Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/3-1-1-chapters-1-2 [Revision notes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes.md) › [A Level](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level.md) › [English Lit](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature.md) › [OCR](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr.md) › [English Lit: OCR A Level Dracula](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula.md) › Chapters 1-2 # Chapters 1-2 English Lit: OCR A Level Dracula, topic 3.1.1 ## Chapters 1-2: Summary and Analysis Here's a summary and an analysis of Chapters 1-2: ### Plot summary ![Plot summary](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-10/ef264264-b189-489f-924f-7bb27b8a962f/whitby-abbey-.jpg) - 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 ![Exploring the unknown](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/memory-location-images/Budapest,%20Hungary-min.jpg) - 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 ![Naive narrator](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-10/0bb4d0b8-c86e-439d-92ec-b264c02feca8/midnight-clock-.jpg) - 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 ![Irony - Dracula's greeting](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-10/a96cdf99-1c2f-462d-94e2-f71e6b828202/open-door-enter-.png) - 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 ![Hint - Count's predatory nature](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-05/45ff4a56-6825-4278-a9f1-260a36818e02/erin-mckenna-496351-unsplash-min.jpg) - 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 ![Physiognomy](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-10/15f8b9f6-7494-4464-9116-31eb5e66bc9d/Physiognomy-.jpg) - 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 ![Dracula's appearance](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-10/2e16bbe6-8090-4f18-be3c-e5be8b3aba14/moustache-.png) - 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' ![Jonathan - 'damsel in distress'](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/e462bc22-995a-4246-8d4d-98a4973d8ed0/shutterstock_747399802.jpg) - 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. ## Test yourself on Chapters 1-2 - What does Dracula say when he greets Jonathan? - What adverb is used to describe how Dracula grabs Jonathan's hand? - What word is used to describe the Count's face? - How is the Count described? [Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/508a7828-52ed-48a3-9259-00e65066f4c7/section/1299502a-98f6-4e0a-9450-cd88d513832f/session) - Previous topic: [2.1.3 The Contagious Diseases Act](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/2-1-3-the-contagious-diseases-act.md) - Next topic: [3.1.2 Chapters 3-4](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/3-1-2-chapters-3-4.md) ## English Lit: OCR A Level Dracula contents ### 1 Context - Gothic Literature - 1.1 Origins & Conventions of Gothic Literature - [1.1.1 Origins of Gothic Literature](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/1-1-1-origins-of-gothic-literature.md) - [1.1.2 Key Ideas in Gothic Literature](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/1-1-2-key-ideas-in-gothic-literature.md) - [1.1.3 Gothic Genre Conventions in Dracula](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/1-1-3-gothic-genre-conventions-in-dracula.md) - 1.2 Vampires in Gothic Literature - [1.2.1 Vampires](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/1-2-1-vampires.md) - 1.3 'Terror' & 'Horror' - [1.3.1 Ann Radcliffe & Lewis' The Monk](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/1-3-1-ann-radcliffe-and-lewis-the-monk.md) - [1.3.2 'Terror' & 'Horror' in Dracula](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/1-3-2-terror-and-horror-in-dracula.md) - 1.4 Narrative Features - [1.4.1 First-Person Narration & Epistolary Format](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/1-4-1-first-person-narration-and-epistolary-format.md) ### 2 Context - The Victorian Era - 2.1 The Victorian Era - [2.1.1 Fin de Siecle](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/2-1-1-fin-de-siecle.md) - [2.1.2 The 'New Woman'](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/2-1-2-the-new-woman.md) - [2.1.3 The Contagious Diseases Act](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/2-1-3-the-contagious-diseases-act.md) ### 3 Chapter Summaries & Analyses - 3.1 Chapter Summaries & Analyses - [3.1.1 Chapters 1-2](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/3-1-1-chapters-1-2.md) - [3.1.2 Chapters 3-4](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/3-1-2-chapters-3-4.md) - [3.1.3 Chapters 5-7](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/3-1-3-chapters-5-7.md) - [3.1.4 Chapters 8-10](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/3-1-4-chapters-8-10.md) - [3.1.5 Chapters 11-12](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/3-1-5-chapters-11-12.md) - [3.1.6 Chapters 13-14](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/3-1-6-chapters-13-14.md) - [3.1.7 Chapters 15-16](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/3-1-7-chapters-15-16.md) - [3.1.8 Chapters 17-18](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/3-1-8-chapters-17-18.md) - [3.1.9 Chapters 19-20](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/3-1-9-chapters-19-20.md) - [3.1.10 Chapters 21-23](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/3-1-10-chapters-21-23.md) - [3.1.11 Chapters 24-25](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/3-1-11-chapters-24-25.md) - [3.1.12 Chapters 26-27](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/3-1-12-chapters-26-27.md) ### 4 Character Profiles - 4.1 Archetypal Gothic Characters - [4.1.1 Stock & Proppian Gothic Characters](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/4-1-1-stock-and-proppian-gothic-characters.md) - 4.2 Count Dracula - [4.2.1 Count Dracula: Character Profile](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/4-2-1-count-dracula-character-profile.md) - [4.2.2 Count Dracula: Different Literary Perspectives](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/4-2-2-count-dracula-different-literary-perspectives.md) - 4.3 Other Main Characters - [4.3.1 Jonathan Harker](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/4-3-1-jonathan-harker.md) - [4.3.2 Dr Abraham Van Helsing](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/4-3-2-dr-abraham-van-helsing.md) - [4.3.3 Dr Jack Seward](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/4-3-3-dr-jack-seward.md) - [4.3.4 Mina Harker](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/4-3-4-mina-harker.md) - [4.3.5 Lucy Westenra](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/4-3-5-lucy-westenra.md) - 4.4 Minor Characters - [4.4.1 Arthur Holmwood & Quincey Morris](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/4-4-1-arthur-holmwood-and-quincey-morris.md) - [4.4.2 Renfield](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/4-4-2-renfield.md) ### 5 Key Ideas - 5.1 Key Ideas - [5.1.1 Transgression of Boundaries](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/5-1-1-transgression-of-boundaries.md) - [5.1.2 The Supernatural & Un-dead](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/5-1-2-the-supernatural-and-un-dead.md) - [5.1.3 Masculinity & Femininity](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/5-1-3-masculinity-and-femininity.md) - [5.1.4 Science, Modernity & Superstition](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/5-1-4-science-modernity-and-superstition.md) - [5.1.5 Madness, Illness & Confinement](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/5-1-5-madness-illness-and-confinement.md) ### 6 Writing Techniques - 6.1 Writing Techniques - [6.1.1 Epistolary Form & Narrative Voice](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/6-1-1-epistolary-form-and-narrative-voice.md) - [6.1.2 Intertextuality & Cultural References](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/6-1-2-intertextuality-and-cultural-references.md) - [6.1.3 Structure](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/6-1-3-structure.md) ### 7 Critical Debates & Interpretations - 7.1 Initial Reception of Dracula - [7.1.1 Initial Reception of Dracula](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/7-1-1-initial-reception-of-dracula.md) - 7.2 Modern Reception of Dracula - [7.2.1 Modern Reception of Dracula](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/7-2-1-modern-reception-of-dracula.md)