The Epitome Of Human Desire In Bram Stoker's Dracula

Written in the late 1800's, Bram Stokers gothic novel Dracula symbolized the Victorian Era of literature. Varying from reader to reader, the interpretation of Dracula ranges from the sympathetic to the apathetic. Nonetheless, a common theme in the novel sustains to be that Dracula is the epitome of human desire. As stated in the literary analysis by Punter, "There is, for Dracula as for the unconscious, no final satisfaction, for his very nature is desire."(Punter,26). However, this "desire" does not fit to just one portion of the social classes, and more importantly does not attract only one gender.

The desires that Dracula envelops includes his stand of "perversion and sadism" (Punter,26) which sums into the desire of women past the moral

confines set by the society (of the 1800's time period). In the beginning of the novel, readers learn of the personality of Lucy Westenra. During Quincy Morris' proposal, she quotes: "Why can't they let a girl marry three men, or as many as want her, and save all this trouble? But this is heresy, and I must not say it. "(Stoker, 112-113). While this scene does not have the allure of "Dracula", one can see a hint of the human desire begin to appear. As the story progresses, Lucy becomes a victim of Dracula and is eventually killed. Although the story does not include the scene of Lucy's initial interaction with Dracula, it can be inferred that her weakness to the human desire caused her victimization. Much further in the book, Dracula makes his most famed appearance in Mina's bedroom, where she fulfills the first step of becoming a vampire: drinking the blood of Dracula. "With that he pulled open his shirt, and with his long sharp nails opened a vein in his breast. When the blood began to spurt out, he took my hands in one of his, holding them tight, and with the other seized my neck and pressed my mouth to the wound, so that I must either suffocate or swallow. "(Stoker,340). This scene of Dracula is an example of the desire that Dracula represents. The actions of Dracula seem to radiate perversions that go against the moral codes of society. While Mina does not seem to succumb to the desire mentally, the underlying messages here resonate the lust and sensuality associated with the image of Dracula.
Dracula's desire, however, is not exclusively to that of women.

The power and status of Dracula also draws on the desire of men (of the 1800's time period). During Harker's initial stay in Dracula's castle, readers learn a small amount of Dracula's history: "We Szekelys have a right to be proud, for in our veins flows the blood of many brave races who fought as the lion fights, for lordship... Is it a wonder that we were a conquering race, that we were proud, that when the Magyar, the Lombard, the Avar, the Bulgar, or the Turk poured his thousands on our frontiers, we drove them back? "(Stoker,38). This portion of the emphasizes the pride that men feel in their family line. It is here that the readers see an example of a man's desire: a strong family line. Later, when Van Helsing explains what he knows about Dracula, his power and status is again accentuated."If it be so, then was he no common man, for in that time, and for centuries after, he was spoken of as the cleverest and the most cunning, as well as the bravest of the sons of the land beyond the forest. That mighty brain and that iron resolution went with him to his grave, and are even now arrayed against us."(Stoker,285). In this excerpt, it can be observed that Dracula is not only physically capable but also has a strong mental proficiency. This skill is yet another desire common of men. Given that they were the prime income providers of the household during this time period, men were eager to possess intellect in

order to gain more money. In essence, Dracula's skill set and power was formidable in Stokers novel, and was the personification of the man's desire.