Dracula By Bram Stoker

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Dracula By Bram Stoker
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Bram Stoker(1847-1912)

• Born in Dublin, Ireland
• Confined to bed as child developed love of
  literature
• Began career in Irish Civil Service
• First began writing drama criticism
• Befriended Sir Henry Irving, the worlds foremost
  Shakespearean actor, and took a job as his
  manager in 1878
• Held position until 1905, the year of the actors
  death
• Wrote Personal Reminiscences of Henry Irving,
  stories, and novels such as The Lair of the White
  Worm and The Snakes Pass
• Published Dracula in 1897 brought immediate
  success and known as one of the greatest gothic
  novels

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Bram Stokers Life and Times

• Born during a time when reports of vampires were
  rampant among the superstitious
• 1847 Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell
  born, Mormons founded Salt Lake City, gold
  discovered in California
• 1897 McKinley became the 25th president, famine
  in India
• 1912 The Titanic sank , Arizona and New Mexico
  became U.S. states

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Gothic Literature

• Subcategory of romantic literature
• Set in a castle
• Atmosphere of mystery and suspense
• Supernatural events
• Extreme landscapes and weather
• Women in distress
• Villain and hero
• Horrifying / terrifying events

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Superstition

• We often fear what we do not understand.
• What popular superstitions do you know? Do you
  believe in any of them?
• What have you heard or learned about vampires?

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Motifs and Symbols

• Blood
• Modern science and superstition
• Christian motifs / Catholicism
• Feminism / gender roles
• 3 female vampires

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Themes

• Modern world
• Science vs. superstition
• Science vs. religion
• Female gender roles
• Good vs. evil coupled with the idea of Christian
  salvation and redemption

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Vampires in Pop Culture

• Twilight
• True Blood
• Count Dracula
• Vampire Chronicles

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References

• Saddleback Publishing
• http//www.virtualsalt.com/gothic.htm
• http//academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/g
  othic/gothic.html
• http//www.scribd.com/doc/7601120/Bram-Stokers-DRA
  CULA-Analysis
• http//www.stjohns-chs.org/english/gothic/works/Rm
  -dracula.html