Once again mixed feelings.
I love the uses of irony although it's also quite sad in a way. When Harker says 'I would give the last drop of blood in my body for her'. This is so dramatic because when reading I wondered wether this would be put to the test if she tried to suck his blood but I also felt sorry for Harker because everything bad seems to be happening to him in this and yet we haven't seen Dracula for a while! This shows how it is not just his presence that causes fear and despair.
The introduction of Van Helsing is interesting. We know him to be vitally important but I did not ever think of him as a blood specialist but always considered him a supernaturalist. I struggle to see how he will proove more important in the plot unless his knowledge comes to play a bigger part.
I also found that the context was more important. Van Helsing had to return to Amsterdam to get some books. In modern day we could flick a switch on the computer and find all we needed to know.
It was infuriating when Seward thought about the bite marks and then disregarded them. This is brilliant use of irony because I think anybody whop knows anything about dracual knows about those marks and yet we cannot intervine!
Garlic!!! We at last see that Van Helsing is on the right track!!
As for the ending it was I have to admit brilliant!! It might normally be a bit cheesy to say it is not the end but the beggining but I actually thought it was a fitting thing to say and it really keeps the reader hooked. Personally I am wondering how Mina will react and what will Dracula do next?
Thursday 22 October 2009
Tuesday 13 October 2009
Up To Chapter 9
Mixed feelings on this section. If I'm honest I found the ship log I bit...predictable. It seems odd to me that they did not check the boxes earlier since it seemed to me the only possible hideaway for Dracula.
As for Lucy I found her behaviour increasingly odd but I loved the way they used dramatic irony as we knew it was Dracula on their favourite seat but Mina doesn't know. The teeth marks are brillianlty done since Mina regards them as a tiny detail and yet we know it to be far more important- again this shows the true effect of a diary since I expect her to find out that these are far more important later on in the novel. Finally I was shocked about Jonathan!! I expected him to be dead but it appears he is not...or is he? As of yet we don't have any real proof do we? Therefore I am not sure that Mina will see him again but ishe does I can't believe that he will be the same man.
As for Lucy I found her behaviour increasingly odd but I loved the way they used dramatic irony as we knew it was Dracula on their favourite seat but Mina doesn't know. The teeth marks are brillianlty done since Mina regards them as a tiny detail and yet we know it to be far more important- again this shows the true effect of a diary since I expect her to find out that these are far more important later on in the novel. Finally I was shocked about Jonathan!! I expected him to be dead but it appears he is not...or is he? As of yet we don't have any real proof do we? Therefore I am not sure that Mina will see him again but ishe does I can't believe that he will be the same man.
Thursday 8 October 2009
Up To Chapter 7
I've just read up to chapter 7 and I have just one word for my feelings: Dissapointed! I guess I'm just one of those action people but I really could not enjoy the girl gossip in letters between Mina and Lucy. While it must of course be vital to the book it seemed to me odd to have changed from Harker's description of peril to Mina and Lucy's description of love. While I am sure Stoker is trying to emphasize the difference between the two situations it seems clear that these two situations will become mingled together.
I do, from an acting point of view, enjoy Stoker's use of dramatic irony. When Mina describes her frustration with lack of news from Jonathan her assurance in his saftey due to his previous letters is very dramatic in the sense that the reader starts to feel almost guilty at their knowledge of an event that will be lifechanging for Mina but she doesn't yet know about. All in all though I have to say I didn't enjoy the couple of chapters as much as the first since it seemed to me a more descriptive based section while the opening was more active and more engaging, but I suppose this is the whole function of good novels- they grip you with action and suspense in the opening so as to get you to stick with the book and leave the more detailed explanations (less engaging) to later- I'll consider this for my coursework.
I do, from an acting point of view, enjoy Stoker's use of dramatic irony. When Mina describes her frustration with lack of news from Jonathan her assurance in his saftey due to his previous letters is very dramatic in the sense that the reader starts to feel almost guilty at their knowledge of an event that will be lifechanging for Mina but she doesn't yet know about. All in all though I have to say I didn't enjoy the couple of chapters as much as the first since it seemed to me a more descriptive based section while the opening was more active and more engaging, but I suppose this is the whole function of good novels- they grip you with action and suspense in the opening so as to get you to stick with the book and leave the more detailed explanations (less engaging) to later- I'll consider this for my coursework.
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