Dracula

Dracula

by

Bram Stoker

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Themes and Colors
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
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Dracula, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Life, Death, and the Un-Dead Theme Icon

All the above lead into the final, and perhaps most important, theme of the novel: that of the relationship between life, death, and the state in between these two, known by Van Helsing as "undeadness." Dracula is a creature of the undead. He sleeps during the day and lives at night; he is of incredible strength when awake, but must be invited into one's room in order to begin his "seduction." But the touchstone of Dracula's undeadness is his inability actually to die—his soul is trapped in a kind of prison, and must be released by the cutting off of Dracula's head, or the driving of a wooden stake through his heart. In this sense, to kill Dracula is to allow him to live—to free his soul from the prison of his body.

Other characters in the novel hover between these categories of living and dying. Harker's swoon, upon leaving Dracula's castle, nearly kills him, and he spends many months regaining his full health, only to find that Mina has been afflicted by Dracula's bite. Mina, then, is hypnotized by Van Helsing, later on, to provide information on Dracula's whereabouts. This "in-between" hypnotic state is a kind of undeadness. Lucy's sleepwalking, too, is an "in-between state," not waking and not sleeping, which allows Dracula to find her, bite her, and eventually make her a vampire. Both Harker and Van Helsing appear to go gray and age as the book progresses—they near death, physically, as they endanger their lives, and only once Dracula is fully killed do they regain their total health. Renfield is obsessed with the life-giving energies of the animals he eats—flies, spider, birds, cats—and these animals must die to give him life. Renfield wishes to gain the special knowledge of undeadness from Dracula, but is eventually killed by his would-be master.

Interestingly, undeadness seems to diametrically oppose the Christian notions of resurrection, or life after death. In the former, the soul is given immortal life in heaven, in nearness to God, once it has been released from the earthly body, which passes from living to dying. But in the case of undeadness, the living body seems almost to die, but maintains a kind of purgatorial state in which it feasts on the blood of the living, and the soul, trapped inside, cannot abide with God in heaven. The body becomes a parasite, eking out an existence stolen from the vital energy of others. The novel seems to argue that, in order to continue the normal biotic processes of living and dying, and the normal, moral, "Christian" processes of death and resurrection, undeadness must be eliminated. Souls must be allowed to rise to heaven. Thus Mina rejoices even when Dracula, the villain of the novel, has his soul released from his terrible body. In this way, even Dracula, the evil one, is saved.

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Life, Death, and the Un-Dead Quotes in Dracula

Below you will find the important quotes in Dracula related to the theme of Life, Death, and the Un-Dead.
Chapter 1 Quotes

I saw around us a ring of wolves, with white teeth and lolling red tongues, with long, sinewy limbs and shaggy hair. They were a hundred times more terrible in the grim silence . . . then even when they howled.

Related Characters: Jonathan Harker (speaker)
Related Symbols: Blood
Page Number: 11
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 2 Quotes

In no place [in the castle] save from the windows in the castle walls is there an available exit. The castle is a veritable prison, and I am a prisoner!

Related Characters: Jonathan Harker (speaker)
Page Number: 22
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3 Quotes

Well, now I promise you that when I am done with him you shall kiss him at your will. Now go! go! I must awaken him, for there is work to be done.

Related Characters: Count Dracula (speaker), Jonathan Harker, The Three Sisters
Page Number: 33
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 4 Quotes

At least God's mercy is better than that of these monsters, and the precipice is steep and high. At tis foot a man may sleep—as a man. Good-bye, all! Mina!

Related Characters: Jonathan Harker (speaker), Count Dracula, Mina Harker
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 45
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

Early this morning a large dog, a half-bred mastiff belonging to a coal merchant . . . , was found dead in the roadway opposite to its master's yard, It had been fighting, and manifestly had had a savage opponent, for its throat was torn away, and its belly was slit open . . . .

Related Characters: Mina Harker (speaker)
Related Symbols: Blood
Page Number: 70
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8 Quotes

She looks so sweet as she sleeps; but she is paler than is her wont, and there is a drawn, haggard look under her eyes which I do not like.

Related Characters: Mina Harker (speaker), Lucy Westenra
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 82
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

I want you to do me a favor. Lucy is ill; that is, she has no special disease, but she looks awful . . . I told her I should ask you to see her . . . and she finally consented.

Related Characters: Arthur Holmwood (speaker), Dr. Seward
Page Number: 95
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

You were always a careful student, and your case-book was ever more full than the rest. You were only student then; now you are master, and I trust that good habit have not fail. Remember, my friend, that knowledge is stronger than memory, and we should not trust the weaker.

Related Characters: Abraham Van Helsing (speaker), Dr. Seward
Page Number: 103
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 11 Quotes

How good they all are to me. I quite love that dear Dr. Van Helsing. I wonder why he was so anxious about these (garlic) flowers. He positively frightened me, he was so fierce. . . . There is peace in its smell; I feel sleep coming already . . . .

Related Characters: Lucy Westenra (speaker), Abraham Van Helsing
Page Number: 114
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

Once again we went through that ghastly operation. I have not the heart to go through with the details. Lucy had got a terrible shock and it told on her more than before, for though plenty of blood went into her veins, her body did not respond to the treatment as well as on the other occasions. . . .

Related Characters: Dr. Seward (speaker), Lucy Westenra
Related Symbols: Blood
Page Number: 128
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

I believe it is the Count, but he has grown young. My God, if this be so! Oh, my god! my God!

Related Characters: Jonathan Harker (speaker), Count Dracula
Page Number: 148
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 14 Quotes

Now that you are willing to understand, you have taken the first step to understand. You think then that those so small holes in the children's throats were made by the same that made the hole in Miss Lucy?
I suppose so.
Then you are wrong . . . . It is worse, far, far worse.
In God's name, Professor Van Helsing, what do you mean?
They were made by Miss Lucy!

Related Characters: Abraham Van Helsing (speaker), Dr. Seward (speaker), Lucy Westenra
Related Symbols: Blood
Page Number: 165
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 16 Quotes

Come to me, Arthur. Leave these others and come to me. My arms are hungry for you. Come, and we can rest together. Come, my husband, come!

Related Characters: Lucy Westenra (speaker), Arthur Holmwood
Related Symbols: Blood
Page Number: 181
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18 Quotes

You will, I trust, Dr. Seward, do me the justice to bear in mind, later on , that I did what I could to convince you [to free me] tonight.

Related Characters: Renfield (speaker), Dr. Seward
Related Symbols: Blood
Page Number: 212
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 19 Quotes

Last night I slept, but did not dream. I must have slept soundly, for I was not waked by Jonathan coming to bed; but the sleep has not refreshed me, for to-day I feel terribly weak and spiritless.

Related Characters: Mina Harker (speaker), Jonathan Harker
Related Symbols: Bats
Page Number: 223
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 20 Quotes

The attendant came bursting into my room and told me that Renfield had somehow met with some accident. He had heard him yell; and when he went to him found him lying on his face on the floor, all covered with blood.

Related Characters: Dr. Seward (speaker), Renfield
Related Symbols: Blood
Page Number: 235
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 21 Quotes

First, a little refreshment to reward my exertions. You may as well be quiet; it is not the first time, or the second, that your veins have appeased my thirst!

Related Characters: Count Dracula (speaker), Mina Harker
Related Symbols: Blood, Bats
Page Number: 246
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 22 Quotes

And now, my friends, we have a duty here to do. We must sterilize this earth, so sacred of holy memories, that he has brought from a far distant land for such fell use. He has chosen this earth because it has been holy.

Related Characters: Abraham Van Helsing (speaker), Count Dracula
Page Number: 255
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 23 Quotes

You think to baffle me, you—with your pale faces all in a row, like sheep in a butcher's. You shall be sorry yet, each one of you! You think you have left me without a place to rest; but I have more. My revenge is just begun!

Related Characters: Count Dracula (speaker), Jonathan Harker, Abraham Van Helsing, Dr. Seward, Quincey Morris, Arthur Holmwood
Page Number: 263
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 25 Quotes

He has so used your mind; and by it he has left us here in Varna, whilst the ship that carried him rushed through enveloping fog up to Galatz, where, doubtless, he has made preparation for escaping from us.

Related Characters: Abraham Van Helsing (speaker), Count Dracula, Mina Harker
Page Number: 294
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 26 Quotes

We are truly in the hands of God. He alone knows what may be, and I pray Him, with all the strength of my sad and humble soul, that He will watch over my beloved husband . . . .

Related Characters: Mina Harker (speaker), Jonathan Harker
Page Number: 310
Explanation and Analysis:

Now God be thanked that all has not been in vain! See! the snow is not more stainless than her forehead! The curse has passed away!

Related Characters: Quincey Harker (speaker), Mina Harker
Page Number: 325
Explanation and Analysis: