senior paper

Submitted By day-mendez
Words: 1016
Pages: 5
Open Document
The horror fiction novel Dracula was written by Bram Stoker in 1897. It is a representation of the shift of the Victorian England. Social and technological ideas are shown throughout the novel showing the transition from the Gothic setting to the unknown world. Stoker had an obsession with new technologies and sexual identity. While Dracula represents the familiar dark imagery of the Gothic tale, it is the new attitudes and technologies the novel presents that represent the new modern Gothic. If it is in the wrong hands, it is capable of being very dangerous. Around this time period Britain’s empire was expanding and they were conquering different lands around the world. Other places were scary to England because they were inclining. Still, Britain’s power was declining and an increase in immigration occurred in Britain and introduced them to new races and cultures. These Foreigners were perceived as a threat and most people reacted violently against a foreigner. Since Dracula is from the eastern most part of Europe, he is perceived as a threat. He isn’t like the rest of them so they are afraid of him, therefore there is a fear of the “other” and the unknown. In this Victorian period, people experienced using new technologies like the phonograph and other gadgets. Stoker also demonstrates how the concept of mass culture, the “gothic” setting, and colonialism effect the historical context of Dracula. In Bram Stoker’s “Dracula “, the portrayal of life during that time period is a representation of his time period. Being obsessed with the latest technologies in his time period, Stoker makes his characters keep up and use the news gadgets. Many of these gadgets were invented to help people do things quicker and make things easier for them to do. In the novel, the “dailygraph” (chapter 7) newspaper article includes a clipping from Mina’s diary, which was a way that everyone could be informed about the daily news. Dr.Seward uses a phonograph to record his diaries. This form of communicating differentiates with the ancient traditions that surround Dracula. Count Dracula comes from a traditional gothic setting and then moves to the west where there is advanced modernity. Its important to notice the train travel in the novel because the transportation and communication is different in the west versus the east. The trains in the eastern part of Europe were more unpunctual and the trains were always late. “…arriving at Vienna early next morning; should have arrived at 6:46, but train was an hour late. Buda-Pesth seems a wonderful place, from the glimpse which I got of it from the train and the little I could walk through the streets. I feared to go very far from the station, as we had arrived late and would start as near the correct time as possible.” (Chapter 1) During this time period people also started to use typewriters. People were getting educated and were learning to send out letters with a typewriter. Van Helsing uses modern medical techniques to guess the cause of Lucy’s difficult situation. He understands and is open about ancient legends and by that comes close to guessing Lucy’s situation. He works to incorporate both the modern western methods and the ancient thoughts so that he doesn’t only consider the contemporary thoughts of the time period. The mass culture in the Victorian era was changing and women and men were working in the same job fields and women were not doing what they were expected to do like be teachers. They were expected to stay home and work like regular housewives. However the transition in this shift in society resulted in women having bigger roles in society. “It can be viewed as an early example of the “modern” novel for its style, its interest in new technology, and its depictions of newly professional women and domestic architectural space” (Johnson 74). Mina has a job as a sonographer and Jonathan has a job as…
Show More

Related Documents: senior paper

Senior Paper

Casondra Moquin Ms. Stead English III 3RD of April 2012 “My Wife Made Me Do It” “Fair is foul and foul is fair” (Shakespeare Coleman) stated the three witches in the beginning of Act I, after deciding on when they’ll meet again. This quote generally means that things are not always as they may seem and will foreshadow events soon to come. After the bloody battle between Scotland and Norway, the protagonist Macbeth meets three witches. These “black and midnight hags” (Shakespeare Coleman)…

Words 1023 - Pages 5

Senior Paper

Brandi Coleman Mrs. Mitchell Playwriting and Performance 17 Nov 2014 Skin Deep: What’s Really in Cosmetics? Yves Saint-Laurent once said, “The most beautiful makeup of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy.” My project was to do makeup, whether it be for special events, such as this year’s Noel Ball or prom, or for more causal things, such as job interviews or a party. But here are a few things to consider: do you ever think about what goes into those cosmetics when you’re purchasing…

Words 1708 - Pages 7

Senior Paper Proposal

Aaron Linz Mrs. Small 12 February 2014 Gothic Literature Topic Proposal: Simply Existing Essential Question: How dose contemporary media attempt to address society’s growing existential dilemma? What answers have been offered to the question “what is life’s purpose?” Thesis Statement: Many offspring of today’s media have tasked themselves with answering the ultimate question “What is life’s purpose,” only to find that the individual must search within to find purpose. Since I was little I have…

Words 408 - Pages 2

Research Paper Senior Year

Sparks 1 Gabriel Sparks 1/3/2015 Mrs. Delvecchio World Literature Exploitation of The NCAA Athlete The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a non­profit organization that undertakes the enormous task of coordinating 450,000 student athletes in 1,281 institutions, conferences, divisions and leagues. The NCAA has existed for 109 years since 1906 when President Theodore Roosevelt established it to rebuild college football because of injuries and death rates among the players…

Words 1442 - Pages 6

Senior Sem Paper

comedians? The answer isn’t exactly clear as the line between comedy and journalism has blurred. Nonetheless, their position has given them a unique ability to raise issues and call out politicians in ways that mainstream journalists will not. within this paper I will look at communication and rhetoric studies, and how Jon Stewart and Colbert use persuasive and argumentative communication to get their point across to their audiences. Scholars have undertaken recent study into The Daily Show and The Colbert…

Words 630 - Pages 3

Animal Abuse Senior Paper

Animal Abuse By Jordan Froce English IV Period: 2 Mrs. Zoltani 9 April 2010 Jordan Froce Mrs. Zoltani English IV 3 March 2010 Animal Rights Thesis Statement: Imagine a dog running to fetch a toy, A horse galloping on a trail, or even a heard of cows grazing upon a grassy pasture. These same beloved animals could be suffering an unimaginable fate in some of the world concentration camps that are still standing. Only nowadays they are known to the outside world as slaughterhouses…

Words 1722 - Pages 7

Senior Research Paper Sample F1

Name 1 Student Name Teacher Name Senior English Pd.2 2/10/2014 Diesel fuel trucks to Biodiesel Diesel engines powers the trucks that deliver products to our communities, the buses that carry people to school and work, the agricultural equipment that plants and harvests the food people consume, and the backup generators that can provide electricity during emergencies. It is also used for many other applications. Diesel engines have historically been more versatile and cheaper to…

Words 2627 - Pages 11

Senior Research Paper Christi Osborne FINAL

Chiropractic Treatment of Shoulder Pain: A Case Study Center for Health and Optimum Performance 1269 Barclay Circle Marietta, GA 30060 Christi Osborne, B.S. Student Clinician, Life University College of Chiropractic 2039 Powers Ferry Rd. Apt H Symrna, GA 30067 423-331-4670 Osborne0788@yahoo.com Advisor: Dr. Rectenwald Abstract Objective: The purpose of this case study is to provide a detailed report on the symptomatic improvement of a patient with shoulder pain with accompanying toe pain…

Words 4540 - Pages 19

Senior Seminar Paper Chapter 18 19 20

ANTIFEMINIST BACKLASH AND CRITICAL CRIMINOLOGY The backlash against feminist criminology is a complex one. It is tangled with feminism and other progressive social movements. With the ever changing status of women's social and economic status, women have been seen as a threat and an unbalance to the norm of patriarchal gender order. Because of this women are often “viewed with considerable misgiving, whilst any reinforcement of the value of women's traditional, domestic role has been perceived…

Words 2476 - Pages 10

Persuasive Speech Essay

there could be a few drivers that come to mind. For me, one specific driver stands out far beyond the rest. It is none other than the dreaded senior citizen driver. So today, I am here to argue that seniors - over the age of 70 - should not be allowed to drive. The first premise supporting my argument that seniors should not be allowed to drive is that seniors experience a decline in their overall physical health. Experts and research have concluded over the years that there are major physical factors…

Words 1468 - Pages 6