Literature of Psychology in Dracula by Bram Stoker

In the story â€Å"Dracula†, composed by Bram Stoker, the literature of psychology is well presented. â€Å"Dracula† was composed in 1897, the time in which psychology was first being introduced. The novel â€Å"Dracula† was written into an epistolary formation known as a series of letters, newspaper clippings, and diary entries. Jonathan Harker, a young lawyer, travels to Transylvania to presume a real estate transaction with the Count Dracula. Amongst his arrival he suspects peculiar activities occurring. Bram Stoker’s â€Å"Dracula† symbolizes the functions of the human mind and how paranoia affects characters, which marks the beginning of the psychological era. A severe economic depression, as well as the beginning of psychology as a social science,†¦show more content†¦Harker tends to become preoccupied with the fact that something strange is going on, as his personality remains the same, the thoughts he is deliberating will soon impact him. As the nervous state of psychology is repressed, Harker soon feels entrapment as he states, â€Å"The Castle is a veritable prison, and I am a prisoner† (Stoker 172). When Harker announces his future demise, the affects of his actions are soon displayed throughout the story. Upon figuring out that he is now a prisoner at the Counts mansion, his behaviors have been affected dramatically, â€Å"I rushed up and down the stairs, trying every door and peering out every window I could find; but after a little the conviction of my helplessness overpowered all other feelings† (Stoker 172-173). The act of determinism is when ones behavior is caused by physical events going on around them. Harker’s behaviors are merely influenced by all the feverish events occurring before him. Since paranoia is a thought process influenced heavily on anxiety or fear of an idea, it is demonstrated when his paranoid thinking process has also caused a conspiracy in his behaviors as he feels like an entrapped prisoner. The idea of suicide is shown throughout the end of chapter IV, as Harker try’s to escape reality by jumping out the window. Harker’s conscious mind can no longer deal with all the mayhem going on around him as he states, â€Å"At least God’s mercy is better than that ofShow MoreRelatedThe Gothic Theme in Dracula by Bram Stoker Essay907 Words   |  4 PagesThe Gothic Theme in Dracula by Bram Stoker Bram Stokers Dracula is a true Gothic novel that belongs on any gothic literature course. Focusing in on the recurring themes, characters and settings used throughout the novel one sees how Dracula has set the standard for Gothic literature today. The theme in Dracula is that classic Gothic theme of the epic battle of good versus evil. 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