The issue of social class and its effects on society in Victorian-era Europe is a central theme in Bram Stoker's novel Dracula. On the surface, the novel seems to be the story of a battle between good and evil; upon further analysis, this could be seen as a battle between high and low social classes. The vampire Dracula is an aristocratic figure par excellence, proud of his superior lineage in more than one way. The people who killed him are of varying nationalities, genders, ethnicities and economic privileges. Through the interactions between characters of different socioeconomic statuses, Stoker illustrates the class prejudices at work in a society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get the original essay The first explicit example of this is Dracula's almost boastful description of his family and heritage in Chapter I. The Count affirms, in the name of his ancestors. and himself, that “in our veins flows the blood of many brave races” (p. 33). This is a curious comment because of its obvious double meaning. While Dracula uses the word "blood" as it is commonly used, that is, as a metaphor for ancestry and inheritance, he also uses it in a literal sense: as a vampire , the blood of many people flows through his veins. However, neither the reader nor Jonathan Harker is yet familiar with Dracula's blood-drinking habit, so this comment could easily be dismissed as a description of Dracula's social status. It is only later, once the nature of the Count's character is revealed, that the ambiguity and twisted humor of this phrase become apparent. In the same passage, Dracula uses the word "race" interchangeably with the word "family" or "ancestry." This is another example of a possible double meaning that foreshadows what the reader will learn about Dracula. As does the he idea of ​​blood being both literal and figurative, the idea of ​​race can be interpreted thus. As a vampire, Dracula truly belongs to a distinct race, perhaps even a distinct species. His horrible lineage (or taxonomy). ) assures him not only respect among lower-ranking Transylvanians, but also physical power greater than that of other men, even immortality By telling Jonathan Harker the story of his ancestors, Dracula speaks of the events at the premiere. plural person, implying that he could have been present: as an immortal vampire, this is very likely However, both of these statements can be interpreted figuratively: the skeptical Harker does not easily accept the bloodiness. from the tale of Dracula. Indeed, all that immediately stands out is the earl's emphasis on both the nobility and the achievements of his heritage. For example, Dracula claims descent from Attila the Hun, a powerful, violent and formidable warrior. According to Dracula, this power is directly proportional to the purity of the bloodline: when his distant ancestors "mated with the demons of the desert", the power and glory of the vampire race was sacrificed. The mention of other supernatural beings, such as "devils and witches", should be noted: although easily dismissed as metaphorical hyperbole, Dracula could be speaking literally of the superiority of vampires not only to human beings, but also about other monsters (p. 34). Whether or not Dracula implies a supernatural heritage, his pride in being what he considers a member of a high social class is evident. The count explicitly considers himself a "boyar", or member of the privileged class, thiswhich assured him not only a monetary fortune but also a high status among the peasants of his country (p. 26). This nobility distinguishes him from the common Transylvanian, whom he considers “a coward and an imbecile” (p. 27). These qualities stand in stark contrast to those of his own race of fearsome warriors. Unfortunately, Jonathan Harker does not grasp the double meaning of the earl's life story. Although he enjoys Dracula's narrations and although he seems vaguely impressed by his social status, he is not intimidated by what is a discreet warning about Dracula's potential power. Initially, Harker even sides with Dracula regarding the ignorance of the local peasants. Here we see that, although he is a man largely motivated by pragmatism, Jonathan Harker is not without his own class prejudices. As a civil servant, he does not rank high on the socio-economic scale, but he is not a peasant and therefore disdains the beliefs and practices of the commoners of Transylvania. He dismisses their practices as superstition, but in this assertion there is an element of disdain entirely distinct from his conflicting spiritual beliefs. Jonathan Harker is not rich, but he is both educated and Anglican. The Romanian peasants are uneducated and heavily dependent on Catholic relics as protection against evil, and are therefore considered by Jonathan to be "ridiculous" and "idolatrous" (p. 13). However, Jonathan changes his mind when he realizes that the crucifix he accepts from a peasant woman is his only protection against Dracula once he is imprisoned in the castle. Harker's acceptance of practices he had previously avoided represents a vindication of the ordinary person, a theme taken up by Bram Stoker in several places in the text. The social disparity between men and women is another example of the theme of class in the novel. The most pronounced and, oddly enough, least developed of these examples is demonstrated through the characters of the three “strange sisters.” These female vampires that Dracula keeps imprisoned in his castle represent the “kept woman” common in the Victorian era. Indeed, the sisters are "guarded" by the Count in the most literal way: they are not allowed to hunt, leave the castle, or even attack Jonathan Harker without Dracula's consent. This can be interpreted as a parallel to the role of many women of the time, who were not allowed to do anything outside the home without permission from their male superior. Of course, the example of the strange sisters is clearly hyperbolic, even humorous, in that the average Victorian woman was not concerned with hunting human prey and could very likely eat whenever she wanted. The vampire sisters are even more interesting when Dracula's opinion on the vampire race is taken into account. As mentioned earlier, Dracula talks at length about the superiority of the vampire race over the human race. The Weird Sisters, being vampires, are undeniably part of the same race as Dracula. It is therefore curious that Dracula shows more hospitality towards Jonathan Harker than towards his own people, even if he ultimately intends to make Jonathan a victim. It would have been easy enough for Dracula to drain Jonathan's blood as soon as he entered the castle, but he doesn't do it. Despite being a monster, Dracula seems genuinely interested, at least for a short time, in the knowledge of the outside world that Harker brings with him, and attempts to conceal his bloodthirsty nature from the clerk for as long as possible. Dracula never seems to show the same courtesy to his captives, even though they should be, according to his.