Use the dracula literary devices chapter of this dracula study guide course to enhance your comprehension as you study for an upcoming test or work on an assignment. The count, as described in the book, is one of the most interesting literary characters to ever march across the pages of a book. Literary merit in bram stokers dracula essay sample. Fundamentally speaking, in any framework, to have literary merit is to have value. John milne macmillan guided readers provide a choice of enjoyable reading mate rial for all learners of english. Dracula, sets our narrator and his father on a decadeslong quest to uncover the monster. The fascinating thing about the book is that it takes on the viewpoint of several characters in the form of. Life of pi by yann martel, brave new world by aldous huxley, a tree grows in brooklyn by betty smith, the road.
See a complete list of the characters in dracula and indepth analyses of count dracula, van helsing, mina murray, and lucy westenra. Macmillan guided readers classics intermediate level founding editor. The book dracula uses varying kinds of literary devices. While bram stokers dracula is deficient in literary refinement, it nonetheless is considered to have literary merit by virtue of the fact that it captures mans imagination. Compton and viking vampire sheriff eric northman merit the most attention. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. It follows the vampire count dracula from his castle in transylvania to england, where he is hunted while turning others into vampires. Stoker wrote until his death in 1912, producing a few adventure novels, among which the jewel of seven stars 1904 and the lair of the white worm 1911.
Rather than constructing a narrative from the perspective of an omniscient thirdperson narrator, stoker presents the story through transcribed journals. Scott fitzgerald, pride and prejudice by jane austen, 1984 b. Literary merit in bram stokers dracula literature essay. Ahead, check out 23 more literary vampires that dont suck.
The article digs deep into the freudian principles in the novel and discusses vampirism in a way that equates it to a grotesque inversion of human behavior. The authors note with which dracula begins reflects a popular conceit in eighteenthcentury fiction. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Dracula is an 1897 gothic horror novel by irish author bram stoker. A summary of dracula by bram stoker bram stokers 1897 novel, dracula, remains the most influential vampire story ever written. A former high school teacher, his passion for education has only intensified since leaving the classroom. Written in the first person through the medium of collected journal entries and letters reflecting the perceptions of its mortal participants, it tells the tale of the transylvanian. Even though he appears to be living, he is actually dead and feeds on human blood which is. The popularity of bram stokers novel dracula has reached such endemic proportions that it has been claimed to be the most recognized book next to the bible. As any teenager who read the sparknotes version of heart of d. Also, ashley invented a new hair treatment and alexs book is out. For anyone interested in taking a first, tentative step towards understanding the plot of dracula then this is. Francis ford coppola, director of bram stokers dracula, changed a few minor parts of the plot from the book. Oct 29, 2014 i will confess that dracula is not my favorite book of all time.
Bram stoker dracula retold by margaret tarner macmillan guided readers intermediate level classics macmillan 2. May 11, 2020 wondering which literary works to study to prepare for the ap english literature exam. Riley sager, author of final girls and the last time i lied. The novel tells the story of dracula s attempt to move from transylvania to england so that he may find new blood and spread the undead curse, and of the battle between. Dracula isnt nearly scary enough, jonathan harker is a wet mop of a protagonist, mina is annoying and the best character spoiler alert. Jonathan harker slashes at draculas throat, while quincey stabs him in the heart. Aric mitchells work appears regularly here at and across the web for sites, such as the inquisitr and lifed. One example of symbolism being used as a literary device in dracula is the following. Beowulf and the fight at finnsburgh by unknown, to the lighthouse by virginia woolf, the fountainhead by ayn rand. Bram stokers now legendary novel, dracula, is not just any piece of cultspawning fiction, but rather a time capsule containing the popular thoughts, ideas, and.
Dracula, novel by bram stoker, derived from vampire legends and published in 1897, that became the basis for an entire genre of literature and film. I want something that it kind of supernatural, a ghost story or something. While films, most notably the 1931 film dracula, starring bela lugosi, have overshadowed the book, they have also helped to keep the story alive. Heres where youll find analysis about the book as a whole. It starts out with a summary of the entire novel which helped our group remember details without having to spend ages scanning page after page trying to find a scene.
Dracula netflix by literary merit a podcast on anchor. Novels of literary merit books meet your next favorite book. It is the story of a vampire, count draculas, move from his native transylvania to england in the search for. Still, just because twilight serves a different purpose than dracula doesnt mean it lacks literary merit. An exploration of the term according to my research. Still, it is a classic that has been a part of our literary history and part of our pop culture. Slave of dracula is a delicately sadistic novel of great literary merit. The following entry presents criticism on stokers novel dracula 1897.
Dracula becomes the famous horror novel in the 15th century and also an inspired many horror story after that. It introduced the character of count dracula, and established many conventions of subsequent vampire fantasy. Dracula, sets our narrator and his father on a decadeslong. How to tell if a piece of fiction has literary merit quora. In dracula, the use of dramatic irony is present to enhance the tone and mood of his gothic tale. Structurally it is an epistolary novel, that is, told as a series of diary entries and letters. Dracula now boasts a vast and wideranging bibliography which identifies it with many themes vampire literature, gothic and horror fiction.
My favorite thing about him is that hes so smart, and has so many powers, and yet is so limi. The fascinating thing about the book is that it takes on the viewpoint of several characters in the form of letters, journals, and diary entries. At 4tests, he hopes to continue passing along words of encouragement and study tips to ensure you leave school ready to face an everchanging world. It certainly has value for having the extraordinary capacity to fascinate multitudes across time. Bram stokers dracula has remained in print since it was first. Bram stokers now legendary novel, dracula, is not just any piece of cult spawning fiction, but rather a time capsule containing the popular thoughts, ideas, and. Dracula homework help questions dont you know that i am sane and earnest now. Dracula is one of the most famous horror novels of all time.
Dracula 1897 is a novel by irish author bram stoker, and the name of the worlds most famous vampire character dracula has been attributed to many literary genres including horror fiction, the gothic novel and invasion literature. Titling the novel after its villain makes dracula the center of the narrativewhich, of course, he is. Using my commentary as help, youll be able to prepare your own ap english literature reading list to better prepare for a 5. Feb 15, 2008 dracula by bram stoker is my favorite novel, and i read it 23 times a yeari always read it for halloween. In the context of the college board, this means you should stick with works of literary fiction.
Ive categorized 35 different literary works to help you easily digest the key elements. How to tell if a piece of fiction has literary merit. Dracula by bram stoker meet your next favorite book. Frankenstein dracula wuthering heights beowulf grendel. Dracula 1897 is a novel by irish author bram stoker, and the name of the worlds most famous vampire character. It is well worth the time to go back and see the original tale by its creator. To kill a mockingbird by harper lee, the great gatsby by f. First person point of view is the predominate viewpoint of dracula. Hamblys words roll off ones tongue like absinthe, drawing the reader hopelessly down to the darkness where her characters dwell. No wonder that count dracula is associated with swarms of rats and other.
Beetle, since its literary merits are few and far between and because it has not. A grand adventure that contains all the literary playfulness and mounting dread of the original dracula. Immediately, draculas body turns to dust and blows away. As outlined above, the books chosen for this thesis each provides a. Sit down with a glass of egg nog, spiced cider, or something a little stronger and cozy up for a nice chat with good friends and maybe escape your visiting relatives. It is 1868, and a twentyoneyearold bram stoker waits in a desolate tower to face an indescribable evil. Dracula is lying there, in human shape, completely vulnerable until the sun sets. Titling the novel after its villain makes dracula the. He became famous in 1897 when he published dracula, considered to be his best literary achievement, printed continuously since it was first published, and inspiring many films and other works. One of the most obvious similarities between dracula the book and bram stokers dracula the movie, is the setting and genre. Literary merit is a highly contentious topic that might get you shanked at an english department meeting for suggesting that hemingway is a big bag of alcoholic crap. I have never been into horror novels and this one is the granddaddy of the horror genre. The book presents several colour illustrations, and these certainly does add to the narrative, as the art usefully depicts the most important aspects of the story. Dec 17, 2018 dracula s intended purpose was to raise questions about what makes a monster and what makes a man, and maybe this is what won it its place in the literary canon.
It amazed me that i had not seen count dracula, since the reflection of the glass covered the whole room behind me stoker 36, the audience immediately recognizes that dracula is a vampire. But the author also creates good and brave men to combat dracula, and therein lies the theme of the book. In fact, the character of dracula has since become so popular that many people who were first exposed to the famous vampire through film or television do not even know who stoker is. Literary merit episode 1 salutations literary merit episode 1 salutations. The persona of dracula stands for treachery, evil and undiluted negative force, which threatens to envelope the whole persona.
Dracula is a novel by bram stoker that was first published in 1897. It digs into the psychology behind what makes dracula so terrifying and how hunting him can be compared to the general lack of. In stokers novel, the infection is not an indifferent virus merely. Dracula along with the other vampires, seek for eternal life by consuming others blood. There are many novels of literary merit, and they mostly follow the same standards. The most important thing for the student choice freeresponse question is that the work you select needs to have literary merit. As a gothic horror novel, a critical theme in dracula is good against evil.
The prequel to dracula, inspired by notes and texts left behind by the author of the classic novel, dracul is a supernatural thriller that reveals not only draculas true origins but bram stokersand the tale of the enigmatic woman who connects them. In the 1897 gothic horror novel, dracula, the author, bram stoker, an irish author from the mid to late19th century, introduces the most famous vampire character of all time, count dracula. Dracula is an 1897 novel by irish author bram stoker. What are some literary devices in dracula by bram stoker. Simply because a novel is old and enduring and spawned an entire subgenre of horror fiction doesnt mean it has great literary merit or is even, by modern standards, the easily readable popular fiction it was originally meant to be.
According to my research, what has traditionally been assumed to be evidence of obsolescence in the literature of. Bram stokers 1897 novel, dracula, remains the most influential vampire story ever written. Published in 1897, the book garnered much critical and popular. Apr 25, 2009 i need a book of literary merit for school, and i was wondering if anyone knows any good ones. This is the weird horror novel that outsold dracula in 1897. Mina says that in that final instant, she saw a look of peace come onto draculas face.
Engaging students with literature i admit, but before i assault students with works that i consider to be of merit, or even before i try to justify my approach to choosing works for study, i find it worthwhile to hear what the students themselves think our working definition of the term should be. Even though the movie and book differ slightly, they both are great works. Literary merit in bram stokers dracula free essay example. Dracul pumps fresh blood into the vampire genre by telling the story of the man who started it allbram stoker. If you stand up in an english department meeting and declare that hemingway is an alcoholic sexist who couldnt write for the jcpenny catalogue, you may. However, stoker didnt even plan on naming the novel after the vampire count draculaoriginally, he planned on titling it the undead, and only changed his mind at the very last minute before the book went to press. Essay, 4 pages although it is rather a subjective concept, literary merit essentially means the worth, quality, or excellence of a writing relative to other wellrenowned literary masterpieces. In this very special episode of literary merit we discuss star wars, mashed potato movies, and a whole lot more with a very special guest. This can be symbolized by the fact that christians also gain strength and starts a new beginning after consuming the bread and blood of christ. For anyone interested in taking a first, tentative step towards understanding the plot of dracula then this is a useful book. Dont know how to write a literature essay on dracula.