Quote Chapter Explanation

‘All day long we seemed to Chapter 1 – Harker Romanticism

dawdle through a country
which was full of beauty of
every kind’
‘It takes a lot of water, and Chapter 1 – Harker Power of nature
running strong, to sweep the Raw power reflects Dracula’s
outside edge of a river clear’ raw power
‘She put a rosary round my Chapter 1 – Harker Religion with vampires
neck, and said, ‘For your Contrast from everyday
mother’s sake’’ society in London, shows
modern view of Harker vs
superstitious view of Eastern
population
‘There was everywhere a Chapter 1 – Harker Beautiful but something wrong
bewildering mass of fruit with it
blossom – apple, plum, pear, Romanticism
cherry; as we drove by I could
see the green gras under the
trees spangled with the fallen
petals’
‘There were dark, rolling Chapter 1 – Harker East vs West
clouds overhead, and in the air
the heavy, oppressive sense of
thunder. It seemed as though
the mountain range had
separated two atmospheres,
and that now we had got into
the thunderous one’
‘From whose tall black Chapter 1 – Harker Gothic revival
windows came no ray of light, Opposition to neoclassicism
and whose broken Strong gothic theme
battlements, showed a jagged Gothic architecture
line against the moonlit sky’
‘I must have noticed the Chapter 2 – Harker Architecture
approach of such a remarkable Juxtaposition to environment
place’ of danger
‘I stood close to a great door, Chapter 2 – Harker Overwhelming imagery
old and studded with large
iron nails, and set in a
projecting doorway of massive
stone’
‘Come freely. Go safely’ Chapter 2 – Dracula Safety and control form a false
sense of security to the point
where he does not realise, he
is trapped
‘The light and warmth and the Chapter 2 – Harker Ironic
Count’s courteous welcome
seemed to have dissipated all
my doubts and fears’
‘It may have been that his Chapter 2 – Harker Referred to as monster
breath was rank, but a horrible throughout the text
feeling of nausea came over Appearance gives rise to the
me’ idea that he is evil
‘We are in Transylvania; and Chapter 2 – Dracula Victorian fear of colonialism
Transylvania is not England. East vs West
Our ways are not your ways’
‘The castle is a veritable Chapter 2 – Harker Dark and ominous tone
prison, and I am a prisoner’ Gothic convention = mounting
sense of dread, ruined castle,
overpowering landscape
‘When I found that I was a Chapter 3 – Harker Captured Harker losing
prisoner a sort of wild feeling rationality and composure
came over me’
‘The unnatural, horrible net of Chapter 3 – Harker Idea of being imprisoned
gloom and mystery which
seemed closing around me’
‘There is a ground for my Chapter 3 – Harker Juxtaposition of scenery to
terrible fear in this accursed allude confusion
place! I looked out over the Mental and physical
beautiful expanse’ disorientation
‘All three had brilliant white Chapter 3 – Harker Gemstones = precious objects,
teeth that shone like pearls hard and soft contrast
against the ruby of their Ideal female sexuality twisted
voluptuous lips’ Ironic angelic imagery
‘How dare you touch him, any Chapter 3 – Dracula Homoerotic undertones
of you? … This man belongs to Often used for female gothic
me!’ protagonist, but Harker is
male, use of this tone to show
Count’s power and control
over Harker
‘I must not live, lest I be Chapter 4 – Harker Foreshadow his death and he
dangerous to him; my only believe its inevitable
chance is to prolong my
opportunities’
‘I know now the span of life. Chapter 4 – Harker Harker turns to power of God
God help me!’ Persistent on reliance of God,
regardless of new science
ideas of Victorian era
‘The Count shall not yet know Chapter 4 – Harker Display of intelligence
my secret or extent of my Tone of mystery and suspense
knowledge’ = archetype for gothic
literature
‘Quicker and quicker danced Chapter 4 – Harker Personification = fear of Drac’s
the dust; the moonbeams power
seemed to quiver’ Pace faster = aura of suspense
‘The bloated face, blood- Chapter 4 – Harker Religious and evil imagery
stained and fixed with a grin of
malice’
‘I am alone in the castle with Chapter 4 – Harker Idea of isolation and being
those awful women. Mina is a trapped
woman, and there is nought in
common. They are devils of
the Pit!’
‘I must say you tax me very Chapter 5 – Lucy Contrast in tone between two
unfairly with being a bad letters to show contrast of
correspondent’ Mina and Lucy
Reserved and factual vs playful
and full of emotion
‘Men like women, certainly Chapter 5 – Lucy Lucy’s outlook on life is
their wives, to be quite as fair superficial in Western society
as they are’ Stark contrast between Mina
and Lucy as Mina is modern
compared to Lucy, Lucy relies
on the approval of men and
has an orthodox view of
marriage
‘I sympathise with poor Chapter 5 – Lucy Race = ‘taboo’ even
Desdemona when she had Desdemona amazed by
such a dangerous stream Othello’s adventures like Lucy
poured in her car, even by a with Quincey Morris
black man’ Belittling women and
portraying women to be
gullible and inferior, trope
embedded into patriarchal
Victorian society
(Renfield talking to Seward) Chapter 6 – Renfield When Renfield is starting to
‘he argued … that it was life, feeding animals with other
strong life, and gave life to animals then eating them
him’
Introduce the concept of life
and the force of life
‘He has eaten his birds, and Chapter 6 – Seward Link with Dracula feeding on
that he just took and ate them people and the relationship
raw!’ between Dracula and Renfield
‘Lucy, although she is so well, Chapter 6 – Mina Foreshadowing Lucy being the
has lately taken to her old next victim under the control
habit of walking in her sleep’ of Dracula

Harker also experiences state

close to undeadness
‘Some day soon the Angel of Chapter 6 – Mina Gothic trope – ‘sage’ figure
Death will sound his trumpet that knows something is
for me’ wrong and then killed before
evil arrives
Temperament shift
‘Between the inner hand and Chapter 7 – Mina Dramatic irony as audience
the wood was a crucifix, the knows Dracula was onboard
set of beads on it which it was
fastened being around both
wrists and wheel, and all kept
fast by the binding cords’
‘He saw a tall, thin man’ Chapter 7 – Mina ‘Thin man’ = common term
 which Western Europeans
used in a legend dating back to
the Middle Ages, for
devil/humans in league with
the devil
Dracula = the ‘Other’
‘For as soon as her will is Chapter 7 – Mina Dracula’s arrival = activated
thwarted in any physical way, ‘hypnotised’ nature
her intention, if there be any, Shows how much power he
disappears, and she yields has
herself almost exactly to the
routine of her life’
Mina – ‘with a horrible sense Chapter 8 – Mina Sense of foreboding
of fear upon me, and of some
feeling on emptiness around
me’
‘I fastened the shawl at her Chapter 8 – Mina Rationality of Mina, unable to
throat with a big safety pin; believe the occult findings of
but I must have been clumsy in the vampire bites
my anxiety and pinched or
pricked her with it’
‘She put her hand to her Chapter 8 – Mina Sensual aura = intimate
throat again and moaned’ moment
Dracula linked with female
sexuality and homoeroticism
‘There are two little red points Chapter 8 – Mina Hints to the orthodox
like pin-pricks, and on the description of a vampire bite
band of her nightdress was a White now stained with blood
drop of blood’ Sensual desire
Blood = metaphor for sexuality
‘Again I awoke in the night, Chapter 8 - Mina Drawn by something
and found Lucy sitting up in supernatural
the bed, still asleep, pointing Dracula’s control lies within
to the window’ the Victorian fear than women
could be sexually voracious
‘His red eyes again!’ Chapter 8 – Lucy Indicator of his evil
Red = symbol of blood and lust
‘She was as weak as water’ Chapter 8 – Mina Simile, feeble
Condition worse as Drac feeds
on her
Allusion to a drink without a
‘spirit’
‘My soul seemed to go out Chapter 8 – Lucy Theme of eroticism
from my body and float about Account of what happened to
the air’ her instead of just a dream
Renfield speaking ‘I don’t want Chapter 8 – Renfield Sign Dracula is in England
to talk to you: you don’t count Switches his focus from
now; the Master is at hand’ animals to Dracula and life
‘All resolution has gone out of Chapter 9 – maid looking after Harker has fundamentally
his dear eyes, and that quiet Harker changed
dignity which I told you was in Harker’s rational view has
his face has vanished’ been broken down by Dracula
‘He raved on dreadful things Chapter 9 – maid looking after Poor condition
whilst he was off his head’ Harker Repressing visions of occult,
treating them as hallucinations
rather than real
Seward talking about Renfield: Chapter 9 – Seward Inverted the typical pattern on
‘Then one night, just as the vampires
moon rose, he grew quiet, and Dracula, alive and animalistic
kept murmuring to himself’ at night
Renfield, only calm at night
Shows power of Dracula over
others
‘This morning I am horribly Chapter 9 – Lucy Occult manifest through
weak. My face is ghastly pale, dreams of Westerners
and my throat pains me’
Other characters trying to find
a rational explanation
‘Patient greatly improved … Chapter 9 – Seward Victorian society, ruddy glow =
colour coming back … Terrible not just with health but also
change for the worse’ in the with sexual arousal
space of 2 nights
Dracula = truly evil
‘She was ghastly, chalkily pale; Chapter 10 – Seward Theme of disorientation
the red seemed to have gone
from her lips and gums, and
the bones of her face stood
out prominently; her breathing
was painful to see or hear’
‘My life is hers, and I would Chapter 10 – Arthur Rare theme of love
give the last drop of blood in Blood signifying intimacy
my body for her’
‘Her lips were slightly parted, Chapter 10 – Seward Intimate description could
and her breast rose and fell show unrequited love for Lucy
regularly of a pendulum. There from Seward
was a smile on her face, and it
was evident that no bad Deterioration of Lucy
dreams had come to disturb
her peace of mind’
‘Why, these flowers are only Chapter 10 – Seward Superstitions of Transylvania
common garlic’ now have come to civilised
London
Flowers shut down by
‘rational’ London characters
like Lucy and Harker
‘There were a lot of those Chapter 11 – Seward Dramatic irony
horrible, strong-smelling about VH and reader know but Lucy,
everywhere’ Seward and Lucy’s mother are
all oblivious to the power of
the flowers
‘The Pall Mall Gazette … THE Chapter 11 – Lucy Dracula’s presence
ESCAPED WOLF’ Does not control wolves and
 dogs but excites them
Strange behaviour
Seward getting attacked by Chapter 11 – Seward Civilised Western world view,
Renfield: ‘My wrist bled freely, only the insane can
and quite a little pool trickled communicate with occult. Rest
on to the carpet’ of society does not grant that
occult is real
‘Pointing at the wolf, and there Chapter 11 – Lucy Sweet scene of mother and
was a strange and horrible daughter asleep interrupted by
gurgling in her throat, then she horror
fell over – as if struck by Power of Dracula
lightning, and her head hit my
forehead and made me dizzy
for a moment or two’
‘I shall hide this paper in my Chapter 11 – Lucy Important device of Stoker,
breast’ otherwise the reader would
not trust any other character
to have knowledge of the
events
‘I knew that minutes, even Chapter 12 – Seward Description of Dracula
seconds of delay, might mean Stoker = persuasive and
hour of danger to Lucy, if she suspenseful = combination of
had had again one of those anxiety and fear of what has
frightful relapses; and I went happened to Lucy
round the house to try if I
could find by chance an entry
anywhere’
‘A brave man’s blood is the Chapter 12 – Van Helsing Shows power of Dracula =
best thing on this earth when a takes 4 men to keep Lucy alive
woman is in trouble’ from Dracula
‘One, two, three, all open their Chapter 12 – Seward Seemingly sexual intimacy to
veins for her’ the transfusions
‘Her teeth, in the dim, Chapter 12 – Seward Now becoming an undead
uncertain light, seemed longer vampire
and sharer than they had been
in the morning. In particular,
by some trick of the light, the
canine teeth looker longer and
sharper than the rest’
‘The wounds on the throat had Chapter 12 – Seward Lucy becoming undead
absolutely disappeared’
‘We thought her dying whilst Chapter 12 - Van Helsing Body hovering between life
she slept, and sleeping when and death
she died’
‘The Woman in Black’ Chapter 13 – Lucy being Dramatic irony as article is
described in the Westminster relating to Lucy
Gazette
‘The fearful Count was coming Chapter 14 – Mina Harker’s Mina appears more advanced
to London’ Journal than scientists like Seward
The New Woman
‘The taste of the original apple Chapter 14 – Van Helsing Apple = Mina relating herself
that remains still in our to Eve, committing sin with
mouths’ writing shorthand
‘Oh, you so clever woman’ Chapter 14 – Van Helsing to Use of repetition = show hoe
Mina VH is impressed by Mina as
educated women = rare at the
time
‘Johnathan a madman’ Chapter 14 – VH PTSD, mental health as a taboo
‘What an awful things if that Chapter 14 – letter from Mina East vs West
man, that monster, be really in to VH Fear of other and colonialism
London’ Link with Frankenstein and
infection, monster and Drac
infecting human race
‘Yet that poor Lucy, with four Chapter 14 – VH Women dependent on men
men’s blood in her poor veins, Lucy’s agency taken away by
could not live even one day’ Drac and then 4 men
Vic women expected to be
submissive
‘The idea that life – animal life Chapter 15 – Seward Vaguely link to death of Lucy’s
– was not the only thing which soul when she became a
could pass away’ vampire
‘The lips were red, nay redder Chapter 15 – Seward Although married still
than before; and on the something virginal about her
cheeks was a delicate bloom’ Infers uncanniness of Gothic
literature
‘The lips were fresh with Chapter 16 – Seward Lucy = definition of ideal Vic
crimson blood’ woman until Drac turned her
Innocent to fallen woman, Vic
women sexuality
‘The pointed teeth, the Chapter 16 – Seward Subverts idea of perfect
bloodstained, voluptuous woman
mouth’
‘A hideous, blood-curdling Chapter 16 – Seward Lucy’s peace disturbed
screech came from the opened Christian consolation to make
red lips’ him do it = importance of
religion
‘You will need all your faith’ Chapter 17 – VH in Seward’s Theme of science vs religion
diary Victorian era = church became
less powerful and science
more accepted as truth
Could try to still portray
importance of religion
‘He is himself zoophagous’ Chapter 17 – Seward talking Animal description =
about Dracula unhumanlike nature
Sacrilegious description of
Dracula, antichrist, evil vs
religion
‘She has a man’s brain … and a Chapter 18 – VH talking about Perfect New Modern Woman
woman’s heart’ Mina
‘Yet more power to work evil Chapter 18 – Mina talking Demonic language to show
… he is devil in callous’ about Drac how the ‘Other’ Drac is
Outside the will of God
‘A sacred bullet fired into the Chapter 18 – Seward talking Drac defeated so easily
coffin kill him so that ne be about how to kill Dracula VH talking scientific,
true dead’ methodological approach and
combining it with openness to
occult
Link with Frank and science vs
religion
‘But looked at me with a sort Chapter 19 – Jonathan diary Just like with Lucy and her
of blank terror, as one looks talking about Mina’s dreams sleepwalking
who has been waked out of a Dreams accompany first stage
bad dream’ of vampirism
‘Who effected the purchase Chapter 20 – letter to Arthur Shows Arthur’s power as a
himself paying the purchase nobleman
money in notes ‘over the Pointing out the way in which
counter’’ wealthy people get what they
want in Vic society
‘That dear Madam Mina Chapter 21 – Renfield Foreshadow
should suffer’ Drac seems to target women
first, easier?
Sexual element too
‘The full lips of the blood- Chapter 21 – Seward’s diary Horrific explicit scene
dripping mouth, champed Blood symbolises sexuality
together like those of a wild Animalistic imagery to further
beast’ prove his ‘Otherness’
‘Unclean! Unclean!’ Chapter 21 – Mina Releases she is contaminated =
theme of infection
Exclamation = corrupted purity
of marriage
‘I must then suffocate or Chapter 21 – Mina Mina’s omission suggests
swallow some of the – Oh my sexual encounter
God!’ Forced into transgression
‘The women you love are mine Chapter 23 – Dracula to VH Possessiveness
already’ and the men Vic male control over women
‘There was something so Chapter 23 – about Dracula Predator, vicious
panther like in the movement Repeated use of this
– something so unhuman’ Blood and power
‘He have infect you’ Chapter 24 – VH to Mina Idea of infection
East vs West fear
‘The Vampire’s baptism of Chapter 24 – VH Links the vampires to a
blood’ perverted sense of religion as
he tries to convert Mina
‘There is poison in my blood, Chapter 25 – Mina Refers to Dracula’s blood
in my soul, which may destroy Theme of corruption, sexual
me’ corruption
‘As he is a criminal, he is Chapter 25 – Mina Only power he has is
selfish, and his intellect is supernatural
small’ Contrast with Frankenstein
‘The… the… the…. Vampire Chapter 26 – Mina Parenthesis shows her
(why did I hesitate to write the unsettled feelings
word?)’ Effect of Dracula
‘That nest of vipers be Chapter 26 – VH on his plan to Vipers = vicious snakes, biblical
obliterated’ obliterate the vampire women reference to devils
‘Drifting into unknown places Chapter 26 - Theme of the unknown
and unknown ways; into a
world of dark and dreadful
things’
‘I am afraid, afraid, afraid! – I Chapter 27 – VH Repetition leads to emphasis
am afraid of all things – even
to think’
‘She lay in her vampire sleep, Chapter 27 – VH on one of Doesn’t consider it as murder
so full of life and voluptuous vampire women as she is soulless
beauty that I shudder as
though I have come to do
murder’
‘It was worth this to die’ Chapter 27 – Quincey Morris Heroic
Traditional Gothic man
‘The curse has passed away’ –
Mina

GENERIC CRITICS
Critic quote Theme
David Punter – ‘he central mood of the Gothic Fear
is fear’
John Bowen – ‘Gothic intends to shock the Fear
reader out of the limits of their everyday lives’
Kieran O’Kelly – ‘Gothic aims to shock and Fear
unsettle’
Da Silva – ‘Women pay the price for male sin’ Women
Diana Hoeveler – female Gothic is ‘victim Women
feminism’
Wood – ‘Gothic monsters are distorted Monsters
tendencies repressed across a culture’
Bowen – ‘Its plots are often driven by the Sexual desire
exploration of questions of sexual desire,
pleasure, power, and pain’
Botting – ‘Horror was a response to the sexual Sexual desire
figures that threatened society’

DRACULA QUOTES
CRITIC QUOTES THEME
Buzzwell – ‘Stoker uses the figure of the Fear, horror
vampire as shorthand for many of the fears
that haunted the Victorian society’
Phylis Roth – ‘The novels appeal derives from Women
its hostility towards female sexuality’
Buzzwell – ‘(the new woman) threatens Women
conventional ideals about the ideal Victorian
womanhood’
David Gates – ‘vampirism … is a type of Vampires
imprisonment … the soul is trapped in limbo Undead
between life and death’
Punter – ‘He [Dracula] functions as the catalyst Fear
for transgression in others’
Nilifer Pektas – ‘The blood transfusions Women, sexuality
emphasise Lucy’s desire for polygamous
marriage, and ironically her wish for polygamy
comes true’
Punter – ‘the threatening other, which The other
ultimately resides within the characters
themselves, is not destroyed in Dracula: it is
simply repressed once more’