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Katie Sklaver
Mrs. Juergens
AP English Lit and Comp
25 October 2015
Dracula as an Extension of Human Fear in the 1931 Movie and the Novel
In the 1931 Dracula, and in Bram Stokers Dracula, the terror originates not from fear of
the other, or the strange, but from fear of oneself, with Dracula and all that surrounds him being a
physical manifestation of the human psyche, and the deep rooted fears thereof. This idea, that
Dracula is an extension of the human mind, is demonstrated through various facets of the
vampire myth, facets so influential, that even modern vampire myths today are affected by it.
In both stories Draculas castle is set high in roads of the Carpathians (Stoker 11),
literally on a mountaintop. The top of the body is, of course, the head; Dracula literally lives in
the head of the world. This metaphor of Draculas castle to the human mind goes one step further
with the omission of a bell or knocker (Stoker 22), because one does not ask permission for
access to ones own head, indeed, Dracula himself must be invited in, and this is equivalent to
the act of inviting ones fears to take root in ones consciousness. The setting for both castles is
inhospitable and cold, an endless perspective of jagged rock and pointed crags (Stoker 11),
furthering the negativity associated with Draculas residence. The idea that Draculas castle is a
kind of dream residence is supported by a scene in the movie, occurring at about 6 and a half
minutes in, when the viewer sees Draculas castle for the first time. It is, at first, just jagged
rock and pointed crags (Stoker 11), but then fades into a low angle shot of a large and imposing

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residence. The slow, flickering, fade and the intense shadows of both shots serve to further the
dream like presence of the setting. The low angle intensifies and emphasizes the height of the
castle, adding supplemental support to the previously mentioned correlation between the
Carpathians as the backdrop for Draculas home, and the human head.
If Draculas home represents the recesses of the human mind, then Dracula himself
represent the fears that lurk there. Dracula as part of the human mind is supported by his
appearance in the book and in the movie. In the book the Count is described with a face of a
strong, a very strong, aquiline with a thin nose and peculiarly arched nostrils, (Stoker 27), but
no blood red eyes, no rodent fangs, no disturbingly long nails. Nothing is present in his physical
appearance to suggest anything out of the ordinary. He is even proclaimed be more healthy than
expected, said to show astonishing vitality in a man of his years (Stoker 27). This
anthropomorphic, indeed appealing (especially in the case of Bella Lugosi), appearance causes
the readers and watchers to recognize and relate to him on a level they wouldnt otherwise. They
dont recognize the Count as something foreign or alien, but as one of them, which he is, or
rather, a part of them.
Dracula doesnt appear in mirrors. This has been a founding tenant of the mythos since
the novels publication, and it still is today. Indeed, in the movie, Dracula is discovered to be a
vampire because there was no reflection of him in the mirror (Stoker 38). This is because
Dracula is an extension of the human psyche. Looking for Dracula in the mirror is equivalent to
looking for a part of ones self in the mirror. For example, if one looked in the mirror and
expected to see ones phobia of needles staring back at them along with their reflection, one
would be considered a bit mad. This is because a phobia, similarly to Dracula, exists in ones
head, and thus cannot be seen. Dracula as an extension of a humans essential nature is further

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emphasized by the focus given to his eyes. The Counts eyes in the novel are described as dark
and piercing (Stoker 54), positively blazing (Stoker 57), lurid (Stoker 57), and in the movie
Lugosis eyes are lit by a concentrated beam, a pencil light if you will, throwing the rest of his
face into shadow, and serving to make his gaze particularly intense. The eyes have always been
connected to the subconscious, the spirituality of humans, and this attention to Draculas eyes
emphasizes his connection to human psyche. After all, as the popular epithet goes, the eyes are
the window to the soul.
If Dracula is an extension of the psyche, the question then becomes, what fears does he
represent? Not trivial fears, of bad grades, or embarrassing moments, but real fears, deep rooted
and primal. Dracula, after all, is fundamentally a primal being, a predator preying on bodies and
souls (Stoker 339). Specifically, Dracula represents those fears that one cant protect ones self
from, the fear of those things in life which are inevitable. Perhaps the most obvious fear Dracula
represents is death. He is literally undead (Stoker 306), death personified, a child of the night
(Stoker 28). Dracula also, however, represents a fear of incurable sickness which causes a long
and painful death, or a life not fully lived due to disabilities. This is demonstrated through the
various pestilence carrying creatures that Dracula surrounds himself with. In particular, the first
scene in the movie in which we see Dracula is alive with rats (Stoker 361), which represent the
plague, and other pesky critters, such as armadillos, which are known to carry leprosy, and bats,
who are familiar for carrying rabies. In one memorable, if campy scene, some type of beetle is
seen crawling out of a crevice which resembles its own tiny coffin, and mirrors Draculas resting
place.
Draculas attacks are known to kill, or drive his victims insane. When a character gives
in to Dracula, they are giving into their fear of death or sickness. In the novel, the protagonists

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hunt Dracula back to his homeland, and kill him. This is comparable to fighting ones fears, not
giving in to the terror of sickness and death, or letting said terror impact ones decisions or
actions, but instead living in spite of it.
Word Count: 1,008

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Works Cited
Dracula. Dir. Todd Browning and Karl Freund. Perf. Bella Lugosi. Universal International
Pictures, 1931. DVD.
Stoker, Bram. Dracula. New York City: Barnes and Noble, 2003. Print.