Chapters 1-2

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Chapters 1-2: Summary and Analysis

Here's a summary and an analysis of Chapters 1-2:

Plot summary

Newly-qualified solicitor Jonathan Harker is in Eastern Europe to meet his client, Count Dracula, regarding the purchase of property (Carfax Estate) in London.
On meeting the Count, Jonathan is initially impressed by his hospitality, although grows increasingly suspicious of his behaviour and states how he feels imprisoned in the inescapable castle.

Exploring the unknown

The opening of Dracula pays homage to the Gothic traditions of the 18th century.
Whilst in Buda-Pesth (Hungary), Jonathan notes how he and his fellow travellers were “leaving the West and entering the East” - signifying the Gothic convention of exploring the unknown.
Dracula’s castle is even further from civilisation in “the extreme east of the country” in the middle of the Carpathian mountains, “one of the wildest and least known portions of Europe.”

Naive narrator

Another common feature of Gothic writing is the unreliable narrator and, whilst this may not necessarily be the case for Jonathan, he is certainly naive in overlooking the concerns of the locals at the Golden Krone Hotel and ignoring the elderly woman’s concerns “that tonight, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway”.

Irony - Dracula's greeting

There is a certain irony in Count Dracula's courteous greeting, telling Jonathan to “Enter freely and of your own free will!" - such freedom is not available to the vampire who, as Van Helsing explains, can only enter once invited.

Hint - Count's predatory nature

Stoker hints at the Count’s predatory nature as the instant Jonathan enters, Dracula moves forward “impulsively”, seizing the young man’s hand.
Jonathan’s observation that Dracula’s hand is ice-cold, “more like the hand of a dead than a living man” is a clear sign of the presence of the supernatural, yet again is something he chooses to overlook.

Chapters 1-2: Analysis (Cont.)

Here's an analysis of Chapters 1-2:

Physiognomy

Jonathan refers to the pseudoscience of physiognomy (the Victorian belief that a person’s character could be ascertained by their physical appearance) in his more detailed description of the Count.
His face is described as “aquiline” (like an eagle), which could be interpreted as an example of zoomorphism (imposing animal attributes to human characters) illustrating the Count’s dangerous nature.

Dracula's appearance

To a modern reader, Dracula’s “lofty domed forehead”, “massive” eyebrows and “heavy moustache” combine to create a somewhat offensive caricature.
His unsubtle presentation as ‘foreign’ can be seen to reflect the xenophobic fears of a Victorian society wary of outsiders who may threaten the traditional values of British society.

Jonathan - 'damsel in distress'

As his sense of panic and hysteria rises during his time in Castle Dracula, Jonathan fulfils the Gothic trope of the ‘damsel in distress’, trapped and locked away by the antagonist (“The castle is a veritable prison, and I am a prisoner!”).
Of the male characters, Jonathan is arguably the most effeminate and it is perhaps unsurprising that he is the one who is physiologically tormented by Dracula.

1Context - Gothic Literature

1.1Origins & Conventions of Gothic Literature

1.1.1Origins of Gothic Literature

1.1.2Key Ideas in Gothic Literature

1.1.3Gothic Genre Conventions in Dracula

1.2Vampires in Gothic Literature

1.2.1Vampires

1.3'Terror' & 'Horror'

1.3.1Ann Radcliffe & Lewis' The Monk

1.3.2'Terror' & 'Horror' in Dracula

1.4Narrative Features

1.4.1First-Person Narration & Epistolary Format

2Context - The Victorian Era

2.1The Victorian Era

2.1.1Fin de Siecle

2.1.2The 'New Woman'

2.1.3The Contagious Diseases Act

3Chapter Summaries & Analyses

3.1Chapter Summaries & Analyses

3.1.1Chapters 1-2

3.1.2Chapters 3-4

3.1.3Chapters 5-7

3.1.4Chapters 8-10

3.1.5Chapters 11-12

3.1.6Chapters 13-14

3.1.7Chapters 15-16

3.1.8Chapters 17-18

3.1.9Chapters 19-20

3.1.10Chapters 21-23

3.1.11Chapters 24-25

3.1.12Chapters 26-27

4Character Profiles

4.1Archetypal Gothic Characters

4.1.1Stock & Proppian Gothic Characters

4.2Count Dracula

4.2.1Count Dracula: Character Profile

4.2.2Count Dracula: Different Literary Perspectives

4.3Other Main Characters

4.3.1Jonathan Harker

4.3.2Dr Abraham Van Helsing

4.3.3Dr Jack Seward

4.3.4Mina Harker

4.3.5Lucy Westenra

4.4Minor Characters

4.4.1Arthur Holmwood & Quincey Morris

4.4.2Renfield

5Key Ideas

5.1Key Ideas

5.1.1Transgression of Boundaries

5.1.2The Supernatural & Un-dead

5.1.3Masculinity & Femininity

5.1.4Science, Modernity & Superstition

5.1.5Madness, Illness & Confinement

6Writing Techniques

6.1Writing Techniques

6.1.1Epistolary Form & Narrative Voice

6.1.2Intertextuality & Cultural References

6.1.3Structure

7Critical Debates & Interpretations

7.1Initial Reception of Dracula

7.1.1Initial Reception of Dracula

7.2Modern Reception of Dracula

7.2.1Modern Reception of Dracula

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