Kelton Burnside AP Literature and Composition

Dracula Final Analysis

In his novel, Dracula, Bram Stoker uses multiple aspects of the plot and language to
indirectly characterize the antagonist, Dracula. The symbolism behind the landscapes and
settings, is an example of indirect characterization; it contributes to a macabre tone and is
important in realizing the character of Dracula. Stoker combines these elements, weaving them
like a shroud to enfold the reader in the full magnificence of the terrible monster.
This form of indirect characterization is one of the furthest removed from relation with
Dracula in the novel, yet very important in his portrayal. The vampires in this novel are
controlled by the time of day and therefore the potent description of the sunsets that precede the
rising of the Un-Dead is important in their characterization. The first description of such a sunset
comes in Jonathan Harker's journal:
Sometimes, as the road was cut through the pine woods that seemed in the darkness to be closing
down upon us, great masses of greyness, which here and there bestrewed the trees, produced a
peculiarly weird and solemn effect, which carried on the thoughts and grim fancies engendered
earlier in the evening, when the falling sunset threw into strange relief the ghost-like clouds
which amongst the Carpathians seem to wind ceaselessly through the valleys. (Stoker 13)
The "darkness" said to be closing in foreshadows the coming of Dracula and the horrors Harker
will experience in Castle Dracula. Harker even connects the darkness with the "grim fancies" he
heard from the villagers surrounding his trip to the castle. The sunset in this case, symbolizes the
ghoulish and twisted path that Harker and his friends will face during their encounter with Count
Dracula. This description sets the atmosphere for the rest of the story to unfold and creates an
appropriate environment to begin expanding on the characterization of Dracula.
Not too long after Jonathan Harker's account at Dracula's Castle, we are presented with
this description of the sunset from a news correspondent:
Before the sun dipped below the black mass of Kettleness, standing boldly athwart the western
sky, its downward way was marked by myriad clouds of every sunset-colourflame, purple,
pink, green, violet, and all the tints of gold; with here and there masses not large, but of
seemingly absolute blackness, in all sorts of shapes, as well outlined as colossal silhouettes.
(Stoker 85-86)
Again, we are presented with a description of the sunset- a brilliant one this time- that serves as a
precursor to the physical appearance of Dracula. The scene itself is titled "Prelude to the Great
Storm" in the story, indicative of the storm of death that the Count brings with him to England.
The myriad of clouds again represent the twisted maze that Stoker has been creating in relation
to Dracula's existence. This combined with the overabundance of color serves to confuse the
reader. The viewer of a sunset would expect a few, and rarely all of these colors at once;
however, Stoker puts all of these colors together to create noise in the description. By keeping
the plot tangled, Stoker is able to control the emotions of the reader very effectively, especially
in creating suspense. In the beauty of the spectacle sits the foreshadowing of doom with the
formless blackness. The vampires in this novel are often described as beautiful in appearance yet
they are only filled with the darkness of death. This sunset is a symbol of this paradoxical
existence and the nature of its reoccurrence makes it and important motif in this text.
This next representation of a sunset comes as a memory from Mina Harker, however it is
unique in its placement along a physical description of Dracula. Mina writes:
Then indeed, my heart sank within me: beside the bed, as if he had stepped out of the mistor
rather as if the mist had turned into his figure, for it had entirely disappearedstood a tall, thin
man, all in black. I knew him at once from the description of the others. The waxen face; the high
aquiline nose, on which the light fell in a thin white line; the parted red lips, with the sharp white
teeth showing between; and the red eyes that I had seemed to see in the sunset on the windows of
St. Marys Church at Whitby. (Stoker 305)
At this point, Dracula has come into a physical existence, and even in his physical existence, he
is connected with the symbol of the sunset. The mist, formless like the clouds in the sunset
scenes, becomes the physical form of Dracula. The color that stands out of this quote is red, and
specifically the red connected with the lips and eyes. The description of the eyes stands out even
further from lips; in syntax due to the separation of the semi-colon, in its comparison to the
sunset on the windows, and in it being the only trait Mina had personally and physically
witnessed before in the story. The red sunset, said to represent the eyes of Dracula, shine off of
the church named after Mary who represents love, birth, and humanity. Each of these qualities is
placed in stark contrast with Dracula who stands for hate, death and, the Un-Dead. This setting
creates a vivid picture of the monster Mina faces.
The congregation of these landscapes and settings gives the reader a harrowing view into
the plot and characters created by Stoker. Through these descriptions, the character of Dracula
and the creature of the vampire immerges and contrasts the nature of humankind. Through
Stoker's characterization, the reader can obtain and understand his message of the importance of
friendship and love in the face of great evil.

Work Cited
Stoker, Bram. Dracula. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003. Print.