Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' & Anxieties of Victorian Society

A series of various superstitions haunted societies throughout the centuries. These superstitions gave rise to stories and folk tales bursting with strange mystical creatures. Vampires were one of these creatures. Bram Stoker’s Dracula gives the impression of being a classic vampire story, a story of a “blood-sucking creature crawling from the grave,” where the old, sinister like superstition is recounted. However, it does a lot more than that. The figure of Dracula embodies “many of the fears that haunted the Victorian ‘fin de siècle.’” Stoker chooses the character of Dracula for his unique power and wickedness. Stoker's goal, in part, was to illustrate how the late 19th century society suffered from their fears.

Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula, known as “the very weirdest of weird tales," had originated in the late 19th century. In addition to telling the story of the monster, Stoker worked to reflect life in English society during the Victorian Age. This time period was experiencing rapid development. “During this period England changed from a rural, agricultural country to an urban, industrialized one.” It was an immense shift which radically altered every sphere of life in the society. The impact was not only beneficial. People sensed fear, ‘the fear of the unknown,’ which was ceaselessly haunting their minds. It followed their steps like a shadow. Stoker had cautiously explored the source of the anxiety in Victorian society through the story of Dracula. On the basis of his discovery he then originated his novel, which acted as a metaphor of the Victorian society. Through the novel Stoker illustrated the Victorian conflict between the traditional and the modern and the fear of the unknown (especially the foreigner) and the evolving concept of ‘purity.’ Additionally, Stoker used two important female characters to illustrate women's changing place in society during this period.

Contrast between ‘the Traditional and the Modern’

As suggested above, one significant aspect of the Victorian period was the industrial growth of British society. Modern and frequently automated methods of production replaced the slower and obsolete approaches. While this solved many problems, it created new issues for society. It brought “a series of contrasts and clashes between old traditions and new ideas,” for which people were not prepared. This transformation made portions of society feel insecure and anxious. They feared the changes and the contrast between ‘the old and the new.’ Before, people were used to a certain lifestyle, which was radically changed by the coming of the Victorian era.

Stoker works to illustrate this societal transition in his Dracula. Specifically, he uses the characters in the novel to embody different aspects of industrial development. It starts at the very beginning of the text when Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to visit Count Dracula on a matter of a property business. Initially, the reader may notice the style of the text. Harker introduces the story in a form of his shorthand journal, which is used by him and his wife, Mina, throughout the book. Shorthand is one of the advancements brought by industrial development. As the novel goes on, the reader may notice more of such innovations. For example, Harker travels to faraway locations via trains.

Nevertheless, this industrial progress is not noticeable everywhere around the world. Countries in Eastern Europe were not as developed as England at this time. Therefore, when Britain directed its steps towards ‘the modern,’ some of the Eastern countries remained as they were, with no longing for industrial changes or progress. This contrast is illustrated through Harker's experiences travelling to the Count’s residence in one of those Eastern countries. The closer he gets to the Count, the quality of the transport worsens. “It seems to me that the further East you go the more unpunctual are the trains. What ought they to be in China?”

As the novel goes on, the reader may notice a device called phonograph. Phonograph serves as a voice recorder and is often used by Dr Seward. He works in an asylum, and phonograph emerges to be an easy way for keeping daily records of his patients. Later in the novel, Mina starts using another device, a typewriter. She is very good at it. When her team collects their journal notes, she uses her typewriting skills to rewrite them so they can easily orientate in them. This makes the whole process of capturing the Count a lot faster.

People in Victorian society were uncertain about the coming of ‘the modern.’ This 'modern' was an unsettling ‘unknown’ to them. They feared how much it would differ from the ‘the old’ they used to know. Dracula portrays ‘the old and the new’ as if being in a battle against each other. The Count Dracula and his native land represent the old and traditional, whereas the other characters and their modern like lifestyle represent the modern. These characters confront each other throughout the novel as did ‘the traditional and the modern’ elements, which created tension in Victorian society.

Fear of the Foreign, Immigration

“Late-Victorian fiction, in particular, is saturated with the sense that the entire nation, …, was in irretrievable decline.” In short, British influence over certain parts of the world was on the decrease, whereas other nations started gaining more control over the globe. British were losing their power, colonies and goods from the overseas stock markets. This formerly powerful, almost everlasting British Empire was losing on its highest values. Therefore, British people feared the other nations which were becoming stronger than themselves. They feared the foreign and its possible invasion into their homeland, for it could cause harm to them.

Stoker portrays this ‘foreign’ as the figure of the Count Dracula, whereas the British nation is replaced by the human characters of the novel. “Dracula’s forays into London, for example, and his ability to move unnoticed through the crowded streets, …, play upon late-Victorian fears of untrammelled immigration.” Humans are absolutely frightened of the Count whose appearance is rather inhuman, strange. They are aware of his supernatural character and that he is distinguished by a great power. They know this can destroy them if they are not cautious.

Stoker creates a situation of the Count posing a threat to all humans far and wide. This makes a metaphorical portrayal of the situation around the British during the Victorian period, where the British nation feels that it is under threat from others.

Concept of Blood

‘Blood is life.’ This statement speaks the absolute truth, which holds good even in Stoker’s Dracula. The theme of blood bears the biggest importance throughout the entire novel. Blood is a complex topic in society as well as in Stoker’s novel.

The purity of blood used to be an issue during the Victorian period. British people feared the other nations’ immigration to England. They did so because the immigration caused mixing the nations together, and so their blood. This mixing would mean ruining the concept of ‘pure blood,’ which used to be historically crucial for national identity. Stoker had portrayed this issue in his novel as “the act of vampirism itself, with its notion of tainted blood.” Human blood was pure until the Count came and sucked the blood of his victim. In this very moment, the blood of those two got mixed which caused its impurity. Many Victorians feared identical impurity would result from racial mixing.

Nevertheless, blood-sucking is rather a universal act which occurs quite frequently during the novel. Stoker uses this act in order to metaphorically portray various issues which troubled society during the Victorian period. Besides the purity of blood, which is discussed above, Stoker aims to emphasize one of the issues discussed the most in those times, the issue of sexuality.

Sexuality itself, or “some hidden aspects of sexual pathology” were traditionally ‘taboo.’ Sex and sexuality were not topics to be discussed in polite society. “Sex was the silent signifier, a tabooed subject that was always lurking in the background, but never directly addressed: “sex could not be talked about at all, except by combining it with death and so disguising it [...]. People in Victorian society feared breaking this tabooed subject.

Stoker reflects on this matter by speaking about the ’taboo’ metaphorically in his novel. He, again, uses the act of blood-sucking, although this time as a “convenient metaphor for sexual intercourse.” Another metaphor he uses for this ’sexual intercourse’ is a blood transfusion. The blood transfusion comes subsequently after blood-sucking since the victim is in an urgent need of new blood. This metaphor is illustrated through the character of Lucy.

Lucy is a repeated victim of the Count. As such, she loses a great amount of blood. She is given blood transfusions by four men in total, starting with her husband-to-be, Arthur. So theoretically, Lucy has this sexual intercourse with four different men. This would be an absolute disaster for Lucy in Victorian society. Unfortunately, all the men’s effort is to no effect in the end. Lucy is ultimately killed when she transforms into a vampire, one of the Count’s adherents. This killing ritual is done by Arthur. It is another example of how Stoker uses the device of metaphor to show what were the concerns of Victorian society. When Arthur drives a stake through Lucy’s heart, he metaphorically punishes her for having sexual intercourse with other men, and more than one, which would be unacceptable among Victorian society.

Blood is such a significant topic throughout the novel. It stands between life and death, purity and impurity, or recognition and criticism of the individual by society. Hereby, Stoker stresses how much the concept of blood and what it represented to society was important among the Victorians.

Novelty of the ‘New Woman’

As may be familiar to the reader, rather a great part of the history of humankind had not been well disposed towards women. Women’s position among the society was lower than men’s in many aspects. Women were disadvantaged within their rights, freedom, and voice, to name just a few. In the course of time, however, women's position in society was improving. During the Victorian period, by its late part to be more precise, a concept of the ‘New Woman’ had originated. This concept brought big changes with itself, which altered the attitudes within society. The chief aim of this concept was to elevate women to the same, or very similar position in society as men. Before the advent of the ’New Woman’ concept, there existed a kind of a pattern of a proper Victorian woman. This kind of woman was expected to be a humble, obedient person who would do anything to satisfy her beloved husband’s needs, to be a good example for her children and to maintain her household appropriately. Such was required of women in the past. Nevertheless, this ’New Woman’ concept improved the position of women in society.

The ‘New Woman’ concept may be found among the ‘fin de siècle’ literature, which Stoker’s Dracula belongs to. Both Mina and Lucy possess certain features of the ’New Woman’ concept, although they are both very different.

Mina excels in the matter of the industrial growth of the nation. This is exemplified by her strong ability with the typewriter. She is also very smart and observant, which she applies when organizing the journal notes with her husband. People within her proximity recognize her intelligence and efficiency. For example, Dr Van Helsing speaks highly of her, “Ah, that wonderful Madam Mina! She has man’s brain, a brain that a man should have were he much gifted, and a woman’s heart” Lucy, on the other hand, is more of a rebellious nature. She “shares the New Woman’s desire for sexual equality,” which she reveals in the letters she writes to her beloved friend, Mina. For example, when Lucy mentions her planned marriage with Arthur she writes, “Why can’t they let a girl marry three men, or as many as want her, and save all this trouble?”

This ‘New Woman’ concept symbolized “a threat to the patriarchal society” of the Victorian time. There existed certain qualities which used to be exclusively within the potency of men, such as finances, education and unlimited freedom. Men feared this concept of the ‘New Woman,’ which was about to steal the privilege to those qualities of them. Stoker has captured this by creating women figures who were capable of such things.

Bram Stoker narrates the story of the English nation during the period of the Victorian Age. This period represented a series of immense changes, which were of both beneficial and detrimental impact on the then society. The novel portrays both, but thoroughly explores the damage which has left its marks on the mentality of the society in a form of fears and anxieties. Specifically, Stoker's characters and their experiences illuminate for the reader tension between the traditional and the modern felt by Victorian society. This was exemplified by the fear of the unknown (especially the foreigner) and the evolving concept of ‘purity’ and women's changing role in society. Stoker cautiously captures this and originates his novel, Dracula, which serves as a metaphorical portrayal of the English society during the Victorian Age.