This analysis of Chapter 4 of Dracula focuses on Jonathan Harker's continued imprisonment in Castle Dracula, highlighting his psychological torment, Dracula's manipulative villainy, and the emerging gothic horror elements that blur gender roles.
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Hello and welcome to another English
terms Dracula chapter discussion and analysis.
analysis.
Adding a bit of suspense there. Anyway,
here's chapter 4. Um, we've still got
Jonathan Harker, prisoner of Count
Dracula at Castle Dracula. And again, as
normal, we will go through and we will
find little things to look at.
But we can think about themes of
homoeroticism here because look at this.
He's gone to bed. Why isn't the point
working today? Not sure.
Um but anyway, we will carry on. Don't
know why that's not working.
Because Dracula's taken him to his room
and taking all his clothes off. Taking
Jonathan Harker's clothes off. So, his
clothes were folded and laid in a manner
which was not my habit.
Okay. So, oh yeah, point is working now,
but I've got to change it to green for
some reason. His watch was still
unwound. Well, he would have been
meticulous about winding that as a
Victorian gentleman himself.
Then we have more references to the sexy
vampire ladies who are a constant threat
in the castle as well as Dracula himself.
himself.
It is now a sort of sanctuary for
nothing can be more dreadful than those
awful women who were who are waiting to
suck my blood. So there's a sense of
incrementum there as in buildup and
there's parallel phrasing as well there.
You could use that, couldn't you?
There's a sense of suspense. A stoker is
creating some more suspense there
because we know how dangerous the sexy
vampire women are. Then we have I must
know the truth. So remember this is all
in epistoy format. So this is a pisto
form sorry and it's writing his journal
but you've still got so emulating
elements of preodic features or proided
where you've got the emphasis there. I
must know the truth and as harker is our
protagonist here we're meant to
obviously be invested in his struggles and
and
count being suave. Great word suave
isn't it really? But the idea of how
elegant and persuasive he is. So that's
a nice little adjective you can talk
about there as well. Then about this
manipulation of the letters that's very
weeping with the Gothic genre of the
villain and the damsel in distress
except we said before me that Jonathan
Harker is even though he's male he's
like a damsel in distress and he's imprisoned
imprisoned
and the the Gothic horror villain will
manipulate things and manipulate uh the
environment that they're in and imprison
people and control. You see things like
the clothes here as well. There's lots
of references to things here that show
Dracula's villain even, you know, even
without the actual of devouring people
as well or at least drinking their
blood. So something may occur which will
give me a chance to escape. That's very
fitting with a typical Gothic heroine
normally and the idea of trying to
explore the castle and escape. I
therefore pretended to fall in with his
views. He hasn't really got a lot of
options, has he really? Again, very much
like a Gothic heroine characteristic
here as well. He calculated a minute.
The first should be the first should be
June 12th, the second June 19, and the
third June 29.
I know now the span of my life. God help
me. So that's a little exclamatory
sentence there. And then pragmatics
being used here to imply of course these
letters are going to correspond with
well the latest one that's how long he's
got to live. He's going to be left with
the sexy vampire ladies.
Dracula's brides is the more official
term to use. Then we have references to
uh the gypsies and there's kind of
racial uh descriptions here. The suzani
are gypsies. I've noted them in my book.
they are peculiar to this part of the
world. They're allied to the ordinary
gypsies all the world over. He he mainly
shows not necessarily prejudice but
definitely a sense of um I think there's
a sense of superiority maybe curiosity
and he doesn't really understand them
and they they are being presented like
to the Victorian readers as they are
strange foreigners is how they're being
presented here and then allied to the
ordinary gypsies all the world over. It
kind of implies that they're all kind of
some kind of vast gypsy network where
they're all uh in sync with each other.
Or he could just mean in terms of or
Stoker's writing in this case of course
Stoker could just mean it's in purely um
in terms of ethnicity. Um but you could
explore that can't you? And then there's
use of language here that's a way of
setting Jonathan Harker apart from where
he is his location. is in he's in a
foreign country. He doesn't understand
the people or what they say. So it helps
to create that sense of isolation and
threat. Stoker set up there
and then he yeah he can't understand
them so he doesn't understand their
customs which is kind of what I've said
already. He's worried about what mean
would think about the letters. So it
would frighten her to death while I
expose my heart to her. Well, and he
means not heart as in he already loves
her, but he means the truth about what's
been happening here at Castle Dracula.
Then I'd highlighted this bit for a
reason. Let me have a look. Why did I do
it then? Oh yeah, because he gives these
letters to the Suzani and he's double
crossed by them. Basically, they're
loyal to Dracula. So again, there's
Stoker is setting up like glimmers of
hope and then they're very quickly
dashed straight away. So he's seeing
these letters.
Um the other is a vile thing, an outrage
upon friendship and hospitality is he's
not signed well so it cannot matter to
us. And then he burns them. He burns the
letter anyway. That letter
more things which are a feature of like
a Gothic heroine being trapped in the
castle there. Obviously, he's he's a
male character. He's a hero. He's like a
gothic hero. He's the protagonist, but
Stoker is crossing gender boundaries
with his depiction here of
Jonathan Harker.
Very courteous and very cheery in his
manner. So again, that links with
earlier on we had the adjective about
suave, but he's courteous, cheery.
He's almost like a Bond villain, you
know, like they're always very suave and
whine and dine there. Uh well, James
Bond and uh and whoever's helping him
out at that time. It's always like that,
isn't it? Then
carrying on, we have Yeah. So, remember
I said about
Dracula being like a classic Gothic
villain and he locks doors and he
restricts Jonathan's movements and
everything. And in this case, every
scrap of paper was gone. is stopping him
from being able to write any other forms
of communication. He's just having that
as an insurance. Then we also have
mystery here about where of uh where's
Harker's clothes gone. Well, it turns
out Dracula is doing a bit of cosplay as
Jonathan Harker and uh that's well
that's coming up. But that's where his
clothes have gone. Dracula's going
around disguises Jonathan Harker was
part of his plan to trick people into
thinking that he's still in the area.
More gothic stuff there of being locked
up. And then there's also references to
all those boxes of earth
that Dracula is having transported to
England as well. So when he sees
Dracula, here it is. Look at this. It
was a new shock to me to find that he
had on the suit of clothes which I had
worn whilst traveling here and slung
over his shoulder the terrible bag which
I had seen the women take away. So that
was where it had the child in it. Isn't
it? A new scheme of evil. He will allow
others to see me as they think so that
most leave evidence that I have been
seen in the towns and villages posting
my own letters
and that any wickedness which he may do
shall by the local people be attributed
to me. So
So
that's an interesting thing there in
terms of power and control from Dracula
taking his clothes posing as Jonathan
Jonathan Harker and then because
reflecting Jonathan Harker's character
as a solicitor as well he notes that
he's it's unlawful imprisonment isn't
it? So veritable prisoner but without
the protection of the law which is even
a criminal's right and consolation. So,
he hasn't even got that.
Then more reference to the dogs, which
is actually probably wolves, I think.
And this is another great little
sequence here. Um, the the the sound of
dogs, but it does seem to be wolves
because it's actually the uh brides of
Dracula. The floating moes of dust are
taking new shapes to the sound as they
danced in the moonlight.
I felt myself struggling to awake to
some call of my instincts. name. My very
soul was struggling and my
half-remembered sensibilities were
striving to answer the call. I was
becoming hypnotized. [snorts]
[snorts]
Victorians very interested in hypnotism
of a cultural reference. They're quite
interested in that as a fairly new
mysterious thing. It wasn't fully
understood. Then the moon seemed to
quiver as they went by me into the mass
of gloom beyond. More and more they
gathered till they seemed to take dim
phantom shapes. And then I started broad
awakening full possession of my senses
and ran screaming from the place. The
phantom shapes which were becoming
gradually materialized from the moon
beams were those of three ghostly women
to whom I was doomed. So it's the bride
of Dracula again manifesting themselves.
So lots of ghostly
women phantom shapes like good
adjectives there as well. Even
possession in some ways. I know he's
talking about his own senses or Stoker
has hawker talking about his own senses,
but possession's got connotations
obviously of the supernatural and and
I still can't get the raised lightsaber
to appear anywhere else. It would be um
will be on the side of uh will be the
side of the light side of the force.
Then we have this incident of a mother
looking for a child as well. So
emphasizes Stoker emphasizing Dracula's
villain and the and what's actually
approaching England, what's going to be
going to England, isn't it? So that's
why he's doing it. Reference, we've had
references to his and also of the brides
as well having kind of metallic laughs,
haven't we? As well.
This dreadful thing of night and gloom
and fear. That's a nice example of a
synthetic list as well. So that's good.
Oh, had a little glitch there. Hope
that's all okay. Then over the page and
25th of June. I'd not yet seen the count
in the daylight. Can it be that he
sleeps when others wake that he may be
awake whilst I sleep? It seems like he's
taken a long time to work this out with
this rhetorical question here. If only I
could get into his room.
references to the hereafter. So that is
a synonym for heaven
in contrast to the villain and demonic
nature of Dracula.
Then he gets into what he thinks is
Dracula's room, but the room was empty.
It's full of odd things. We've got gold
here from different countries and it's
also none of it that I noticed was less
than 300 years old. So again, some of
these kind of warning signs are, you
know, he he's starting to realize what
he's up against here. Really, it's
taking him quite a long time. In true
Gothic horror genre style, Harker
explores the actual castle itself and he
goes deeper and deeper into the castle
and he finds the chapel that he says is
being used as a graveyard as well. So
again, this is maintaining the tone,
isn't it, of the of the horror genre
here. And he finds Dracula in one of the
boxes, either dead or asleep. And he difference,
difference,
and the lips were as red as ever,
so he can see this obviously. Um,
I flew from the place and leaving the
count's room by the window, I crawled
again up the castle wall. Strangely,
he's kind of echoing what Dracula does
himself, like climbing around outside,
doesn't he? That's how he's getting
around the castle as well. Uh, again, I
saw him leave the castle by the same
window and in my clothes.
So, he heard about that earlier on. You
return to your beautiful England. I to
some works. You may have had such an end
that we may never meet. And there's
again Stoker's use of pragmatics.
There's actually a hint of menace there,
isn't there? Because he's the charming
villain implying that he's going to be dead.
dead.
Um, there's more insincerity.
Why may I not go to go tonight? Because
dear sir, my coach and horses on a way
on a mission. I've been forgetting to do
the Dracula voice today. I do apologize.
Out of practice,
first recording since after uh Christmas
holidays. [snorts] Then lame excuse.
Then uh the cow stood up and said with a
sweet courtesy which made me rub my
eyes. It seems so real. So again, that
courtesy, that suave nature, uh really
emphasize it from Stoker, isn't it? That
how much of a villain it is as well.
Ponderous bolts unhook the heavy chains.
And so this is all connotations of of
imprisonment, doesn't it? As well, and
when the doors are open, when Dracula
says, "Oh, yeah, it's fine. You just go
out this door here." He opens the door
and then who should be outside? But it's
the Well, howling of the wolves is
actually the women, isn't it? in their
wolf forms
and I knew then to struggle at the
moment against the count was useless. So
he can't uh there's no escape. Crew is
setting up again created like this
classic sense of being a gothic heroine
in many ways. Jonathan Harker
um he addresses them doesn't he? The
brides back back to your own place. Your
time is not yet come. Wait, have
patience. Tonight is mine. Tomorrow
night is yours. There was a low, sweet
ripple of laughter, and in a rage I
threw open the door and saw without the
three terrible women licking their lips.
So, it's very predatory and it's got
kind of sexual connotations as well,
isn't it really as well. They all joined
in a horrible laugh and ran away. So
Stoke is doing everything he can here to
maintain the sense of menace, the sense
of threat, the sense of danger to
Jonathan Harker and encouraging kind of
audience fear and concern about how he's
going to get out of this even though
this is all his journal. So somehow
somehow he was writing this all the time
and remembering all this detail, but
we're not going to think too much about that.
that.
So he tries to escape but it's locked.
Decides to get the key actually. Then
Then
when he goes to investigate Dracula in
the chapel again as well he knows
Dracula's got the key. So when Dracula's
recharging his vampiric batteries he
goes down to don't use that phrase in
real essays and things. Um just a joke
saw something which film a very soul
with horror. Dracula could have
regenerated himself. He's renewed
himself, half renewed. So, he's looking
younger because he's been feeding and
he's getting ready to travel. So, he's a
lot more healthy there. Great simile
here. He lay like a filthy leech. Blood
sucking. Are they mollisks? I think
leeches, aren't they? They are mollisks.
But yeah, blood sucking mollisks. There
was a mocking smile on the bloated face
which seemed to drive me mad. And this
is foreshadowing. And look here as well.
The very thought drove me mad. The idea
is, you know, he does actually get sent
to the brink of madness, doesn't he,
from his experiences?
And Harker realizes now this was the
being I was helping to transfer to
London where perhaps for centuries to
come, he might among steaming millions
satiate his lust for blood and create a
new and ever widening circle of semi
demons to batten on the helpless. That
means as in feed on them.
So we said earlier on about in the
previous chapters about Dracula's plan
coming to England. It's really turning
on its head what the British Empire has
been doing. And the British Empire in
the 19th century and even into the early
20th century thought of itself in terms
of hundreds of years of rule. That's how
it saw it. So I think there's definitely
connection there to that.
Then we have oh yeah more this is a
little supernatural bit I noticed where
the door gets blown mysteriously closed.
you know, there's a puff of wind and the
door gets locked. So, I thought that was
quite a little bit. I'm not going to
spend too long on that bit. And then we
have the idea of at least God's mercy is
better than that of these monsters. And
the precipice is steep and high and its
foot a man may sleep as a man. Goodbye
all mean. This is the last thing he
writes before he does his literal
cliffhanger where he's actually going to
climb out of the castle and uh and
escape. And spoiler alert, he does
survive, of course. But anyway,
and that's the end of the introductory
sequence of Dracula, the first few
stages of it. And then chapter five, we
will go on. We will meet Mina and Lucy
and it'll be good. So hopefully you've
enjoyed that. Listen to the others.
Watch my other stuff. Subscribe. Need
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