Bram Stoker’s Dracula
The London of the 1890s was a glamorous place – and a dangerous one. Observing the “teeming millions” in his professional role as manager of the London’s Lyceum Theatre, Bram Stoker’s view also included many celebrities, such as Arthur Conan Doyle (of Sherlock Holmes fame) and Oscar Wilde.
Mar 24, 2025, 06:21 IST
Close by the Lyceum’s grand doors are the markets of Covent Garden, where poor girls (like Bernard Shaw’s Eliza Doolittle) sold flowers to passing crowds. A little further on is the East End where the poor and despised could eke out a perilous living far from their birthplace in Ireland, Africa, India, Asia, and Eastern Europe (like Dickens’s Fagin). If Jack the Ripper no longer haunted the dark streets, then crime, alcoholism and unexplained epidemic disease still brought terror and sudden, brutal death.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) is one of the most influential Gothic horror novels of all time, filled with eerie symbolism, supernatural fears, and deep-seated anxieties about the changing world of the late 19th century. The novel intertwines themes of vampirism, sexuality, and the decline of the British Empire, making it a rich subject of literary analysis.
Bats, Blood, and the Supernatural
Bats became synonymous with vampires largely due to Dracula, where the Count is frequently associated with these nocturnal creatures. Stoker drew inspiration from folklore that linked bats to supernatural entities, and the real-life vampire bat, discovered in South America, added a terrifying layer of realism. The bat motif reinforces the predator-prey dynamic between Dracula and his victims.
Garlic and Other Superstitions
In the novel, garlic is a crucial weapon against Dracula, reflecting Eastern European folklore where it was believed to ward off evil spirits and supernatural entities. Stoker borrowed heavily from these traditions, blending superstition with Victorian science. The contrast between mystical defenses like garlic and modern tools such as typewriters and telegraphs highlights the novel’s tension between the old world and new.
Disturbing Sexualities and Victorian Fears
Dracula’s encounters with his victims—particularly Lucy Westenra and Mina Harker—carry strong undertones of sexual transgression. The act of drinking blood is depicted with erotic imagery, mirroring Victorian anxieties about female sexuality, promiscuity, and the breakdown of traditional gender roles. The transformation of Lucy into a seductive, predatory vampire reflects male fears of the "New Woman" movement, which challenged the ideal of passive femininity.
Moreover, Dracula himself has been interpreted through a queer lens. His dominance over Jonathan Harker and his vampiric brides’ control over men suggest a fluidity in sexual power dynamics that would have been unsettling in Victorian society. The novel plays with homoerotic subtexts, particularly in Dracula’s "brides" scene and his interactions with Harker, adding layers of repression and forbidden desires.
A Declining Empire and Foreign Invasion
Dracula can also be read as an allegory for Britain’s fears of decline. The Count, an aristocratic foreigner from the East, invades England, draining its lifeblood (both literally and metaphorically). The novel reflects anxieties about immigration, the weakening of the British Empire, and fears that outsiders could disrupt the purity of the nation. Dracula represents a monstrous "other" who threatens English identity and civilization.
Conclusion
Stoker’s Dracula is more than just a horror story; it is a reflection of the cultural, sexual, and political anxieties of its time. The novel’s use of bats, garlic, and supernatural elements creates a chilling atmosphere, while its themes of sexuality and imperial decline make it a timeless piece of literature that continues to be studied and reinterpreted today.