Essay on Personification in Dracula by Bram Stoker

Through the use of personification and figurative writing, an author may give inanimate objects human-like characteristics to further help their audience understand or connect to their writing. One of the first instances of personification within Dracula is upon Jonathan's arrival at Castle Dracula. The structure itself is described as dark and compares the mystery of Dracula himself to his castle. 

Figurative language is presented throughout the entirety of Dracula to assist its audience in understanding and relating to the story more. Dracula provides many themes for its readers as well, such as the consequences of modernity, most notably the Victorian era advancements in London provides Dracula with a majority of his victims. And the very prevalent promises of Christian salvation in an era where Christianity no longer dominates society and is meant to be the opposite of Dracula, who is a Satanic figure; a classic dynamic of good against evil. Dracula does not appear to venture into a “grey area” throughout the good against evil dynamic, evil is represented as everything that does not fit into society's cultural normalities, while good is solely anything or anyone that stands against evil. 

Dracula, the main antagonist of the story and namesake of the novel, is the greatest personification of evil that is present throughout the entire book and exists to represent this evil in its purest form. Count Dracula is a vampire that is presumed to be hundreds of years old that inhabits an ancient castle found within the Carpathian Mountains within Romania. Underneath the guise of a gentleman's aristocratic charm, lies a very dark being inhabited by a soul of pure evil. The vampiric abilities of the count allow him the strength of twenty-adult men, can transform himself into a bat at will, control the weather, and possesses the ability to manipulate the minds of animals and humans, although to a lesser extent; and his mind control is absolute over vampirized victims. 

Despite the plethora of unholy abilities the Count may possess, he does have his weaknesses and limitations. Dracula’s weakness mainly constricts his movement and transportation. The Count is unable to enter a home unless invited to do so, though the exact rules to this are never explained to the reader, it is left to speculation on why this is so, though Dracula can discover loopholes to this, however. In the scene where Dracula is tormenting Lucy Westerna and her mother, he hypnotizes a wolf that shatters the window to Lucy’s room, allowing him a form of indirect entry. Although Dracula is never directly allowed into the home by the owners, he is allowed to enter through the open window rather than being invited inside; Dracula does not need an invitation for entry, he simply needs an open entrance. 

The Count is also not able to traverse water unless carried over, this is never explained to the audience why this is so, but this would be the reason why Dracula had never traveled overseas to London before. Dracula is unable to rest anywhere else but on “sacred” earth, meaning that Dracula was forced to bring the thirty boxes of earth to London to retain his powers. Finally, the Count's greatest weakness, since Dracula is a vampire; an unholy being, he is unable to be within direct contact with the sun, and if caught within prolonged exposure with sunlight, it will kill him. Dracula may be killed with a stake driven through the heart alongside decapitation as well, though this is not necessarily a vampiric weakness as this could kill a human. Every trait and ability of Count Dracula is meant to compare Dracula to the Devil and is a personification of evil.

To counteract the personification of evil in its purest form that is Dracula, Dracula has its personification of goodness or holiness as well. Though an entire team of vampire hunters represents good throughout the story, one specific man is the direct opposite of the unholy Count--Abraham Van Helsing. As one of the most advanced scientists of his day; A described philosopher and metaphysician by his former pupil, Dr. Seward, Van Helsing is essential in the group's fight against Dracula and is prided on being the novel's personification of wisdom and intelligence.  

Van Helsing is meant to represent everything the is the opposite of Dracula; Dracula is a vampire--a supernatural predator of the night, while Van Helsing is a man of science, despite his extensive knowledge of combating the supernatural, not to mention a devout Catholic as well. All the reader is made aware of to the backstory of Van Helsing is that his son was tragically killed, resulting in his wife’s insanity; The reader does know, however, that Dr. Seward is a former pupil of Van Helsing, and even saved his life from a grizzly gangrene infection. The personification of wisdom is presented throughout the novel by Van Helsing as he always knows how to combat this vampire’s reign of terror and dispel any other victims of the Count they may encounter. Without the aid of Van Helsing, it is quite safe to say that the entirety of the group, and London itself, would have been doomed if not for the knowledge and wisdom possessed by the good doctor. 

Although Van Helsing was essential to the efforts of the vampire hunting group, he could not have ever dispelled the vampiric threat without the aid of his allies and friends. Through the combined efforts of him and his allies, they were able to destroy the monster once-and-for-all. Though readers could claim some contributed more to the death of Dracula more than others; Mina Harker, another prominent protagonist throughout the novel, is both the heroine of Dracula and is Bram Stoker’s own representation of purity, innocence, and the Christian faith. Mina is quite resourceful and very intelligent, not meant only to be a side character or only as a damsel-in-distress. Mina is the friend of Dracula’s first victim, Lucy Westenra, and eventually is infected with vampirism later on in the novel; however, despite all of the sufferings she is caused by this unholy monster, Mina never once gives up and plays a crucial role in the defeat of Dracula, proving that no matter what may occur, her personification of purity and the Christian faith never ceased.