Bram Stokers Dracula a Struggle to Maintain Victorian...

The Victorian men and women conveyed in Bram Stokers Dracula are pure and virtuous members of the upper and middle class. However, hiding behind this composed and civilized conception of England lies a dark and turbulent underbelly. This underbelly is the lumpenproletariat, whom Karl Marx defined as the lowest and most degraded section of the proletariat; the ‘down and outs who make no contribution to the workers cause. Victorian culture discriminated against these vagrants, who were seen not only as shiftless and immoral, but dangerous as well. Sex was taboo and purity was held sacred to the Victorian middle and upper class, but prostitution and sexually transmitted diseases ran rampant among the lumpenproletariat. The rich strive†¦show more content†¦Catholic superstition is demonstrated by Van Helsing and his use of the wafers and crucifixes in fighting the vampires. The Catholic population in England was increasing at the time, and these immigrants were predomin antly lower class. The fact that the vampires respond so strongly and superstitiously to these symbols of Catholicism showcases them as a representation of the lower classes. The rich in Victorian society, and even the upper-middle class, are in a highly privileged position. Being an affluent citizen affords them freedoms that the poor do not have. This is made evident throughout the novel, as one of the advantages the group has is their ability to bribe: This is a country where bribery can do anything, and [they] are well-supplied with money (355). Money affords the group of men with abilities which far outweigh those of the poor. Another parallel between vampirism and the lower class can be seen in the concept of the fall from humanity to vampirism. This fall from grace can also be likened to falling from a privileged social class to a despised one. One descends from a realm of good into one of evil, into a horrible, inescapable existence. Mina fears this so much that she insists she be killed, like the men killed Lucy, should she transform fully and begin to take on characteristics of the vampire. The characteristics of vampirism are abhorred, and so too areShow MoreRelated Bram Stokers Dracula: A Struggle to Maintain Victorian Upper and Middle Class1841 Words   |  8 Pages The Victorian men and women conveyed in Bram Stokers Dracula are pure and virtuous members of the upper and middle class. However, hiding behind this composed and civilized conception of England lies a dark and turbulent underbelly. This underbelly is the lumpenproletariat, whom Karl Marx defined as quot;the lowest and most degraded section of the proletariat; the ‘down and outs’ who make no contribution to the workers causequot;. Victorian culture discriminated against these vagrants, who wereRead MoreHow Does a Marxist Reading of Dracula Open Up Meaning?2150 Words   |  9 PagesUnremarkable though it may seem, to affirm the obvious truism that Bram Stokerâ⠂¬â„¢s Dracula originates from a century that historians often describe as the most significant in terms of revolutionary ideology, whilst wishing to avoid the clichà ©d view held, it is undeniable that the more one delves into the depths of this novel the greater wealth of meaning demonstrates significant correlation with Marxist ideology. The 19th Century saw the emergence of revolutionary socialist Karl Marx, who himselfRead Moredracula1785 Words   |  8 PagesAspects on the Victorian Society Bram Stoker s Dracula, presents an interesting perspective on death and illness in the Victorian period. This can be viewed as a creativity on Stoker s part, or as a form of religious or social commentary on his changing era. There are several flaws presented throughout the novel as the plot unfolds, which are: characters in the novel dismiss the old traditional belief of the supernatural, the constant power struggle between the sexes and the Victorian views on sexualityRead MoreEnglish Literature in the Victorian Era2737 Words   |  11 PagesIm no lunatic man, Im a sane man fighting for his soul this quote from Bram Stoker’s- Dracula, illustrates and foreshadows that in the Victorian era, a quest for meaning was seen by the majority of society as ‘lunacy’, however the characters that Stoker uses, are represented ‘sane’, suggesting Stoker’s encouragement of a quest for meaning and purpose in the Victorian era of increasing uncertainty. Along with Stoker, Charles Dickens and Lord Alfred Tennyson also address the individual’s pursuit