Bram Stoker published Dracula in 1897. The novel is about a monstrous vampire from Transylvania that plans on colonizing England, and has some implications about race and sexuality that are reflective of the time period Stoker was writing in. Though Stoker may have crafted Dracula’s frightening physical characteristics consciously, it seems that he was majorly influenced by Victorian societal fears subconsciously.

The first time a vampire’s fangs are truly described in the novel is when Jonathan is attacked by three female vampires in Dracula’s estate in Chapter 3. Though Jonathan is about to be bitten and drained of blood, when he describes the attack of the “Weird Sisters,” the emotions he feels are sexually arousing. When describing it, he is clearly horrified by the encounter, but also horrified at what he felt.

Blood is obviously a really prevalent and important symbol in Dracula. Not only is blood a staple for vampire novels, blood in Victorian society held a lot of meaning. In the late 19th century, there were scientific breakthroughs that linked blood to genetics. If blood could determine your genetic code, then it could theoretically determine everything: race, sexuality, morality, and sanity (Hollingsworth). When Bram Stoker created Dracula as a vampire, this monster was the pinnacle of every Victorian fear imaginable. Dracula needs human blood to survive. As he drains the other characters, he grows more powerful while they slowly start to lose their minds. However, Dracula also does have his own blood inside his body. If blood determines everything about a person, Dracula’s blood signals that he is inherently a villain with no hint of redemption. When other characters are forced to drink his blood, something within them changes that can only be undone by killing Dracula for good.