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Metaphor
Explanation and Analysis—Infantilization:
There are several instances throughout Dracula of certain individuals being compared to children: most prominently, Mina Harker and Dracula himself. This comparison is a form of diminishing, or infantilization, though purposed towards different ends. Several of the characters describe Dracula's brain as "child-like," including Dr. Seward in Chapter 25:
There I have hope that our man-brains, that have been of man so long and that have not lost the grace of God, will come higher than his child-brain that lie in his tomb for centuries, that grow not yet to our stature, and that only do work selfish and therefore small.
This metaphor, comparing Dracula's brain to that of a child, is intended to dehumanize him—his intellect, both moral and logical, is not up to par with that of the protagonists. In Mina's case, the aim is not dehumanization, but rather to emphasize her innocence (as in Chapter 24):
Mina is sleeping now, calmly and sweetly like a little child. Her lips are curved and her face beams with happiness.
Mina is an emblem of innocence and purity throughout the novel, giving her male compatriots something "worthy to fight for." This simile, while infantilizing, does not serve to dehumanize but rather elevates her morally above the rest.
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