The word ‘monster’ derives from the Latin words ‘monere’ and ‘monstrare’. ‘Monere’ means to warn against something, while ‘monstrare’ means to show something. If these two origins are put together, the word ‘monster’ obtains the meaning of something that is shown to warn. In relation to Dracula, this would allow a whole series of question from what makes Dracula a monster to what does he warn the reader against. In this essay I will mainly deal with the question of what makes Dracula a monster; however I will bear other questions in mind such as why Dracula is seen as a monster by the crew of light. As Dr Seward puts it in his diary ‘the coming destruction of the monster’ (Bram Stoker, 1897, chap.20), I will analyse what means Stoker uses to make the reader believe that Dracula is the monster. In the end I want to see if Dracula is made into a monster by the crew of light or if he makes himself a monster by his actions. I also will have a look at what he warns the reader against, as the etymology of the word monster suggests me to do.
First, Stoker’s narrative style makes it easy to see Dracula as a monster. In fact, only the crew of light, Mina and Lucy –as long as she has not become a vampire- provide the narrative of the text. As David Seed states in his article The Narrative Method of Dracula, Stoker had planned his narration in details (Seed, 1985). This proves that leaving out Dracula’s point of view was intentional. It can now be argued that in most books villains and monsters don’t get the chance to express themselves, however as I pointed out above Lucy becomes silent the moment she turns into a vampire. The question rising from this would be if Lucy could also be considered a monster. However this would be off topic and...
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...monster by him and by others. In the paragraph above I wrote that Dracula warns the reader about being narrow minded. For me at least it appears like that. Dracula is different and he is not accepted at home in Transylvania, nor is he accepted in England and since he cannot handle it he chooses the path of a monster to make people aware of him. If he had been accepted as whom he is, a different being, and then him being made into a monster would not have been possible. So, Dracula is monster and warning together and fulfills the conditions set by the etymology of the word ‘monster’.
Bibliography:
McKee, Patricia, 2002. Racialization, Capitalism, and Aesthetics in Stoker’s “Dracula”. Nov. Forum Fict. 36, 42–60.
Seed, David, 1985. The Narrative Method of Dracula. Nineteenth-Century Fict. 40, 61–75.
Stoker, Bram, 1897, Dracula [Kindle Version] retrieved by Amzon.de
The presence of racial stereotypes and commentary on the interaction of different races is a cornerstone of the Dracula narrative. In Stoker’s novel, Count Dracula is representative of the growing European culture of xenophobia and anti-Semitism which would rise to near hysteria in the coming decades. The concept of race was not limited to skin color or nationality in the nineteenth century, and was a means of categorizing people by “cultural as well as physical attributes” (Warren 127). Dracula is described as being covetous of ancient gold and jewels, childlike and simple in his malice, and more animalistic than human, traits frequently attributed to the Jewish people by Christian society (Newman). His material appearance is distinguished by extremely pale skin, dark features, a nose with a “high bridge…and peculiarly arched nostrils,” and “bushy hair that seemed to curl of its own profusion.” Stoker’s audience would have recognized...
This fictional character was soon to be famous, and modified for years to come into movie characters or even into cereal commercials. But the original will never be forgotten: a story of a group of friends all with the same mission, to destroy Dracula. The Count has scared many people, from critics to mere children, but if one reads between the lines, Stoker’s true message can be revealed. His personal experiences and the time period in which he lived, influenced him to write Dracula in which he communicated the universal truth that good always prevails over evil. Religion was a big part of people’s lives back in Stoker’s time.
Podonsky, Amanda . "Bram Stoker's Dracula: A Reflection and Rebuke of Victorian Society." RSS. Student Pulse: The International Student Journal, 1 Jan. 2010. Web. 6 May 2014. .
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While studying the diabolical figures in the devil, the idea of presenting Dracula came to mind. Dracula represents the devil in many similar ways. Dracula remains as a character in many diabolical movies and films. For instance, Van Helsing provides a good interpret of how Dracula remains noticed in the past and in present day. Although Dracula’s character obtains different views in every movie and film, he plays an important role in Stephen Sommers Van Helsing movie. In the movie, he acts as many different things. Demonstrating both the kind and evil inside, Dracula portrays his character as a mystery. Different views of Dracula throughout the movie include harsh, strong, powerful, evil, the devil, and unstoppable. The studies of Dracula
Carol A. Senf uses a critical theory lens when she picks apart Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The majority of literary critics interpret this popular myth to be the opposition of good and evil, they turn a blind eye to the more specifically literary matters such as method of narration, characterization, and style. Carol Senf’s critical essay “Dracula: the Unseen Face in the Mirror” she believes that Stokers novel “revolves, not around the conquest of Evil by Good, but on the similarities between the two” (Senf 421). Her argument is as follows:
What is a monster, really? Is it really a Creature that has three eyes instead of two, with pus seeping out of every crevice in his face and an abnormally large form? Or is it someone with a mind so corrupt it rivals that of Satan? Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a story within a story that centers on the tale of a man with an immense thirst of knowledge and a fetish to imitate the Creator. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a lot like the Greek mythological tale of the Greek God, Prometheus, and his brother, Epimetheus, who were assigned the task of creating man. The story captivates the theme of monstrosity. Mary Shelley wrote the novel in a form so the reader’s opinions never stray far from sympathy for the monster and apathy for Victor Frankenstein. The novel looks at “Monstrosity” and “Humanity” in a deeply analytical way.
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While the character of Renfield is ostensively extraneous to the central plot of Dracula, he fulfils an important role in Stoker’s exploration of the central themes of the novel. This paper will examine how Renfield character is intertwined with the three central themes of invasion, blood and otherness. Firstly, through Renfield’s inner struggle we learn that he is ‘not his own master’ (Stoker, 211). The theme of invasion is revealed by the controlling and occupying powers of Count Dracula. Secondly, the recurring theme ‘the Blood is the Life’ (Stoker, 121), is portrayed throughout the novel and has been interpreted through Stoker’s character Renfield. Then finally, a look at the social construction of the ‘other’ in Dracula and how, through Renfield, who is ‘unlike the normal lunatic’ (Stoker, 52), the Count emerges as the ‘other’ of all ‘others’.
A monster is usually viewed to be a supernatural creature that humans judge based on looks and not necessarily on personality. In the novel, Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley, the monster is a creature Victor creates but abandons immediately because he is horrified by his own creation. Due to the monster’s appearance, society does not give the creature a chance to show his true self. Therefore, the monster faces an external conflict because of Frankenstein’s and society's rejection, making it difficult for him to blend into his new life. Victor creates the monster because of his unusual compulsion of aspiring to be like God. However, Victor does not know how to treat or be responsible for his creature. Victor Frankenstein is the true monster
In her journal, Mina recounts that there was “undoubtedly something, long and black, bending over the half-reclining white figure." Mina sees Lucy at the climax of Dracula's attack, and when she calls for Lucy, "something raised a head, and from where I was I could see a white face and red, gleaming eyes.” Unknown to Mina, the figure bending over Lucy is Count Dracula, and his attack on Lucy, in Victorian culture, is sexual assault. Stoker plays with the underlying sexual theme by positioning Lucy reclined on the seat with Dracula bending over her as he "penetrates" her neck with his teeth. Even the bite marks on Lucy’s neck serve as a sexual innuendo of a virgin’s first sexual encounter: Lucy escapes into the night and bleeds after a man penetrates her.
The monster “Frankenstein” is thought of as a horrible, evil creation. One informant thought of him as frustrated, loud, and uncommunicative. Some others remember aspects from the many different movies such as the monster having “the mind of a killer and the heart of a kind man.” One informant recalled the monster having a “soft spot for children” when he helped a little girl kill all the evil monsters in one of the movies.
“Abhorred monster!” screams out Victor, In Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, passionately as he is confronted by the most detestable thing in his entire existence (Chapter 10). Thurston analytically states “A monster of vaguely anthropoid outline, but with an octopus-like head” while looking at a sculpture of Cthulhu. The word monster is used in both the above quotes, yet one is used as an insult about evilness, and the other is used as a descriptive word about the physical appearance. The same word is used two different times with different definitions bringing up the question of what makes something monstrous. Both Shelley’s Frankenstein and the Lovecraft stories feature monsters and help the reader better understand what a monster truly is. In some aspects, these authors’ definition of monster is the same, and in other ways the definition diverges.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a truly famous novel that has been revisited by many, as well as revised by the author in the many years since its original publication. Within this novel Shelley conveys the tragic fictional story of Victor Frankenstein and his monster that he thoughtlessly brought to life, as well as the lives of those affected by his hideous creation. Throughout the novel it is made quite apparent that the monster was not inherently evil, in fact the monster was quite benign, however through its interactions with society the monster is slowly shaped into a being that can truly be called just that, a monster. All of the aforementioned change to the monster are brought about in part by the societal standards of the time period
In the book, Dracula by Bram Stoker there are many characters that display qualities of good verse evil. The Count Dracula is a mysterious character who appears as an odd gentleman but the longer the story goes on Dracula shows his true self. Dracula started infiltrating the lives of anyone who crossed his path and he was not stopping his destruction of others’ lives. Many people were affect by Dracula’s actions but there were two people that Dracula caused an impact on during his rampage. Dracula is an evil, cunning, and selfish character who harms the life of a young man and ruins the future of an innocent woman.