Signs Of Being The Outsider In The Novel Dracula By Bram Stoker

Humber College

Literature Essay

Christina O’Doherty

HUMA 242 - 005

Professor: Mark Wadman

Christina O’Doherty

HUMA 242 - 005

Professor: Mark Wadman

Bram Stoker created an array of characters in his novel Dracula. I decided to examine Dracula himself because he is one of the most interesting characters of this novel. Dracula in my opinion show signs of being the outsider in this novel; the lone wolf per say in an ever changing world around him. In a conversation with Johnathon Harker, Dracula proclaims, “I long to go through the crowded streets of your mighty London, to be in the midst of the whirl and rush of humanity, to shave its life, its change, its deaths…” (Stoker). That sentence alone explains how much of an outsider

he sees himself, he is always looking on the outside in never actually in the loop.
The novel itself was published in 1897 so the traits of the “typical vampire” itself was a blood thirsty, emotionless monster.

You see the clear divide between the good and the bad characters of the novel itself. Stoker makes you believe that Dracula may only be capable of negative emotion. The main character traits being hunger, hate, bitterness, and contempt. Being s vampire though Dracula has some unexplained abilities that puts him at predatory level compared to humans. He has the ability to hypnotize others, to influence the weather and change his own shape not to mention his immense physical strength. He is portrayed as a tall, thin old man, with red eyes and unusually sharp teeth. But this white haired man explained at the start of the story begins to appear to be getting younger the more human blood he consumes. But with becoming younger and a more approachable with his look and clothing choices he still seemed to on the outside looking in on the world around him. Dracula lives alone in a rural area in a castle; that may not be to appealing and welcoming to other guests. Why would anyone bother going there in the first place, it brings out that type of feeling that just says “stay away”. It is like when Dracula would travel to London and interact with different people he just never seemed to look quite right, he could never really blend in with human society. Dracula would often come across as if he felt superior to humanity and it was as if they were only there for

his entertainment and nourishment.
The vampire character as a whole seems to be the outsider in most early stages of literature written about vampires. Not really connected with humanity but connected just enough as to not lose their sense of humanity or what it may mean to them to be human. Plus Dracula can only go out in the night time (he would be burned alive if he were to go out during the day) which logically thinking about there aren’t the nicest people out during the night especially in the year the book was written in. What type of actual human interaction will he get from wandering the streets at night when most people would be at home sleeping? Thus giving further argument as to why he is the outsider in this novel.
Take account Dracula’s victims which all tend to be women almost victimizing them in a way.

It gives him a type of sexual predator trait as if to show some evidence of the author’s suspicion and anxiety toward all forms if sexuality, especially those considered “perverse”. It’s taking Dracula’ s hunger for human blood and looking at it as a type of sexual hunger which in turn is where you get the sexual predator trait from. But in some form Dracula did love Mina and from the way it was written seemed to try and put less emphasis on the fact that humanity has this type of monstrous trait in within all of us. Stoker put a softer side to Dracula to make him seem more relatable, the fact of the story is one love stricken man trying to steal another love stricken man’s fiancé. Dracula himself seemed to just take many different forms or personalities as he needs to for a particular situation. Almost like a drifter that changes to his surroundings; and in some form a drifter can be considered an outsider and not usually very welcome into the social norm.

The outsider can be defined as a social cast out and what better created creature to be compared to that then a vampire. Dracula in this novel is the outsider, the drifter, the every changing character. The one character that never really fits into a category or into society, he is cursed to forever wonder alone in the world never knowing another humans touch; nor remember what it felt like to be loved by another person. Just that

sentence explains the loneliness someone would feel in that position; just like an outsider.
Dracula is a complex character but once examined turns out to be not that complex at all; his character may be hateful, bitter and blood thirsty but he still longs to be part of the social norm and experience what normal humanity is experiencing and feeling every day. We all long to be accepted by someone and to have a group that we can call our own friends. Dracula in his own dark way was just trying to feel some type of humanity and normality in his undead existence and what better way to feel that then from the love of another human being. The outsider can be considered many different things but in this novel and this essay it is Dracula longed for a lost love and the acceptance of humanity but in the end never achieved either one, all he achieved was a mess of bodies and the death he so truly wanted and needed.

Works Cited

Stoker, Bram. Dracula. Charlottesville, Va.: U of Virginia Library, 1996. Print.