even more to love his wife even more after hearing those words, but she wants nothing to do with the man and better yet sit in his presence. Mrs. Linton knows the her husband will listen to her. She whips into shape to obey every command she throws at him. She recognizes the power and influence she contains over the men in her life such as Edgar and applies this supremacy any time she wants something and does not receive it at first. Cathy utilizes her voice to overpower men in the book and achieve her goals.
Words, however, in Wuthering Heights are not the only thing in control.

Cathy contains power in death. In a criticism by Daniel Burt, he notes that Cathy in a way shows dominance over Heathcliff in her death. Instead of Heathcliff’s love for Cathy eventually diminishing, he yearns for her even more. He completely loses himself growing unbelievably mad in love he holds for the lady. For instance, one night Heathcliff wanders over to Cathy’s place to visit her once more. The typical meeting morphed into a horrific night. Nelly passes a message Heathcliff never expected to hear. She explains to him that the love his life Cathy passed away from the sickness she drove herself into. Heathcliff cries in a vicious roar, “Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living! You said I killed you-haunt me, then!” (Bronte 87). He permits her to taunt and torture him after Cathy’s death. This opens the door for Cathy to continue her reign over Heathcliff. He does not care on any level about the consequences of his wish or actions may bring. Heathcliff ultimately allowed the woman to drive him to the grave to rest and be with her for eternity; the love he grows for Cathy allows her to control man and even more so in her death. In short, the death Cathy entitles on herself only furthers her power and control over Heathcliff as he breaths on

miserably.
In the novel Dracula by Stoker, the vampire named Count Dracula holds power explicitly over other vampires. For vampires, Count dominates over the evil creatures through their sexuality. A critic named Phyllis Roth claims in one of her criticisms that “Dracula controls the women vampires”. He bends their will to his and produce fruit for himself while giving them some satisfaction to maintain their happiness. He decides what they may have and may not countless times. An example of this occurs at the beginning of the book with Jonathan. He wanders around Count’s castle and turns up in a room with three other women which turn out to be vampires. They analyze the young man before pouncing on him seeking some love and “kisses”. Dracula flashes in like lightening and hisses at them “How dare you touch him, any of you?” (Stoker 33) and saves Jonathan from death and transforming into one of the devilish creatures. In this, Dracula does not only mean literal touching but also the lustful touch. They sought after his blood and love. They absolutely love what they perceive in the man externally and internally. In and through this, Count proves his dominance over the other vampires. He maintains complete control over them by halting the parasites in their tracks if their actions interfere with what Dracula desires. None of the vampires dare or even wish to cross the devil. They all know what will transpire if they disobey the king, and punishment will not be pleasant on any level at all. Dracula through this exercises power over their sexual desires. He ultimately decides what they can have to please themselves with. In brief, Dracula contains sexual power the other vampires he possessed.
Even more, Dracula literally controls others through his immense powers. He manipulates everything and anything he can that lay under his wings. In a criticism Phyllis Roth observes that “Dracula acts out the repressed fantasies of the others”. He familiarizes himself and recognizes what temptations to throw at people to sway them into Dracula’s favor. The snake draws out inner desires to gain power over others and manipulate them as he pleases. Count has countless years of experience in doing this. He performs this exact action with his minion Reinfield. Dracula knows Reinfield pretty well already due to the fact that he works for the vampire. Count acknowledges the fact that Reinfield strives for life and craves for living creatures to sustain himself on their lives. Dracula tempts his slave with this necessity in order to receive permission to enter the asylum. Reinfield recalls the memory by saying, “Then he began promising me things- not in words but by doing them” (Stoker 239). The man fell under Count’s spell once more and offered the vampire approval in entering the asylum; hence he could not resist the temptation and paid for it dearly through his life. Reinfield depends on animals quite too much, and Count abuses this knowledge for his personal gains. Dracula manipulates Reinfield for the sole purpose of gaining permission to enter the sanctuary. He “promised” Reinfield life to obtain what he desired to obtain. Count never intends on delivering to Reinfield and fulfill what he promises. Dracula sways people into one direction and continues to pull on them until they give in and obey his commands; he masters control and manipulation towards other in order to collect what he craves for. Dracula panels everything as long as people allow him inch his way into their life and so begins the surrendering to his will.
Consequently, Dracula contains a unique power much greater than controlling others. He withholds power internally of others that he possesses. Carol Senf, a critic of Dracula, recognizes this fact and remarks, “Dracula is a threat internally more than externally”. He controls the inner desires of those around him as well. Possessing one externally only means dominance over actions but revolting lies a possibility still, however internal possession lies on a whole different level. Power of the inside means absolute dominance. The way one thinks controls how he lives his life. Controlling the inside ultimately leads to control of the outside. In addition, desire contains more power than given credit (Senf). Desire drives humans as a species. Whether it be through eating, searching for a home, or hobbies they love craving initiates all of these. Creating people to desire something eventually leads to control as long as power over passion remains. An extremely tiny amount of maintenance is required after obtaining custody of one’s passion. The person naturally accomplishes the “master’s” wishes without the slave comprehending what his actions mean for others. He believes he acts out after his own craving not someone else’s. Unless an outsider aids the slave in grasping the truth, the slave forever will remain in the master’s hands. To sum up, power of desire and within dominates a person forever and ever.
To conclude, dominance occurs throughout Wuthering Heights and Dracula. Supremacy over others, on the contrary, take places in thousands of books and in ways one does not expect at all. The theme lives in millions novels and side by side in everyday lives. People will always have power over others in some shape, way, or form. The world must awaken to those who maintain authority other one another or power in general. Those in command influence others in ways not expected. Stay alert of those who influence another and cautious of what kind of impact one contains because he may suck the life right out of another.