There nearly countless incarnations of the famous Count Dracula. Even today, just saying his name is more than enough to get people talking. Such is the staying power of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Originally published in 1897, Dracula has become an incredibly well known and beloved classic. Throughout the novel, the title character represents an inversion of typical Christian values, particularly the act of Holy Communion. This repeated inversion of common Christian beliefs and values are used to present Dracula, or anyone else who lacks Christian beliefs, as “evil,” as well as to promote the “goodness” of Christianity.
The activity that vampires are so well-known for is their penchant for drinking human blood. Dracula’s desire for the flesh and …show more content…
Even in her first appearance in the story, Lucy appears to be, at least for the time period, an immoral woman. Her encounters with Dracula are sensual, and suggest the occurrence of sexual taboos, such as sex outside marriage, sex with someone who is not your partner, and so forth. When Mina asks Lucy if she recalls any details of the night of her rendezvous with Dracula, Lucy states: “Then I had a vague memory of something long and dark with red eyes, just as we saw in the sunset, and something very sweet and very bitter all around me at once” (Stoker 106). She goes on to describe feeling as if she were in an earthquake. The scene can easily be considered a euphemism for sex, or other promiscuous behavior. Sex before marriage is often considered immoral or even sinful in religious communities, and it is likely Lucy has done this multiple times, and not necessarily only with Dracula. Lucy fails to uphold Christian values, and so she becomes sinful and evil, like Dracula. Lucy’s transformation into a lustful and cruel vampire serves as a literal depiction of corruption. Dr. Seward, the director of an insane asylum, notes the following after witnessing Lucy’s transformation himself: “Lucy Westenra, but yet how changed. The sweetness was turned to adamantine, heartless cruelty, and the purity to voluptuous wantonness” (Stoker 226). Lucy commits sin and does repenting, consequently becoming evil. Both Dracula and Lucy represent evil and sin, thus they would surely be condemned to hell if their souls were not freed or purified somehow. Naturally, this is where Christianity steps in once more, to save these sinners and lead to
The activity that vampires are so well-known for is their penchant for drinking human blood. Dracula’s desire for the flesh and …show more content…
Even in her first appearance in the story, Lucy appears to be, at least for the time period, an immoral woman. Her encounters with Dracula are sensual, and suggest the occurrence of sexual taboos, such as sex outside marriage, sex with someone who is not your partner, and so forth. When Mina asks Lucy if she recalls any details of the night of her rendezvous with Dracula, Lucy states: “Then I had a vague memory of something long and dark with red eyes, just as we saw in the sunset, and something very sweet and very bitter all around me at once” (Stoker 106). She goes on to describe feeling as if she were in an earthquake. The scene can easily be considered a euphemism for sex, or other promiscuous behavior. Sex before marriage is often considered immoral or even sinful in religious communities, and it is likely Lucy has done this multiple times, and not necessarily only with Dracula. Lucy fails to uphold Christian values, and so she becomes sinful and evil, like Dracula. Lucy’s transformation into a lustful and cruel vampire serves as a literal depiction of corruption. Dr. Seward, the director of an insane asylum, notes the following after witnessing Lucy’s transformation himself: “Lucy Westenra, but yet how changed. The sweetness was turned to adamantine, heartless cruelty, and the purity to voluptuous wantonness” (Stoker 226). Lucy commits sin and does repenting, consequently becoming evil. Both Dracula and Lucy represent evil and sin, thus they would surely be condemned to hell if their souls were not freed or purified somehow. Naturally, this is where Christianity steps in once more, to save these sinners and lead to