Connection Between Blood And Bram Stoker s Dracula

Connection by Blood in Bram Stoker’s Dracula Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, published in 1897, is one of the most famous works of vampire literature. Using an epistolary format, the author explores the themes of modernity as well as sexual and religious expression. As one of the immortal undead, vampires are forever damned and roam the Earth in search of the living they could prey on and draw into damnation as well. Within the novel, blood reflects the inherent or earned merits of the person it belongs to and serves as a conduit of their life force. Thus, Count Dracula and other vampires drink blood to steal life force from their victims, establish control over them, and turn them into vampires as well. The erotic tone of the scenes†¦show more content†¦Rather, he seems to believe the origin of the blood to be important. In other words, the large amount of life energy that belongs to four men have been transferred into one woman. The perception of blood as a life force permeates the novel, echoing in the words and actions of protagonists and antagonists alike. Within the first chapters, Jonathan Harker personally witnesses the Count â€Å"looking as if his youth had been half restored† after he has fed (60). Latter Van Helsing explains that â€Å"[t]he vampire †¦ can flourish when that he can fatten on the blood of the living, †¦ grow younger, †¦ and seem as though they refresh themselves† (259). By their parasitic feeding on the energy of the living represented by their blood, vampires render themselves immortal and youthful looking. That is why Renfield, who is a living human but believes that â€Å"[t]he blood is the life!† is obsessed with consuming insects, animals, and even his doctor’s spilled blood (155). Like Dracula, he wants to steal other beings’ energy for himself. Stoker contrasts the parasitic attitude with the act of selfless sharing. When protagonists sacrifice their blood to Lucy, visibly weakening themselves, they show that the exchange of energy does not have to be a violation. In fact, Arthur establishes that he is ready for an ultimate sacrifice by claiming that â€Å"[his] life is [Lucy’]s, and [he] wouldShow MoreRelatedBleh Bleh Bleh. What Does The Notorious Bloodsucking Dracula1755 Words   |  8 PagesWhat does the notorious bloodsucking Dracula have in common with the attractive vampires that are shown in the movie Twilight? A lot actually, not only do they share the same name of â€Å"Vampire† or â€Å"Undead†, they also share the same powers and needs. The vampire genre has gone a long way, specifically with books like Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It first started out as folklore and then it turned into a popular topic of writing in early European culture. 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