Dracula

Characters

Jonathan Harker

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Characters Jonathan Harker

At the start of the novel, Jonathan Harker is a conscientious and hard-working young lawyer; he feels very proud knowing that his employer describes him as “full of energy and talent in his own way, and of a very faithful disposition.” Along with his keen sense of professional responsibility, Harker is devoted to his fiancée Mina, and hopeful about the happy life they will lead together. Harker is a keen observer who is interested in noting all kinds of details about life in Transylvania, and he tries to be rational and objective as he journeys to conclude a real estate transaction with Count Dracula. As he witnesses bizarre and disturbing occurrences in Dracula’s Castle, Harker’s reliance on facts and reason becomes a weakness as he takes too long to realize he is in a dangerous situation. Despite his deep integrity, Harker still experiences the temptations of seduction. When faced with the three female vampires, Harker admits that he “felt in [his] heart a wicked, burning desire.” Harker functions in the novel as a representation of a modern, intelligent man who always tries to do the right thing, but who finds himself confronting lust and evil nonetheless.

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