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 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 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†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The delineation between the lower and middle-upper classes can also be seen clearly in both parties attitudes towards superstition and science. While the privi leged classes are highly scientific and skeptical of superstition, the lower classes are just the opposite. Dr. Seward uses the phonograph machine, a cutting edge technology, to record his lengthy journal entries which include updates on his patient, Renfield, as well as the vampire problem. Dr. Seward and his advanced knowledge of science personify the attitude among the rich that science can explain all. He is scientific to the core, seeking a logical explanation for everything. Van Helsing wonders at his naivety and lack of imagination when faced with something purely unscientific. quot;Do you mean to tell me, friend John, that you have no suspicion as to what poor Lucy died of; not after all the hints given, not only by events, but by me?quot;(203). When he is confronted with the vampires, the situation rebukes Sewards principles of reason, eventually forcing him to accept the occult and superstition he had long denied. In contrast to the conservative scientific reasoning of Bri tains privileged, the lower classes of Victorian England were superstitious to a fault. Evidence is offered when Mina and Lucy talk to old Mr. Swales about tombstones: quot;You start on the assumption that all the poor... spirits, will have to take their tombstonesShow MoreRelateddracula1785 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 pursuitRead MoreBram Stokers Dracula: a Struggle to Maintain Victorian Upper and Middle Class1881 Words   |  8 PagesThe 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 seenRead 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 Stoker’s Dracula originates from a century that historians often describe as the most significant in terms of revolu tionary 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 himself