The Importance Of Atmosphere In Dracula

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One of the best things about Dracula is the way the author, Bram Stoker, can set up any kind of atmosphere in order to make the readers feel anyway he wants them to. There are countless parts in this book where Stoker makes the readers feel horrified, creeped out, and even have mixed emotions about certain characters.
The first place where Stoker sets up a chilling atmosphere is when Harker first gets to Dracula’s castle. Harker gets dropped off at the castle in the dark and is outside all alone. He is trying to figure out how to address the Count that he is there because there was no sign of a bell or knocker. Suddenly, Harker heard heavy steps approaching on the other side of the door. “Then there was the sound of rattling chains and the clanking of massive bolts drawn back” (17). This description of the sounds that Harker heard sends a chill down the reader’s spine, …show more content…

They go to her coffin only to discover that “The coffin was empty!” (201). They seal the coffin shut so that she could not re-enter it, and they wait for her nearby. When she returns, she is holding a baby, and the men confront her. Lucy starts talking passionately to Holmwood but Van Helsing knew it was a trap so he quickly flashes a crucifix which makes “Lucy” cringe. They let Lucy back into her coffin, and later, Holmwood returns to set Lucy’s soul free. He drives a stake through her heart and he feels good about what he did. This whole scene is weird and creepy because before, none of them men wanted to mess with the supernatural or the un-dead. They decided to do that because they knew they had to help Lucy. Making an audience feel however you want them to is very challenging, but Stoker does a great job in Dracula. He can make one feel frightened, confused, or any other way just by describing something. The setting and atmosphere is very important, and one sees that is this

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