Dracula Criticism

Currently I have read Bram Stoker’s Dracula in my British Literature class and I find this book fascinating.  Throughout the book Stoker gives the illusion that Count Dracula is real by incorporating documented articles, letters and Journals.  The book is also interesting on the way it incorporates themes of race, sexuality, science, religion and superstition.  Even though most of these elements are seen within the text I wondered on what other aspects could be found in the book and so I looked for other views on Stoker’s book.  One article that spiked my interest was “Racialization, Capitalism, and Aesthetics in Stoker’s Dracula” by Patricia Mckee and I was able to gain new insight on parts of the novel that incorporate Capitalism.  

            Mckee brings up the activity of late capitalism she witnessed in the novel and explains why capitalism is included in Dracula.  In the nineteenth century capitalism faced a crisis because underdeveloped territory was beginning to diminish and expansion of nation states came to end.  Like many parts of Dracula, Stoker use real events to create a realistic aspect to the novel; it is understandable that he would include capitalism in the novel since it was a problem that countries had to face during the time.

Mckee, P. (n.d.). Racialization, Capitalism, and Aesthetics in Stroker's Dracula. Salem Press. Retrieved 04 22, 2015

Classes in the world

In British news the Green party is working hard to gain votes for their cause.  The Green party devote themselves to making the environment better for everyone and to give a voice to the voiceless.  Currently they are going out of their way to the city’s deprived areas to gain votes form the working class and ethnic majorities.  This news ties into some of the themes of society classes that are brought up within the novels I am currently reading in my British literature class.

In the novel, Villette by Charlotte Bronte, the book contains class structures through pedigrees and social positions.  This novel brings up issues of social class around 1800’s around the time the book was written.  The current book, Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, also brings up the issue of differences in class amongst the characters.  Many of the same class problems of the 1800’s continued into the 1900’s when Mrs. Dalloway was created.  Over time a few things about social classes have changed but today through society some of the differences in class are still noticeable like the working class in the deprived areas of the city. 

To learn more about the Green party and their complain visit here:  http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/video/2015/apr/21/green-party-middle-class-bristol-west-video   

Beatrix Potter: Children's Books

Beatrix Potter does a great job at appealing to her younger audience by using cute, cuddly animals as characters for her Books.  The way she illustrates each book only emphasizes the amount of lovability for each character.  With these cute characters she is able to entertain her audience while sill adding a moral for the children to learn.  There are two of her works in particular that portray both Beatrix Potter’s way of capturing her audience and teaching her audience a lesson in an entertaining manner.

           “The Tale of Tom Kitten” is one of my favorite children’s books by Beatrix Potter because of the characters.  Its main characters are three adorable, little kittens that are forced to wear clothes for their mother.  Their mother wishes the kittens to look nice for company so the kittens struggle to keep their clothes on and clean.  Most little girls find kittens to be cute, cuddly creatures that they wish to touch; by adding clothes to the kittens, not only creates more of the plot, but also adds to how adorable the kittens are portrayed.  Beatrix Potter with the use of these cute character convoys the message that it is important to listen to your mother.  The three kittens are required to wear clothes by their mother for company visiting and she warns them that they must stay clean and that they should stay away from the Puddle-Ducks.  Even though the kittens listen to their mother at first, they still end up getting dirty and then losing their clothes to the Puddle-Ducks because of this they are punished.
            “The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit” is a story of two cute rabbits that any child finds adorable.  However, this story even with these cute characters teaches the audience an important lesson.  The fierce bad Rabbit is a mean rabbit and picks on the nice gentle Rabbit throughout the story.  In the end of the book the fierce bad Rabbit pays his misdeeds by losing his tail to a hunter.  This is how Beatrix Potter displays the lesson that if you cause misfortune to others that misfortune will befall you.