Context - Dracula Flashcards
British Empire
-London is the heart of the British Empire
-This also links to how there was a lot of xenophobia and diseases outside of England
-England was extremely protective of its country and city as it was one of the most powerful nations/empires in the world
Vampirism
-This could have also been classed as a disease and is something the Victorian society were afraid of
-They were afraid of vampiric contamination
-Dracula being in London was a threat to the British Empire
Supernatural
-Apart of the Gothic genre
-Dracula has a connection with animals, especially wolves
-Wolves are typically known to come out on a full moon which creates superstition
Mental Asylums
-Dr Seward’s mental asylum were becoming more common in the 19th century especially private ones
-There was more discoveries and awareness on the matter
-There was also an increase in psychological studies lead by people including Freud
Blood transfusion
-This was a very new modern science idea as the first blood transfusion took place in 1818
-This shows that Van Helsing although very traditional is in touch with modern concepts and also show the change in our modern world and how it would struggle without these modern advancements
Religion and Science
-In the Victorian era, Christianity played a central role in society
-There is a competition between both religion and science especially at the time
-Darwin’s theory of evolution attacked the principles of religion which inspired fierce debate across the country
-People believed that science was becoming dangerous as it contradicted the beliefs in religion
The Industrial Revolution
-The English society that Bram Stoker portrayed in Dracula reflected many recognizable ‘modern’ aspects of life in the last decade of the nineteenth century eg- steam trains and typewriters
-These things helped them to defeat Dracula
Horror (gothic)
-The setting of the genres are often mysterious and often remote and ancient
-Another genre reference is the dramatic coincidences and also incorporates psychological drama
-However, in gothic genres, there is usually a young girl who is the heroine, but in Dracula this is replaced by the young male lawyer
Bram Stoker
-Potential homosexuality which is shown through Dracula
-Dracula was published in 1897
-Grew up in Ireland and was a catholic
Decadence
-This was in the 1890s, the decadent movement became popular in art and literature - Wilde was a key feature of the movement
-This followed an aesthetic ideaology of excess and artificiality
‘The Angel in the House’
-This was a common phrase in households
-It portrayed the ideal woman as a sweet natured, self-sacrificing presence in the home
