The theme of ignorance is vital for this story. It is woven throughout and evident in all the characters. It is first displayed through the protagonist, John Harker. It is his innate lack of knowing that puts him in a deadly situation: "Do you know that to-night, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil in the world will have full sway? Do you know where you are going, and what you are doing?" (5) This was the protagonist, Jonathan Harker's second encounter with strangers, in a strange land, in which he was confronted in this manner. He had three such encounters, all of which he nonchalantly dismissed. During his first encounter, the people simply refused to answer any of his questions. In his third encounter, strangers made the sign of a cross and pointed at him. During all of this, Jonathan had no clue why these people were acting in this strange way, nor did he have a notion to question why. E

This gothic story not only played on the ignorance of the characters, in order to heighten the suspense, but it also used the technique of realization in order to make the story seem real. Their ignorance was well balanced when they finally came into realization of what was going on. The horror, ignorance and realization were the manifestation of Stoker's threefold theme. It was this threefold theme that made this gothic tale complete.

ven though he is oblivious to the reasons for their behavior, he blindly continues on the path the strangers warned him not to go on. Another depiction of this ignorance is shown through Dr. Seward and Dr. Van Helsing as they work on a patient, Lucy Westerna. After the doctors diagnosed Lucy as being "somewhat" bloodless and the pricks on neck were discovered, they immediately dismissed the idea of the pricks being the cause of this loss of blood. "It at once occurred to me that this wound, or whatever it was might be the means for this manifest loss of blood; but I abandoned the idea as soon as formed, for such a thing could not be." (131) These doctors had knowledge, but their own ignorance interfered even though all the signs of what was going on were clear.

It is when Stoker allows his characters to step to realization that the sto

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Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)