The Religious Elements of Christian Traditions and Catholic Sacraments in Dracula - Research Paper Example

30 November The Religious Elements of Christian Traditions and Catholic Sacraments in Stoker’s Dracula Introduction Bram Stoker’s Dracula is fairly regarded as one of the most unique creations of the gothic horror literature. A story of vampires and Christian fights creates an atmosphere of unpredictability, horror, and confusion. The Christian roots of Stoker’s horror tale are difficult to underestimate. Throughout his novel, Bram Stoker uniquely integrates the principles and symbols of the Christian religion with the premonitions and sacraments of the horror stories, including vampires, blood, and unbelievable transformations. Christian symbols and elements add uniqueness to the story. They further contribute to the development of the two narrative extremes – that of the Christian goodness and that of the Satanic evil. With its reliance on vampires and blood, Dracula exemplifies a Christian fight between the Satan and God, which ultimately leads to the triumph of the religious purity and goodness. From the very beginning to the very end of the novel, Stoker operates a variety of Christian symbols, of which crucifixes play the most important role. On his way to Dracula’s house, the protagonist of the novel encounters people who try to persuade him that Dracula is a dangerous personality and, more importantly, protect the protagonist from the risks of attending Dracula’s house. “I must say they were not cheering to me, for amongst them were ‘ordog’ – Satan, ‘pokol’ – hell, ‘stregoica’ – witch, ‘vrolok’ and ‘vlkoslak’ – both mean the same thing, one being Slov and the other Servian for something that is either were wolf or vampire. […] When we started, the crowd round the inn door, which had by this time swelled to a considerable size, all made the sign of the cross and pointed two fingers towards me” (Stoker). The sign of the two fingers pointed at Harker serve as both the sign of precaution and an effective (supposedly, effective) means of protection against evil and vampires. It is interesting to note, that in Stoker’s Dracula, Christian elements serve as the primary sources of protection against the evil. Stoker regularly returns to these symbols and treats them as the only way to reduce the threat. However, contemporary scholars in literature are confident that Christian elements in Dracula fulfill a variety of roles. The protective implications of the crucifixes and other symbols extend to cover the broader opposition between the Christian and Islamic religions. The religious significance of the crucifixes and other Christian elements in Dracula reflects the protective power of Christianity against the intervention of the Muslim religion to Europe. According to Fierobe, Dracula is the representative figure of the Ottoman influence on the European continent and his fleeing from the country marks the new stage in the expansion of the Christian religion across Europe (114). In Dracula we read: “When the count saw my face, his eyes blazed with a sort of demoniac fury, and he suddenly made a grab at my throat. I drew away and his hand touched the string of beads which held the crucifix. It made an instant change in him, for the fury passed so quickly that I could hardly believe that it was ever there”. The implications of this quotation are two-fold: on the one hand, Stoker once again supports the significance of the Christian symbols against the satanic evil; on the other hand, Dracula reinforces the sense of inevitability in the eternal conflict between the Islamic and Christian religions. However, whether Dracula really symbolizes the broad fight between the Ottoman Empire and Europe is difficult to define. To a large extent, the claim about the broader religious implications of Dracula’s role in the story is at least ambiguous and doubtful. Textual evidence neither supports nor denies the presence of such elements in the story. However, from the Christian viewpoint, it is clear that the author admits the existence of vampires and treats them as an indispensable component of the Christian religious tradition. Vampires have long been an indispensable element of the Christian religious tradition, and in his novel, Bram Stoker acknowledges their significance for the understanding of the Christian religion. For a long time, vampires served one of the principal symbols of the Christian religious framework, the meaning of which could hardly be overstated (Holte 13). “Do you know that to-night, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway? Do you know where you are going, and what you are going to? She was in such evident distress that I tried to comfort her, but without effect. Finally, she went down on her knees and implored me not to go; at least to wait a day or two before starting” (Stoker). Apparently, the acceptance of vampires and the satanic evil by the Catholic religious tradition is strong and undeniable. Moreover, people who are fated to live within the real proximity to vampires display fear and almost crazy desire to escape the evil. To some extent, the belief in vampires is equal to a belief in the satanic evil, which further strengthens the religious confidence and reinforces the sense of being protected from the unnecessary harm. The belief in the satanic evil seems a vital ingredient of the Christian religious culture. The opposition between the good and the bad leads people to realize the importance of being a Christian and the necessity to withstand the pain of being transformed into a vampire. To some extent, Dracula did not simply keep people in fear but also contributed to the development and expansion of the religious traditions: given the frequency with which Stocker mentions crucifixes and other religious elements in his novel, people would choose to be a Christian adherent, to protect themselves from the satanic threats. This dichotomy of good and evil is characteristic of the Christian religion and the story itself: the ongoing fight between Van Helsing and Dracula exemplifies a Christian fight between good and evil and leads to the triumph of the religious purity and goodness. “That he is not here already shows that he went to mile end next. This took him some time, for he would then have to be carried over the river in some way. Believe me, my friends, we shall not have long to wait now, we should have ready some plan of attack, so that we may throw away no chance, hush, there is no time now. Have all your arms! Be ready!” (Stoker). Here, several assumptions can be made. First, Van Helsing’s opposition against the satanic evil is more than obvious: he also categorizes Dracula as a blot of God’s sunshine and an arrow on the God’s side (Potterama). Second, Van Helsing’s fight against Dracula reveals strong religious implications – he continuously treats Dracula as the threat to the religious culture and image and deems necessary to combat Dracula’s anti-religious power. Finally, the fight between Van Helsing and Dracula is clearly a religious fight between the good and the evil, which Van Helsing ultimately wins. Dracula’s blood is the blood of witches, who had mated with devils in the desert (McBride 119). That Van Helsing overpowers Dracula in this fight ultimately strengthens the significance of the Christian religious frameworks. The whole novel looks like a successful attempt to promote the positive image and protective relevance of the Christian religion to the masses. Conclusion Bram Stoker’s Dracula is fairly regarded as one of the most unique creations of the gothic horror literature. With its reliance on vampires and blood, Dracula exemplifies a Christian fight between the Satan and God, which ultimately leads to the triumph of the religious purity and goodness. Throughout the novel, Stoker persistently applies to a number of religious symbols, of which crucifixes play the most important role. These symbols are expected to protect people from the satanic evil. Some scholars also believe that Dracula himself reflects the ongoing opposition between the Muslim and Christian religions, but this claim requires further analysis. In the meantime, vampires look like an indispensable element of the Christian religious frameworks, which are commonly accepted and acknowledged by the Christian people. In this sense, the fight between Van Helsing and Dracula is nothing but a reflection of the battle between the satanic evil and the Christian religion, which leads to the ultimate triumph of the religious purity and goodness. Works Cited Fierobe, C. Dracula: Mythe et metamorphoses. Presses University Septentrion, 2005. Holte, J.C. Dracula in the Dark: the Dracula Film Adaptations. Greenwood Publishing Group. McBride, W.T. “Dracula and Mephistopheles: Shyster Vampires.” Literature/ Film Quarterly, 18.2 (1990): 116-21. Potterama. “God’s Wounds! How Dracula Bled Christianity Dry.” Potterama. Web. 30 November 2010. Stoker, B. “Dracula.” Literature.org. Web. 30 November 2010. Read More