Dracula

Dracula

by

Bram Stoker

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Dracula: Chapter 24 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Seward's Diary. (Spoken by Van Helsing, as a note to Seward). October 4. Van Helsing reports to Harker that the rest of the group believe Dracula to have left England for Varna, a port near Romania—they expect that he has retired their with his final box because it is close to his ancestral land, and perhaps a source of his final power of resistance. Van Helsing vows that they will meet tonight to discuss how best to approach Dracula.
The novel has a symmetric, book-ended structure. At the beginning, Harker escaped Dracula in Transylvania and headed to England—then Lucy was afflicted in England, then Mina—and now the novel circles back to Transylvania, where Dracula is the one fleeing, and the group chases after him.
Themes
Writing, Journaling, and Messaging Theme Icon
Christianity, Science, and the Occult Theme Icon
Life, Death, and the Un-Dead Theme Icon
Jonathan Harker's Journal. October 4. Harker notes that he has told Mina Van Helsing believes the Count to be out of the country—Mina brightens up in hearing this, knowing that she is safe from the Count for a time. Harker looks at the red scar on Mina's forehead, however, and begins to worry again about her, and about the group's ability to catch Dracula.
Harker reminds himself, in essence, of the "stain" that has been placed on Mina's soul, through her unwanted communion with Dracula. The mark on her forehead is as clear a symbol as possible, one detailing her lack of purity so long as Dracula remains alive.
Themes
Writing, Journaling, and Messaging Theme Icon
Christianity, Science, and the Occult Theme Icon
Romantic Love, Seduction, and Sexual Purity Theme Icon
Life, Death, and the Un-Dead Theme Icon
Mina's Journal. October 5. 5 p.m. The group holds a meeting in order to go over its plan for catching Dracula, and to outline recent news of his whereabouts—Mina keeps the minutes in her journal. Van Helsing reports that, after digging around in ship documents from the Port of London, the group has found that only one ship, named the Czarina Catherine, is headed for the Black Sea—Van Helsing believes that the Count is on this ship, complete with his last wooden box.
The wooden boxes which had been used as sleeping containers for Dracula are now, essentially shipping containers—he has placed himself in the final one in order to transport himself back to England. The group appears, at this point, fairly sure that they are on the right track as regards Dracula's location.
Themes
Writing, Journaling, and Messaging Theme Icon
Illness, Madness, and Confinement Theme Icon
Christianity, Science, and the Occult Theme Icon
Romantic Love, Seduction, and Sexual Purity Theme Icon
Life, Death, and the Un-Dead Theme Icon
Van Helsing says that Mina's hypnotic dream earlier that day was proof enough that Dracula is on the Czarina Catherine—Van Helsing also notes that the men aboard that ship, when interviewed earlier by a few members of the group, recounted interactions with a strange passenger, whom they could not name but who brought up "blood" several times, and sounded a good deal like the Count.
Another instance of the novel's symmetry. In earlier chapters, Dracula found his way onto the ship Demeter, and terrorized the crew en route to England. Here, Dracula is on another ship, and the crew and those near the ship wonder what his business is, and whether he is not an evil or untrustworthy man.
Themes
Writing, Journaling, and Messaging Theme Icon
Illness, Madness, and Confinement Theme Icon
Christianity, Science, and the Occult Theme Icon
Romantic Love, Seduction, and Sexual Purity Theme Icon
Life, Death, and the Un-Dead Theme Icon
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Mina says that she will go to sleep more soundly this night, after the meeting is over, since she feels that the group is closing in on Dracula—she also notes down, however, that when she sees herself in the mirror, and the scar on her forehead, she still feels "unclean" and possessed by Dracula's spirit.
Mina feels that, even though Dracula is far away, her blood link to him, and the stain upon her forehead, are enough to remind her that Dracula is, in a sense, always present to her, always haunting her, somehow within her. Again, these are feelings that often afflict women of sexual assault.
Themes
Writing, Journaling, and Messaging Theme Icon
Illness, Madness, and Confinement Theme Icon
Christianity, Science, and the Occult Theme Icon
Romantic Love, Seduction, and Sexual Purity Theme Icon
Life, Death, and the Un-Dead Theme Icon
Seward's Diary. October 5. Seward notes in his diary that the group appears better rested on this day—that they appear resolved to track down Dracula at the ends of the earth, back in Romania. Van Helsing calls Seward aside, however, and tells him that he fears Mina is "changing" already, becoming more and more like a vampire (pale in complexion, with the shape of her teeth beginning to change), and Van Helsing asks Seward that, if the time comes and it be necessary, they do what they have to do to "free" Mina from her vampirism, meaning killing her by stabbing her in the heart and cutting off her head. Seward is horrified by this, once again, but after the interaction with Lucy, he knows Van Helsing is telling the truth, and agrees to do this, if needed.
Just as the tension was draining away, just as it begins to seem likely that the men will eventually find and kill Dracula, Stoker ratchets back up the tension by making it so that the friends not only have to find Dracula; they have to find him fast, before Mina changes into a vampire.
Themes
Writing, Journaling, and Messaging Theme Icon
Illness, Madness, and Confinement Theme Icon
Christianity, Science, and the Occult Theme Icon
Romantic Love, Seduction, and Sexual Purity Theme Icon
Life, Death, and the Un-Dead Theme Icon
The group meets again, minus Mina, who complains she is not feeling well, and remains in her room—this causes Van Helsing and Seward to be suspicious, thinking that indeed Mina is turning into a vampire—but they decide not to air their concerns in front of the group at present. Morris says that they ought to arm themselves with rifles, as they will travel over-land to Romania, a journey lasting three days, once they have word that the Czarina Catherine is approaching Varna, the Black Sea port for Romania.
Morris, as before with the bat, is the most gun-happy of the crew, and he believes that it will take a good deal of violence to overcome not only Dracula but those surrounding him, who might have a vested interest in protecting him. The group seems to agree with Morris's idea, though none are so ready to use weaponry as he is.
Themes
Writing, Journaling, and Messaging Theme Icon
Illness, Madness, and Confinement Theme Icon
Christianity, Science, and the Occult Theme Icon
Romantic Love, Seduction, and Sexual Purity Theme Icon
Life, Death, and the Un-Dead Theme Icon
Jonathan Harker's Journal. October 5. Afternoon. Harker looks after Mina as she lies in bed—he fears she is becoming weaker, and Mina asks that Harker keep all plans about tracking Dracula from her, as she fears she will share them unknowingly with the Count, since her blood has been "linked" with his, in some sort of shared consciousness. Harker agrees not to share any word with Van Helsing's blessing.
Mina seems to recognize that there are parts of her mind that are no longer completely her own—she attempts to guard herself and the remainder of the group by keeping herself in the dark regarding the group's actions. This is a counterpoint to earlier in the novel, when the group hid some secrets of their hunt from Mina, in order not to scare her unduly.
Themes
Writing, Journaling, and Messaging Theme Icon
Illness, Madness, and Confinement Theme Icon
Christianity, Science, and the Occult Theme Icon
Romantic Love, Seduction, and Sexual Purity Theme Icon
Life, Death, and the Un-Dead Theme Icon
Jonathan Harker's Journal. October 6. Morning. Mina calls in Van Helsing, however, and changes her mind—she has thought more about it, and realizes that she must accompany the men on their journey to Romania, as her ability to have a hypnotic "connection" with Dracula will provide the group information on his whereabouts. Van Helsing considers this for a time, then agrees with Mina's proposition, and the group prepares to bring Mina along.
A quick reversal—Mina believes she will do more help to the group than harm. But one wonders, in light of later evidence, if Dracula didn't "order Mina's mind" to get her to go along, so that she could supply the group, unknowingly, with false information regarding Dracula's location in Romania.
Themes
Writing, Journaling, and Messaging Theme Icon
Illness, Madness, and Confinement Theme Icon
Christianity, Science, and the Occult Theme Icon
Romantic Love, Seduction, and Sexual Purity Theme Icon
Life, Death, and the Un-Dead Theme Icon
Van Helsing announces that the entire group, including Mina, will leave for the overland journey to Varna the next day, in order to intercept the Czarina Catherine when it reaches the port there. Morris vows to stab Dracula in the heart as soon as he sees him. Later that evening, Harker draws up his will, leaving his estate to Mina in case something should happen for him as he battles with Dracula. The group then prepares the leave the next day.
Even in the thick of all these events, Harker still finds time for that most bourgeois of activities—the planning of his estate. The novel contains an undercurrent of money- and property-management which is very much a reflection of the prosperity and concerns of late-Victorian times in England.
Themes
Writing, Journaling, and Messaging Theme Icon
Illness, Madness, and Confinement Theme Icon
Christianity, Science, and the Occult Theme Icon
Romantic Love, Seduction, and Sexual Purity Theme Icon
Life, Death, and the Un-Dead Theme Icon