Dracula: Similes 10 key examples

Obviously it is not the case that "every known superstition" can be localized to this small portion of the world, and though it may be an "imaginative whirlpool" (as in Harker's simile), it is not the center of all superstitious imagination. This is exaggeration for effect; by using hyperbole and simile in this manner, Stoker primes the reader to associate Transylvania with strange and otherworldly phenomena. Note that fear of the unknown or foreign is common within the characters' narration and dialogue, hinting at broader social/cultural fears in England centered on "aliens" or "non-native" entities.

It is also important to note the dramatic irony in this passage. Readers in the 21st century are aware that Dracula is a vampire before even reading the novel, since the character has become culturally ubiquitous. Though Stoker may not have originally intended this passage to be ironic, contemporary readers will comprehend the irony of Harker wishing to ask Dracula about local superstitions (of which he himself is the subject).

This creates a discomfiting image, one of many that evokes Dracula's animalistic nature. Lizards are slippery, moving quickly through small spaces and cracks in walls. Similarly, Dracula is an evasive, serpentine being, able to move with agility in both his corporeal and non-corporeal forms. In such figurative language, Dracula becomes sub-human—a monster—because he moves and behaves like an animal. In certain cases, similes that identify humans with animals can be complimentary (i.e. the strength of a lion, the wisdom of an owl). Such similes are often used in positive characterization, reinforcing desirable qualities that humans, too, may possess. When Stoker compares Dracula to a lizard, however, there is no positive intent. This simile serves the purpose of dehumanizing Dracula, describing movement only without mention of emotions, intellect, or ethics. Consequently, this lizard comparison serves as a juxtaposition, differentiating Dracula from the humans who hunt him.

Mina's description of the physical landscape of Kettleness - its menacing ambience - creates a mysterious and unsettling image. Like the "dark figures" obscured by mist, the dark events of the future are obscured from both Mina and the reader, though the ominous mood created by this natural imagery foreshadows some series of menacing supernatural events.

Furthermore, the simile/image of "men like trees walking" reinforces the fact that supernatural forces are at work, conjuring up the image of enchanted trees walking up and down the beach. The statement "men like trees walking" is also an allusion to a Biblical passage in the Gospel of Mark, wherein Jesus heals a blind man. This biblical allusion contributes to the foreshadowing in this passage, implying that something that's unclear will soon be revealed.

Renfield, like Dracula, is nearly sub-human and must be dealt with as one would deal with a ferocious beast. In general, anything that is unknown, supernatural, or "other" in this novel (including patients with impenetrable mental illnesses) is treated as subordinate to the morals and tendencies of the main protagonists. This figurative language serves an important purpose, signaling which characters are moral heroes and which are immoral villains. However, it is important for the reader to remain skeptical of the moral judgments they may be asked to make by the author. There exists an extensive and tragic history—both in England as well as in countries around the world—of dehumanizing people who are disabled or mentally ill. Likening Renfield unfavorably to an animal is such an instance of dehumanization, one readers should be critical of.

Lucy's animal simile, in which she likens her appetite to that of a cormorant (a bird of prey that catches and eats fish), is not troubling at face value. Many people, when hungry, use simile or hyperbole (i.e. saying one is hungry enough to eat a whole elephant) to convey the extent of their hunger. One must examine this simile in context to understand its significance. Dracula himself is often likened to animals—frequently predators; thus, by comparing herself to a predatory bird, Lucy marks herself as a future vampire. Furthermore, her appetite and identification with a bird of prey indicate that she herself may soon be "hunting" for human victims as a vampire. In a novel in which the sub-human or the non-human is often placed on the same level as the animal, any figurative language centering animals might serve as a kind of foreshadowing—that is, Lucy's identification with an animal hints that she'll someday be identified with a demonic creature.

At this stage, Lucy has transformed almost entirely into her vampiric form. Foiled in her attempt to transform Arthur—or at the very least consume his blood—her features are darkened as if by shadow. This imagery draws the reader's mind to darkness, evoking the nighttime haunted by Dracula and his kind. Thus, in her rage, Lucy becomes less human and less like herself, revealing the vampire slowly taking over her body and soul. The sweet girl described only a few chapters ago would never exhibit such impulsive, animalistic rage; nor would anyone have described her teeth as "sharp." Figurative and literal language combine to distinguish Lucy's past self from her present vampire form. This distinction is important because of human Lucy's purity: female vampires are seductive, sexual, immoral beings. To maintain the purity of her memory, then, Stoker draws a stark contrast between Lucy's former innocence and her current dark, monstrous form.

Dr. Seward, an intellectual though he is, finds himself in the same position as the reader - he is similarly in the dark, unable to discern connections between events. Van Helsing prompts him to open his mind to the supernatural (the "unscientific" or "impossible"), an effort which will clear this fog of mystery from his mind and allow him to view the truth. This intellectual fog that Seward (and other characters) are immersed in parallels the literal fog that often rolls in as a premonition of evil—the result of Dracula's dark influence over nature.

Seward describes the furrows on Lucy's brow as the "coils of Medusa's snakes," alluding to the Greek myth of the monstrous Medusa. This simile/allusion also plays off of the overt sexuality and impurity of the female vampire Lucy (as well as the other female vampires): in the myth, Athena turns Medusa's hair into snakes because she slept with Poseidon in Athena's temple. In other versions of the tale, Medusa was raped by Poseidon and Athena turned her hair into snakes as a form of protection. Medusa's snakes are, in either case, associated with sexuality—not only that, but impurity. Undoubtedly Seward intended the comparison as negative, dismissing the immoral vampire in tandem with Medusa (regardless of her circumstances).

Dracula is here likened to a lion, a simile in line with other figurative language in the novel comparing him to various animals. Lions are predators; in this manner, Dracula is depicted as menacing. Like a lion, he is disdainful of his prey. He does not see Van Helsing and the other protagonists as equal adversaries, but as prey, inferior to him in every respect of the word. Dracula is systematic in his killing—like a lion—having picked his hunting grounds (England) and decided carefully whom to stalk as prey. However, in this moment, the lion simile not only evokes Dracula's menace: it also calls attention to his weaknesses. Lions are accustomed to hunting, but not being hunted. In this scene, the protagonists have tracked Dracula to one of his lairs. He is cornered and weakened; he is a lion, but not for much longer.

This metaphor, comparing Dracula's brain to that of a child, is intended to dehumanize him—his intellect, both moral and logical, is not up to par with that of the protagonists. In Mina's case, the aim is not dehumanization, but rather to emphasize her innocence (as in Chapter 24):

Mina is sleeping now, calmly and sweetly like a little child. Her lips are curved and her face beams with happiness.

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Mina is an emblem of innocence and purity throughout the novel, giving her male compatriots something "worthy to fight for." This simile, while infantilizing, does not serve to dehumanize but rather elevates her morally above the rest.