Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/english-literature/ocr/dracula/3-1-12-chapters-26-27 [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 26-27 # Chapters 26-27 English Lit: OCR A Level Dracula, topic 3.1.12 ## Chapters 26-27: Summary and Analysis Here's a summary and an analysis of Chapters 26-27: ### Plot summary ![Plot summary](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/97c7b774-bf5b-4118-a3ff-08d6dc1a17ee/shutterstock_489335500.jpg) - The group divide into pairs: Jonathan and Arthur travel by boat; Seward and Quincey Morris on horseback; and Van Helsing and Mina by train as they all converge on Castle Dracula and the Count, who is being transported home by a group of loyal gypsies. - Van Helsing disposes of the three female-vampires and Dracula is defeated although Quincey Morris dies in the process. ### Drawing a conclusion ![Drawing a conclusion](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-10/af23fe8c-4b38-42b5-920d-f62b266b0f09/journal-diary-.png) - With this Chapter, Stoker begins to bring his narrative to a relatively rapid conclusion. - The ending Chapters are intricately constructed: the final few pages consist of diary and journal entries from all three __“teams”__ that overlap in date, reinforcing the unity of all six characters in their quest to destroy Dracula. ### Importance of experience ![Importance of experience](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-10/40927a25-9827-45b4-be5b-414ea1b5adc6/medieval-hungary-.jpg) - Experience, it seems, is vital in the victory over Dracula. - The heroes are in his homeland yet both Van Helsing and Jonathan have some idea of what to expect - __“the extreme east”__ no longer possesses the same aura of mystery it once did, reflected in the similarities in the descriptive details of the surroundings used by Van Helsing in Chapter 27 to those used by Jonathan in Chapter 1. ### Van Helsing's protection ![Van Helsing's protection](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-10/44bcdb7c-3670-4ea0-863d-54106c892be1/stop-.png) - Van Helsing’s experience also protects him from the seductive allure of the female-vampires. - Whilst younger men may succumb to their beauty, Van Helsing is able to resist, learning from his momentary lapse with the first __“fair”__ vampire and __“dared not pause to look on”__ the second, __“dark one”__. ### Difficulty - third vampire ![Difficulty - third vampire](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-10/700ec192-94d4-4d98-aa61-2e56d9a8a1e6/vampire-drink-blood-.jpg) - In a religious parallel to the three temptations of Jesus in the desert, the third vampire is the most challenging - illustrated by the repetition of the degree adverb or intensifier __“so”__ in __“She was so fair to look on, so radiantly beautiful, so exquisitely voluptuous”__. - Van Helsing draws his strength and courage from his __“dear Madam Mina”__ and is able to complete his __“butcher work”__, finding solace in the knowledge he has restored the women to their state of ‘true’ death. ## Chapters 26-27: Analysis (Cont.) Here's an analysis of Chapters 26-27: ### Climax - holding up gypsies ![Climax - holding up gypsies](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-10/c910b803-220a-408b-966a-1fc9da7f1ab3/sundown-over-castle-.jpg) - The climax of the novel is narrated by Mina as she witnesses both Seward and Arthur and Jonathan and Quincy hold up the gypsies. - The tension is palpable as the sun descends, leaving the heroes with only minutes to dispose of Dracula before his powers are unleashed. ### Jonathan avenging Mina ![Jonathan avenging Mina](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/3add0d9f-a962-45a6-9aa5-7003d87c8df5/knife-hand.jpg) - Fittingly, it is Jonathan who avenges Mina, slashing his nemesis’ throat while Quincey simultaneously stakes his heart. - Again, the language is overtly religious (__“It was like a miracle”__) and even the Count finds a release from his un-dead curse as Mina detects __“in the face a look of peace, such as I never could have imagined might have rested there.”__ ### Quincey's peaceful death ![Quincey's peaceful death](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/d913c87f-4a43-43c5-a770-d0b384519610/grave-674443_1920.jpg) - Relived in the success of their quest, Quincey can die in peace, knowing that Mina has been restored - __“The snow is not more stainless than her forehead”__ - and he has fulfilled his chivalrous duty. ### Novel's ending ![Novel's ending](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-07/f363f114-c6ed-4446-afdd-497aad19e357/baby-sleeping.jpg) - The novel end with a note from Jonathan, written seven years later, which suggests the true Christian path to immortality is through the act of procreation, in contrast to the parasitic and purgatorial existence of the vampire. - Quincey Morris may be gone but his spirit lives on in his namesake, Jonathan and Mina’s son, whose __“bundle of names links all our little band of men together”__. ## Test yourself on Chapters 26-27 - Who narrates the climax of the novel as the gypsies are held up? [Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/508a7828-52ed-48a3-9259-00e65066f4c7/section/fdbcac1f-1487-4f26-ae8e-36ba5574583b/session) - Previous topic: [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) - Next topic: [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) ## 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)