Van Helsing would totally kick Drac's ass.
Ummmmmm well we looked at how they contrast each other, and also how they are reflected in each other. Because, really, they aren't total opposites. They're all one big happy family really.
Firstly, their contrasts. Dracula is seen to be evil: 'the evil smile as quickly passed into a cold stare'. And Van Helsing opposes this in his goodness: 'Van Hesling would, I know, do anything for me'. Also the Count puts on a facade of friendliness: 'Nay, Sir, you are my guest.' Whereas, Van Helsing's good will is real: 'all embracing sympathy', 'with such an infinate geniality'. In actual character they are each other's antithesis.
However, in their portrayal they are actually quite similar. They are both defined by their actions more than their words, as gothic heroes often are. For example Dracula never actually tells us he's a vampo, but Jonathan Harker sees him climb down the wall of the castle, and Mina sees a man we assume to Dracula bend over Lucy, presumably drinking her blood. Van Helsing is often shown to us through his actions for other characters. He performs all the operations for Lucy, even giving her his own blood, and the other characters come to see him, as we do, as a selfless man. They are both also foreign to the other characters as well as the contempory reader, though that comes to mean different things for the two characters. Their use of archaic language highlights their difference to the other characters. They are both intellectual and quick minded, and certainly both determined.
So we see that it is not just that their contrasts define Dracula and Van Helsing as antagonists, but their similar portrayals are what lead us to make comparisons between the two.
You're welcome x
Monday, 7 December 2009
Lucy is sooo gonna die now
So...a few lessons ago we looked at chapter 11 and thought about the ways in which the beginning foreshadows Lucy's death.
Lucy herself writes things in her diary which relate to death for example she wishes it upon herself when she cannot sleep, comparing herself to Ophelia who, obviously kills herself: 'hoping for sleep, and lying like Ophelia in the play'. That's a bit stupid to be honest...to wish for death when you're already ill, like tempting fate right?
Also, Lucy's mother's action of removing the garlic from Lucy makes it clear to us she will have become worse overnight. The mother thinks she has helped Lucy which is sad because the dramatic irony for us is knowing it probably killed her.
Another presage of Lucy's death is the breakdown of Van Helsing: 'Then, for the first time in my life, I saw Van Helsing break down.' His composure throughout the book showed him to be a strong character, so to see him lose it now implies there is no hope for Lucy.
The repetition used in the writing seems to suggest hopelessness too: 'Again the operation; again the narcotic; again some return of colour to the ashy cheeks, and the regular breathing of healthy sleep.' This seems to be repeating something that they know hasn't worked in the past, and it is really just prolonging the inevitable.
Gutted for Lucy.
Lucy herself writes things in her diary which relate to death for example she wishes it upon herself when she cannot sleep, comparing herself to Ophelia who, obviously kills herself: 'hoping for sleep, and lying like Ophelia in the play'. That's a bit stupid to be honest...to wish for death when you're already ill, like tempting fate right?
Also, Lucy's mother's action of removing the garlic from Lucy makes it clear to us she will have become worse overnight. The mother thinks she has helped Lucy which is sad because the dramatic irony for us is knowing it probably killed her.
Another presage of Lucy's death is the breakdown of Van Helsing: 'Then, for the first time in my life, I saw Van Helsing break down.' His composure throughout the book showed him to be a strong character, so to see him lose it now implies there is no hope for Lucy.
The repetition used in the writing seems to suggest hopelessness too: 'Again the operation; again the narcotic; again some return of colour to the ashy cheeks, and the regular breathing of healthy sleep.' This seems to be repeating something that they know hasn't worked in the past, and it is really just prolonging the inevitable.
Gutted for Lucy.
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
Verisimiliwhat?
This was very confusing.
Verisimilitude seemed to be the varying degrees of truth in a novel or play etc.
As a concept I can understand this, but when we applied it to Dracula I found it quite hard to judge what the author used to portray fact and why he was doing it.
Looking at the extracts showed me that it was used to sort of lull the reader into a false sense of security of reality. Then Stoker gradually alters his style so fantasy takes over.
This is very interesting as I hadn't really thought about that as a writing technique but now that I think about it, quite a lot of writers do it. I hate to mention Twilight and seem obssessed (cos I am) but it happens in that, and Harry Potter etc.
The other thing about this was the seeming conflict in the novel Dracula, between the progression of technology in society, and the regression of turning to the supernatural.
I found this interesting because the Victorian times were a period of great change and triumph in things like science and technology. But Bram Stoker chooses to portray the use of supernatural as power. Van Helsing reverts to superstitions like garlic to ward off vampires, which works better than other methods.
Ta.
Verisimilitude seemed to be the varying degrees of truth in a novel or play etc.
As a concept I can understand this, but when we applied it to Dracula I found it quite hard to judge what the author used to portray fact and why he was doing it.
Looking at the extracts showed me that it was used to sort of lull the reader into a false sense of security of reality. Then Stoker gradually alters his style so fantasy takes over.
This is very interesting as I hadn't really thought about that as a writing technique but now that I think about it, quite a lot of writers do it. I hate to mention Twilight and seem obssessed (cos I am) but it happens in that, and Harry Potter etc.
The other thing about this was the seeming conflict in the novel Dracula, between the progression of technology in society, and the regression of turning to the supernatural.
I found this interesting because the Victorian times were a period of great change and triumph in things like science and technology. But Bram Stoker chooses to portray the use of supernatural as power. Van Helsing reverts to superstitions like garlic to ward off vampires, which works better than other methods.
Ta.
Two lessons ago we did an essay in groups.
I found this an interesting excercise and it really broadened my way of approaching essays I think.
I found that the getting of ideas for the essay was much improved, obviously, due to the excess thinking power at the table.
But writing them down was hard because we all had different writing styles and often argued over words. This slowed us down and I think our essay would have been better if this problem hadn't arisen.
The result of the group task was something like a hybrid of all our styles. When I read it through after I could see evidence of my own input but other parts seemed completely unfamiliar. This essay was better than my own effort though, because some people had points that I didn't remember, and other people were also able to communicate the points more fluently.
Oh well...
I found this an interesting excercise and it really broadened my way of approaching essays I think.
I found that the getting of ideas for the essay was much improved, obviously, due to the excess thinking power at the table.
But writing them down was hard because we all had different writing styles and often argued over words. This slowed us down and I think our essay would have been better if this problem hadn't arisen.
The result of the group task was something like a hybrid of all our styles. When I read it through after I could see evidence of my own input but other parts seemed completely unfamiliar. This essay was better than my own effort though, because some people had points that I didn't remember, and other people were also able to communicate the points more fluently.
Oh well...
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
Dracularity
I finished the book in the holidays and actually really enjoyed it. I think the beginning dragged for me a bit but I really started to like when Stoker started to use many different perspectives to write from.
This lesson we talked about vampires. I think the traditional side of this topic is very interesting. We looked at early beliefs on vampires and their development to modern times. What really interested me was how the early image of the vampire is completely different from the modern one. It was traditionally bloated looking and dark, but now we think of them as pale, thin and ghostly looking. It made me wonder what caused that change.
I just looked at the traditional stuff and it looks like vampire myths date back as far as humans have recorded, and are present all across the world. Although different, all the myths stem from the idea of someone dead coming back to life and living off blood.
Our notion of the vampire is influenced strongly by Stoker's Dracula and we looked at what society was like at the time he wrote that, and what may have inspired his tale. The gender role aspects were interesting here, especially the growing freedom for women in Victorian times. I think here, the sexual freedom is most important to see what may have influenced Stoker. Also the nationalist identity links as there is much evidence of xenophobia in Dracula, with the villain himself being Transylvanian.
This lesson we talked about vampires. I think the traditional side of this topic is very interesting. We looked at early beliefs on vampires and their development to modern times. What really interested me was how the early image of the vampire is completely different from the modern one. It was traditionally bloated looking and dark, but now we think of them as pale, thin and ghostly looking. It made me wonder what caused that change.
I just looked at the traditional stuff and it looks like vampire myths date back as far as humans have recorded, and are present all across the world. Although different, all the myths stem from the idea of someone dead coming back to life and living off blood.
Our notion of the vampire is influenced strongly by Stoker's Dracula and we looked at what society was like at the time he wrote that, and what may have inspired his tale. The gender role aspects were interesting here, especially the growing freedom for women in Victorian times. I think here, the sexual freedom is most important to see what may have influenced Stoker. Also the nationalist identity links as there is much evidence of xenophobia in Dracula, with the villain himself being Transylvanian.
Thursday, 24 September 2009
lalalesson
I can't remember last lesson though I'm sure it was great.
SO I'm skipping it out and doing today instead.
That tangent thing happened again today; it's interesting I suppose but it means I forget what the lesson was about.
Today we looked at how Faustus is presented to the audience in the first scene. Many of the quotes I picked out were his own words being an example of one of his traits. For example "Coulds't thou make men to live eternally...Then this profession were to be esteemed", shows his ambition. Here he is disregarding medicine as a career because it doesn't give him enough potential for greatness ie. you can't raise the dead.
We also thought about the two characters introduced at the end of the first scene: Valdes and Cornelius. It seems that they regard themselves as inferior to Faustus in skill and knowledge. They say nothing about their own potential in magic, only his. They do not reappear after this introduction so it seems they are just devices created to teach Faustus magic. I don't know what I think about this. Marlowe could have done this in a different way, but perhaps he did it to show how Faustus betrayed people.
Very good.
SO I'm skipping it out and doing today instead.
That tangent thing happened again today; it's interesting I suppose but it means I forget what the lesson was about.
Today we looked at how Faustus is presented to the audience in the first scene. Many of the quotes I picked out were his own words being an example of one of his traits. For example "Coulds't thou make men to live eternally...Then this profession were to be esteemed", shows his ambition. Here he is disregarding medicine as a career because it doesn't give him enough potential for greatness ie. you can't raise the dead.
We also thought about the two characters introduced at the end of the first scene: Valdes and Cornelius. It seems that they regard themselves as inferior to Faustus in skill and knowledge. They say nothing about their own potential in magic, only his. They do not reappear after this introduction so it seems they are just devices created to teach Faustus magic. I don't know what I think about this. Marlowe could have done this in a different way, but perhaps he did it to show how Faustus betrayed people.
Very good.
Sunday, 20 September 2009
Faust chorus and religious argument
Two interesting parts to this lesson.
First was looking at the chorus prologue of Dr. Faustus. It sets the play up to the audience to give them a vague idea of what they are about to see. It mentions Carthagens and Mars which give connotations of war and violence, suggesting the play will contain conflict. It also mentions Necromancy which shows the audience they will witness magic and evil. It gives us an impression of what Faustus himself will be like too. For example the mention of waxen wings refers to Icarus who flew to close to the sun and fell to his death, this suggests pride in him.
The other part to the lesson was the discussion on religion...too many tangents to analyse it all really. The general theme was Christianity's view on good and evil, spirits etc.
Well we never came to a conclusion so I can't comment on the actual beliefs.
First was looking at the chorus prologue of Dr. Faustus. It sets the play up to the audience to give them a vague idea of what they are about to see. It mentions Carthagens and Mars which give connotations of war and violence, suggesting the play will contain conflict. It also mentions Necromancy which shows the audience they will witness magic and evil. It gives us an impression of what Faustus himself will be like too. For example the mention of waxen wings refers to Icarus who flew to close to the sun and fell to his death, this suggests pride in him.
The other part to the lesson was the discussion on religion...too many tangents to analyse it all really. The general theme was Christianity's view on good and evil, spirits etc.
Well we never came to a conclusion so I can't comment on the actual beliefs.
Drac
I haven't finished this because quite honestly I'm bored of it.
It moves too slowly for me. Way too slowly.
However the gothic themes are very prominent here. The settings like castles, abbies, mental asylum etc. are very haunting with a lot of relation to religion which is interesting.
The protagonist, the count, is very typically gothic. Intelligent, physically strinking, non-human, powerful, foreign etc.
Female victim is also very typical: beautiful, young, naive, virgin. I have a feeling Mina will also become a victim too, but she isn't as typical as Lucy, more clever and experienced.
It moves too slowly for me. Way too slowly.
However the gothic themes are very prominent here. The settings like castles, abbies, mental asylum etc. are very haunting with a lot of relation to religion which is interesting.
The protagonist, the count, is very typically gothic. Intelligent, physically strinking, non-human, powerful, foreign etc.
Female victim is also very typical: beautiful, young, naive, virgin. I have a feeling Mina will also become a victim too, but she isn't as typical as Lucy, more clever and experienced.
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
Bloody Chamber again
Hmmmmm......
I finished it a while ago really but I was on holiday so can't remember that far back.
Well. I remember liking all the wolf stories. They all seem to be linked in the way that the werewolves in them have all come from the same roots in legends and have the same rules etc. It seems like she's taken an interest in werewolves because she's explored them thoroughly in the last three stories.
God don't make me write more on this I really can't remember.
I finished it a while ago really but I was on holiday so can't remember that far back.
Well. I remember liking all the wolf stories. They all seem to be linked in the way that the werewolves in them have all come from the same roots in legends and have the same rules etc. It seems like she's taken an interest in werewolves because she's explored them thoroughly in the last three stories.
God don't make me write more on this I really can't remember.
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
me on "The Bloody Chamber"
I'll admit I didn't do what Mr. F said to about posting something before i started reading it but I wasn't in a typing mood and then before I knew it I'd read three quarters of it...
Anyway, this book is strange to say the least.
So far I have read up to the end of The Lady of the House of Love (and there are definately things in that one which make me think a lot of the Twilight saga was based on it) and I'm enjoying it.
My favourite so far has been The Bloody Chamber and really I think this is the one with the most gothic elements in it as you get a feel from the beginning that something is already very wrong. Without attempting to spoil the end, I'd say that I think the conclusion to the story is quite controversial within the genre in that the hero is in fact a heroine in the end. The setting, use of foreshadowing and use of a virgin as the female victim make it all very typically gothic.
I wouldn't label all the stories in it as gothic, for example Puss in Boots is quite a mellow, fun story that just happens to end in death.
There are themes in the stories that don't immediately come to mind when you think of fairytales, as these are. Incest, intraspecies sex, necrophilia and other weird stuff like that.
My least favourite was The Snow Child because I think it's supposed to be Snow White or Sleeping Beauty or something and I just can't see it. Also IT'S REALLY ODD. Please read it now so you can be disturbed with me.
That's enough for now.
Anyway, this book is strange to say the least.
So far I have read up to the end of The Lady of the House of Love (and there are definately things in that one which make me think a lot of the Twilight saga was based on it) and I'm enjoying it.
My favourite so far has been The Bloody Chamber and really I think this is the one with the most gothic elements in it as you get a feel from the beginning that something is already very wrong. Without attempting to spoil the end, I'd say that I think the conclusion to the story is quite controversial within the genre in that the hero is in fact a heroine in the end. The setting, use of foreshadowing and use of a virgin as the female victim make it all very typically gothic.
I wouldn't label all the stories in it as gothic, for example Puss in Boots is quite a mellow, fun story that just happens to end in death.
There are themes in the stories that don't immediately come to mind when you think of fairytales, as these are. Incest, intraspecies sex, necrophilia and other weird stuff like that.
My least favourite was The Snow Child because I think it's supposed to be Snow White or Sleeping Beauty or something and I just can't see it. Also IT'S REALLY ODD. Please read it now so you can be disturbed with me.
That's enough for now.