dracula

             Where there is no imagination there is no horror. – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
             Imagination is the force that keeps human desires alive. It is a state that allows someone to give up repression and indulge into temptation. Where the conscious mind is a state of composed and rational behaviour, imagination becomes the unconscious setting into a world of countless fantasies where one does not need to worry about the consequences. However, civilization is built on the fact that we are able to repress what we crave. All is held back for the good of society and in an instant, the battle between good and evil is created. The novel and movie Dracula exemplifies this conflict well. The story enables the audience to envision the repressed and forbidding nature of the horror genre. But here lies the dilemma, which version of the Dracula story better incorporates this conflict between good and evil, desire and the need for repression? Is it Bram Stoker's novel or Coppola's film? Let the exploration begin.
             First of all, a great aspect of the Stoker version was the fact that the author wrote Dracula using profound imagery. Stoker pays a great deal of attention to every detail, minute as it may seem. An example of this would be when Stoker describes the castle as:
             "Built on the corner of a great rock, so that on three sides it was quite impregnable, and great windows were placed here where sling, or bow, or culverin could not reach, and consequently light and comfort, impossible to a position which had to be guarded, were secured" (p.36).
             This example enables the reader's imagination to overflow. The detailed description of the castle leaves the audience wondering what atrocities lie ahead in the building. Due to the vast and precise nature of the dialogue, the depiction of the castle can be seen as a forewarning element. In doing so, Stoker brings forth an atmosphere of suspense which embodies the horror genre. The castle,...

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dracula. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 15:44, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/31999.html