Reading Response Essay: Dracula - Similarity or Dissimilarity

This essay provides a detailed analysis of Bram Stoker's Dracula, focusing on the characteristics of vampires and their relationship to humans. It explores the dichotomy between metaphoric and metonymic vampire representations, examining how Dracula's traits align with or diverge from human qualities. The essay delves into the novel's gothic elements, including the portrayal of good versus evil, the use of religious imagery, and the exploration of themes like possession and the struggle between the past and present. The analysis also considers the historical context of the novel and its lasting impact on vampire literature and popular culture. The essay references various aspects of the novel, such as the vampire's physical descriptions, powers, and interactions with other characters, to support its arguments. The essay ultimately highlights Dracula's role as a central figure in the story while also examining the human characters and their experiences in the face of the vampire's influence.

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Reading Response Essay: Dracula
Similarity or Dissimilar
According to the present media, vampires have seductive and romantic attributes. However,
according to Dracula, ancient vampires lack such characteristics. With reference to Rice
depiction of vampires, she creates a place where vampires and humans live close to each other.
In this case, the vampires live undetected among humans, and their bodies and minds are similar
to those of humans. There exist no horror, but there are amazement and recognition of the
ghostly versions by the audience as presented by (Benefiel, 268). Bram circles his story in the
unknown place and characterizes it with horror with the features of terror increasing throughout
the novel. In such a context, Bram constructs different images of the vampires chronologically to
aid the reader to understand all the story’s elements are adopted and when they were developed.
Afterward, the consequences of the adoption and development of these elements will be
examined.
An antiChrist/demonic figure OR secular and humanist
Dracula exhibits anti-Christian in several ways, especially as shown through perversions of the
Christian faith and expression of Anti-Christian values. People believe in superstitions and
ungodly protection. For example, on his way to Castle Dracula, Harker meets with people whom
after them where he is going they perform several superstitious actions. One of the women
offers him a crucifix as protection during his entire journey. The crucifix anti-Christ belief comes

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to pass when Harker cuts himself while shaving and Dracula attack his throat, but immediately
stops when he sees Harker’s crucifix. The protection from Dracula is illustrated even at the end
of the book where the characters believe that individuals can protect themselves from vampires
like Dracula by wearing a crucifix or any other Christian religion related consecrated item. For
example, Lucy and Van Helsing make a holy circle at night to keep vampires away and protect
Mina. Helsing belief in Host is further illustrated when they are leaving Mina alone in the house.
Helsing attaches Host on Mina’s face to offer her protection. Helsing also uses Host to scare
Dracula away from his coffin. The items used by several individuals to offer protection is an
indication that they believe in evil, and as such, they have to seek protection from the materials
and things which are associated with Christianity.
Unequivocally evil or morally equivocally
In the world, true evil can be disputed as a rarity, but in his novel, Bram Stoker creates a picture
of how Dracula is unequivocally evil and with no chance for moral equivocal. It is first seen
when he decided to give a half-smothered baby to the female vampires. The killing of the
helpless baby was very ferocious since Dracula had no problem with it. Moreover, Dracula also
shows masochist character when he takes advantage of intimidating Harker in the house. Dracula
always grinned when he realized that Harker was frightened and uncomfortable. Dracula clearly
exhibited pleasure from terrorizing human beings and in spite of this Count did not show any
compassion when others were suffering; however, he fostered his trope like wholesomely evil
with no regret of his behavior. Also, Dracula kills many women, an act that illustrates his evil
and immoral actions. One of his immoral killings is when Dracula wickedly killed the mother of
the baby since she was angry at him when she was mourning the killing of her baby. Dracula

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killed many innocent women when his wolves attacked them and scratched them apart, which
showed that Dracula is unswervingly devoted to evil (Bram).
Demonic character or materialistic and humanist
In his novel, Bram Stoker entirely uses religious imagery where he compares Dracula with
religious themes making him look as an antichrist character. In Christian fallacy, only the real
god can protect against mystical evil that creeps around the world. A clear instance of this is
when Dracula is made to tremble because of the flaunting of the Sacred Wafer, which impaired
his demonic passion. As the True Christ has dominion over everything devilish in Christianity,
the Sacred Wafer is alleged as the Christ and thus the misery to Dracula’s Antichrist. Also,
Dracula exhibits a factual inversion of the actions of Christ to make many vampires. In
Christianity, Christ creates disciple by giving up his blood and body as wine and bread which
they drink, and they eventually become his disciples. Dracula makes more vampires by taking
their blood, such as poor Lucy who became a follower by drinking fresh blood. The inversion of
the sacrifice of Christianity reset the demonic representation of Dracula (Gordon & Hollinger).
Foreign and mysterious OR American
Although Bram Stoker presents Count Dracula as an English speaker, he is not an American. For
example, Dracula is being introduced as a Count he greets in English, but his different English
intonation illustrates his foreign nature. This presents Dracula as from foreign land. Dracula in
London is feared as the monster from East an indication that he was from Europe.
Kill humans or does not Kill Humans
Bram looks at the aspects of the body of vampires, their distinct shapes, their definitions, what
makes them equal and why they are similar to human beings. The behavior and character of the
revenants, their sexuality and abilities are all examined. In his story, Bram does not show

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Dracula being in a position to fly, as seen in vampires in other myths. However, Bram shows its
ability to climb down the walls, which suggest that Count Dracula can defy gravity (Bram). For
instance, Jonathan, who was a metaphoric vampire, had no description of human characteristics.
Therefore, it is these features that point to Dracula’s other experience and his physical form is a
metaphor in itself since the in his description, he shows an image of something very distinct from
us humans.
Possessive of Transfigurative Powers
Bram, in his gothic story, has used vampires o reflect the real actions of the humans. Even
though Bram shows the traits of the characters being that of the vampires, perhaps he does so not
depict the extra-ordinary or incredible things that humans can do. For example,
Transylvanian arrival to London and mistreatment of the residents represent the evil acts that are
being committed by both the humans and the vampires. Perhaps at this point, Bram wants to
equate those who mistreat others to the devil. Bram further relates vampires to humans when he
explores the sexual desire and the conflict between conservative norms and patriarch. The book
also represents the actual human society when the author shows the assignation of gender roles
through female vampires. In this aspect, Dracula is seen to represent the theme of evil as he is
seen preying on women who must be protected by men.
Communal or Solitary
While gothic, literal, and metaphorical vampirisms have dominated Bram’s novel, the Dracula is
a true reflection of contemporary society. The story is the link between the past and the present
meaning it connects the actions of the past generation with that of the current generation.
Dracula’s attempt to drain blood from Lucy and let her die is challenged by the blood infusion
technology, even though Lucy dies. Perhaps, Bram aims to show the possessiveness and the

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power of the past that modern society cannot conquer. There is the same kind of ambiguity here
as we think of the vampire as a mythical figure in general. Count Dracula has the physical
appearance and description of an older man. Still, one cannot argue with certainty when
determining what he is because he is, in fact, so many things. It is quite clear that the extent of
the Count's different faces in all the varying physical descriptions of him throughout the story.
He appears in distinct forms, both as an animal, as a vampire and finally as a natural
phenomenon.
At the center of the story with humans marginal to the story OR at the margins of the story
with humans central to the story.
Dracula is a major force the story, and a lot of activities appears to revolve around him.
However, he still remains at the margins of the story. Stoker Bram has instead chosen to show
the indirect presence of Dracula through his actions and other observers. For example, A lot of
Bram’s work shows how Dracula’s victims are being affected by his evil acts. For the readers to
see Dracula’s story as the goal of Bram, they must link him with his evil consequences. As
illustrated through Harker, Helsing, and Lucy, Bram presents human as the center of the story,
and appear to disregard vampires who were his main target.

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Works Cited
Benefiel, Candace R. "Blood relations: The Gothic perversion of the nuclear family in Anne
Rice's interview with the Vampire." The Journal of Popular Culture 38.2 (2004): 261-
273.
Bram, Stoker. Dracula. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2011.
Ciugureanu, Adina. "The Dracula Myth: Exile And Homecoming1." Cncsisuefiscsu,
Translations of American Myths, Icons and Brands in Post-Communist Romanian
Culture (Transmit) (2009): 263-274.
Gordon, Joan, and Veronica Hollinger. Blood read: the vampire as a metaphor in contemporary
culture. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1997.
Nussbaumer, Janina. The Vampire in Literature: A Comparison of Bram Stoker's Dracula and
Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire. Anchor Academic Publishing (aap_verlag),
2014.
Ringer, Laurie. "With Teeth:" Beyond Theoretical Violence in Gothic Studies." The Dark Arts
Journal: New and Emerging Voices in Gothic Studies 2.1 (2016): 19-38.