This first set of questions is designed to help you think through what you're reading as you read the book. The second set of questions are larger, more thought-provoking questions to read once you have completed Dracula.
Reading Questions:
1) Dracula has become a famous (or should I say infamous) character over the years. Before you read the book, talk about the expectations you have for Dracula. What have you seen in movies, TV shows, etc. that cause you to think the book will be this way?
2) You will discover that Dracula is presented through the writing of several different characters. The first is Jonathan Harker. He begins as a very logically minded businessman who, once trapped by Dracula, begins a steady mental decline. At times, it is difficult for either Jonathan or the reader to determine his level of sanity. How does this affect his reliability as a narrator? How does this contribute to the level of suspense while Jonathan is at the castle?
3) What is the relationship like between Mina Murray and Lucy Westenra?
4) It seems odd that Lucy’s three suitors, Dr. John Seward, Mr. Quincey O. Morris, Hon. Arthur Holmwood (who becomes her fiancé) are all dear friends. Why do you think Stoker chose to create this awkward love triangle? What do you think the advantages or disadvantages might be of this as the book continues?
5) By the end of chapter seven, many strange events are occurring. What connections do you see (or predict there will be) between Jonathan’s “disappearance,” our women and suitors in London, Lucy’s sleepwalking, the ship crashing, and Renfield (Dr. Seward’s patient)?
6) Here, as things become more intense, we become subjected to choppier storytelling done by multiple narrators. Although this has been a pattern in the book, why do you think Stoker chooses to get so many characters involved in the plot and in the storytelling? How does this change affect you, as a reader?
7) The story moves from being focused on Jonathan, to Mina and Lucy, and now to Lucy, her three suitors and Dr. Van Helsing. Why do you think our two initial main characters (Jonathan and Mina) have been omitted for such a long time now?
8) Why do you think Renfield becomes obsessed with having a pet?
9) Lucy is surrounded by worthy, young, strapping men who are all desperately in love with her, but it is only Van Helsing who is able to determine what is wrong with her. Why is he able to do what the younger men cannot? How is his character different from those of Holmwood, Seward and Morris?
10) As the pieces of the puzzle begin to come together, we see our first real transformation – that of Lucy. The character who has been beloved to all is now a monster and even Dr. Seward cannot stand the site of her: “At that moment the remnant of my love passed into hate and loathing; had she then to be killed, I could have done it with savage delight” (Stoker 232). What might we understand about love, good versus evil, and acceptance through this change?
11) In chapter 19, Van Helsing says that he “may gain more knowledge out of the folly of this madman [Renfield] than I shall from the teaching of the most wise” (Stoker 281). What could he mean by that? What role do you think Renfield will play in the rest of this story?
12) In many ways, Dracula is as much mystery as it is horror/suspense. Was this something that you expected? And have you been able to pick up on the logic and clues in the narratives to solve the mystery of the dirt and Dracula’s whereabouts? If so, how? If not, what have you determined thus far?
13) The characters often remark with horror about the red mark Mina gets on her forehead after her encounter with Dracula. Why do you think it bothers them so much? Is it just a reminder of a horrible event or is there more? What significance does it hold?
14) Stoker includes an interesting note at the very end of the book that asks his reader about truth. Although the characters have repeatedly written of the validity of this tale through facts and accurate accounts of events, the reader is now asked to take everything on good faith. Why do you think Stoker chose to end this way? How does this choice affect your trust of the characters and your experience with the book?
Larger Discussion Questions:
1) Like so many novels of this time period, Dracula plays into stereotypical gender roles. Were you at all bothered by the heroine-in-distress part of the plot? Did any of the characters complicate or challenge these “normal” gender roles?
2) How does reading Dracula confirm or challenge any of what you knew about vampires and vampire lore? How have other, more modern, versions of vampires changed what Stoker established in this book in 1987?
3) Although Mina is left out of a lot of the action in the latter half of the book because she is a woman, yet she is the one who organizes everyone’s writing into this book. Talk about what this might mean in terms of power, authority, and reliability.
4) There is a lot of emphasis placed on writing in this book – not just in the fact that the book is supposed to be created by different written and transcribed accounts, but also because the characters themselves seem to benefit from the writing process. We are told that the writing must be accurate, but that it is also therapeutic for the characters. These two things seem to contradict themselves because one is emotion-based while the other is logical. How do these opposing motives affect your trust in the narrators? Are there characters that you trust more than others?
directed by Francis Ford Coppola is the closest to the novel. Try watching it and discussing the differences. If you’re really in a vampire mood, also check out the original 1931 version of Dracula (75th Anniversary Edition) (Universal Legacy Series) directed by Tod Browning and starring Bela Lugosi.
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