Dracula's Supernatural Powers example essay topic

During the Romantic Era, Bram Stoker created a timeless monster in his novel, Dracula. Stoker uses a series of letters and journal entries to tell the story form a first person point of view. The Count, for whom the book is named, seems to be invincible to mere man. Stoker uses his character of Dracula to reflect the elements of romanticism through his supernatural powers, a fascination with youth and innocence, and imagery. Dracula seems to possess unexplainable supernatural powers.

When Jonathan Harker is traveling to castle Dracula, he is unaware that the driver of his coach is the Count himself. During the nocturnal journey, the coach is circled by wolves, not knowing what to do Jonathan calls for the coachman and in return "heard his [Dracula's] voice raised in a tone of imperious command, and looking towards the sound saw him stand in the roadway. As he swept his long arm, as though brushing aside some impalpable obstacle, the wolves fell back and back further still" (23). This unnatural power over the wolves is Stoker's first way of showing Dracula's power over nature. Harker also describes in his journal that one evening "I saw the whole man slowly emerge from the window and begin to crawl down the castle wall over that dreadful abyss, face down with his cloak spreading out around him like great wings...

I saw the fingers and toes grasp the corners of the stones... and inequality move downwards with considerable speed, just as a lizard moves along a wall" (43). This transformation of Dracula, shows that clearly he is something more powerful than man. Finally, after the Count bites Mina, the band of men are able to hunt down the Count by hypnotizing Mina. She has a mental connection with Dracula, and is able to sense his surroundings, even when he is far away. Also, Dracula has power over Renfield, and lunatic-asylum patient.

Renfield serves as a prophet and henchman for Dracula. Through the mental connection with Mina and Renfield, Dracula's power to read and control minds is revealed. Dracula's supernatural powers to control nature, transform, and control minds make Dracula a monster and serves as Stoker's supernatural power in this romantic novel. Dracula uses his supernatural powers to feed his fascination with youth and innocence.

In the beginning of the novel, when Dracula is first encountered, he is described as old, although "His face was strong... [his] lips, whose ruddiness showed astonishing vitality in a man of his years... The general effect was one of extraordinary pallor". (27). This description of the Count shows that while he is old, he still possess some attributes and features of the young. Once Dracula finds that the men have made a bond against him, he makes a bond to take all of their women.

He succeeds in transforming Lucy and scaring her mother to death, although Mina is stronger and the men save her by killing Dracula. Also, the three women vampires in his home are past conquests of beautiful, young women. Dracula only sucks the blood of young women in the novel reflecting his hunger for youth and innocence. As the novel continues, the Count grows younger; his hair turns from an elderly white, to a more youthful gray with each meal. The hunger for youth and innocence is Dracula's motivation for killing and follows the themes of romanticism. Stoker also uses imagery, a powerful tool in romantic writings, in describing the Count.

When the group of men encounter Mina drinking Dracula's blood, Dracula's "eyes flamed red with devilish passion; the great nostrils of the white aquiline nose opened wide and quivered at the edge; and the white sharp teeth, behind the full lips of the blood-dripping mouth, clamped together like those of a wild beast" (288). The imagery used in describing Dracula let the reader feel the rage, violence, and furry which is taking place. Stoker also uses words such as "extraordinary" (27), "prodigious" (24), and "a steel vice" (24) to describe the Count's strength. Word choice such as this gives a powerful image of Dracula's strength. At the end of the novel the coffin is opened to reveal the Count "deathly pale, just like a waxen image, and the red eyes glared with the horrible vindictive look" (380).

This final image of Dracula leaves the reader with a haunting vision of the king if the undead at the closing of the novel. These images which Stoker uses to describe Dracula make this romantic novel suspenseful and appealing to the senses. Through the use of supernatural powers, a fascination with youth and innocence and imagery, Stoker creates the character of Count Dracula and makes use of the elements of romanticism. The story of Dracula and his downfall is a classic story, whose themes of romanticism influence and remain dominate in romantic literature today.

Bibliography

Stoker, Bram. Dracula. New York: Signet Classic, 1992.