Bleeding Souls Essay

Submitted By jcartertn
Words: 2736
Pages: 11
Open Document
Bleeding Souls Throughout the story of Dracula, Stoker analyzes the theme of good versus evil, especially in the Christian sense. Written in the Victorian era, Dracula serves as a warning to those individuals wishing to escape the strict Victorian rules and restrictions. Many of the Victorian eras principles were derived from Christianity and a basic moral good. It also warns against their reliance on technology, such as weapons that are useless against the powers of Dracula, causing them to rely on faith and Christian sacraments to protect themselves. Although it seems that Dracula overpowers his victims, they have in some ways allowed him to corrupt them and invite his evil upon them. Damnation is a prevalent theme throughout the story beginning with the loss of Dracula’s love taking her own life and according to the Catholic church, being damned to hell for eternity. Dracula curses God and wants others to be damned to hell like his beloved. Salvation comes after the people return to their faith in God and truly submit to God. Using the archetypes of corruption, damnation and salvation, Bram Stoker’s Dracula analyzes and warns of society’s abandonment of God. Bram Stoker’s Dracula is both an analysis and a warning of the potential danger of a modern society by giving examples of corruption, damnation, and salvation that resulted from the abandonment and subsequent return to reliance on God. Much of the story throughout Dracula is focused on the idea of corrupting the pure Christian characters of the story. Everything about their lives in the Victorian era stands against Dracula because they are so closely tied to Christianity. “Morality and religion-especially the Christian religion-infused all aspects of life”(Galens 31). The first target is Jonathan Harker, a lawyer who acquired the task of working for Dracula after his predecessor, Renfield, is bitten by Dracula and deemed insane. Jonathan is a young man, engaged to be married to a young woman named Mina. Upon Jonathan’s arrival in Transylvania, a stranger gives him a crucifix to wear to protect him from the evil the castle where Jonathan will work. Dracula discovers a photo of Mina in Jonathan’s possessions and she greatly resembles his lost love. He pursues Mina and infiltrates her circle of friends, hoping to corrupt them and strip them of their innocence. The young ladies’ purity and innocence are products of the Victorian era in which they live and the Catholic religion they practice. “The traditional equation of sexuality and death could hardly be clearer, nor her invitation of Dracula more explicit” (Spencer 210). Dracula’s first true victim becomes Lucy. She is Mina’s best friend and she has recently decided which suitor she is to marry. Much like with a person with a young faith, she is very vulnerable to Dracula at this early stage due to her lack of experience and not being entirely comfortable. Dracula’s first attempts on Lucy start out small, which is similar to the way that Satan tempts God’s children with small sins that will lead to bigger ones. Eventually he turns her without the knowledge of her friends. After Mina’s friend Lucy is corrupted by Dracula, Dutch Dr. Van Helsing is brought in to try to cure Lucy. Van Helsing is an expert of sorts, having a lot of information about vampire folklore. At the time he is brought in no one knew that Lucy was being turned into a vampire. They simply thought it is only a strange ailment. Van Helsing’s knowledge of vampires leads him to hang garlic in Lucy’s room to keep Dracula from completing her transformation. However Lucy’s mother unwittingly removes the garlic from the room. After that a wolf sent by Dracula wounds her and kills Lucy. Dracula can enter a house by invitation only. This is symbolic of the Christian faith where Jesus is invited into one’s heart or the devil is allowed in instead. In their fierce attempt to protect Mina from Dracula, Jonathan and Van
Show More

Related Documents: Bleeding Souls Essay

Professional Roles and Values Essay

a patient to be admitted for post-operative vaginal bleeding. The patient recently had a vaginal birth a week earlier and had come through the OR because of post-delivery bleeding. She underwent a vaginal laceration repair. The plan was for me to discharge her from recovery to home. She woke up from anesthesia fine but continued to have some vaginal bleeding. I informed her obstetrician who came in to evaluate and was not alarmed by the bleeding. The obstetrician informed me that a recovering obstetrician…

Words 1600 - Pages 7

What Is Prioress's Role In The Canterbury Tales

concerned. She was very sensitive with tender feelings. “As for sympathies and tender feelings, she was charitably solicitous“(146-147). She would shed a tear if she saw a mouse caught in a trap rather I was bleeding or not. “She used to weep if she saw a mouse caught in a trap. If it were dead or bleeding” (148-149). She was sentimental when it came down to her dog. “she had a little dog she would be feeding with roasted flesh, or milk, or fine white bread and bitterly she wept if one was dead”(150-152)…

Words 390 - Pages 2

Persuasive Essay: Memorial Day

celebrate those who have fallen for the freedom of our country, but that meaning is hidden to many. It is our duty to not party, but remember what had happened in our history on the battlefield were so many are dead, lying on the cold and moist ground bleeding for your freedom. These fallen men and women have families, so the least you can do is remember them and comfort their families letting them…

Words 263 - Pages 2

Si Galahad Essay

The Tale of Sir Galahad The circumstances surrounding the conception of baby Galahad were perfunctory at best and crafty, miserable and downright illegal in today’s sense of the word at worst. Galahad’s story began with King Pelles from Corbenic, who recieved word from a magical source that Sir Lancelot would give his daughter a child. This child, chosen by God to achieve the Holy Grail, would grow into the greatest knight in the world and become even more of a legend than his father was. The King…

Words 764 - Pages 4

The Denotative Meaning Of Meditation: The Gateway To All Souls

Gateway to All Souls The denotative meaning of meditation is, “deep continuous thought,” but I view meditation as a state of thoughtless reflection; warmly blanking out the mind, as if it were a cinnamon scented candle, and letting the body relax. It is as if the rolling, calm, dark tides of the ocean at midnight slowly surround you, and transport you to another world; another dimension; another time. Meditation is not merely contemplation. It is not only deep, reflective thought, but a gateway…

Words 1142 - Pages 5

Questions in Prayer Essay

times of need Daniel 6 : Daniel would pray day, noon and night daily If you were facing the danger that Daniel was facing would you continue to pray? b. We pray in time of sickness. Matthew 9:20-22 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge f his cloak. She said to herself “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turn and saw her. “Take hear daughter, “ he said, your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed…

Words 399 - Pages 2

Identity In Tim Winton's 'Brave New World'

completely disassemble an identity? Can it be the result of a traumatic event? Or is it a slow, progressive descent into increasingly problematic internal views as a result of interactions with an environment? A gnawing, that eats away at a person’s soul until they feel empty. In long clear view, Vic Lang believes he is an outsider and believes he is treated as such. This leads to a diminishing mental state and he veers into a dangerous course. Through his identity and values he decides he needs…

Words 499 - Pages 2

Epic: Hades and King Roderick Essay

Godmother Iris and pleaded for mercy. Godmother Iris invited King Roderick to her lair of immortality. Her lair is hidden in a trench underground. There is light passing through a portion of the cave, while the other part is lit with the screaming souls from her pool of despair. Rocks and sharp cliffs lie scattered across the floor and a molten lava fountain is the center piece. She said, “This chair is dying for you to sit on so we can have a little chat.” King Roderick replied “And I bet those rocks…

Words 3690 - Pages 15

Essay about Text Doc

feel your halo halo halo I can see your halo halo halo © B-DAY PUBLISHING; EMI APRIL MUSIC INC.; “ (Everything I Do) I Do It For You ” by Bryan Adams Look into my eyes - you will see What you mean to me Search your heart - search your soul And when you find me there you'll search no more Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for You know it's true Everything I do - I do it for you Look into your heart - you will find There's nothin' there…

Words 7449 - Pages 30

Personal Narrative Essay On Drowning

I met death. However, of course, I did not leave with him. I was in San diego for a spring break trip, and the day started like any other. It was warm, sunny, and windy day. For entertainment I decided to take a solo kayaking trip out onto a cove. Experienced, I went through the motions of getting out onto the water. I noted that the waves were particularly rough today. I fought through the white caps and made it onto the semi-flat water away from the beach. The sounds, sights, and smells of the…

Words 499 - Pages 2