Chapter 1

Question 1

What does harkers journey symbolise?

Answer 1

-Bridge from life to the supernatural
-shows change
-challenges Victorian fears of the other where he is willingly approaching people different to him opposed to staying away

Question 2

Why is the journey a plot device for this gothic horror?

Answer 2

-creates mystery/tension
-makes him appear vulnerable where he’s in unknown land to him

Question 3

Where do we see the threat of the other?

Answer 3

-calls slovaks ‘barbarians’ and ‘the strangest figures’ showing cultural prejudice
-calls women ‘pretty but clumsy about the waist’ showing his judgement of others
-he describes them as ‘harmless’ which is quite diminishing its as if he looks down on them

Question 4

How is harker portrayed?

Answer 4

-logical
-naive
-meticulous

Question 5

What is the sublime?

Answer 5

Trope of gothic fiction and refers to the aesthetic experience evoking awe and fear in response to the vast, overwhelming or incomprehensible aspects of nature/existence

Question 6

Where do we see the sublime in chapter one?

Answer 6

-description of mountains
-description of fruit

Question 7

‘Then the mountains seemed to come nearer to us on each side and to frown down upon us’

Answer 7

Personification of mountains sets an eerie tone and makes the setting seem threatening. Adds to gothic theme of the setting being wild remote landscapes.

Question 8

‘Bewildering mass of fruit blossom’

Answer 8

Juxtaposing ‘bewildering’ with ‘fruit blossom’ exaggerated that even the pretty elements align with the sublime where they’re confusing and slightly eerie

Question 9

‘Fallen petals’

Answer 9

Foreshadowing to his fate? Petals and flowers carry positive connotations and for them to have ‘fallen’ could depict his fall into the supernatural

Question 10

How is harkers journey described?

Answer 10

-figurative language
-imagery rich
-less meticulously factual and more descriptive
-description makes it more intimidating- fear of the other is exaggerated