The Dracula Companion (Includes Study Guide, Historical Context, and Character Index)

By BookCaps

Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” is one of the most complex books ever written. If you are a little confused, you are not alone! If you are struggling with the classic work, let BookCaps help.

This book contains a comprehension study of Stoker’s classic work (including chapter summaries for every chapter, and an overview of themes and characters). This edition does not include the actual book.

We all need refreshers every now and then. Whether you are a student trying to cram for that big final, or someone just trying to understand a book more, BookCaps can help. We are a small, but growing company, and are adding titles every month.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookCaps
• Release date: Aug 20, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301286102

BookCaps

We all need refreshers every now and then. Whether you are a student trying to cram for that big final, or someone just trying to understand a book more, BookCaps can help. We are a small, but growing company, and are adding titles every month.Visit www.bookcaps.com to see more of our books, or contact us with any questions.

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Introduction

From Blade to Twilight to True Blood, the vampire myth has become a central part of modern popular culture. But all too often, we—especially younger fans—may not be aware of the vampire’s roots.

Bram Stoker did not make vampires up. In fact, there’s evidence that these blood-suckers have been around in our superstitions and ghost stories for thousands of years. But Stoker did give us Dracula, a central character to the modern vampire mythos. Stoker also set the standard for the powers vampires usually have today.

Let’s take a closer look at this horror novel. But first, we’ll talk a little about Bram Stoker’s life and other works. Then, before we see a general overview of Dracula’s plot, let’s see some of the historical influences that helped shape Dracula.

About the Author

Bram Stoker was born November 8, 1847. This Irish writer was not known for his novels while he was alive. He was most known as the personal assistant of the actor Henry Irving and business managers of the Lyceum Theatre.

As a young child, Stoker was gravely ill for many years. When it was time for him to start school, he almost miraculously recovered. Later, he would comment that the time he spent indoors because of his illness helped fuel his imagination. And he’d need every ounce of imagination to write Dracula.

All in all, Stoker wrote over a dozen novels, many of which weren’t even horror-like. Some were even romance dramas. He showed skill in writing in many different genre’s although none of his books every became near as famous as Dracula.

Stoker spent his summers in Whitby, a small town on the coast. This is the same town that appears in the novel.

Historical Background

Bram Stoker spent seven years researching Eastern European superstitions and vampires before writing Dracula. Many of the stories and ideas (like the powers that Dracula had) came from previous myths.

At the time that Dracula was being written, books about great forces threatening the British Empire were very much in style. Other writers, like Arthur Conan Doyle and HG Wells were also writing invasion stories.

There were also several semi-famous vampire stories out there, with titles like Carmilla, Varney the Vampire, and The Vampyre.

Dracula was originally going to be titled The Un-Dead. In fact, in the original notes, Dracula’s name was really Count Wampyr. But as Stoker continued his research of all things Romanian, he fell in love with the name Dracula (which literally means the dragon/devil).

Stoke always planned to make a stage version of the novel, and he wanted Irving to play the role of Dracula. These plans never came to fruition and Dracula wasn’t acted out until it’s film adaptation, Nosferatu, in 1922.

Plot Overview

Dracula is written as a collection of letters, notes, telegrams, and journal/diary entries. This kind of story-telling isn’t very common today and may be a little confusing to the modern reader, especially when the notes aren’t in strictly chronological order. Their order is meant to make the story flow the best, and usually the order works well.

Dracula starts through the eyes of Jonathan Harker. He travels to Transylvania on a business trip. He is to meet Count Dracula in his castle in the Carpathian mountains. The Count wants to buy a property in England and move there.

Harker’s trip to Castle Dracula is very strange. The locals think he’s crazy for wanting to go there. One woman even gives him a cross as protection. Harker is picked up by a dark carriage. The woods are overrun with wolves, but the driver of the carriage seems to be able to drive the wolves away with a wave of his hand.

Harker gets to the Castle and is welcomed at the door by the Count himself. Dracula says that all the servants are asleep (because it’s nighttime), so he serves Harker a dinner himself, but the Count doesn’t eat anything himself.

The two men stay up until dawn talking and then sleep most of the day. This happens several times. Harker never sees the Count during the day, and he slowly comes to realize that there aren’t any servants in the house at all.

Dracula convinces Harker to stay in his castle for an extra month, supposedly to teach him about English culture and language. Jonathan is obligated to accent the invitation, although he starts to get the idea that he’s really a