4.4.2

Renfield

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Renfield

An inmate of Seward’s asylum who has an unexplained connection to Dracula, providing the narrative strand that enables the Count to gain access to Mina Harker.

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'Real-life vampire'

  • Renfield is perhaps as close to a ‘real-life vampire' as is humanly possible, accentuating both the human aspects of Count Dracula’s character and the capacity for human beings to be truly monstrous.
  • His diagnosis as a “zoophagous (life-eating) maniac” links monstrosity and madness - a common narrative element in Gothic literature.
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Renfield's injuries

  • Renfield’s injuries at the hands of Dracula are depicted in a typically gruesome manner, in the style of Gothic ‘horror’.
  • His face is “horribly bruised” and - excruciatingly - his back is broken, leaving him paralysed.
  • The attendant is at a loss to explain how both could possibly have happened, again reflecting the supernatural abilities of the Count.

Jump to other topics

1Context - Gothic Literature

2Context - The Victorian Era

3Chapter Summaries & Analyses

4Character Profiles

5Key Ideas

6Writing Techniques

7Critical Debates & Interpretations

7.1Initial Reception of Dracula

7.2Modern Reception of Dracula

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