JoshuaEargleAPLiteratureBlock5B

TheEffectsofPointofViewin,Dracula

Perhapsnothingisasfundamentaltothereadersexperienceofyournovelscharactersasthe
novelspointofview.Thisstatement,saidbywriterJasonBlack,cannotbemoreevidentthaninthe
novel,Dracula,byBramStoker.InStokersnovel,theuseofmultiplepointsofviewgreatlyaffects
manyelementsofthenovel.Theseelementsincludebutarenotlimitedto:thethemes,character
development,foreshadowing,andaswellastheoverallinterpretationthatthereaderleaveswith.
OneofthemainpremisesofthenovelisthatCountDraculaisanevilvampirewhohuntsand
trapshisvictimsbeforebitingthemandsuckingtheirblood.Althoughthroughtheuseofthedifferent
pointsofviewthroughoutthenovel,thisinterpretationcanbechangedbythereader.Insome
instances,suchasthroughJohnathanHarkersfirstentryoftheCount,hedescribestheinitialmeetingas,
ThelightandwarmthandtheCountscourteouswelcomeseemedtohavedissipatedallmydoubtsand
fears.(Stoker.ChapterTwo.)ThroughthisdescriptionandotherdescriptionsoftheCountasbeing
welcomingandcharming,thereadercouldpotentiallyinterprettheCountsactionsasnotmaliciousbut
simplythatofamisunderstoodcreatureattemptingtosurviveinaworldthatrejectshiskind.Aswellas
theinterpretationofDraculahimselfthatcanbealteredbypointofview,thethemesthatareexpressed
byhethoughtsofthecharactersthemselvescanbemoreapparenttothereader.
Bybeingabletoenterthethoughtsofmostofthecharacters,importantthemescanbetterbe
expressedbyStoker.Anexampleofoneofthesethemesistheideathatwomenaresubservientto
men.Inthenovel,menareseenasthinkingandactingbravelyaswellastakingchargeanddomination
theirfearswhilewomenareseenasbeingpure,sweet,andinnocent.Thisisevidentinthenarrationthat
ismadebythecharacters.Infact,asimplequotefromMisslucyWestenradisplaysthisthemebysaying,
Youwilltellhim,becauseIwould,ifIwereinyourplace,certainlytellArthur.Awomanoughttotellher
husbandeverything.Dontyouthinkso,dear?Menlikewomentobequiteasfairastheyare.

JoshuaEargleAPLiteratureBlock5B

Definitely,theuseofpointofviewcangreatlyaffectanovel.InBramStokers,Dracula,Stokeruses
multiplepointofviewsfromanarrayofcharacterstoinfluencethemes,personalitiesofcharacters,
symbols,andtheoverallmorallessontakenfromthestory.