Dracula by Bram Stoker Modern Man to Enduring Romance

In Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Dracula is representative of the superhuman ideal that man is striving to achieve. Dracula is a strong willed, powerful, brilliant masculine figure, and through these characteristics, he appeals to the contemporary reader. By the late 20th and early 21st century, vampires have been transformed into creatures that offer endless happiness and immortality on earth. Such a transformation can be seen in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 production of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Instead of viewing the Faustian dream of endless self-gratification and fulfillment as potentially evil, popular culture depicts these satanic creatures as morally justified, and actually good. Stoker’s Dracula is aristocratic, well mannered, and highly†¦show more content†¦For Steward, Arthur, and Quincey, Mina allows them to unburden themselves, with regards to Lucy, upon her. Their gratefulness for Mina turns into genuine love for Mina, with her â€Å"man†™s brain †¦ and woman’s heart† (207). Mina also shows kindness to Steward’s patient Renfield, who transforms from a â€Å"pet lunatic† to a man with â€Å"courtesy and respect† (206). In turn, for her kindness, Renfield attempts to save Mina from Dracula, sacrificing himself. The men’s unconditional love for Mina heightens when Dracula forces Mina to drink his blood, like a â€Å"child forcing a kitten’s nose into a saucer of milk to compel it to drink† (247). The men truly love Mina, and attempt to protect her, sacrificing themselves selflessly. Coppola’s adaptation of Stoker’s Dracula presents an unconditional love between Mina and Dracula. Mina is the reincarnation of Elizabeta, suggesting a second chance for Dracula. Dracula, during the scene where he is feeding on Lucy, prevents Mina from seeing him as a monster. In a sense, it is romantic that Dracula does not want her to be frightened by him, but he r emains an animal-like monster. Later, when Dracula forces Mina to see him, he is simply a foreign, handsome man who first insults Mina then intrigues her. Unlike Stoker’s, where he refrains from being a Count, he admits to Mina that he is a prince. Mina and Dracula’s love is renewed as she begins to realise parts of her previous life, implying the contemporary audiences’ interest in the possibilityShow MoreRelatedDracula: The Contemporary Dissolution of His Purpose Essay1441 Words   |  6 PagesIn Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Dracula is representative of the superhuman ideal that man is striving to achieve. Dracula is a strong willed, powerful, brilliant masculine figure, and through these characteristics he appeals to the contemporary reader. The 1992 production of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, highlights the contemporary appeasement in satanic creatures, through the justification of Dracula and the corruption that follows, reducing if not entirely diminishing theRead MoreVictorian Novel9605 Words   |  39 Pagesintroduce with the voices that influenced its shape and development. It was the novel that was the leading form of literature in the 19th century England. The term ‘novel’ itself was a simple narrative form, which in opposition to its forerunner, the ‘romance’ focused on the affairs of everyday life such as scientific discovery, religious debate, politics or colonial settlement. Though there are many arguments among critics which dates frame the period of Victorian literature, it is commonly accepted that