An essay on common exam question of comparing the powerlessness of humanity compared to the supernatural forces present in Oscar Wilde's 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' and Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' from a current university student that achieved an A* in English Literature A level by memorising the ma...
Essay Plan: Compare the ways in which the writers of your two texts explore the
powerlessness of humanity when faced with the power of the supernatural.
Introduction:
Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ and Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray,’ are works of
gothic literature born out of a changing face of Fin-de-siecle Victorian London and
the increasingly atheist and scientific beliefs emerging that challenged belief in
religion and the supernatural.
Whilst in ‘Dracula,’ the supernatural evil of vampires, specifically Dracula, is
successfully defeated by the morally good Christian characters of the novel, in ‘The
Picture of Dorian Gray,’ the supernatural force of Dorian’s portrait seems to be the
victorious power in causing Dorian’s violent demise.
Point one:
From the outset of ‘Dracula,’ protagonist Jonathan Harker is shown to be
defenceless against Dracula without the help of God through religious symbols.
Jonathan’s interactions with the superstitious townspeople foreshadow the unholy
evil of Dracula when they do the “sign of the cross” to “guard against the evil eye”
and say “ordog,” “pokol” and “vrolok,” meaning Satan, Hell, vampire, when Jonathan
reveals he is visiting Dracula.
Context: Stoker presents Dracula as the embodiment of the Devil; the ultimate evil,
which would be frightening to many religious readers.
The landlady of the Golden Krone Hotel that Jonathan is staying at even gives him a
“crucifix” which he accepts as a courtesy but regards as “idolatrous” as he is a
representation of a civilised “English Churchman.” Ironically, this relic later saves him
from Dracula’s “demoniac fury.”
Context: Stoker draws a contrast between the ascetism of the Protestant Church and
European Catholic “priestcraft.” Subsequently, many Western readers at the time
would share Jonathan’s view of Eastern ideologies and customs being “idolatrous”
and mystical, although it is the only method successful in warding off Dracula that
the Western protagonists will have to adopt to kill Dracula.
Point two:
Conversely, in ‘The picture of Dorian Gray,’ the eponymous character also
indulges in a life of sin but does attempt to redeem himself to repair the
degradation of his portrait which is possibly emblematic of his very soul.
In the opening of the novel, Dorian proclaims that he “would give [his] soul” to
remain as young and beautiful as his portrait. This wish to trade his everlasting
soul for eternal beauty is granted by an unknown supernatural force when it
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