PLOT OF DRACULA'S STORY (RIASSUNTO DI DRACULA) - Bram Stoker

After Mina's best friend Lucy came to visit her in the town of Whitby many strange things happened.First, there was a hreat storm, and then that night Mina found Lucy on a bench with something black with red, shining eyes bending over Lucy's body.After that night on the bench, Lucy got increasingly ill. Arthur asked Dr Seward for help, and Dr Seward called his friend Van Helsing from Holland. At first Van Helsing didn't express his opinion on Lucy's situation.He said that he had to return to Amsterdam first. When Lucy's situation became extremely bad, Dr Seward telegraphed Van Helsing and asked him to come back immediately.Van Helsing came and performed a blood transfusion on Lucy. Finally, one morning Dr Seward and Van Helsing arrived at Lucy's house.They found Lucy's mother dead on Lucy's bed and Lucy almost dead.After yet another blood transfusion, Lucy told them that a wolf had broken through the window.Unfortunately, she died afterwards.

After Lucy's death, many little children started to disappear, When they returned home they had punctures on their necks. They said that the "bloofer lady" had bite them. Van Helsing tried to explain to Dr Seward that the "bloofer lady" was Lucy, but he didn't want accept the terrible truth.So, Van Helsing took him to the graveyard.The first night they went they found Lucy's coffin empty.The second time they went Lucy was in her coffin and she was more beautiful than ever. Then Van Helsing explained that they had to destroy the vampire that Lucy had become, so the real Lucy could be free.He also said that Arthur had to do it.So, Arthur, Van Helsing and Dr Seward went to the graveyard to wait for Lucy.When she appeared she was carrying a child. When Arthur saw her he accepted to kill her.They went into the tomb after Lucy had entered it. Van Helsing gave Arthur a hammer and a stake.Arthur put the stake over Lucy's heart and hit it.He hit until the body stopped moving. Then, they could see that the real Lucy was there and the vampire in her had been destroyed.

After Lucy's death they started to look for the boxes of earth, but while they're looking Dracula came to the lunatic asylum to suck Mina's blood.The only person who knew about this was Renfield and he now liked Mina.So, Renfield tried to prevent Dracula from coming into the asylum but one night Dracula attacked Renfield and almost killed him.When the men returned to the asylum that night, Renfield told them how Dracula entered the asylum.The men then ran immediately to Mina's room.When they entered the room, Mina was drinking blood from a cut in the Count's chest. The Count disappeared when the men walked towards him holding the Sacred Wafer and silver crucifixes.After that the men continued looking for the boxes of earth, but now Van Helsing tried to protect Mina by touching her forehead with the Sacred Wafer, but the Sacred Wafer burnt her. Then one morning before dawn Mina called Van Helsing to her room.She told him that he must hypnotise her so she could enter into the Count's mind.She told them that she could hear the lapping of water.This is how they knew that the Count was on a ship called Czarina Catherine which was going ton the port of Varna on the Black Sea.They took a train to Varna,but when they arrived they discovered that the Count has tricked them.The Czarina Catherine has gone to another port called Galatz.And the Count's box was now on a boat going up a river.So, Van Helsing and Mina went in a carriage to the castle; Arthur and Jonathan went in a steam launch up the river; and Quincey and Dr Seward followed on horses on the banks of the river.Mina and Van Helsing arrived first at the Count's castle.Van Helsing went into the castle and found the graves of the threee vampire women; then he drove a stake through their hearts. When he had finished this terrible work, he heard Mina calling him.The Count's wagon was arriving with a group of armed men.Then they saw their friends arriving on horseback.When the Count's wagon was near them, they heard their friends shout "Halt". They all raced up to the Count's wagon.There was a fight with the Count's men, and Quincey was hurt.They threw the box to the ground and pulled off the lid. In that moment, the sun was going down, but just then Jonathan cut through the Count's throat and Quincey stabbed the Count in the heart.The Count's body then turned to dust.

While Quincey was dying the read scar on Mina's forehad disappeared, and the man was very happy because he could help her.And then, with a smile and in silence, he died, a gallant gentleman.

CHARACTER (PERSONAGGI PRINCIPALI:RUOLO E CARATTERISTICHE)

  Jonathan Harker:young solicitor,from London, sent to do business with Count Dracula.His friend and employer is Peter Hawkins. He's very intelligent,corageous and full of energy. He loves very much his fiancée Mina and he hasn't fear to fight Count Dracula to save Mina and other people. It's very important his diary which gives Van Helsing lots of information about Dracula and his habits.

  Count Dracula: the Transylvanian noble who bought a house in London; this very old estate is called Carfax and it's large. One large house nearby has recently become a lunatic asylum.Tall old man with a long whote moustache, dressed in black,his hand felt more like the hand of a dead man, his nose had a high bridge and peculiar nostrils,his eyebrows were massive,the mouth had sharp teeth, his lips were very red, his ears were pale at the tops extremely pointed, the chin was troad and strong, his hands were broad with short fingers, his breathe stank. During the period in which Jonathan is at the castle, he tricks him and he have to do his things in secrets. He climbs the wall like a lizard.He's the King Vampire, who has complete power among the Un-Dead. Dracula becomes stronger and stronger after he sucks blood.He's strong as twenty men, he's very intelligent and he can call the dead for help.He can appear where he wants and he can change shape.He can direct the rain, the fog and thunder; he can also command animals like rats, owls, bats, moths, foxes and wolves.He can grow and ha can become small.Count Can also see in the dark.But the vampire isn't free, in fact he can't enter a house when he wants, somebody must invite him first and then he can do what he wants.Also, he must sleep in the boxes of earth he brought from his castle. His powers end during the day, certain things like garlic or crucifix hurt him and to kill him you have to drive a stake through his heart and cut off his head.

  Mina Murray:Jonathan's fiancée.She's a journalist.The Count use Mina's blood to live. She can be seen as Bram's ideal woman: courageous and intelligent, but always working to help her man. Women in this book fear Count Dracula but at the same time they can feel his great sexual charm. Mina was for her friends a symbol of goodness, purity and faith. She was a gallant woman, full of sweetness and love.

  Lucy Westenra: Mina's best friend. She's very sweet and beautiful. She has a sensitive soul and doesn't want to hurt anybody. She thinks that her friendship with Mina is very important and she always says everything to her friend.When she became a vampire, she was more beautiful, she had pointed teeth , she was hard, cruel and voluptuous,her lips were red.

  Arthur Holmwood: Lucy's fiancé. He loves his woman a lot and after her death he employs all his time trying to destroy the Count and to take revenge.

  Dr.John "Jack"Seward: Director of a lunatic asylum, and one of Lucy's suitors.He is 29 years old. Although Lucy refuses him, he spends all his energy to try to save her and to kill Count Dracula.He show his courage, his intelligence and goodness. He also studies with lots of interesting Renfield's strange behaviour.He is very calm and very strong. He seems very cool on the outside, but he's very nervous.

  Professor Abraham Van Helsing: John Seward's teacher from Amsterdam,a philosopher and one of the greatest scientist in the world.He knows everything about strange disease in the world.He has an open mind, a lot of courage and a kind heart. His work is fondamental to destroy Dracula and to give peace to Mina's soul; in fact he exploits all his knowledge to reach this objective.

  Mr Quincey P.Morris: Lucy's third suitor from Texas. He's a happy and jolly man who has had fabulous adventures all around the world. He died like a gallant gentleman, with a smile and in silence. He said that it was worth to die because they have defeated the Un-Dead and the red scar on Mina's forehead has disappeared.

  R.M. Renfield: One of Dr Seward's patients in the lunatic asylum. He's a weird man.

PERSONAL COMMENT (COMMENTO PERSONALE)

I don't like this book because it is not my kind. The horror books I don't succeed in reading them, in fact I have employed a lot of time. From the kind horror I don't succeed in finding anybody moral.

SETTING AMBIENTAZIONE):

Jonathan goes to Transylvania to conclude business with Dracula then the story moves to London where Dracula meets Jonathan's friends then the narration returns in Transylvania. The novel is set in 1800.

NEW WORDS (VOCABOLI NUOVI)

-burning: bruciante

-coquettishly: in modo civettuolo

-bitter offensiveness: amara offensiva

-to lick: leccare

-moisture: saliva

-tongue: lingua

-to grasp: afferrare

-to nod: annuire

-handle: manico

-ledge: pianerottolo

-spiral stairway: scaletta a chiocciola

-graveyard: cimitero

-vaults: tombe

-grimly: seriamente

-cheeks: guance

-skin: pelle

-rumour: diceria

-sympathy: comprensione

-slang: linguaggio,gergo

-abbey: cappella

-graveyard: cimitero

-tombstones: lapidi

-harbour: porto

-secretive: riservato

-selfish: egoista

-flies: mosche

-to get rid of smb: liberarsi di qualcuno

-buzzing: suono onomatopeico di Buzzzzzzzz

-sparrows: passerotti

-attendant: Infermiere

-feathers: piume

-raw: crudo

-sultry: umido

-warning: avvertimento

-roaring: ruggenti

-thick sea-fog: densa nebbia marina

-searchlight: faro

-reef: scogliera

-helm: timone

-log: diario di bordo

-crew: equipaggio

-to sleepwalk: essere sonnambulo

-bench: panchina

-beast: bestia

-shawl: asciugamano

-safety pin: spilla

-delivery: consegna

-mansion: podere

-bedside: capezzale

-bones: ossa

-veins: vene

to grab: prendere

-precipice: precipizio

-employer: datore di lavoro

-to amuse: divertire

-to crawl: strisciare

-to climb: arrampicarsi

-shadows: ombre

-sapphires: zaffiri

-moonlight: luce della luna

-wicked: cattivo

-brave: coraggioso

-deserve: merito

-weakness:deboleza

-blind: tapparella

-parcel: pacco

-flapping: svolazzzamento

-keeper: proprietario

-upset: agitato, turbato

-howling: ululato

-giant: gigante

-speck: particella

-dim: profondo

-blood transfusion: trasfusione di sangue

-glad: contento

-bloofer lady: la donna imbrogliona

-grateful: riconoscente

-Un-Dead or Nosferatu: vampiro

-coffin: bara

-Sacred Wafer: ostia sacra

-to set smb free: rendere libero qualcuno

-hammer: martello

-prayer: preghiera

-typewriter: macchina da scrivere

-to wonder: temere

-behaviour: comportamento

-to shallow: ingoiare

-shape: forma

-owl: gufo

-moth: farfalla notturna o tarma

-strenght: forza

-dust: polvere

-strait-jacket: camicia di forza

-to deceive oneself: illudersi

-to worship: adorare

-naked: nudo

-chest: torace

-forehead: fronte

-s-to shave: radersi

-throat: gola

-to blaze: arrossarsi

-unclean: impuro, immondo

-labels: scritte

-to lift up: alzare

-to stab: pugnalare

-revenge: vendetta

-despite: malgrado

-cheerful: allegro

-goodness: bontà

-purity: purezza

-faith: fede

-outcast: rifiutato

-soul: anima

-dawn: alba

-baptism: battesimo

-to gain: vincere, guadagnare

-to trick: Imbrogliare

-surrounded: circondato

-flowing water: acqua che scorre

-oars: remi

-therefore: perciò

-carriage: carrozza

-steam launch: barca a motore

-to catch up: raggiungere

-banks: rive

-guns: fucili

-wild: selvaggio

-whirling: volteggiante

-weird: bizzarro e soprannaturale

-grave: tomba

-shelter: rifugio

-boulder: masso

-square: quadrata

-wagon: carro

-to whip: frustare

-rifles :fucili

-side: fianco

-to pull the lid off: togliere il coperchio da..

-triumph: trionfo

-sadness: tristezza

-in vain: vano

-gallant: nobile, valoroso, coraggioso

car cicatrice

-demons: demoni

-ghouls: spiriti

-social worker: assistente sociale

-civil servant: impiegato del governo

-knighted: cavaliere

-coffin: bara

-to turn into: trasformarsi in

-stake: paletto

-crab: granchio

-crucifix: crocifisso

-sunrise: alba

-sunset: tramonto

-Holy Wafer: sacra ostia

-solicitor: avvocato

-fiancée: fidanzata

-fiancé:fidanzato

- lunatic asylum: manicomio

- suitor: pretendente

-mischievous: dannoso, nocivo

-murderess: assassina

-landlady: direttrice

-Carpathians: Carpazi

-coach: carrozza

-knees: ginocchia

-neck: collo

-pity: pieta

-Ordog, Satan: Satana

-pokol, hell: inferno

-stregoica, witch: strega

-vrolok, vlkoslak: were-wolf(lupo mannaro) or vampire

-farmhouse: fattoria

-to stammer: balbettare

-lips: labbra

-sharp teeth: denti acuti

-to whisper: sussurrare

-grip of steel: stretta d'acciaio

-nightmare: incubo

-to tremble: tremare

-to howl: ululare

-courtyard: cortile

-to fall asleep: cadere addormentato

-purchase: acquisto

-estate: proprietà

-moustache: baffi

-strenght: forza

-handshake: stretta di mano

-nostrils: narici

-eyebrows: sopracciglia

-chin: mento

-nails: unghie

-shaving mirror: specchio da barba