Van Helsing Flashcards
“I have written to my old friend and master, Professor Van Helsing […] who knows as much about obscure diseases …”
Chapter 9
- abstract noun
- intellectually gifted
“Philosopher and metaphysician, and most advanced scientist of his day”
Chapter 9
- resolute, self possessed and tolerant
- open minded; strong nerves and cool temper
“Noble work […] for mankind”
Chapter 9
- moral opposite of Dracula
- VH is a healer
- but they share things in common: powerful, strong, willed, determined
“Knowledge is stronger than memory and we should not trust the weaker”
Chapter 10
- true knowledge is more important than memory
“A brave man’s blood is the best thing on earth when a woman is in trouble”
Chapter 12
- pre modifier
- implies the most useful thing to an endangered woman is the presence of a man
Boundaries crossed by Van Helsing
- science vs religion
- syntax vs reverse syntax
- superstition vs medicine
Traits to describe Van Helsing
- moral
- faithful
- open minded
- knowledgable
What are the connotations of Van Helsing’s name?
- ‘Abraham’ connotes upper class, name of author, Biblical,
- ‘Van’ means ‘son of’
- ‘Helsing’ connotes hell
“You keep watch all night; see that she is well fed, and that nothing disturbs her”
Chapter 10
- imperative
- states for the first time that some person/entity is capable of disrupting Lucy
“There is peace in its smell; I feel sleep coming already”
Chapter 11
- the garlic comforts her
- even though it has an unpleasant smell, it protects her so she likes it
- personification of sleep
“The first gain is ours! Check to the King!”
Chapter 12
- reference to chess compares the struggle with life and death
- presents Dracula as a fierce enemy who attacks at different times
“Here he held up the little golden crucifix. ‘This was stolen in the night.’”
Chapter 13
- possible metaphor; Lucy becomes vulnerable when her protectors fail her, the Church is her final protector
“See, I have cried even when the laugh did choke me”
Chapter 13
- not in touch with his emotions
- personification of laughter
“Van Helsing is the man to unmask him and hunt him out, if he is anything like what Mina says”
Chapter 14
- Mina admires him
“I have an idea that Van Helsing thinks he knows too”
Chapter 14
- omniscient, has knowledge of everything (link to Feste)
- mysterious and powerful
