Dracula+DL+Hyun

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Theme: Growing role of science in the modern world.
From the first to the last chapters of Stoker's novel, Dracula, the recurrent conflict between the science and superstition is illustrated. Dracula and Helsing, East and West, tradition and technology all represent the opposing forces in the world of Dracula. Stoker attempts to pose a solution to this conflict by creating characters that act as bridges between science and the superstition. At the beginning of the book, the book shows the characters dismissing the notion of superstitious beings as they have grown accustomed to the scientific and logical way of life (West). Stoker illustrates a conflict that arrises from the neglect to the existence of superstition: Dracula. By the end of the book, the characters are also reliant on superstition as well as science: for protection, he, "holding out some of the Wafer, advanced on them towards the fire (Stoker 317)." Stoker also poses several disadvantages of becoming solely reliant on technology: Seward writes, "To write a diary with a pen is irksome to me! (Stoker 291)" The party, ultimately, manages to destroy Dracula by following the model example posed by Stoker: Van Helsing. Helsing is the ideal being that is in the middle of the two extremes, able to set a open, unbiased interest for all knowledge. Dracula, on the other hand, is solely dependent on his superstition, which leads him to his death.

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**Key Passage: Dracula p.322 **
//**Then came a sudden cry, "Look! Look! Look! See, two horsemen follow fast, coming up from the south. It must be Quincey and John. Take the glass. Look before the snow blots it all out!" I took it and looked. The two men might be Dr. Seward and Mr. Morris. I knew at all events that neither of them was Jonathan. At the same time I knew that Jonathan was not far off. Looking around I saw on the north side of the coming party two other men, riding at breakneck speed. One of them I knew was Jonathan, and the other I took, of course, to be Lord Godalming. They too, were pursuing the party with the cart. When I told the Professor he shouted in glee like a schoolboy, and after looking intently till a snow fall made sight impossible, he laid his Winchester rifle ready for use against the boulder at the opening of our shelter." They are all converging," he said. "When the time comes we shall have gypsies on all sides." I got out my revolver ready to hand, for whilst we were speaking the howling of wolves came louder and closer. When the snow storm abated a moment we looked again. It was strange to see the snow falling in such heavy flakes close to us, and beyond, the sun shining more and more brightly as it sank down towards the far mountain tops. Sweeping the glass all around us I could see here and there dots moving singly and in twos and threes and larger numbers. The wolves were gathering for their prey. **//

This quote is shows the two major forces preparing for the approaching final brawl. It serves to depict the impending conflict between these sides. This is also an important part in the section because it describes both of the sides in detail. The four men approach battle in a fashion that clearly foreshadows the approaching danger, for, they are "riding at a breakneck speed". Even more specifically described are the superstitious forces. The wolves, sunset, and the gypsies are all factors of this passage that depicts the superstitious force.The wolves are representative of superstition because of their dark nature and their obedience to Count Dracula. These wolves are seen gathering in specks all throughout the surroundings. The sunset is representative of superstition because it brings nighttime, a period of superstitious power. Dracula is able to use his full powers after sunset and is no longer confined by the daylight. Finally, the gypsies that help Dracula are from the Eastern land where the mysterious, superstitious powers prevail. All three forces are depicted darkly and help contribute to the increasingly heavy atmosphere. This passage, again, prepares the readers for the final showdown that is to come very soon.

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Literary Devises
**Metaphor** In the epilogue, Harker expresses the chaos he went through seven years ago, or throughout the entire book, as walking through the flames. By this, he does not mean to say that he literally walked through flames, but merely says it to emphasize the disastrous events that he has gone through during his conflict with Count Dracula. I thought it was a fitting way to use this strong metaphor at the end of the book, for, it summed up all the lengthy experiences described in the book. As the first person to appear in the novel, Harker's brief finale is a fitting journal to list for the epilogue.
 * //"Seven years ago we all went through the flames. (Stoker 326)"//**

In this specific quote, we can interestingly, observe two alliterations in a row. Both smile and silence; gallant and gentleman start with the same letters. Although a single alliteration would have seemed like a mere pleasant accident, we can see that the author has spent time coming up with the most suitable last sentence of the entire novel. The alliteration is not only helpful in emphasizing the mood, but it also sets gentle tone for the ending. It was a nice way to end a lengthy story.
 * Alliteration**
 * //"And, to our bitter grief, with a smile and in silence, he died, a gallant gentleman. (Stoker 326)"//**

Reflection
Overall, our discussion was a success. Our activity was an enjoyable, competitive quiz that tested the students' knowledge of the section. Unlike activities in which a "well-read" person can lead to a team's victory, our team's activity relied upon the entire team's understanding of the section. Individuals were NOT allowed to discuss with their teammates, greatly reducing the number of questions that were answered; we were able to clearly observe who read the book and who didn't. All our key passages and themes were well chosen and thought out. The themes and questions, I believe, really sparked up a discussion. This was especially important considering that our section was the last; we needed to work especially hard to bring a good conclusion to the novel and help students gain a better general knowledge of the plot. Something that we could have improved was the clarity of our activity questions. Due to the slight ambiguity of the questions that we created, at times, students gave answers that we did not expect, but still answered the question asked. Still, our discussion was very productive and I believe that our discussion was very active and boosted the general understanding of the story for a lot of people.