Annotated Bibliography for Research on Bram Stoker's Dracula

Dracula, de Bram Stoker. "Bram Stoker's Dracula." 1897

This is the primary source which was written by Bram Stoker in 1897. It is a gothic horror novel that introduces several conventions such as vampire fantasy. The book is an important reference because it describes how Dracula travels from Transylvania to England to spread the undead curse and search for fresh blood. The novel also depicts Dracula's Struggle and his battle with a small group of men and a woman who was greatly influenced by Professor Abraham Van Helsing.

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The main arguments of the author include vampire rules and behaviors. According to Bram, vampires depend on human blood for survival. He also explains several behaviors of a vampire, for instance, they are not afraid of hurting or harming humans. They kill them in cold blood to get the blood to survive. Count Dracula is the main character in the novel and he is a tyrannical villain. Bram holds that tyrannical villains are a necessity of Gothic fiction and hence he introduces Count Dracula who is the worst of all the father of all gothic villains. Vampires are not supposed to appear in human as seen in the novel Dracula appears rarely in the flesh. Vampires have immense powers as demonstrated by Dracula. He has total powers over nature because things happen as he commands. For instance, when a troubled woman whose kid had been kidnapped by Dracula comes to get his child, he calls the wolves to scare her away. She demands, "Monster, give me my child!" (48). He uses a sinister tone to summons the wolves and they respond by devouring the distressed woman.

This reference is important in the critical analysis essays on Bram Stoker's Dracula because it demonstrates many literary genres including the gothic novel, horror fiction, vampire literature, and invasion literature. The novel has spawned film, television interpretations, and numerous theatrical. I will use Dracula as a primary source to demonstrate the features of horror stories and most importantly a vampire novel.

Arata, Stephen D. "The Occidental Tourist: Dracula and the Anxiety of Reverse Colonization." Victorian Studies, 1990. In Dracula: A Norton Critical Edition. Nina Auerbach and David J.Skal, editors. New York: Norton, 1997.

Stephen D. Arata is the autobiography which is based on the perspective of social-historical criticisms. The essay is an analysis of the period the book was written. The novel was written in 1987 and today's readers have to take their minds back to this time to get the full meaning from Stoker's perspective. The histories given in this essay explain the piece of literature in many forms.

According to Arata Bram Stoker originally wrote the novel with Castle Dracula situated in Styria which is in south-east Austria (462). However, he changed the location to Transylvania, Romania to connect well with the readers of the novel. This explains why the novel is "...resonated in ways Styria did not" (462). In the late 19th century, Transylvania was an area of racial strife and political turbulence. This was due to academic reform and the constantly changing powers of the region in which the British parliament took great interest (463).

I will use the reference to demonstrate that the Text "Dracula" can be considered as of the primary source, for example. The document is a great historical value and significance and hence only a few individuals have accessed it. People who study the original document look for a copy with the same content as the original. During the time Britain was controlling many countries in the world and had specific interests in the Carpathians. Britain had noted many opportunities in the political instability in the region.

Demetrakopoulos, Stephanie. "Feminism, Sex Role Exchanges, and Other Subliminal Fantasies in Bram Stoker's" Dracula"." Frontiers: a journal of women studies (1977): 104-113.

Stephanie is the author of this essay which focuses on feminism, sex roles exchanges, and other subliminal fantasies in Dracula. The author embodies a collective dream reflecting on Victorian sex roles and repression.

Sexuality in the novel is demonstrated by women seducing men and also the introduction of the Victorian male imagination through sexual excitement. According to these rules women had no role to play in the society but to be a virgin, mother, or wife. During this time, the Victorian England dictated that women were not supposed to express sexual desires because this was the role of men. The society held rigid expectations towards women and they had no great value in the community. If a woman lost her virginity before marriage she was considered as a whore in the society. Women were supposed to be virgin, married, or mother otherwise they lost their dignity in the society.

Dracula's sexual repression and Bram's arguments of feminine blend in a complimentary manner. Mina is a heroine in the novel who is liberated during the time.

The concept of the Victorian's woman was that a virgin must be a model of innocence and purity. Despite the fact that Mina Murray and Lucy Westenra were primarily pure and devoted to their men, Dracula manages to turn them into open sexually desirable creatures. I will use this source to show how Dracula demonstrates the ideas off feminism, sex roles exchanges, and other subliminal fantasies.

Works Cited

Demetrakopoulos, Stephanie. "Feminism, Sex Role Exchanges, and Other Subliminal Fantasies in Bram Stoker's" Dracula"." Frontiers: a journal of women studies (1977): 104-113.

Arata, Stephen D. "The Occidental Tourist: Dracula and the Anxiety of Reverse Colonization." Victorian Studies, 1990. In Dracula: A Norton Critical Edition. Nina Auerbach and David J.Skal, editors. New York: Norton, 1997.

Dracula, de Bram Stoker. "Bram Stoker's Dracula." 1897

Coppola, Francis Ford, et al. Bram Stoker's Dracula. Columbia Tristar Home Video, 1999.