C. Thesis Statement: Bram Stoker's novel Dracula is filled to the brim with gothic elements that give the reader an atmosphere of mystery and horror. II. BP1/Topic sentence: Bram Stoker's novel Dracula contains many elements of Gothic literature relating to the setting. A. According to the report by David De Vore, Anne Domenic, Alexandra Kwan and Nicole Reidy of UC Davis, “Setting has a great influence in Gothic novels. It not only evokes the atmosphere of horror and terror, but also depicts the deterioration of its world” (Vore, Domenic, Kwan and Reidy). 1. In Chapter Two, Jonathan Harker, a real estate lawyer, arrives at a dark, ruined castle. A. “Suddenly I realized that the engine was the engine. In his thesis, David Gates explains: "The main characters in Stoker's fiction are modeled on prototypes established earlier by Gothic novelists. Stoker worked variations on the traditional types of the persecuted girl, the faithful young hero, and the diabolical villain” (31). B. Mina Murray-Harker is the “persecuted girl” in Dracula. 1. Embodying the perfect Victorian woman, Mina is the young girl persecuted in the novel because she was unjustly victimized by Dracula. C. The faithful young hero of Dracula is played by Jonathan Harker. 1. Jonathan is the man who ultimately kills Dracula. By killing Dracula, he saves his companions as well as society as a whole. D. In How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas C. Foster states that the gist of a vampire story is: "A wicked old man, attractive but wicked, rapes young women, leaves his mark on them, steals from them their innocence” (16). Foster adds that there must be “…a continuity of the life force of the old male; the death or destruction of the young woman” (19). 1. With his thirst for blood, a wicked old man who steals the innocence of young women and takes advantage of it is the perfect portrayal of Dracula, making him the evil villain. V. BP4/Subject Sentence: The tone of Dracula is strongly influenced by Gothic. In addition to the dark tone of Dracula, a mysterious and suspenseful tone is also present. 1. Before Jonathan discovers the truth about Dracula, it is clear that something unusual is happening. A. While shaving in front of his mirror, Dracula enters Jonathan's room and he notices that there is no reflection of Dracula in the mirror. b. A mysterious tone is set in the scene where Jonathan sees Dracula descending the wall like a lizard. Jonathan continues to write in his journal: "But my very feelings turned to revulsion and terror as I saw the whole man slowly emerge from the window and begin to crawl along the castle wall above this horrible abyss, face down, with its mantle spreading around it. him like great wings” (Stoker 44). VI. BP5/Topic Sentence: In Dracula, the Gothic influence on the symbols is evident. A. Blood, Dracula's most important symbol, represents life. Just as Adeline Hoe states in “Gothic Keywords,” “…blood naturally represents life in most Gothic literature, because ‘blood is life’” (Hoe). 1. Blood symbolizing life is shown in Dracula when Lucy, as well as Mina, become increasingly sick and more like the undead once Dracula begins feeding on it.