Analysis of the Character Count Dracula Based on Key Concept of Impurity (Essay Sample)

ANALYSIS OF THE CHARACTER COUNT DRACULA BASED ON KEY CONCEPT OF IMPURITY
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Introduction
In a marvelous piece of literary vampirism, the late twentieth-century vampire fiction underscores the character Count Dracula as a villain. Count Dracula, a vampire, keeps Harker as a prisoner in his castles, besides, attempting to relocate to London to create a race of vampires. The character of Dracula is a creation of vampire lore and the historical figure Vlad the Impaler. Before Harker meeting the Count Dracula, Dracula’s reputation precedes him evident from locals giving him items such as crosses to ward off Dracula. Through Harker, the reader comprehends the inhuman strength of Dracula, his limited motion during the day, human blood consumption, has no reflection, must sleep on soil from his land, has powers over certain animals, as well as the power to convert humans to vampires. As a result, the characterization of Dracula by Stoker is a mystery that underscores the key concept of impurity. For this reason, the paper purposes to present a character-based analysis of Count Dracula premised on the key concept of impurity.
At the outset, Count Dracula is a manifestation of impurity founded on his attributes that fashion his profaneness in the plot. The sense of profaneness in the characterization of Count Dracula plays a decisive role of depicting the vampires as corporeally aberrant.
At the start of the literary work, Harker raises the alarm of the strange wickedness and irreligiousness of Dracula evident from his description. Harker describes the Count Dracula as having pointy ears, his mouth cruel-looking, and his hands having hairs in the center of the palm and finger nails cut to a sharp point. This description prepares the reader for more impure attributes that validate the profaneness of the Count Dracula. The profane impurity of the Count Dracula is further apparent when Harker attempts to escape. The description by Harker confirms the fears of the reader on Count Dracula feeding on human blood, which is an attribute synonymous with vampires as well as a vice against the religious underpinnings of the Victorian society. The instance is noticeable when Harker avers, “It seemed as if the whole awful creature was simply gorged with blood. He lay like a filthy leech, exhausted with his repletion.” The use of the leech metaphor by Stoker is suits the instance given the emphasis of the work. The metaphor emphasizes the threat that Count Dracula posed in the castle for Harker as well as the stability of the Victorian life and humanity.
The last authentication of the profaneness of the character Count Dracula is visible from his peculiar desire to convert people to the “undead vampires.” The primary responsibility of Dracula was turning humans into vampires. To fulfill his demonic duty, Count Dracula converted the humans into vampires by drinking their blood. A compelling instance is Lucy. Count Dracula converts himself into a bat to access Lucy and drink her blood. The instance is perceptible when Morris asserts, “I failed to see him, but I saw a bat rise from Renfield’s window, and flap westward.” The statement confirms Count Dracula in his quest to convert Lucy to a vampire.
Secondly, the character Count Dracula is a representation of impurity evident in the disorder he creates in the Victorian society. The sense of disorder is first clear in the literary work through Count Dracula setting a stage for a battle between the living (humans) and the vampires. Through the character Dracula, the reader is supplied with essential information and objects that the lead to the ultimate battle. The stage is set first through Count Dracula holding Harker hostage. The instance is conspicuous when Harker admits, “I am in fear—in awful fear—and there is no escape for me; I am encompassed about with terrors that I dare not think of.” The instance confirms the reality that Harker was a prisoner to Count Dracula against his will. Moreover, by Count Dracula converting Lucy into a vampire, the road to the battle starts to be clear for the reader. The battle becomes inevitable when Count Dracula threatens the humans particularly Van Helsing, in addition to, abducting Mina. The instance is observable in the book when Count Dracula alleges, “Your girls that you love are mine; and through them you and others shall be mine—my creatures, to do my bidding and to be my jackals when I want to feed.” The declaration underscores the threat posed by vampires to the humans. Moreover, after the threat, Count Dracula flees England using Czarina Catherine, a ship named after Catherine the Great notorious for her promiscuity. The choice of the ship is strategic to symbolize the power of the vampires particularly in controlling the women.
Similarly, the sense of disorder to underscore the impurity of the character Count Dracula is manifest in promoting female sexual expression, which was a contentious issue in the Victorian society. Count Dracula creates a disorder in the conservative Victorian beliefs that epitomized women. In the Victorian society, women sexuality was a reflection of the rigid societal expectations where a woman was either a virgin (a representation of innocence and purity) or a mother and a wife. A woman who was neither of these two attributes was seen as a prostitute. However, this conservative order is under threat, when Count Dracula aims at turning these pure...