Plot summary Dracula

stoker s handwritten notes on characters in novel

the story told in epistolary format, series of letters, diary entries, newspaper articles, , ships log entries, narrators novel s protagonists, , supplemented newspaper clippings relating events not directly witnessed. events portrayed in novel take place chronologically , largely in england , transylvania during 1890s , transpire within same year between 3 may , 6 november. short note located @ end of final chapter written 7 years after events outlined in novel.

the tale begins jonathan harker, newly qualified english solicitor, visiting count dracula in carpathian mountains on border of transylvania, bukovina, , moldavia, provide legal support real estate transaction overseen harker s employer, mr peter hawkins of exeter. @ first enticed dracula s gracious manners, harker realizes dracula s prisoner. wandering count s castle against dracula s admonition, harker encounters 3 female vampires, called sisters , whom rescued dracula. after preparations made, dracula leaves transylvania , abandons harker sisters. harker barely escapes castle life.

dracula boards russian ship, demeter, taking along him boxes of transylvanian soil, required in order regain strength. not long afterward, ship having weighed anchor @ varna, runs aground on shores of whitby in east coast of england. captain s log narrates gradual disappearance of entire crew, until captain alone remained, himself bound helm maintain course. animal resembling large dog seen leaping ashore. ship s cargo described silver sand , 50 boxes of mould , or earth, transylvania. later learned dracula purchased multiple estates under alias count de ville throughout london , devised distribute 50 boxes each of them utilizing transportation services moving them himself. secure himself lairs , 50 boxes of earth used graves grant safety , rest during times of feeding , replenishing strength.

harker s fiancée, mina murray, staying friend lucy westenra, holidaying in whitby. lucy receives 3 marriage proposals dr. john seward, quincey morris, , arthur holmwood (the son of lord godalming later obtains title himself). lucy accepts holmwood s proposal while turning down seward , morris, remain friends. dracula communicates seward s patient, renfield, insane man wishes consume insects, spiders, birds, , rats absorb life force . renfield able detect dracula s presence , supplies clues accordingly.

soon dracula indirectly shown stalking lucy. time passes begins suffer episodes of sleepwalking , dementia, witnessed mina. when lucy begins waste away suspiciously, seward invites old teacher, abraham van helsing, determines true cause of lucy s condition. refuses disclose diagnoses acute blood-loss. van helsing prescribes numerous blood transfusions he, seward, quincey, , arthur contribute on time. van helsing prescribes garlic flowers placed throughout room , weaves necklace of withered garlic blossoms wear. continues waste away – appearing lose blood every night. while both doctors absent, lucy , mother attacked wolf , mrs. westenra, has heart condition, dies of fright. van helsing attempts protect garlic fate thwarts him each night, whether lucy s mother removes garlic room, or lucy herself in restless sleep. doctors have found 2 small puncture marks neck, dr. seward @ loss understand. after lucy dies, van helsing places golden crucifix on mouth, ostensibly delay or prevent lucy s vampiric conversion. fate conspires against him again when van helsing finds crucifix in possession of 1 of servants stole off lucy s corpse.

following lucy s death , burial, newspapers report children being stalked in night bloofer lady (i.e., beautiful lady ). van helsing, knowing lucy has become vampire, confides in seward, lord godalming, , morris. suitors , van helsing track down and, after confrontation her, stake heart, behead her, , fill mouth garlic. around same time, jonathan harker arrives budapest, mina marries him after escape, , , mina join campaign against dracula.

the vampire hunters stay @ dr. seward s residence, holding nightly meetings , providing reports based on each of various tasks. mina discovers each of journals , letters collectively contain clues can track him down. tasks herself collecting them, researching newspaper clippings, fitting relevant entries chronological order , typing out copies distribute each of party study. jonathan harker tracks down shipments of boxed graves , estates dracula has purchased in order store them. van helsing conducts research along dr. seward analyze behaviour of patient renfield learn directly influenced dracula. research historical events, folklore, , superstitions various cultures understand dracula s powers , weaknesses. van helsing establishes criminal profile on dracula in order better understand actions , predict movements. arthur holmwood s fortune assists in funding entire operation , expenses. discover various properties dracula had purchased, male protagonists team raid each property , several times confronted dracula. discover each of boxed graves scattered throughout london, pry them open place , seal wafers of sacramental bread within. act renders boxes of earth useless dracula unable open, enter or further transport them.

after dracula learns of group s plot against him, attacks mina on 3 occasions, , feeds mina own blood control her. curses mina vampirism , changes not turn vampire. van helsing attempts bless mina through prayer , placing wafer of sacrament against forehead, burns upon contact leaving wretched scar. under curse, mina oscillates consciousness semi-trance during perceives dracula s surroundings , actions. van helsing able use hypnotism @ hour of dawn , put trance further track movements. mina, afraid of dracula s link her, urges team not tell plans out of fear dracula listening. after protagonists discover , sterilize 49 boxes found throughout lairs in london, learn dracula has fled missing 50th box castle in transylvania. pursue him under guidance of mina. split teams once reach europe; van helsing , mina team locate castle of dracula while others attempt ambush boat dracula using reach home. van helsing raids castle , destroys vampire sisters . upon discovering dracula being transported gypsies, trio attack caravan carrying dracula in 50th box of earth. after dispatching many gypsies sworn protect count, harker shears dracula through throat kukri knife, while mortally wounded quincey stabs count in heart bowie knife. dracula crumbles dust, , mina freed curse of vampirism, scar on forehead disappears. after, quincey dies wounds.

the book closes note left jonathan harker 7 years after events of novel, detailing married life mina , birth of son, whom name after 4 members of party, address quincey . quincey depicted sitting on knee of van helsing recount adventure. seward , arthur have each gotten married.

dracula s guest


cover of dracula s guest , other weird stories, collection of short stories authored bram stoker

the short story dracula s guest posthumously published in 1914, 2 years after stoker s death. was, according contemporary critics, deleted first (or second) chapter original manuscript , 1 gave volume name, original publishers deemed unnecessary overall story.

dracula s guest follows unnamed englishman traveller wanders around munich before leaving transylvania. walpurgis night , young englishman foolishly leaves hotel, in spite of coachman s warnings, , wanders through dense forest alone. along way, feels being watched tall , thin stranger (possibly count dracula).

the short story climaxes in old graveyard englishman, caught in blizzard, takes refuge in marble tomb of countess dolingen of gratz . within tomb, sees countess—apparently asleep , healthy—but before can investigate further, mysterious force throws him clear of tomb. lightning bolt strikes tomb, destroying , incinerating undead screaming countess. englishman loses consciousness. awakens find gigantic wolf lying on chest , licking @ throat; however, wolf merely keeps him warm , protects him until arrives.

when englishman taken hotel, telegram awaits him expectant host dracula, warning dangers snow , wolves , night .

deleted ending

a small section removed draft of final chapter, in dracula s castle falls apart dies, hiding fact vampires ever there.

as looked there came terrible convulsion of earth seemed rock , fro , fell our knees. @ same moment roar seemed shake heavens whole castle , rock , hill on stood seemed rise air , scatter in fragments while mighty cloud of black , yellow smoke volume on volume in rolling grandeur shot upwards inconceivable rapidity.

then there stillness in nature echoes of thunderous report seemed come hollow boom of thunder-clap – long reverberating roll seems though floors of heaven shook. down in mighty ruin falling whence rose came fragments had been tossed skywards in cataclysm.

from stood seemed though 1 fierce volcano burst had satisfied need of nature , castle , structure of hill had sunk again void. appalled suddenness , grandeur forgot think of ourselves.