Having started Dracula, I'd like you to comment on a number of issues, all of which naturally intersect.
1) How does Harker describe the "East" in his travels and what is the difference between how he describes 'ordinary' people and the Count?
2) Thinking about the Count's discussion of his "blood" (metaphorical that is), what is the role of 'race' here (a word the Count uses often)?
3) What is the role of Gender, especially in the scene with the women in the Castle? How is female desire represented? How is male desire represented? How is Harker gendered?
There's a lot here, but then, there's a lot in the book!
--Enjoy,
Dan
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9 comments:
1. I noticed that when Harker comments on people from 'other' places, he goes into full detail of how they are different. He even goes into how they are dressed. He makes a special discussion on the 'strangest figures'--the Slovaks. He calls them "more barbarian than the rest". He gives a physical description but then relies on something he was told--that they were harmless. As for his description of the Count, I find it similarly descriptive. I got a full mental picture through what he is wearing to his white mustache, his fingernails, the hair on his palms, and so on. In more detail, he tells how strong, cold, statuesque, odd the Count is. Since we get face to face dialogue with the Count, there is more we know about him than the others Harker describes.
2. In this passage of the book, I became confused and I don't even know if I understand it all that well. To me it gave the Count a background or history. He comes from the Szekely who is part of many 'races', some of whom fought dressed as wild beasts--or became them. Here race could mean to distinguish between what is human and what is not. The race of human vs. the race of animal...etc. ?
3. This scene was very intriguing...I had to know what was going to happen next. The women were being very seductive and luring Harker in to their trap. It also was very evil...it was almost as if they had him in a trance. So, female desire is sort of monstrous, while the Count's desire seemed erotic (not that the females weren't erotic). He says things like: "This man belongs to me" and "when I am done with him" (43). The footnote makes me lean more in this direction saying that vampires could be erotic with humans and not vampires. But, I don't know what is REALLY going on here. I did feel the undertone however...I just am not sure as to what it means. Harker seems innocent and afraid...is he afraid of the homoerotic vampire? I don't know how he is gendered exactly.
In the opening paragraph Harker writes that he "feels we are leaving the West and entering the East," so there is an obvious transition from his normal, western life into the mysterious Eastern countries. As he continues to describe the scenery Harker paints a picture of a primitive country, unscathed by technology; beautiful scenery speckled with small villages and dilapidated castles. His tone is almost one of amusement. I found his description of the "ordinary" eastern folk to be similar to Horatio's description of the Irish peaseants in "Wild irish Girl." But what I fould more interesting was his reaction to their warnings against Dracula's castle. Despite their ominous language about the Count and pleas to avoid Dracula, Harker completely disregarded them! Did he think the whole of the community was ignorant? He is the foreigner who knows close to nothing of his surroundings and he still refuses to heed their warnings. I felt that this was very telling of his own English pride and infers that he thought the villagers stupid and for lack of a better term, supersticious.
Race functions as a divider of the weak and the strong. Each tribe must prove they are the stronger, better race by beating down their neighbor. To what end? Dracula claims that his blood, that of Atila is the best and strongest in all of Europe, yet his power serves him no good. He is represented as dark, evil, powerful, alone and feared.
The females are represented as beautiful and dangerous. Harker desires them as much as he fears them, he senses their power over him. Its actually very interesting because they are stronger then Harker together, but Dracula is still stronger than the three. Dracula, male, is still the provider and the boss, but he must need them too, because he keeps and feeds them. So Dracula needs the women and he needs them too, which presents the sexes on an equal level.
In Dracula Harker initially appears as a regular tourist. We see him constantly open to try new things such as the food and make mental notes to get the recipe for Mina. He even looks at countless maps trying to locate where he is going. Although it seems that he is only able to describe the East as picturesque. This illustrates it as something out of a romance novel. He describes the landscape, women, men and the way they dress in this manner. However, the further in the novel we get the more we see his negative attitude towards this new culture and area. For instance, he portrays the Slovaks “who are more barbarian than the rest” as strange figures (11). Harker also describes a meal that he receives at the inn as cat food. It appears that Harker does believe the West to be more superior to the East as he states in the beginning of the novel the “The impression I had was that we were leaving the West and entering the East; the most Western of splendid bridges over the Danube” (9). While Harker gives descriptions of the outer garments of the “ordinary” people we receive the physical bodily features of Dracula. This makes it seem like since Dracula has a business interest with Harker he is more worthy of an in-depth description.
Another issue is the way gender roles are preformed in Dracula’s castle. Harker’s character has a more feminine role while Dracula and the three other vampires perform the masculine roles. This is clearly the case by the manner in which the women are thirsting after Harker once they lay eyes on him. Then you have Dracula who professes his love or ability to love to Harker and threaten the other women if they ever touch him again. It is a classic lovers’ quarrel over an object of affection. The three women are also viewed less feminine by the way they were eager to eat the baby in the bag. A traditional woman’s role is to have a tender heart for children and to love and care for them, not feast on their blood.
On the issues of race, I was a bit confused on what Dracula’s point is. It appeared to me that he is proclaiming his race the superior race, which if true would for the first time in a novel that we have read in class makes the England white race the “other”. I believe Dracula is saying that his blood is mingled with many of the greatest warrior’s blood and thus they are the best. I agree with Tireney in wondering if he is describing a human race or some other type of race.
During his travels Harker is quick to appreciate the different landscapes and peoples present in the “East.” He views it as a place full of “beauty of every kind” (11). Harker points out that there are four “distinct” nationalities in Transylvania, which indicates his previous knowledge, or British knowledge (stereotypes), of these different ethnicities. This is evident when he crosses the Slovaks “who are more barbarian than the rest;” however, Harker believes “They are, however, I am told, very harmless” (11). Unlike the ordinary townspeople encounters early in his travels, Count Dracula does not seem to possess the same unique picturesque charm. In fact, Harker feels a “horrible feeling of nausea” in the presence of the Count (24). The Count’s “words and his look [do] not seem to accord,” and Harker’s adventurous spirit for the “East” transforms into one of fear (24).
It is easy to see that the Count is very proud of his race and nobility, and contrary to traditional ideas about superiority amongst the purer of the races, his blood is that of “many brave races who fought as the lion fights, for lordship” (33). It’s almost as though he considers his family’s race his nationality—and while the two terms may be closely associated, they mean different things…Additionally, we see a crazed, savageness in the history of the Dracula family. His ancestral line also deserted his nation’s troops “since he knew that he alone could ultimately triumph” (35). It is through desertion, betrayal, and cowardliness that the Count’s family came to be.
During the bizarre night in the castle, we encounter several gender role reversals. The women, described as ladies with “voluptuous lips,” have opposite personas than traditional British ladies; they are candid, ambitious, and sexual (42). They dominate Harker who takes on the traditional female gender role. He plays the young, pure, untouched virgin, per say: “I lay quiet, looking out under my eyelashes in an agony of delightful anticipation” (42). The Count is gendered as the authority male. His “strong hand” saves Harker from his unknown fate (43). He is dominant, furious, and forceful.
I would like to start out by saying I have seen every possible version of Dracula. This includes the Mel Brooks version, where I think leslie Nielson was an outstanding Dracula. now on to the post.
1. Harker's descriptions of the East center on the raw beauty of the country side or the "strange" superstitions which surround the people. I was particularly interested in the scene where the woman hands him the crucifix to wear. As an English Churchman his religion has disaprooved of such things; but the act of wearing it eases his mind. I'm not sure why it is but Harker appears amused by these superstitions while at the same time comforted.
2.The Count's heritage is well established within the confines of the story. His pride almost leads him to give away his ancient secret. The "blood" in his veins gives him his strength, character and moves his desires. If you connect that to his need to feed on blood you could see it as a desire to truly possess someone completely. To take their blood is to own them.
3.I have always found it interesting how women are portrayed in Vampire stories. To be honest I always thought that it was generally the only time a woman could acceptably possess the attributes of a man. The sexuality, violence and directness makes them more than the other women within the story. Harkers fear is offset by the internal desire for these women. He's willing to lay there in anticipation even though they're about to rip his throat out..maybe it just prooves that men are willing to let go of rational thought when it comes to sex.
Harker goes into great detail describing the East and what struck out to me the most was his comment noting that "It seems to me that the further East you go the more unpunctual are the trains. What ought they to be in China?" (11) It also seems like the further East he gets the closer to the wolves he is also. On 10 he remarks, "There was a dog howling all night under my window" in a quick explaination of his
"queer dreams" which forshadows his connection as a man to Dracula as somewhat "above man." It is also compelling to note the local skiddishness about St. George's Day and the many different trifels of stength given to him: "the crucifix, the garlic, the wild rose, and the mountain ash (33).
This passage starts off with "We Szekelys have a right to be proud, for in our veins flows blood of many brave races who fought as the lions, for lordship (33). Could this be some sort of pun "for in our veins flows blood"? Does Dracula even have blood himself or does he need the "many brave races" to sustain him? This whole passage was somewhat monotonous and I really didn't understand the whole linage of it.
The role of gender is first adressed with the entire description of the Count. In this version of Dracula he is depicted as extremely hairy, as to be compared to a wearwolf. There is a footnote that explains that in later depictions he is seen as clean shaven and not at all hairy. It also explains that wolves and horses are to be compared to men, while bats are to be associated with vampires. All this is well and good however, being as "hairy" as he is Dracual to me is more genderized in the womanly sort as he does all of the domestic duties and he is quite feminine in his nature in an all around way. The footnote explains that him making the beds and setting the table would be praised as dopmestic in the eyes of the modern man; however, in that time it would be seen as the role of a woman. Later on Harker comments, "I wish I were safe out of it, or that I had never come. It may be this "strange" night-existence is telling on me" (30). Here, "strange" is implied in a homo-erotic sense and gives yet another example of the mixed gender roles that exist so far.
Rayme Bollinger
As Harker travels through the East, his feelings and descriptions change as day changes into night. He views the East during the day as different from his native land, but also as beautiful in its difference. He also goes into detail of describing the people of this region. While they are different as well, they do not appear to be so foreign that it is startling to him. These thoughts all change when Harker views them at night. The scenery and the people seem to shift into a darker, more ominous tone in appearance and personality. Harker has also been warned by the people that that particular night is one to be alarmed about, so he has been put slightly on edge. As the night goes on, both the land that surrounds him and the people increase in strangeness.
The Count's affinity to his own "blood" and "race" is very apparent. He wants it to be known that his race is superior to others, and that his blood is not only strong in itself, but a combination of many strong races brought together. This shows that he does get his strength by feeding on the bloods of many races.
In my experience in vampire literature and film, female vampires are always portrayed as very beautiful. Also, they appear to be extremely dominate when coming in any contact with a male from the human race, as we see is the case when Harker meets them in the castle. However, I have noticed that they allow themselves to be controlled by the dominant male vampire, ready to take direction and follow his instruction. It seems as they are used as bait to trap the human male and then they hand them over to their master and they will always do as they are told.
From the onset of the novel,Johnathan Harker repeatedly remarks on the strange customs of the people which he encounters on the way to Dracula's castle. Perhaps the most prevalent concern for the young Englishman is the fact that he is comforted by the fact that these people do not speak his language nor do they speak perfectly of their own langauge. Dracula's mastery of all language evidences as a source of fear and terror in the sense that Dracula is able to master the language of the English thereby becoming able to assimilate and coexist among the English people not as a stranger but as a native of England. Harker's comments on the people from the East concern their choice of "national dishes" he also remarks that "every known superstition in the world is gathered into the horseshoe of the Carpathians". I found it comical that Johnathan comments incessantly on the fact that these people are not punctual like the English. Physically, the woman "looked pretty, except when you got near them, they were clumsy about the waist" while the Slovak men are "more barbarian than the rest" but he is told that they are "very harmless and rather wanting in natural self assertion". The Count is described as "speaking excellently" both English and German. Physically, Johnathan "found him of a marked physiognomy" he notes that "his face was strong and aquiline, with a high bridge of the thin nose and peculiarly arched nostrils", the mouth was cruel looking and Johnathan notes that a "horrible feeling of nausea comes over him when the Count leans closer to him. Johnathan's uneasiness with the Count is representational of his aversion towards the "other" going along with his source of fear that the Count desires to "learn the English intonation" and "come to know your great England and to know her is to love her", there is an existing fear that the Count will contaminate English purity of both social customs and the race because the count is of many races. There is a sense of femininity in the Counts demeanor and his domestic self sufficiency in the castle that troubles Johnathan immensely.
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