Vampires. Something of the dark, stormy underworld. A story that involves vampires may be a story you are inclined to avoid at all costs. You may think it dark and inappropriate or scary and unnecessary. And many horror stories that involve these dark, evil creatures meet all of those qualifications. The classic, Dracula, by Bram Stoker, however, does not. While there is evil in the story, just as in real life, the message is of hope and good triumphing over evil. I would urge you to put aside your prejudices and give this story a try. With noble characters and excellent morals, it is a work that inspires and calls to action.
Evil At Work
The basic concept of a vampire, introduced in this classic, has stuck around in our culture for years. A vampire is an “undead,” a person once normal and living, but upon being killed by a vampire, becomes a vampire. Now, they sleep as the dead during the day and at night prey on the blood of their victims. The more blood they drink, the younger and healthier in appearance they become. While they have the intelligence of the human they once were, they do not have a memory of their happier past and often have an immature variety of the brain they once owned.
The particular vampire the story centers around here is Count Dracula. He has spent centuries in Transylvania preying on victims and is getting bored. After capturing and using one of the men who play a role in our story, he manages to get across to England and begins to terrorize the land. His first act is to begin taking the blood of a young woman named Lucy. She happens to have three men in love with her at the time. All three have proposed to her, but only one of them did she have return feelings for. At this point in the story, she has become betrothed to her beloved.
When her health begins to rapidly go downhill, one of her rejected suitors, who happens to be a doctor, is called in to help. He is greatly alarmed by the state of her health and this mysterious loss of blood she seems to be experiencing. He calls in a foreign doctor he is close friends with to assist him with the case. Lucy experiences several close-to-death experiences and receives blood transfers from all four of the men. The doctor discovers that she has been a vampire’s victim but it is too late. She loses her life, becoming a vampire.
Now another man joins the ranks, the one held captive by Count Dracula in Transylvania. His new wife was a close friend of Lucy’s and proves to be extremely helpful and encouraging to the men as they try to find a way to stop the vampire. When she is attacked by Dracula and begins the slow transition from a living person into a vampire, it is a horrible ordeal for her and her husband. They do not know how much time she has and it is awful watching her turn into the thing they are trying so hard to fight.
The Fight Against Evil
The five men involved in this story can be noted for their incredible bravery and determination. They first commit everything to saving Lucy’s life. When that is not possible, they decide to at all costs stop the evil thing that took her life. They are the knights in shining armor who will stop the thieving of their damsels. Not only are they willing to give their blood for Lucy, they are willing to give their lives.
They commit all of their time and energy once it is discovered that their troubles are caused by Count Dracula to stop him. They do anything they can to stop him, even some things that are painful and hard. They even kill the vampire version of Lucy. While this puts her soul at peace, it is a horrible thing for them to endure. Killing the one you love with your own hand is perhaps one of the greatest traumas known to man.
When Dracula attempts to escape back to his own country, having been cornered by them, they travel night and day for weeks in order to reach his country faster than him. They ambush him at risk of their own lives. They give up an incredible amount of resources to make this possible. Even the foreign doctor, an older man with less stamina, makes the journey to fight evil.
Hope In the Face of Evil
Throughout all of the horrible events this party endures, they always maintain hope and center their actions on their affection for each other. The most moving part of the story, I think, is the story of Mina Harker, the condemned wife. Loved and depended upon by all of the men in the party, she is sweet, smart, and efficient. She cares for their needs, both emotional and physical, while they are fighting the vampire.
When it is discovered that she has been preyed upon by the vampire and given a powerful “blood baptism,” it is of great concern to everyone. If she is killed, she will become a vampire herself. But as it is, she is slowly becoming a vampire even in her living state. Even worse, she is connected to the Count’s mind and he can use her to get information. Because of this, they cannot take her into confidence or allow her to know the plans any longer.
The hope that she maintains in this situation is incredible. She, while believing herself now unclean and forsaken from God, still trusts his goodness and the positive outcome she believes must come from the fight her men are putting up. She is willing to give up her life if that relieves the world of another vampire. In addition, her husband remains by her side, giving her love and encouragement even as he sees his world crumble around him. He will not entertain the idea of leaving her in the least, no matter how long her teeth are or how weak her mind becomes.
This story is beautiful and moving. It shows some ordinary members of society facing a true, dark evil. They fight it well, remembering God and putting everything into their opposition to it. It is breathtaking the devotion they show to the women they love and the importance of preserving their country and keeping their community clean of blood. They are the true crusaders. I see this story not as one of horror but one of hope, and I hope you will as well.