It isn’t all that often that you get a glimpse into the mind of the author, especially the author of a classic like Dracula. Luckily, though, Bram Stoker was a list maker. Below is a transcription of his hand written note listing the characters in Dracula.
Stoker’s Character List
Count Dracula
Dracula Historiae Personae
○ Doctor of madhouse Seward
Girl engaged to him Lucy Westenra Schoolfellow of Mrs Murray
○ Mad Patient (theory of getting life – instrumental goes for Count follows up idea with mad cunning)
○ Lawer (sic) Arthur Abbott John Peter Hawkins Exeter
○ His clerk —– Jonathan Harker
○ Fiancée of above —– Wilhelmina Murrary (called Mina)
○ Lawyer Wm. Young
○ His sister
○ Auctioneer
Friend + schoolfellow of above —– Kate Reed.
The Count —— Count Wampyr Dracula
A Deaf Mute woman
A Silent Man
English servants of the Count
○ A Detective —– Cotford
○ A Psychical Research Agent —– Alfred Singleton
○ An American Inventor from Texas
○ A German Professor —– Max Windshoeffel
○ A Painter —– Francis Aytonn
○ A Texan —– Brutus M. Marix
Mem.
makes dinner of 13
(The following in pencil.)
Mem.
secret room — coloured like blood
Bram Stoker's Notes About Characters in Dracula
Who’s Who
For those readers who have seen the previous parts of this plot analysis–and, of course, also readers of the novel–many of the names are familiar as are many of the characters, though not all.
In the above list, Lucy is engaged to Seward and not Arthur, as in the final version of the novel.
Although the American inventor from Texas didn’t make the final cut–apparently Stoker liked Americans–another Texan does, called here Brutus Marix, although finally named Quincey Morris in the novel.
We might speculate that the German Professor, Max Windshoeffel, ended up as the Dutch professor, Van Helsing.
Strikingly, the count himself has gone through a name change and was previously known as Wampyr.
Detective Cotford seems to have fallen by the wayside, as has the painter Francis Aytown. Perhaps their purposes in the story were taken over by other characters. It’s interesting to speculate that the investigative authority of the detective might have been given to the combination of Arthur (Lord Godalming) and Jonathan as they try to track down Dracula’s secret lair.
Kate Reed, a third female character, never made an appearance in the novel, possibly because she was a friend to a character listed just above her that was nixed (either the auctioneer, the sister, or the lawyer).
Likewise, the mute servants of Count Dracula do not appear in the novel, while Dracula seems to take up many of the castle housekeeping duties himself.
Perhaps of most interest, though, is the character Alfred Singleton. Who and/or what was the “psychical research agent”? Possibly this role was taken on by Mina–which we haven’t seen yet in this analysis–when Van Helsing hypnotizes her.
Although the bottom of the list has a memo that notes “makes dinner of 13”, there was never a dinner scene in the book at which all of these characters were present. Finally, there is a very provocative reference to a secret room colored like blood, although there is no such room in the novel.
Recap
To recap our analysis of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, looking at its structure with an eye toward the plot milestones in a thriller, we have just passed the midpoint of the novel, where we saw that Dracula can potentially turn any of his victims into one of the undead. The team of heroes is assembled and we have seen Dracula’s confederates as well.
Scene: 81
Setting: Whitby
POV: Mina
Scene type: Setup
Summary: She has finished the manuscript (of all Dracula related exploits) and shares it with various of the heroes, at the hotel where they are all staying.
Read on? Ho hum.
Scene: 82
Setting: Whitby
POV: Seward
Scene type: Setup
Summary: Seward takes Mina for an amiable visit with Renfield because she is curious after listening to Seward’s diaries. Eventually, Van Helsing arrives to complete the team (Arthur, Quincey, Mina, Jonathan, Seward, and Van Helsing) and uses the word vampire for the first time in the book. As they hold their meeting, a bat hovers outside the window and Quincey tries to shoot it from outside, but misses, shattering the window. They decide to go to Dracula’s house in Carfax immediately, but leave Mina behind.
Read on? So, the two sides of the battle know about each other.
(This scene has the makings of a pinch point. Between the big action of the novel’s midpoint, which we saw in Part 4, and upcoming end of Act 2, we have a quieter moment where we are reminded of the powerful capabilities of Dracula and what it will mean if the heroes do not succeed.)
Scene: 83
Setting: Whitby
POV: Seward
Scene type: Setup
Summary: Before they leave for Carfax, they visit Renfield who has sent an urgent message. Appearing as the model of sanity, he begs them all for his immediate release, but they refuse and leave.
Read on? Ho hum.
(The Renfield character doesn’t work for me, although I like that he’s unpredictable.)
Scene: 84
Setting: Carfax
POV: Jonathan
Scene type: Action
Summary: They go to Carfax and start opening the crates of dirt. Jonathan thinks he sees Dracula’s face in the shadows, but then it disappears. The place is swarmed by rats, but they have dogs ready to chase the rats. When Jonathan gets to his room, Mina is asleep but seems pale. She has trouble waking up the next morning as well.
Read on? Why do the men all keep making the same mistake, just as with Lucy?
(They haven’t found Dracula but he’s been to visit Mina. This is a defeat for the team, although they don’t yet realize it.)
Scene: 85
Setting: Carfax
POV: Seward
Scene type: Setup
Summary: Van Helsing pays a visit to Renfield but doesn’t learn much.
Read on? Ho hum.
Scene: 86
Setting: Carfax
POV: Mina
Scene type: Setup
Summary: Mina writes in her journal of a strange fog that seemed to come into her room the previous night while she waited for Jonathan. Also, a pair of red eyes appeared, such as Lucy had described.
Read on? Ho hum.
(Again, the enemy seems to be able to have his way with our heroine, right under the noses of the heroes.)
Scene: 87
Setting: Carfax
POV: Jonathan
Scene type: Setup
Summary: Jonathan is out interrogating people, still trying to get information about Dracula and the missing boxes.
Read on? Ho hum.
Scene: 88
Setting: Carfax
POV: Jonathan
Scene type: Action
Summary: Jonathan tracks down a probable location for one of Dracular’s lairs. Mina is looking more pale and tired–yet nobody seems worried.
Read on? Ho hum.
Scene: 89
Setting: Carfax
POV: Seward
Scene type: Setup
Summary: Seward meets with Renfield and realizes that Dracula has been in touch with him. Seward informs Van Helsing and they decide to watch him that night.
Read on? Ho hum.
Scene: 90
Setting: Carfax
POV: Seward
Scene type: Action
Summary: Preparations are in progress for a visit to Dracula’s house. Seward receives word that Renfield has been found in his cell, covered in blood.
Read on? Ho hum.
Scene: 91
Setting: Whitby
POV: Seward
Scene type: Reaction
Summary: It looks like Renfield has been attacked and his back might be broken. Seward summons Van Helsing who performs a trepanation. When Renfield wakes, he tells them that Dracula visited in a fog and that Mina is in danger.
Read on? Oh, Mina? No, really?
Scene: 92
Setting: Carfax
POV: Seward
Scene type: Action
Summary: They return to the hotel and enter the Harker’s room. Jonathan is lying on the floor in a stupor while Mina drinks the Count’s blood from a wound in his chest. Dracula escapes.
Read on? Has Mina now turned into a vampire?
(Although we had never witnessed Lucy doing the same thing, we must assume that the same fate lies in store for Mina. At the very least she is on the slippery slope, although her husband and most of the other men don’t seem to realize it.)
Scene: 93
Setting: Carfax
POV: Jonathan
Scene type: Action
Summary: The team plans their visit to the Count’s house. Van Helsing prepares Mina’s room with anti-vampire stuff and discovers that a communion wafer burns a scar into her forehead. They leave her alone to go to the Count’s house.
Read on? Oh, Mina alone? Really?
(Mina is confirmed as unholy, a further worsening of her condition and a setback for the team.)
Scene: 94
Setting: Picadilly
POV: Jonathan
Scene type: Action
Summary: The team enters Dracula’s house and thereby discovers the whereabout of his other houses. Arthur and Quincey head off to those houses, while Jonathan, Van Helsing, and Seward wait for the Count.
Read on? Can they thwart the Count at his various lairs?
Scene: 95
Setting: Picadilly
POV: Seward
Scene type: Action
Summary: They receive a courier note from Mina that the Count might be on his way. They are joined by Arthur and Quincey, but the Count eludes their capture. They return to the hotel and Mina.
Read on? Can they thwart the count at his various lairs?
(Dracula was essentially in their clutches and yet he seems to escape anyway–another failure for the team.)
Scene: 96
Setting: Carfax
POV: Jonathan
Scene type: Action
Summary: They know that Dracula still has one hidden box of dirt but they don’t know where it is. Mina has an idea to be hypnotized by Van Helsing so that she might locate the box. From her description, they realize it’s on a ship.
Read on? Can they find the ship and kill him?
Scene: 97
Setting: Carfax
POV: Van Helsing
Scene type: Action
Summary: The team leaves the Harkers and goes in search of the ship.
Read on? Can they find the ship and kill him?
Scene: 98
Setting: Carfax
POV: Mina
Scene type: Action
Summary: They have discovered that Dracula’s ship has left for Transylvania and is heading for the mouth of the Danube. Van Helsing proposes to go overland and get to his destination before him.
Read on? Can they arrive before the ship and then kill Dracula?
(Dracula has eluded them yet again, despite not being able to move about in the day–another failure for the team.)
Scene: 99
Setting: Carfax
POV: Seward
Scene type: Action
Summary: Van Helsing tells Seward that Mina is becoming a vampire. The men meet and make a plan without Mina. Jonathan is supposed to remain behind with Mina and then Van Helsing indicates to Seward that it’s OK for Jonathan to tell Mina about their plans.
Read on? Will Mina betray them?
Scene: 100
Setting: Carfax
POV: Jonathan
Scene type: Action
Summary: Mina sleeps during the day and wakes in the evening, making Jonathan promise not to tell her of their plans. The next day, she insists on going with them because she can be hypnotized and act as a guide. She’s most herself at sunrise and sunset, but makes the others promise to kill her if she becomes a vampire.
Read on? Will Mina betray them?
We must wait for the final post in this analysis of Bram Stoker’s Dracula to see the end of the second act. By making sure that the team has failed at virtually every turn, Stoker is driving them to a final confrontation with the enemy that seems as though it will take place on his turf. Although we don’t know if it’s the case, we also hope that Mina can still somehow be saved, unlike Lucy.
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