Dracula Gothic Elements

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Dracula: Gothic Elements In the novel Dracula, there are many gothic elements cleverly used throughout the story. English solicitor, Jonathan, has business to attend at Castle Dracula in Transylvania. Everything seems normal at first, but he ends up being Count Dracula’s prisoner. His fiancée, Mina, is at home and is very concerned, but she also has other matters to worry about as well. Her dear friend Lucy Westenra is in poor health, as is Lucy’s mother. Mina eventually has to leave to be with Jonathan, who is also sick. Consequently, Dr. John Seward must take care of Lucy. She is constantly in need of blood transfusions, and receives blood from both Dr. Seward and fellow doctor, Van Helsing. Meanwhile, Dr. Seward must also look after a patient at an insane asylum. Things continue to go wrong, Lucy’s mother passes away, and eventually Lucy dies too. In between and during these events, author Bram Stoker skillfully utilizes the gothic elements “omens, portents, and visions”, “women in distress”, and “metonymy of gloom and horror.” One cleverly used gothic element in Dracula is “omens, portents, and visions.” For example, Jonathan mentions an old woman telling him, “It is the eve of St. George’s Day. Do you not know that tonight, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway?” (5). The old woman at the hotel desperately wanted him to postpone his journey. This was the first warning to both Jonathan and the readers that there were horrible events to come. Later, Jonathan also mentions the people at Bistritz and says, “…the crowd round the inn door, which had by this time swelled to a considerable size, all made the sign of the cross and pointed two fingers at me” (6). The crowd evidently sensed something evil connected with Jonathan. This revealed that something bad would happen in later chapters. These warnings have an

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