The Anti-Christian Values in Dracula - 754 Words

Bram Stoker’s Dracula magnificently portrays Anti-Christian values and beliefs through one of its central characters, Dracula. Dracula himself, a demonic figure, both in appearance and in behavior, could be considered the Anti-Christ. This idea of Dracula as a gothic Anti-Christ is a major element in the novel. Stoker displays numerous Anti-Christian values, superstitious beliefs, and compares and contrasts the powers of God with those of Dracula. A creature of disturbing wickedness, Dracula is not fulfilled by merely controlling the body of humans, but he also yearns for the domination over the soul of mortal beings. This calls to mind the image of a distinctly anti-Christian vision. The first image of Dracula reinforces the idea that he is not a simple villain but a complex one. As Jonathon Harker ventures to meet Dracula, he witnesses Dracula’s control and mastery of beasts: â€Å"How he came there, I know not, but I heard his voice raised in a tone of imperious com mand, and looking towards the sound, saw him stand in the roadway. As he swept his long arms, as though brushing aside some impalpable obstacle, the wolves fell back and back further still† (pg.11). While we are to believe that Christ gained his power over the environment and its inhabitants through His divinity, we are left to ponder where Dracula may have accumulated his power. While Jesus chose to use his power for good, Dracula’s accumulated power acts as a dark mirror being used for evil. The topic of bloodShow MoreRelatedTexts Can Be Modified or Appropriated to Suit Different Audiences or Purposes, Yet Still Remain Firmly Within the Genre. Discuss Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ and at Least One of the Films You Have Studied.1050 Words   |  5 Pagesremain firmly within the genre. Discuss Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ and at least one of the films you have studied. FW Murnau’s 1921 film Nosferatu is an appropriation of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula. Despite it being an appropriation, explicit gothic conventions remain evident, which explore societal fears and values. These fears and values differ from Dracula, due to distinct contextual influences of different time periods. Stoker’s novel Dracula, presents the fear of female promiscuity, for whichRead MoreAnalysis Of Dracul Old Vampire / Nobleman From Transylvania1622 Words   |  7 PagesCharacters: Count Dracula: Old vampire/Nobleman from Transylvania, lives in the Carpathian Mountains, evil, can transform into a bat and is very strong, powerless during the day or when he’s not welcomed in someone’s house, cannot cross water = needs to be on some other transportation like a boat Jonathan Harker: A solicitor that is sent to the castle oversee the plans of Dracula’s purchase of an estate in London, naive and young, trapped inside Dracula’s castle, wants to escape and tries to, braveRead MoreVampire Vs. Vampire Myth2146 Words   |  9 Pagescomparing these vampires to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Dracula is the quintessential example of modern vampires and has a significant and lasting impact on the genre of vampires both from the novel and subsequent films. Simply put, most individuals are familiar with the traditional vampire, who is generally a fair skinned male that drinks the blood from victim’s necks with sharp pointy fangs. These vampires are most often depicted as being fearful of Christian symbolism, being deterred with crosses andRead MoreThe Vampire Lestat and the Problem of Eternal Damnation Essay3601 Words   |  15 Pagesso with full knowledge and consent. With reference to Anne Rices Vampire Chronicles and both Interview w ith the Vampire and Queen of the Damned motion pictures, Lestats journey from mortal to perhaps damned immortal will be cross examined with Christian thought on what it is to be damned an how Lestat has transcended the state of sinner to supernatural supreme entity. Anne Rices Vampire Chronicles cover great lengths of time from pre-revolutionary France to late twentieth century New York andRead MoreVictorian Novel9605 Words   |  39 Pagesvital. Since 1870, when novel had been stated as a ‘rational amusement’(Trollope), texts became cheaper. They were eagerly bought as a casual recreation and for railway reading. That kind of Victorian novel, for the middle-class was a mixture of old values and images seen now through the prism of science: psychology, evolution, sociology. â€Å" Spiritual and temporal worlds are darkened by the shadows of change† and the country was something compared to the heart of revolutions, which referred to the EnglishRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pagesargument; a bad argument is still an argument. A second moral is that an argument can have just one reason, although most arguments use more than one. 7 nearby to ask about Giardia. The underlying principle you applied is to recognize the value of having more relevant information. In the camping situation, it would not have been irrational to choose to pack up and go home, but it probably wouldn’t have been the best decision. The point is to make your decision on the basis of a serious