Discussion: Dracula V-IX
Good afternoon! This is the discussion post for Chapters V through IX of Dracula. Here are the questions for this week. If you have any additional questions, feel free to add them to your response
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i get the feeling she's supposed to be that sort of girl who is charming and unaffected . . . sort of naiive. She doesn't bother me as much now.
I agree. It seems that she and Mina grew up differently. Lucy was probably sheltered a bit and behaves like someone who has had things easy. I think Mina knows what it's like to struggle a bit, and is much more practical. As flighty as Lucy is, it's kind of hard to dislike a character whose life is being slowly siphoned away!
2. i am particularly interested in Seward's recognition of it as a problem. i don't know much about the Victorian era but for some reason i'm surprised that the concept of addiction was developed at that point, even if referred to as a "habit".
This is the reason I included this in the discussion. The fact that Seward recognizes his usage as something that hinders him from performing his duties effectively is proof that he does have a drug "habit". It's not a major plot point, but I really thought it was interesting that Stoker chose to shine a light on addiction in that way.
i wonder if he and seward are alike in having obsessive personalities?
I didn't really think of Seward as obsessive until you mentioned this. Meticulous, yes, but not obsessive. But your comment on this made me think a little. As I read, I just assumed that we were reading only the parts of Seward's diary that pertain to what's going on in the story. I mean, he surely has more patients than Renfield! However, if what we're reading was meant to be his complete journal, I think it's pretty safe to say that Dr. Seward is obsessed with Renfield to the exclusion of his other patients.
it seems to me that both lucy and renfield were somehow "prepared" in advance for dracula's arrival.
I think so, too. How would Dracula know about Lucy and Renfield otherwise? My question is why did he choose them?
it gives you an intimate view of what the character experiences but somehow holds you at a distance at the same time.
I definitely feel that distance with Dracula. Aside from Johnathan Harker's first-hand experience with him, I feel very detached from Dracula. The secondary descriptions/narration of events act as a buffer between the reader and Dracula. It heightens the suspense.
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