The Religious Elements of Christian Traditions and Catholic Sacraments in Dracula Free Essay Example, 1250 words

Textual evidence neither supports nor denies the presence of such elements in the story. However, from the Christian viewpoint, it is clear that the author admits the existence of vampires and treats them as an indispensable component of the Christian religious tradition. Vampires have long been an indispensable element of the Christian religious tradition, and in his novel, Bram Stoker acknowledges their significance for the understanding of the Christian religion. For a long time, vampires served one of the principal symbols of the Christian religious framework, the meaning of which could hardly be overstated (Holte 13). â€Å"Do you know that to-night, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway? Do you know where you are going, and what you are going to? She was in such evident distress that I tried to comfort her, but without effect. Finally, she went down on her knees and implored me not to go; at least to wait a day or two before starting† (Stoker). Apparently, the acceptance of vampires and the satanic evil by the Catholic religious tradition is strong and undeniable. We will write a custom essay sample on The Religious Elements of Christian Traditions and Catholic Sacraments in Dracula or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Moreover, people who are fated to live within the real proximity to vampires display fear and almost crazy desire to escape the evil. To some extent, the belief in vampires is equal to a belief in the satanic evil, which further strengthens the religious confidence and reinforces the sense of being protected from the unnecessary harm. The belief in the satanic evil seems a vital ingredient of the Christian religious culture. The opposition between the good and the bad leads people to realize the importance of being a Christian and the necessity to withstand the pain of being transformed into a vampire. To some extent, Dracula did not simply keep people in fear but also contributed to the development and expansion of the religious traditions: given the frequency with which Stocker mentions crucifixes and other religious elements in his novel, people would choose to be a Christian adherent, to protect themselves from the satanic threats. This dichotomy of good and evil is characteristic of the Christian religion and the story itself: the ongoing fight between Van Helsing and Dracula exemplifies a Christian fight between good and evil and leads to the triumph of the religious purity and goodness. â€Å"That he is not here already shows that he went to mile end next. This took him some time, for he would then have to be carried over the river in some way.