Throughout ‘Dracula,’ the author’s intention to create a strong sense of authenticity in his supernatural novel becomes increasingly evident. He merges a

strong sense of realism with the novel’s fiction in order to generate fear; to establish a certain doubt in the reader’s mind concerning the veracity of his story. There are also a number of instances in the novel where one may observe Stoker’s use of the symbolic. There is strong evidence of sexual symbolism throughout as well as undertones concerning the innate struggle between Good and Evil. This symbolism, particularly when coupled with Stoker’s use of realism not only acts as a thought-provoking device, but endows his story with a depth rarely found in gothic novels.

Stoker’s desire to create an ambiguity between reality and fiction is exploited throughout the novel. This idea is initially established through the presence of an unusual epigraph. An epigraph is traditionally used as an insight into a book’s general essence; a short introductory element in order to make it simpler for the reader to apprehend the author’s intentions. Stoker, however, uses his epigraph as

Like the vampire act, blood transfusions are presented as sexual in nature. Although Lucy is promised to Arthur, the blood of several different males is transfused into her, and thus she indulges in a form of adultery. This symbolic interpretation is confirmed by Seward’s account of it, which seems to evoke reference to a first sexual experience: ‘No man knows till he experiences it, what it is to feel his own life-blood drawn away into the veins of the woman he loves.’ (p.156)

Some topics in this essay:
Van Helsing, Jonathan Harker’s, Bram Stoker’s, Van Helsing’s, John Seward, John Baptist, Christ Christians, Mina Lucy, Jonathan Harker, John Baptist’s, reader’s mind, van helsing, professor van helsing, aspect fight, blood transfusion, struggle evil, novel written, van helsing’s, throughout novel, epistolary form, victorian period,