Elements of Plot in Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'.
PREFACE
This thesis is submitted to the English Department of the Faculty of Letters,
Maranatha Christian University, as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for taking the
“Sarjana” degree.
For the thesis, I am going to analyze the elements of plot in Bram Stoker’s
Dracula.
I would like to express my deep gratitude to Jesus Christ for His blessing, which
has given me strength to finish my thesis. I would also like to express my thankfulness to
my supervisors for their guidance, which enables me to finish this thesis on time; to my
parents, who give me confidence and stand by me whenever I feel depressed; to my
lecturers, who have given me all the knowledge; to my friends and to my girlfriend, who
always supports me. Without their help, prayers, and support, I would not have finished
my thesis on time.
Bandung, May 2006
i
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE…………………………………………….......
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………... ii
ABSTRACT........................................................................ iii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background of the Study……………………... 1
1.2. Statement of the Problem.................................. 3
1.3. Purpose of the Study......................................... 4
1.4. Method of Research…………………………... 4
1.5. Organization of the Thesis…………………......4
CHAPTER TWO:
Elements of Plot in Bram Stoker’s Dracula…………. 6
CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION .............................. 25
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................. 28
APPENDICES:
Synopsis of Dracula ................................................... 30
Biography of Bram Stoker ......................................... 32
ii
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
ABSTRACT
Dalam tugas akhir ini, saya memilih novel karya Bram Stoker yang berjudul
Dracula, karena novel tersebut sangat kaya akan unsur misterinya, bukan hanya bagi saya
tapi juga mungkin bagi semua orang yang membacanya, dapat merasakan bahwa Bram
Stoker, seorang penulis asal Irlandia yang hidup di abad ke-19 adalah penulis yang
handal dan Dracula, adalah salah satu karya agungnya yang telah menjadi legenda
semenjak pertama kali novel tersebut dipublikasikan.
Saya memilih untuk membahas elemen-elemen plot dari novel ini, karena didalam novel
ini terdapat banyak misteri, yang akan lebih mudah untuk dimengerti bila dibahas atau
dilihat dari penguraian elemen-elemen plot yang terkandung di dalamnya. Elemenelemen plot itu sendiri terdiri dari tiga buah aspek, yaitu: yang pertama adalah aspek
ketegangan (suspense); yang kedua adalah aspek kejutan (surprise); dan yang terakhir
adalah aspek kesinambungan atau disebut juga dengan hubungan sebab-akibat (artistic
unity). Dalam pembahasan elemen-elemen ini, saya dapat menyimpulkan, betapa
pentingnya element plot untuk pembuatan sebuah novel karena elemen-elemen plot
tersebut dipakai untuk merangkai sebuah cerita menjadi satu kesatuan yang bagus yang
dapat membuat setiap pembacanya mengerti makna cerita novel tersebut dan menangkap
jalan cerita novel tersebut tanpa merasa aneh dan janggal akan kejadian-kejadian di
dalam cerita tersebut.
iii
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
Novel ini mengisahkan tentang perjalanan Jonathan Harker, seorang makelar
tanah dari kota London yang pergi menuju Transylvania, sebuah kota di benua Eropa
untuk bertemu Count Dracula yang misterius. Semenjak itu, kejadian-kejadian aneh
menimpa Jonathan, dan semua kejadian itu selalu bersangkutan dengan Count Dracula.
Karena Dracula tergolong dalam novel misteri, maka pembaca akan mendapati
banyak sekali aspek ketegangan (suspense), dan hal-hal yang membuat semua pembaca
bertanya-tanya akan kelanjutan ceritanya; salah satu contohnya adalah penulis
mengenalkan pembaca pada sosok Dracula yang secara garis besar digambarkan sebagai
sosok yang penuh misteri. Pembaca dibuat penasaran apakah sosok Dracula tersebut di
akhir ceritanya dapat berhasil dibasmi atau tidak. Selain itu, sebagai pembaca saya selalu
dikejutkan oleh aspek kejutan (surprise) di dalam ceritanya. Disebutkan bahwa Dracula
dapat merubah wujudnya menjadi lebih muda sehingga sulit digambarkan apa atau siapa
itu Dracula. Namun lambat laun pertanyaan dan kejutan-kejutan yang disajikan dapat
tersingkap dengan adanya aspek kesinambungan (artistic unity), sehingga di akhir cerita,
pembaca dapat menyimpulkan bahwa Dracula adalah mahluk yang harus minum darah
manusia untuk bertahan hidup dan untuk menghentikan aksinya itu, Dracula dapat
dibunuh dengan cara ditikam jantungnya.
Setelah membahas elemen-elemen plot dalam novel tersebut, saya dapat
menyimpulkan bahwa Bram Stoker adalah seorang pengarang yang handal, dan ia
berhasil memadukan ketiga elemen tersebut kedalam satu buah alur cerita.
Keberhasilannya dalam membuat sebuah cerita yang baik terlihat dari penyuguhan
ceritanya: suasana teror yang sangat mencekam, suasana horor yang sangat kental, dibuat
iv
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
dibuat oleh sang penulis dengan begitu menarik dan semua itu dikemas di dalam satu
buah cerita yang sangat apik.
v
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
APPENDICES
SYNOPSIS OF DRACULA
The story begins with Jonathan Harker, a young solicitor from London. He
goes to Transylvania to meet the mysterious Count Dracula. After having stayed
in the Count’s castle, Jonathan sees many strange and unusual things which make
him want to leave the castle; yet, after he has searched all over the places in that
castle, Jonathan can not find a way out. Then he decides to leave that horrible
castle, but before he can escape, the Count seizes him and leaves him alone in his
castle and then the Count goes to London.
Meanwhile, in London, Jonathan’s fiancée, Mina is going to meet her
friend, Lucy and stays in her house for awhile. By that time, Lucy has received
three proposals, and she decides to marry Arthur Holmwood while Dr Seward and
Quincey Morris’ proposals are being rejected. Then Count Dracula, who is going
from Transylvania, has arrived in London, where Mina and Lucy are staying.
After his arrival, many strange things happen in London, and Lucy becomes his
victim. Finding Lucy’s condition grow weaker and paler, Mina gets Dr Seward to
look after her. There is something wrong with Lucy’s condition and Dr Seward
calls his mentor, Professor Van Helsing to help him in this case. They try to figure
out, but unfortunately, they can not save Lucy’s life. At that moment, Jonathan,
30
who is being held in Count’s castle, has made his escape from the castle and he
goes back to London, where he lives and marries Mina.
Professor Van Helsing knows that Lucy has unusual disease which can
make her turn into a vampire. Having convinced Dr Seward and his friends,
Professor Van Helsing takes all of them to the graveyard where Lucy’s tomb is. It
appears that Lucy, who has already been dead, is back from her death and
becomes a vampire. In the end, they are successful in destroying the Un-Dead
Lucy, and they are planning to destroy the root of this problem for knowing the
danger of the existence of the Un-Dead. Furthermore, when all of them are
searching for the Count all over the places in London, the Count takes that chance
to attack Mina. They try to stop the Count, but they are too late. He disappears and
they can not find the Count anywhere. Mina’s life is in danger. They must kill the
Count in order to save her life before she turns into a vampire, but the Count has
run to his homeland, Transylvania. Without wasting any time, they begin to chase
the Count. With their great efforts, finally they are successful in destroying the
Count. Mina’s life can be saved.
31
BIOGRAPHY OF BRAM STOKER
Bram (Abraham) Stoker (1847-1912) is an Irish novelist, Bram Stoker is
now remembered for his horror novel Dracula, which has become legendary.
Bram Stoker was born in Dublin in November 1847. He is third child from
seven children. His father was a civil servant at Dublin Castle. When he was still a
child, Bram Stoker had an illness which made him lay down on bed until he was
in age of seven; however, when he was sixteen, he went to the Trinity College,
Dublin, where he finally became a fine athlete. Not only was Stoker a student of
pure mathematics, but he was also an active speaker with philosophical Society.
While at university, he began to be interested in theater after watching a
performance made by the actor Henry Irving. Stoker followed his father’s steps in
his first career to work in the civil service in 1870, but his interests in the arts
made him wrote dramatic criticism and short stories until 1878, when finally the
actor Henry Irving appointed him to become an actor manager at London’s
Lyceum Theater. Stoker had written several short stories which appeared in
magazines, but his name and his reputation as an author is well known because of
his novel Dracula, which was first published in 1897. His other works are: The
Snake’s Pass (1890); and The Lair of the White Worm (1911). Bram Stoker
continued his writing career until he died in April 1912.
32
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
There are three main genres in the work of literature; those are: novel,
poetry and play. ‘Novel is a lengthy fictitious prose narrative portraying character
and presenting an organized series of events and settings.’ (Shaw, 1972: 257).
Usually, novel has a lot of detailed information about the story; whereas, the other
genres, which are poetry and play, are considered to have less information
compared to that of the novel. As a result, I find out that novel is less complicated
and I am certain to have a deeper understanding of the story of the particular
novel. Therefore, I choose a novel to be analysed.
Bram (Abraham) Stoker (1847-1912) is an Irish novelist and short story
writer. His well known works are Dracula (1897); The Snake’s Pass (1890); The
Lair of the White Worm (1911); and a number of short stories which appeared in
magazines. However, he has gained his reputation as an author through his novel
Dracula. Bram Stoker’s Dracula is considered to be his masterpiece, which was
first published in 1897 and it has become legendary ever since (www.onlineliterature.com ). Not only is Dracula famous as a novel, but it also has become the
inspiration for other writers and the basis for countless films which most
1
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
closely follow the plot of the original novel of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), a film by
Francis Ford Coppola, which was produced by Columbia Pictures.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a horror novel. According to Murphy in Understanding
Unseens, ‘These novels may be about monster, supernatural power (especially those of
evil), or places and buildings (especially castles) where strange and frightening
happening occur. Some examples are: Frankenstein (Mary Shelley); Dracula (Bram
Stoker); …’ (Murphy, 1972: 128). The story of Dracula is concerned with the struggle of
a group of men and women to destroy the vampire whose name is Count Dracula. I find
that the most prominent aspect in horror novel, especially in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, is
the plot of the story. ‘Plot reveals events to us, not only in their temporal, but also in their
causal relationship. Plot makes us aware of events not merely as elements in a temporal
series but also as an intricate pattern of cause and effect.’ (Kenney, 1996: 13-14). The
plot itself is formed by three main elements: the element of suspense, the element of
surprise and artistic unity. They are very important literary aspects in composing the story
of the novel because the three elements must be united with the story.
Based on the reasons above, I have decided to analyse the elements of plot in
Bram Stoker’s Dracula. As explained before, the three elements of plot are suspense,
surprise, and artistic unity. According to Laurence Perrine’s Story and Structure
‘Suspense is the quality in a story that makes the reader ask “What’s going to happen
next?” or “How will this turn out?” and impels him to read on to find the answers to these
questions.’ (Perrine, 1974: 45).
2
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
The suspense is the greatest when it is combined with the reader’s curiosity and anxiety
about the fate of some sympathetic characters. The element of suspense can also make
the reader keep on reading the novel until the end of the story. ‘A good story is like a
good dinner, should make the pleasure when it goes, and creates desire to read it again’
(Perrine, 1974: 46). The second element is the element of surprise which is closely
connected to the element of suspense. The element of surprise is a time or an event in the
story that comes unexpectedly of what happens, and it can make the readers be surprised
with the story (Perrine, 1974: 47). Finally, the last element is artistic unity. Artistic unity
makes the story linked together in a chain of cause and effect, so that there must be
nothing irrelevant to the story and with which the story comes in a logical progression; on
the other hand, when the author gives his story a turn unjustified, he is guilty of plot
manipulation. With all those aspects we can see that the elements of plot are very
essential in order to make a good plot, and a good plot produces a good story (Perrine,
1974: 49-50).
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
I would like to state the problems as follows:
1. How are the elements of plot, which are suspense, surprise, and artistic unity,
revealed in the novel?
2. What are the effects of those elements of plot to the readers?
3
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Based on the statement of the problems above, the purposes of the study are formulated
as follows:
1. To show how the elements of plot, which are suspense, surprise, and artistic unity,
are revealed in the novel.
2. To show the effects of those elements of plot to the readers.
METHOD OF RESEARCH
I use an intrinsic approach to analyse the novel, and I also use a library research in
writing this thesis. First of all, I begin by reading the primary text of Bram Stoker’s
Dracula, and then I decide the topic based on the prominent aspect that has been found in
the novel. As well as reading the primary text, I read the references which deal with the
work. Furthermore, I gather some information from the Internet which is useful in
analysing the novel. As a final point, I use the data which have been collected to analyse
the novel.
ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS
The thesis consists of three chapters. Chapter one is the Introduction, which
consists of Background of the Study, which presents the reasons for analysing the novel;
Statement of the Problem, which consists of two problems; Purpose of the Study, in
which my purposes is solving the problems; Method of Research and the last one is
Organization of the Thesis. Chapter Two is the analysis of Bram Stoker’s Dracula
through elements of plot. And the last chapter, Chapter Three is Conclusion.
4
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
Besides the three main chapters, I will present the Bibliography and Appendices,
which consist of the synopsis of the novel and the biography of Bram Stoker.
5
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
CHAPTER THREE
CONCLUSION
After having analised the elements of plot in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, I come to
the conclusion that Bram Stoker is a good writer because of his success in producing a
good story which makes the readers feel satisfied after having read the novel. In order to
make a good story, the author has to unite those three elements by arranging them in the
plot of the story.
Most of the elements of suspense in Bram Stoker’s Dracula are full of mysteries
in order to make the readers wonder as well as question about either the fate of some
characters or the plot of the story itself. The readers ask whether the group of men can
destroy Count Dracula on time before Mina turns into Un-Dead or not. Not only does the
suspense make the readers anxious about what will happen next, but it also gives tension
in the readers’ minds by some events which show terrifying situations, and ghastly
atmosphere. It makes the readers feel that they are being brought into the story and
experience the story as if they were one of the characters in the novel. It appears in the
story when the group of men are trying to destroy Lucy, who has become the Un-Dead at
the graveyard in the middle of the night.
25
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
The second element, which is surprise, is so great that it makes the readers feel shocked
with some events because it appears unexpectedly and unpredictably in the story. Those
events show very unusual and strange things so that the readers will be very surprised
when Count Dracula turns out to be an extraordinary man for he does not have a
reflection in the mirror. Moreover, the element of surprise in the novel becomes more
interesting. For example: when Jonathan sees the Count, who is lying in his coffin yet can
change his form from an old man into a young man.
Based on my analysis in the second chapter, I see that all of those elements of
artistic unity are linked together so that the plot in the story itself will not be seen
unjustified. The element of artistic unity in the novel explains all the unusual things,
which are impossible to happen in reality. At first the readers do not know what kind of
person Count Dracula is. The readers only know that he is not an ordinary man for Count
Dracula can do such things as to be able to either change his form or vanish. When the
story goes on, there are explanations about Count Dracula. Count Dracula is not a human
being; he is the Un-Dead. Those explanations also tell the readers all the characteristics
of the Un-Dead; thus, the readers will understand completely the whole story when they
have finished reading the novel.
In this paragraph I would like to say that the three elements in Bram Stoker’s
Dracula are related to one another and they make the story flow simply to be understood;
in fact, with some explanations about the Un-Dead, which look so real, Count Dracula
seems to exist; however, from those three elements, I can see that element of suspense
turns out to be the most prominent aspect compared to the others. Since the novel is a
horror story, suspense must be the most important element because the purpose of a
26
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
horror novel is to make the readers feel the tension as well as the terror of the story in the
readers’ minds.
From the reasons above, I come to the conclusion that Bram Stoker is successful
in uniting those three elements into the plot of the story so that the story becomes relevant
and interesting to read, owing to the fact that the three elements of plot, which are
suspense, surprise, and artistic unity mix together in one plot of the story. It is not
surprising that Bram Stoker’s Dracula turns out to become legendary ever since.
27
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
BIBLIOGRAPHY
REFERENCES
Kenney, William. How to Analyze Fiction. New York: Monarch Press, 1996.
Murphy, M.J. Understanding Unseens. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1972.
Perrine, Laurence. Story and Structure. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc, 1974.
Shaw, Harry. Dictionary of Literature Terms. New York: McGraw – Hill Book
Company, 1972.
INTERNET WEBSITE
The Literature Network. 2000 – 2006. Jalic LLC. 25 October 2005
.
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 2006. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 12 March 2006
.
Alibris. 2006 Alibris. All rights reserved. 12 March 2006
.
Hamberg, Cynthia. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Page. 12 March. 2006
.
28
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
PRIMARY TEXT
Stoker, Bram. Dracula. England: Penguin Popular Classic, 1994.
29
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
This thesis is submitted to the English Department of the Faculty of Letters,
Maranatha Christian University, as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for taking the
“Sarjana” degree.
For the thesis, I am going to analyze the elements of plot in Bram Stoker’s
Dracula.
I would like to express my deep gratitude to Jesus Christ for His blessing, which
has given me strength to finish my thesis. I would also like to express my thankfulness to
my supervisors for their guidance, which enables me to finish this thesis on time; to my
parents, who give me confidence and stand by me whenever I feel depressed; to my
lecturers, who have given me all the knowledge; to my friends and to my girlfriend, who
always supports me. Without their help, prayers, and support, I would not have finished
my thesis on time.
Bandung, May 2006
i
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE…………………………………………….......
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………... ii
ABSTRACT........................................................................ iii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background of the Study……………………... 1
1.2. Statement of the Problem.................................. 3
1.3. Purpose of the Study......................................... 4
1.4. Method of Research…………………………... 4
1.5. Organization of the Thesis…………………......4
CHAPTER TWO:
Elements of Plot in Bram Stoker’s Dracula…………. 6
CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION .............................. 25
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................. 28
APPENDICES:
Synopsis of Dracula ................................................... 30
Biography of Bram Stoker ......................................... 32
ii
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
ABSTRACT
Dalam tugas akhir ini, saya memilih novel karya Bram Stoker yang berjudul
Dracula, karena novel tersebut sangat kaya akan unsur misterinya, bukan hanya bagi saya
tapi juga mungkin bagi semua orang yang membacanya, dapat merasakan bahwa Bram
Stoker, seorang penulis asal Irlandia yang hidup di abad ke-19 adalah penulis yang
handal dan Dracula, adalah salah satu karya agungnya yang telah menjadi legenda
semenjak pertama kali novel tersebut dipublikasikan.
Saya memilih untuk membahas elemen-elemen plot dari novel ini, karena didalam novel
ini terdapat banyak misteri, yang akan lebih mudah untuk dimengerti bila dibahas atau
dilihat dari penguraian elemen-elemen plot yang terkandung di dalamnya. Elemenelemen plot itu sendiri terdiri dari tiga buah aspek, yaitu: yang pertama adalah aspek
ketegangan (suspense); yang kedua adalah aspek kejutan (surprise); dan yang terakhir
adalah aspek kesinambungan atau disebut juga dengan hubungan sebab-akibat (artistic
unity). Dalam pembahasan elemen-elemen ini, saya dapat menyimpulkan, betapa
pentingnya element plot untuk pembuatan sebuah novel karena elemen-elemen plot
tersebut dipakai untuk merangkai sebuah cerita menjadi satu kesatuan yang bagus yang
dapat membuat setiap pembacanya mengerti makna cerita novel tersebut dan menangkap
jalan cerita novel tersebut tanpa merasa aneh dan janggal akan kejadian-kejadian di
dalam cerita tersebut.
iii
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
Novel ini mengisahkan tentang perjalanan Jonathan Harker, seorang makelar
tanah dari kota London yang pergi menuju Transylvania, sebuah kota di benua Eropa
untuk bertemu Count Dracula yang misterius. Semenjak itu, kejadian-kejadian aneh
menimpa Jonathan, dan semua kejadian itu selalu bersangkutan dengan Count Dracula.
Karena Dracula tergolong dalam novel misteri, maka pembaca akan mendapati
banyak sekali aspek ketegangan (suspense), dan hal-hal yang membuat semua pembaca
bertanya-tanya akan kelanjutan ceritanya; salah satu contohnya adalah penulis
mengenalkan pembaca pada sosok Dracula yang secara garis besar digambarkan sebagai
sosok yang penuh misteri. Pembaca dibuat penasaran apakah sosok Dracula tersebut di
akhir ceritanya dapat berhasil dibasmi atau tidak. Selain itu, sebagai pembaca saya selalu
dikejutkan oleh aspek kejutan (surprise) di dalam ceritanya. Disebutkan bahwa Dracula
dapat merubah wujudnya menjadi lebih muda sehingga sulit digambarkan apa atau siapa
itu Dracula. Namun lambat laun pertanyaan dan kejutan-kejutan yang disajikan dapat
tersingkap dengan adanya aspek kesinambungan (artistic unity), sehingga di akhir cerita,
pembaca dapat menyimpulkan bahwa Dracula adalah mahluk yang harus minum darah
manusia untuk bertahan hidup dan untuk menghentikan aksinya itu, Dracula dapat
dibunuh dengan cara ditikam jantungnya.
Setelah membahas elemen-elemen plot dalam novel tersebut, saya dapat
menyimpulkan bahwa Bram Stoker adalah seorang pengarang yang handal, dan ia
berhasil memadukan ketiga elemen tersebut kedalam satu buah alur cerita.
Keberhasilannya dalam membuat sebuah cerita yang baik terlihat dari penyuguhan
ceritanya: suasana teror yang sangat mencekam, suasana horor yang sangat kental, dibuat
iv
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
dibuat oleh sang penulis dengan begitu menarik dan semua itu dikemas di dalam satu
buah cerita yang sangat apik.
v
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
APPENDICES
SYNOPSIS OF DRACULA
The story begins with Jonathan Harker, a young solicitor from London. He
goes to Transylvania to meet the mysterious Count Dracula. After having stayed
in the Count’s castle, Jonathan sees many strange and unusual things which make
him want to leave the castle; yet, after he has searched all over the places in that
castle, Jonathan can not find a way out. Then he decides to leave that horrible
castle, but before he can escape, the Count seizes him and leaves him alone in his
castle and then the Count goes to London.
Meanwhile, in London, Jonathan’s fiancée, Mina is going to meet her
friend, Lucy and stays in her house for awhile. By that time, Lucy has received
three proposals, and she decides to marry Arthur Holmwood while Dr Seward and
Quincey Morris’ proposals are being rejected. Then Count Dracula, who is going
from Transylvania, has arrived in London, where Mina and Lucy are staying.
After his arrival, many strange things happen in London, and Lucy becomes his
victim. Finding Lucy’s condition grow weaker and paler, Mina gets Dr Seward to
look after her. There is something wrong with Lucy’s condition and Dr Seward
calls his mentor, Professor Van Helsing to help him in this case. They try to figure
out, but unfortunately, they can not save Lucy’s life. At that moment, Jonathan,
30
who is being held in Count’s castle, has made his escape from the castle and he
goes back to London, where he lives and marries Mina.
Professor Van Helsing knows that Lucy has unusual disease which can
make her turn into a vampire. Having convinced Dr Seward and his friends,
Professor Van Helsing takes all of them to the graveyard where Lucy’s tomb is. It
appears that Lucy, who has already been dead, is back from her death and
becomes a vampire. In the end, they are successful in destroying the Un-Dead
Lucy, and they are planning to destroy the root of this problem for knowing the
danger of the existence of the Un-Dead. Furthermore, when all of them are
searching for the Count all over the places in London, the Count takes that chance
to attack Mina. They try to stop the Count, but they are too late. He disappears and
they can not find the Count anywhere. Mina’s life is in danger. They must kill the
Count in order to save her life before she turns into a vampire, but the Count has
run to his homeland, Transylvania. Without wasting any time, they begin to chase
the Count. With their great efforts, finally they are successful in destroying the
Count. Mina’s life can be saved.
31
BIOGRAPHY OF BRAM STOKER
Bram (Abraham) Stoker (1847-1912) is an Irish novelist, Bram Stoker is
now remembered for his horror novel Dracula, which has become legendary.
Bram Stoker was born in Dublin in November 1847. He is third child from
seven children. His father was a civil servant at Dublin Castle. When he was still a
child, Bram Stoker had an illness which made him lay down on bed until he was
in age of seven; however, when he was sixteen, he went to the Trinity College,
Dublin, where he finally became a fine athlete. Not only was Stoker a student of
pure mathematics, but he was also an active speaker with philosophical Society.
While at university, he began to be interested in theater after watching a
performance made by the actor Henry Irving. Stoker followed his father’s steps in
his first career to work in the civil service in 1870, but his interests in the arts
made him wrote dramatic criticism and short stories until 1878, when finally the
actor Henry Irving appointed him to become an actor manager at London’s
Lyceum Theater. Stoker had written several short stories which appeared in
magazines, but his name and his reputation as an author is well known because of
his novel Dracula, which was first published in 1897. His other works are: The
Snake’s Pass (1890); and The Lair of the White Worm (1911). Bram Stoker
continued his writing career until he died in April 1912.
32
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
There are three main genres in the work of literature; those are: novel,
poetry and play. ‘Novel is a lengthy fictitious prose narrative portraying character
and presenting an organized series of events and settings.’ (Shaw, 1972: 257).
Usually, novel has a lot of detailed information about the story; whereas, the other
genres, which are poetry and play, are considered to have less information
compared to that of the novel. As a result, I find out that novel is less complicated
and I am certain to have a deeper understanding of the story of the particular
novel. Therefore, I choose a novel to be analysed.
Bram (Abraham) Stoker (1847-1912) is an Irish novelist and short story
writer. His well known works are Dracula (1897); The Snake’s Pass (1890); The
Lair of the White Worm (1911); and a number of short stories which appeared in
magazines. However, he has gained his reputation as an author through his novel
Dracula. Bram Stoker’s Dracula is considered to be his masterpiece, which was
first published in 1897 and it has become legendary ever since (www.onlineliterature.com ). Not only is Dracula famous as a novel, but it also has become the
inspiration for other writers and the basis for countless films which most
1
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
closely follow the plot of the original novel of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), a film by
Francis Ford Coppola, which was produced by Columbia Pictures.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a horror novel. According to Murphy in Understanding
Unseens, ‘These novels may be about monster, supernatural power (especially those of
evil), or places and buildings (especially castles) where strange and frightening
happening occur. Some examples are: Frankenstein (Mary Shelley); Dracula (Bram
Stoker); …’ (Murphy, 1972: 128). The story of Dracula is concerned with the struggle of
a group of men and women to destroy the vampire whose name is Count Dracula. I find
that the most prominent aspect in horror novel, especially in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, is
the plot of the story. ‘Plot reveals events to us, not only in their temporal, but also in their
causal relationship. Plot makes us aware of events not merely as elements in a temporal
series but also as an intricate pattern of cause and effect.’ (Kenney, 1996: 13-14). The
plot itself is formed by three main elements: the element of suspense, the element of
surprise and artistic unity. They are very important literary aspects in composing the story
of the novel because the three elements must be united with the story.
Based on the reasons above, I have decided to analyse the elements of plot in
Bram Stoker’s Dracula. As explained before, the three elements of plot are suspense,
surprise, and artistic unity. According to Laurence Perrine’s Story and Structure
‘Suspense is the quality in a story that makes the reader ask “What’s going to happen
next?” or “How will this turn out?” and impels him to read on to find the answers to these
questions.’ (Perrine, 1974: 45).
2
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
The suspense is the greatest when it is combined with the reader’s curiosity and anxiety
about the fate of some sympathetic characters. The element of suspense can also make
the reader keep on reading the novel until the end of the story. ‘A good story is like a
good dinner, should make the pleasure when it goes, and creates desire to read it again’
(Perrine, 1974: 46). The second element is the element of surprise which is closely
connected to the element of suspense. The element of surprise is a time or an event in the
story that comes unexpectedly of what happens, and it can make the readers be surprised
with the story (Perrine, 1974: 47). Finally, the last element is artistic unity. Artistic unity
makes the story linked together in a chain of cause and effect, so that there must be
nothing irrelevant to the story and with which the story comes in a logical progression; on
the other hand, when the author gives his story a turn unjustified, he is guilty of plot
manipulation. With all those aspects we can see that the elements of plot are very
essential in order to make a good plot, and a good plot produces a good story (Perrine,
1974: 49-50).
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
I would like to state the problems as follows:
1. How are the elements of plot, which are suspense, surprise, and artistic unity,
revealed in the novel?
2. What are the effects of those elements of plot to the readers?
3
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Based on the statement of the problems above, the purposes of the study are formulated
as follows:
1. To show how the elements of plot, which are suspense, surprise, and artistic unity,
are revealed in the novel.
2. To show the effects of those elements of plot to the readers.
METHOD OF RESEARCH
I use an intrinsic approach to analyse the novel, and I also use a library research in
writing this thesis. First of all, I begin by reading the primary text of Bram Stoker’s
Dracula, and then I decide the topic based on the prominent aspect that has been found in
the novel. As well as reading the primary text, I read the references which deal with the
work. Furthermore, I gather some information from the Internet which is useful in
analysing the novel. As a final point, I use the data which have been collected to analyse
the novel.
ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS
The thesis consists of three chapters. Chapter one is the Introduction, which
consists of Background of the Study, which presents the reasons for analysing the novel;
Statement of the Problem, which consists of two problems; Purpose of the Study, in
which my purposes is solving the problems; Method of Research and the last one is
Organization of the Thesis. Chapter Two is the analysis of Bram Stoker’s Dracula
through elements of plot. And the last chapter, Chapter Three is Conclusion.
4
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
Besides the three main chapters, I will present the Bibliography and Appendices,
which consist of the synopsis of the novel and the biography of Bram Stoker.
5
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
CHAPTER THREE
CONCLUSION
After having analised the elements of plot in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, I come to
the conclusion that Bram Stoker is a good writer because of his success in producing a
good story which makes the readers feel satisfied after having read the novel. In order to
make a good story, the author has to unite those three elements by arranging them in the
plot of the story.
Most of the elements of suspense in Bram Stoker’s Dracula are full of mysteries
in order to make the readers wonder as well as question about either the fate of some
characters or the plot of the story itself. The readers ask whether the group of men can
destroy Count Dracula on time before Mina turns into Un-Dead or not. Not only does the
suspense make the readers anxious about what will happen next, but it also gives tension
in the readers’ minds by some events which show terrifying situations, and ghastly
atmosphere. It makes the readers feel that they are being brought into the story and
experience the story as if they were one of the characters in the novel. It appears in the
story when the group of men are trying to destroy Lucy, who has become the Un-Dead at
the graveyard in the middle of the night.
25
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
The second element, which is surprise, is so great that it makes the readers feel shocked
with some events because it appears unexpectedly and unpredictably in the story. Those
events show very unusual and strange things so that the readers will be very surprised
when Count Dracula turns out to be an extraordinary man for he does not have a
reflection in the mirror. Moreover, the element of surprise in the novel becomes more
interesting. For example: when Jonathan sees the Count, who is lying in his coffin yet can
change his form from an old man into a young man.
Based on my analysis in the second chapter, I see that all of those elements of
artistic unity are linked together so that the plot in the story itself will not be seen
unjustified. The element of artistic unity in the novel explains all the unusual things,
which are impossible to happen in reality. At first the readers do not know what kind of
person Count Dracula is. The readers only know that he is not an ordinary man for Count
Dracula can do such things as to be able to either change his form or vanish. When the
story goes on, there are explanations about Count Dracula. Count Dracula is not a human
being; he is the Un-Dead. Those explanations also tell the readers all the characteristics
of the Un-Dead; thus, the readers will understand completely the whole story when they
have finished reading the novel.
In this paragraph I would like to say that the three elements in Bram Stoker’s
Dracula are related to one another and they make the story flow simply to be understood;
in fact, with some explanations about the Un-Dead, which look so real, Count Dracula
seems to exist; however, from those three elements, I can see that element of suspense
turns out to be the most prominent aspect compared to the others. Since the novel is a
horror story, suspense must be the most important element because the purpose of a
26
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
horror novel is to make the readers feel the tension as well as the terror of the story in the
readers’ minds.
From the reasons above, I come to the conclusion that Bram Stoker is successful
in uniting those three elements into the plot of the story so that the story becomes relevant
and interesting to read, owing to the fact that the three elements of plot, which are
suspense, surprise, and artistic unity mix together in one plot of the story. It is not
surprising that Bram Stoker’s Dracula turns out to become legendary ever since.
27
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
BIBLIOGRAPHY
REFERENCES
Kenney, William. How to Analyze Fiction. New York: Monarch Press, 1996.
Murphy, M.J. Understanding Unseens. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1972.
Perrine, Laurence. Story and Structure. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc, 1974.
Shaw, Harry. Dictionary of Literature Terms. New York: McGraw – Hill Book
Company, 1972.
INTERNET WEBSITE
The Literature Network. 2000 – 2006. Jalic LLC. 25 October 2005
.
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 2006. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 12 March 2006
.
Alibris. 2006 Alibris. All rights reserved. 12 March 2006
.
Hamberg, Cynthia. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Page. 12 March. 2006
.
28
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA
PRIMARY TEXT
Stoker, Bram. Dracula. England: Penguin Popular Classic, 1994.
29
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN MARANATHA