Pollution And Redemption In Dracula, By Anne Mcwhir

Pollution and Redemption in Dracula, written by Anne McWhir, a Professor Emerita at the University of Calgary, analyzes the complex relationships between characters of Bram Stoker’s, Dracula. McWhir acknowledges seemingly opposing themes within Dracula, â€Å"Dracula is remarkable for its blurring and confusion of categories. Modem and primitive, civilized and savage, science and myth are confused; so too are other categories-good and evil, clean and unclean, life and death† (31). She explains the purpose of hunting Count Dracula is to restore the characters, giving them a chance at redemption, â€Å"The pollution or dangerous power that disappears at the end of Dracula means that the characters can return to a world of clear categories and†¦show more content†¦Dracula is a proud of his lineage. His blood is noble among gypies (criminals) but when placed in comparison to the elite of England, he is considered primitive, â€Å"†¦Draculas criminality domin ates over his noble blood: science assimilates him to a lower type, associating him with animals and inferior human groups† (McWhir 34). By the end of Dracula, the younger characters return to clear and defined statuses; Lucy is at peace in her true death, Dr. Seward and Holmwood (Godalming) are married to other women, Mina and Mr. Harker have been ushered into adulthood by becoming parents. They decided to name their child, Quincey (McWhir 35). McWhir explains, â€Å"Quincey Morris, wounded in the act of destroying Dracula, dies a heros death, reminding us that the dangers have not been mere dreams and mad fantasies and showing us through his central role in a ritual of purification that blood is substance as well as symbol† (35). The defined social categories that the characters wish to achieve can only be possessed by recognizing their opposing forces. Anne McWhir concludes that the road to purification for Mina requires a blood sacrifice, sanity cannot exist without recognizing madness, and the danger of and dependence on foreigners (Dracula and VanShow MoreRelatedInverted Gender Roles: Dracula by Bram Stoker1465 Words   |  6 PagesThere’s a Hidden â€Å"Monster† in Everyone In Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, Stoker’s use of inverted gender roles allows readers to grasp the sense of obscureness throughout, eventually leading to the reader’s realization that these characters are rather similar to the â€Å"monster† which they call Dracula. Despite being in the Victorian era, Stoker’s use of sexuality in the novel contributes to the reasoning of obscureness going against the Victorian morals and values. Throughout the novel the stereotypical