Dracula: Themes (OCR A Level English Literature)

Dracula: Themes

Exam responses that are led by key themes and ideas are more likely to reach the highest levels of the mark scheme. Exploring the ideas of the text, specifically in relation to the question being asked, will help to increase your fluency and assurance in writing about the novel.

Below are some of the key themes that could be explored in Dracula. This list is not exhaustive and you are encouraged to also explore any other ideas or themes you identify within the novel.

• Good vs evil

• Gender roles

• Science vs superstition

• The fear of the unknown/the “other”

Good vs evil

The most significant and enduring theme in Dracula is the idea of good vs evil. This theme is present throughout the novel. It is evident not only as a struggle between characters, but also as a reflection of wider societal and moral concerns during that time. It is a reminder of the continuous battle between light and darkness, virtue and corruption and the longstanding belief that goodness can always triumph over evil.

Knowledge and evidence:

• The idea of good vs evil can be seen through the main characters in the novel and their actions:

  • There is a clear divide between those who do good and those who commit evil

• Count Dracula is the epitome of evil and he is surrounded by darkness and the supernatural:

  • The description of his body and his movements can also be linked to the idea of evil

  • His appearance is described as unnatural and almost satanic, with pointed ears and flaming eyes

• He survives by preying on the living and by sucking their blood, which goes against nature and purity, rendering him the opposite of all that is pure and good:

  • He poses a significant threat to society and to everything that is seen as natural

• Dracula’s ability to control “children of the night”, such as wolves, reinforces the idea that he is a supernatural being with powers and abilities that are considered unholy and in direct opposition to the church

• “Good” in the novel is represented by heroes such as Jonathan Harker, Mina Harker, Dr Seward and Professor Van Helsing:

  • Their desire to restore good and protect each other is what motivates them to pursue Dracula and ensure that he is destroyed 

  • They have a strong sense of honour and duty and, as a result, they are a true representation of good, decent, moral people 

• In addition, the protagonists use their blood to cure, heal and as a force for good, which is in direct contrast to what Dracula uses blood for

• Van Helsing’s use of religious objects reinforces the idea that goodness can be found in religion, which will ultimately triumph over evil:

  • It is these characters who feel compelled and obligated to save Lucy’s soul by driving the stake through her heart

  • If Dracula traps souls and condemns them, then these characters free them and bring them peace

• Stoker also uses religious imagery and symbolism to represent the battle between good and evil:

  • Items such as crucifixes, communion wafers and garlic are used as weapons against vampires and evil

  • This emphasises the power of faith and religion when faced with forces that are deemed as unholy

  • Dracula’s physical appearance and mannerisms have strong links to Satan and the image of Satan tempting people to serve and worship him

  • Dracula is described as one who draws people to him, such as Renfield, to worship him and commit heinous crimes

  • In contrast to this, Van Helsing could be considered the direct opposite of Dracula by being an agent of God and a bestower of mercy and goodness

What is Stoker’s intention?

• Stoker highlighted the importance and power of religion

• He is suggesting that religion has a firm place in society despite the advancements of science and technology:

  • The vampires were powerless against religious symbols and objects

  • Lucy’s soul was saved, not by science or technology, but by religion

• Stoker was trying to highlight the importance and significance of religion to a society who were beginning to question its values. He uses religious imagery from the start of the novel and this is embedded throughout:

  • When Jonathan is handed a crucifix by a local, he does not fully understand the importance of it but acknowledges that it gives him “comfort”

  • This reflects the views of a society that was embracing science and development but also had strong roots in religion

  • When science and medicine is not proving to be effective, Van Helsing turns to religion and superstition to find the solution

  • As a result, even though Lucy becomes part of the un-dead, he is able to free her soul, which brings her peace and salvation

• Stoker deliberately chose settings that tied into the idea of good vs evil:

  • The ruins of Whitby Abbey inspired Stoker to write his novel and the ruins have an eerie and supernatural history of their own

Gender roles

The role of men and women is a strong theme in Dracula and is linked to power and identity as well as purpose. Stoker’s use of diary entries allows us to view the events in the novel from all perspectives and gives us insight into the imbalance of power and the tight restrictions through which women had to navigate.

Knowledge and evidence:

• The character of Mina Harker is an example of female virtue:

  • Her relationship with those around her, including Lucy Westenra, exemplifies a caring and kind nature that would be associated with a mother or nurturer

• Mina does not tell anyone about Lucy’s sleepwalking as she is afraid it may ruin her reputation as a chaste and virtuous woman 

• Mina rushes to be by her fiancé’s side and makes it her purpose to help heal and cure him:

  • She takes her role as his wife seriously and dedicates herself to developing skills such as shorthand and typewriting in order to help her husband

• When Dracula attacks Mina and they exchange blood, her reaction is to shout “unclean” as she feels she has been tainted and corrupted: 

  • Mina’s white nightdress being tainted with blood symbolises the idea of her becoming a fallen woman

  • However, she rejects this and strives to maintain her role as a wife and a nurturer 

• However, Mina also represents the idea of a modern woman as she shows traits that were considered as masculine for that time:

  • Van Helsing describes her mind as “masculine” 

  • Mina is also the one who gathers all of the evidence in a coherent way and is vital in helping the others capture and kill Dracula

• However, even though her role is essential in Dracula’s downfall, the male protagonists decide to withhold information from her as they feel it is not good for a female’s sensitive disposition to hear these things:

  • Therefore this places Mina back in the role she was expected to carry out 

• Lucy Westenra, while having many similar virtues to Mina, is also an example of what happens when a woman is desired too much by men due to her physical beauty:

  • When Lucy becomes unwell, she turns to Dr Seward and then Prof. Van Helsing for help and protection

  • She feels safe when she knows they are there and feels vulnerable when they are not

• Lucy falls from her virtuous position when she is bitten by Dracula and becomes a part of the “undead”:

  • Her allure is heightened when she becomes a vampire as she tries to lure Arthur into her embrace and kiss him

  • Her actions are seen as evil and abhorrent as she is behaving in a way that is not acceptable 

• The men then decide to destroy her in order to free her soul and restore her virtue and chastity:

  • Once again, it is the male characters who come to her aid

  • It is the male characters who are considered to be the saviours

• Like Mina, Lucy also possesses “modern” characteristics:

  • This can be seen when she expresses her sadness over having to reject two men and her desire to have multiple partners

• Harker’s actions in the castle are described as brave and he is praised for his courage:

  • His bravery and masculinity is evident as he decides to escape the castle and leave “as a man”

  • However, he appears frail after he escapes as he cannot fully believe what he witnessed in Dracula’s castle

  • As a result, he doubts his own mind and ability, which emasculates him

  • His manhood is restored when Van Helsing validates his experiences with Dracula and it is evident that Harker no longer fears the vampire

  • He is a key character in Dracula’s demise and takes a proactive role in finding the boxes of dirt

• Dr Seward represents logic and reasoning in the novel:

  • He does not initially believe what Van Helsing is telling him and believes that there is a logical explanation to what is happening

  • He does not show emotion, even after being rejected by Lucy or when she dies

  • He is a modern man and this can be seen through his use of a phonograph to record his diary rather than the more traditional use of pen and paper

• Van Helsing is described as a “man of power” by Mina Harker

• Van Helsing’s strong belief in the supernatural and religion make him the direct opposite of Dracula:

  • Dracula uses “children of the night” to do his bidding and uses objects that are normally associated with uncleanliness such as his boxes of dirt

  • Whereas Van Helsing uses pure religious imagery such as crucifixes and holy water in defence

  • Van Helsing unites the men and leads them in their mission to destroy Dracula

  • Van Helsing combines science and religion, as science does not save Lucy, but his knowledge of religion saves Mina 

• Each of the male protagonists in the novel represent a masculine ideal:

  • Dr Seward appears calm and rational in the face of madness and supernatural occurrences 

  • Dr Van Helsing represents a strong faith in religion and in doing good

  • He is a leader and is the direct opposite of what Dracula represents

  • Jonathan Harker represents a youthful bravery and a strong sense of duty to his responsibilities, including his wife

  • Arthur Holmwood represents the upper English classes and the values that are traditionally associated with people of that status, such as honour, valour and strength

  • Quincey P Morris represents old fashioned gallantry and bravery and he plays a key role during the hunt of Dracula

What is Stoker’s intention?

• The novel reflects the gender roles and expectations of the latter part of the Victorian era

• These consisted of strict expectations enforced by society and the divisions between the roles of men and women:

  • During the late 19th century, “good” women were expected to be chaste and virtuous and their main purpose was to become wives and mothers

  • However, in comparison to women, men were expected to exude courage and strength. The expectation of men was that they would be protectors and providers

  • Masculine ideals during the period the novel was written in also encompassed logic, reasoning and the mastery of technology and invention

• Both women in the novel possess characteristics that are traditionally associated with being female, such as being natural nurturers and having a strong desire to be married:

  • However, they also show characteristics that are not normally associated with women, such as Lucy’s flirtatious mannerisms and her desire to have more than one suitor

  • Also, Mina’s perception, bravery and diligence are all characteristics that would have been traditionally associated with men

  • It is interesting to note that Lucy is killed by Dracula and Mina is isolated by the men in the group

  • This could reflect Stoker’s views on women who try to break out of the traditional roles assigned to their gender

• For a more detailed analysis of the historical context of Dracula, please refer to the Context Revision Notes

Science vs superstition

It is evident throughout the novel that science is in conflict with superstition, and this can be seen through characters and their reactions to the events that were unfolding.

Knowledge and evidence:

• At the start of the novel, villagers in Transylvania are deeply superstitious and their panic and fear is evident when they realise where Harker is headed:

  • Harker rejects the innkeeper’s wife’s plea to delay his journey and not to travel on the eve of St George’s day, as she believed that “all evil things will have full sway”

  • He takes the crucifix that he is given but does not understand its significance, though he does feel that it offers him some comfort

  • He feels uneasy when the villagers make the sign of the cross as his coach departs in order to ward off the evil eye

• He does not truly understand what is happening during his stay at Dracula’s castle and later believes that he has hallucinated the events because he cannot logically justify what he has seen:

  • Harker is obviously a man of logic and reasoning

  • However, his mind is conflicted at the start of the novel as he cannot come to terms with the supernatural events unfolding before him

• Dr Seward and Van Helsing are men of science and technology, which, it could be argued, is why Lucy did not survive:

  • Their initial reaction to Lucy’s illness was to conduct blood transfusions in order to keep her alive

  • When Dr Van Helsing suspected it could be vampirism, it was too late for Lucy

  • Dr Seward vehemently believed in science and found it difficult to comprehend anything related to superstition and folklore

  • Therefore, he could not understand some of Van Helsing’s actions in relation to Lucy’s treatment

• Eventually Van Helsing uses knowledge of folklore and superstition to try and defeat Dracula:

  • However, the men had to be convinced and had to witness Lucy’s transformation into a vampire in order to believe

  • Science is then rejected for more traditional methods such as religious symbols and folklore

What is Stoker’s intention?

• Science and technology were growing in popularity during the late 19th century, and the characters reflect the attitudes and beliefs of that time:

  • Any scepticism highlights the tension felt between superstition/religion and the growing popularity of science 

• The 19th century was a time when technology and advancements were moving at an unprecedented rate

• This can be seen through a number of characters, such as:

  • Mina’s keenness to learn shorthand and to typewrite. She also travels with a portable typewriter

  • Dr Seward and Lucy both own a phonograph and Dr Seward uses it to record his thoughts and feelings

• Stoker could be deliberately attempting to highlight the importance of religion, tradition and folklore during a time when these old ideals were being rejected and replaced by logic and science:

  • Science and logic did not save Mina Harker or destroy Dracula, but religion and tradition did

Fear of the unknown/the “other”

The idea of the “other” and the fear of the unknown is a theme that amplifies and increases the fear that characters have for Dracula. 

Knowledge and evidence:

• Dracula is described as physically different from his English guest, Harker:

  • In his diary entries, Harker comments on Dracula’s physical strength and the language that Harker uses suggests that he felt intimidated by this

  • He states that Dracula could have “crushed” his hand if he chose to

  • Dracula’s physical appearance is also described by Harker, who has a “horrible feeling” when Dracula leans close to him

  • This could be perceived as Harker feeling uncomfortable around someone whose characteristics are unfamiliar and unknown to him

  • Dracula’s features are so significant and different that Jonathan Harker is able to recognise him in London

  • This could highlight that, even though Dracula is now in England, he is still an outsider and does not belong

• The character of Dracula is also the embodiment of everything that is unholy and unclean, which separates him from the rest of the characters:

  • He consumes the blood of living people for sustenance and survival

  • He is weakened by sunlight and must sleep in a box of dirt from his homeland in order to survive

  • The dirt from his homeland could also signify how he does not belong and ties into the idea of him being the “other”

  • He is weakened and powerless against religious symbols, which further isolates him

• It could also be argued that Van Helsing can be seen as another example of the “other”:

  • Although Van Helsing is European, he is not English and his accent and mannerisms are different to everyone else's

  • However, his belief system is the same as the other characters around him

  • He is a man of science and logic, but also possesses Christian values which gives him a sense of belonging

  • He is recommended by Dr Seward and therefore already has a good reputation and a sense of belonging

What is Stoker’s intention?

• During the time period in which the novel was written, there was often a fear of people who seemed “exotic” or different

• The character of Dracula could be viewed as representing those who wished to invade and overthrow the British Empire for their own gain:

  • Dracula used his power and wealth to move to London

  • He used his evil to infect and kill Lucy, which could be interpreted as an invasion against British morals and ethics. He then attempts to do it again with Mina

  • One of Dracula’s bases was in Piccadilly, which could represent a direct invasion of the capital of England

• Dracula symbolises the foreign and the exotic, putting him in opposition with safety and familiarity, and so he is presented as the direct opposite of all that is safe and good