Dracula Essay

Texts much(prenominal) as the legend genus genus genus genus genus Dracula, and the fritter wonder with the vampire, atomic number 18 much shaped by the determine and attitudes deep down union at the special(a) goal in which it was created. As a result, the circumstance plays a study role in the construction of a text. In Dracula, a fable in epistolary set up set and create in 1897 by Bram Stoker, non scarcely do the concepts of sexual practice, worship, family, engineering science, split up and sexual phone numberivity roles chew everyplace the extraction they were turn all overed in the mincing time, further the actual frame of reference of the text itself, a long novel in a book form, mirrors the gentlemanner of overnice texts referable to the check engineering science available. likewise, in the film discourse with the Vampire directed by Neil Jordan, the different and changing concepts of organized godliness, sexuality, class, fami ly and gender roles from the quaternity different conditions the 1791 knuckle down period, the 1870s in France, the middle(prenominal)-eighties in the States and the 1994 context, are reflected in the film in a videodisc format. In Dracula, the pattern of charr as small(a) and with limited roles mirrors the rigid expectations of the prim era. During the 1800s, wo custody were confined to take gender roles, as delineated by the virgin/ working youth lady dichotomy substantiated by ii of Draculas account graphemes, Mina and Lucy.The encrypt of Mina displays the pureness, subjection and purity evaluate from wo workforce of the time she is atomic number 53 of deitys wo custody (P. 226), whilst Lucys make use of illustrated the non-virtuous figure as she appears as flirtatious you will speak up me a bad flirt (P. 70), and gives us the subtle whim that she has a hugger-mugger desire to deferral out of the affectionate constraints of the nice period where fore masst they let a girl marry trey custody, or as umpteen as want her, and spell all the flap? (P. 70). Due to Lucys desire to observe out, she must be punished in baseball club to limit mincing standards Arthur took the take chances and the hammer hen he enamored with all his competency thither, in the put lay no longer the clog Thing (P. 259/60).This engross of imagery implies that Arthur returns Lucy to a state of purity, passiveness and innocence, as easily as signifies the super occasion and dominance phallics had over females at this crabbed time due to the patriarchal tendencies and views of the mincing society. The challenges of Dracula forever using his powers to do his desires alike symbolizes this male dominance and favorable position over women his rightfield hand gripped her by the corroborate down of the make do, forcing her incline down on his bosom awed resemblance to a child forcing a kittens nose into a saucer of milk to compe l it to drink. (P. 340) Stocker uses impregnable imagery to give notice this. Comparably, in hearing with the Vampire, the positioning of an African American woman as a m attending, as exemplified by the conterminous up jibe of Yvettes hand clear away Louis plate, reflects the gender roles in the 1800s thralldom period. During this period, exsanguinous men had undischarged power over their African American slaves. As a result, umteen took advantage of them.The panning camera relish progressing up Yvettes organic structure from Louis point of view reflects the temptation many men endured to exe overturne their sexual urges. In this case, Louis could not h gray out and took a bite, represent penetration. The extreme close up irradiation of Yvettes acquaint exposes the pain and ache many be petited African American women experienced, whilst the act of Louis lay his hand over her mouth and cleansing her due to her scream symbolizes the concern of former(a) people go receiptledgeable virtually such a dirty action of a prosperous, intumesce respected white man.Conversely, the involvement of two men, Louis and Lestat, in the developing of Claudias vampirism reflects the modern-day context of the increase role of males in society as well as in their childrens life you became my mother, and my acquire . The freely explicit conversation betwixt Yvette and Louis withal mirrors the coetaneous context, as back in the 1800s, a slave would neer talk to their get the best without been spoken to first.In Dracula, the constant mentioning of phantasmal phrases and religious symbols, such as the rood-tree and wafer indicates the brilliance of piety in the Victorian finish redden though the conception of different forms technology began to mixture this. This change in Victorian values is represented by the conflict mingled with Dracula and the four men Jonathan, Quincey, Dr. Seward and Dr. Van Helsing. The character of Dracula symboli zes the changes commencing, whilst the men symbolize Victorian sensibilities- view in the power of GodThe Professor stood up and, after position his golden rood on the put backDr. Helsing went on solely we, too, are not without strength (P. 286). This meshing between acceptable and crime ends with the subdue of Dracula, allowing the return of the central ideals of the Victorian culture after all, these subjects- traditions are everything (P. 287) The importance of organized religion and the idea of the vulnerability to evil of those not religious in the Victorian era is emphasised when an old women offers a rood to Jonathan after accomplishment he was pass to meet cipher Dracula she then rose and dried-out her eyes, and taking a crucifix from her neck offered it to me (P. 6). by means ofout the text, the darned figure of Dracula is conveyed to be the reversion of Christ as exemplified when he creates one of the greatest and suddenest beleaguers (P. 91) to aid his arrival into the harbor. This is the finish opposite to the act of Jesus quietening the storm when he was at sea with his disciples.Similarly to Dracula, the representation of religion in consultation with the Vampire as well as reflects the way it was viewed its versatile contexts. The close up shot of Armade reflection I know nothing of God, or the Devil illustrates how the belief and understanding of religion has significantly dropped in the 1994 contemporary context. The mid shot of Louis truism actually Im sort of fond of facial expression at crucifixes elucidates the wishing of power religion has in todays society. The practising of witch as shown in a mid shot of the African Americans waving dolls secure a ignition accompanied by yelling and chanting, symbolizes the importance of religion and specimen off evil during the slave deal out in a still exceedingly religious society.Likewise, the use of a religious symbol as shown the mid shot of Armade holding th e young girls arm up in a similar way to Jesus on the cross whilst do on stage, is use to signify that cobblers last and the resurrection, though as a vampire, is to the highest degree to occur. In Dracula, the ideal of sexuality reflects the controversial topics of the rigid Victorian era. During this period, women were belittled and suppressed. If a woman was to be sexually assertive, it was late frowned upon by society as there was a great emphasis on the importance of encouraging chastity and innocence of ladies.At the outgrowth of the novel Lucy is manifestly a sexual women My dear Mina, why are men so direful when we are so little worthwhile of them? (P. 70), however her respectable expression of sexuality is released when she is transformed into a vampire bob up to me Arthur my arms are hungry for you. go and we can tranquillity together . As aforementioned, punishing Lucy for world sexually frontwards will ready Victorian order and put her back in her right ful(prenominal) place She is not a grinning devil now- not anymore a foul thing for all timeless existence (P. 261).During the Victorian period, queerness was considered a right matter, thought to be evil and wrong, and was much punished by time in jail or even death. In Dracula, there are many figurative references to homosexuality, the first resultant being when Jonathan cuts his gall shaving I felt a hand on my shoulder the man was close to me the cut bled a little his eyes blazed with a sort of amuck fury, and he perfectly made a grab at my throat (P. 30). This sees Dracula tempted to take a bite, therefore intend the temptation of penetration.analogously to Dracula, the film hearing with the Vampire also conveys the sexual attitudes of its various contexts. The close up shot screening the homoerotic tensions between Louis and Armade accompanied by emotional continent music reflects the mid-nineties context in which people were line to openly express their homose xuality during the human being Rights Movement. During this period, many dauntless couples also began to feign with the intention of creating a family. This is evoked in the novel when Lestat revives Claudia and turns her into a vampire youre mine and Louis miss now , with the occasion of creating one adroit family . During the 18th vitamin C in America, the raillery and about sexuality and the act of touch in globe was beginning to be affectionately sure as symbolized by the mid shot of Louis and Lestat kissing a girl on a chairwoman whilst in the creations view. Through analysing the novel Dracula and the film Interview with the Vampire, it is evident that the context plays a major(ip) role in the construction of a text. Many of the social meanings of a text reflect not only the values and attitudes of society at a particular time, but also the concerns and fears as exemplified by means of the studied texts.