Dracula

Bram Stoker

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Study Questions & Essay Topics

Study Questions

1. How does Count Dracula pervert elements of Christian tradition? What is the significance of this perversion?


2. Discuss the role of sexuality in Dracula. What does the novel suggest about sexual behavior in Victorian England?


3. Discuss Stoker’s decision to recount the story of Dracula through journal entries, letters, and newspaper clippings. What are the strengths and drawbacks of this approach?


Suggested Essay Topics

1. Discuss the appearances Dracula makes throughout the novel. What does Stoker achieve by keeping his title character in the shadows for so much of the novel?

2. Discuss Van Helsing’s role as Dracula’s antagonist. Why is the old Dutch professor the most threatening adversary to the count?

3. Discuss the roles of Mina Harker and Lucy Westenra. How are the women similar? How are they different? Why, in your opinion, is Lucy the first to fall under Dracula’s spell?

4. Discuss Dracula in relation to modernity. What, for instance, are the novel’s attitudes toward scientific advancements?

5. What is the role of geography in the novel? How do Stoker’s choices of setting conform to the principles of Gothic fiction? How do they depart from these principles?

The theme and motif about Lucy's death is a disgrace to this site

by Somethingisbrokehere, January 08, 2013

Please let me state again: Finding anything sexual about Lucy's death and stating it as "unambiguous" that stake is a reference to a penis is absurd. Have you even read the book? I've read the book and I understand it well. Now here is a question: If a stake really meant penis than what did it offer in the books overall meaning? That a bunch of Christians are killing the undead by nailing their penises through people's hearts? Really? That is exactly what your notes are saying and it is embarrassing to think that someone ACTUALLY BELIEVES TH... Read more

41 out of 137 people found this helpful

3

My gosh, it's full of sex!

by Mysticmidget, January 10, 2013

I agree with "somethingisbrokehere". I read through this summary to aid in an essay about this book and was positively shocked...though it gave me plenty of giggles! Dracula has many things about it which make it partly comedy to me, though of course it's only due to the change of the times. The thought of Bram Stoker reading this site's take on his novel is...oh, do try it, it is HILARIOUS. Psychoanalyzing can be taken too far, and I would ask that this site DOES NOT CHANGE THEIR TAKE ON LUCY'S FINAL DEATH, because in the future I might lik

2 out of 10 people found this helpful

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Sorry about earlier but let me explain

by Somethingisbrokehere, February 05, 2013

Okay I should've gone into detail more, but the whole penis idea doesn't fit into the plot and doesn't make sense. First of all from a Christian perspective (Mr. Stoker was Protestant) that would be considered an evil thing to do. Since they are undead that would similar to necrophilia which is most definitely unChristian and would go against everything the book is talking about. Also remember, this book was written in 1897 which really wasn't that long ago. The whole idea of stakes being penises doesn't make sense as cleansing (I don't thin

2 out of 13 people found this helpful

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