Dracula quotes

Dracula by Bram Stoker

“It was on the dark side of Twilight”

pg 10, fits with the theme of Darkness

“when the clock strikes midnight, all evil things in the world will have full sway”

pg 11, theme of darkness

“the growing twilight seemed to merge into one dark mistiness”

pg14, darkness theme

“I could only see the gleam of a pair of very bright eyes, which seemed red in the lamplight”

pg 16, darkness theme

Local people & Customs, pg7

“the impression I had was that we were leaving the west and entering the east”

pg 8, Local people & Customs

“I read that every known superstition in the world is gathering into the horseshoe of the carpathians”

“Taking a crucifix from her neck and offering it to me”

Local People & Customs, pg 11

Pg 19, Creatures

“howling of the wolves grew closer”

‘When we are married I shall be able to be useful to Jonathan’

Mina is an assistant school mistress, her desire to be useful falls under the issue of internalised misogyny and opposes the idea of the new woman

‘I was not able to light on any map or work giving the exact locality of the Castle Dracula, as there are no maps of this country as yet to compare with our own Ordanace Survey maps’

Chapter 1, the past/isolation

Location of the castle is utterly isolated and almost completely undocumented within the present day; creates mystery and confusion about it having managed to remain in the past; still very old fashioned and medieval, evoking the past

‘taking a crucifix from her neck offered it to me. I did not know what to do, for, as an English Churchman I have been taught to regard such things as in some measure idolatrous’

Chapter 1; Religious imagery

Referring to the importance of religion & the heavy division of Christianity across Europe, between Catholicism and Protestantism

‘In the moonlight opposite me were three young women, ladies by their dress and manner. I thought at the time that I must be dreaming when I saw them, for, though the moonlight was behind them, they threw no shadow on the floor’

Chapter 3, Brides of Dracula

Stoker poses Harker as believing these figures are part of his imagination, despite them being exceedingly real and wanting to slaughter him - playing into the stereotype of women being gentle/ unsuspecting

‘One greatest and suddenest storms on record had just been experienced here, with results both strange and unique. The weather had been somewhat sultry, but not to any degree uncommon’

"I called in fright, ‘Lucy! Lucy!’ and something raised a head, and from where I was I could see a white face and red, gleaming eyes. I looked at her throat just now as she lay asleep, and the tiny wounds seem not to have healed. They are still open, and, if anything, larger than before, and the edges of them are faintly white."

Mina’s horror at seeing Dracula ‘vamping’ Lucy and that her bites haven't healed but have instead gotten worse.

"The character of Renfield, an inmate in Dr. Seward’s asylum, further reinforces how madness can make it difficult to see Dracula’s evil schemes at play.”

Explanation of how Renfield's madness is directly influenced by Dracula and why he tries to escape the asylum and join him at Carfax

"I do not know if it was all real or the dreaming of a madman." reflects Jonathan's doubt about his own sanity after escaping from Dracula's castle, and how he is afraid to read his diary and face the truth.

Reflects Jonathan's doubts over his sanity after escaping from Dracula's castle and how afraid he is of reading his diary and facing the truth.

Lucy Westenra's Diary

Hillingham, 24 August + 25 August

Lucy's entries are quite self-indulgent and overly focused on herself; contrasting to Mina's entries, despite her proclaiming Mina as being the benchmark for the ideal woman, she couldn't be further from being like her. Also her continuous bad dreams can be linked to Freud’ Interpretation of Dreams

“I am here to do Your bidding, Master. I am Your slave, and You will reward me, for I shall be faithful. I have worshipped You long and afar off.”

Chapter 8

Renfield talking to Dracula, referring to him as being his master and he is his slave. Creating a power imbalance between Renfield and Dracula, emphasising the devotion Renfield has towards Dracula; Which Dracula later goes on to exploit and leads to Renfield’s tragic demise.

“The blood is the life”

Chapter 11 and 18

Repetitive motif within the novel, used throughout to represent blood symbolism - the importance of it being linked to Dracula's youth and the vampiric symptoms (Strength, allure, etc)

“here I am to-night, hoping for sleep, and lying like Ophelia in the play, with “virgin crants and maiden strewments.” I never liked grlic before, but to-night it is delightful!”

Chapter 11

‘Her white nightdress was smeared with blood, and a thin stream tricked down the man's bare breast which was shown by his torn-open dress'

‘The attitude oof the two had a terrible resemblance to a child forcing a kitten's nose into a saucer of milk to compel it to drink'

‘His eyes flamed red with devilish passion'