Dracula; Period 3; Illuminator; Jenni Kantor
Okay, I have a very odd set of questions this time around, so do not yell at me! This first passage of the story is from the fifteenth chapter from Dr. Seward’s Diary on September 27:
I answered: “Do not press me too hard at once. I am willing to accept. How will you do this bloody work?”
“I shall cut off her head and fill her mouth with garlic, and I shall drive a stake through her body.” It made me shudder to think of so mutilating the body of the woman whom I had loved.
The next passage is also from chapter fifteen but from September 29:
“Agreed!” said Arthur; “that is only fair. And now that the pournarlers are over, may I ask what it is we are to do?”
“I want you to come with me, and to come in secret, to the churchyard at Kingstead.”
Arthur’s face fell as he said in an amazed sort of way:-
“Where poor Lucy is buried?” The Professor bowed. Arthur went on: “And when there?”
“To enter the tomb!” Arthur stood up.
“Professor, are you in earnest; or it is some monstrous joke? Pardon me, I see that you are in earnest.” He sat down again, but i could see that he sat firmly and proudly, as one who is on his dignity. There was a silence until he asked again:-
“And when in the tomb?”
“To open the coffin.”
“This is too much!” he said, angrily rising again. “I am willing to be patient in all things that are reasonable; but in this-this desecration of the grave-of one who—” He fairly choked with indignation.
My first question is not a question as so much a statment (Actually it seems to be more like instructions or a request). Both Arthur and Dr. Seward have strong feelings for Lucy. Compare and contrast their opinions on opening Lucy’s grave. Look back in the story for more details.
My second question is why do both men act the way they do? If you were this type of situation, how would you react and why. Give me opinions with your thoughts and with facts from the story, please.
There’s my blog for you!
-Jenni Kantor
Category: Per 3 TBT I, Per 3 TBT Illum 4 comments »
April 13th, 2009 at 9:34 am
Your first question is sounds like something Mr. Shank would give us…
For your first question, both Arthur and Seward care for Lucy. Lucy was supposed to marry Arthur, but remember that Seward proposed to her. I have a guess that when Lucy rejected him, he (Seward) started to get on with his life, although he still cares a lot for her. Arthur tried to kiss her, Seward did not, probably out of respect for Arthur. They both think that it is not a good idea to open Lucy’s grave. They do not understand what she has become. Arthur seems more appauled by it than Seward, but Seward still does not like the idea.
It seems obvious that they would react like this. They think that this is a crime. Remember, Van Helsing did not explain the story of the Un-Dead yet. I would probably have reacted the same way if I didn’t know why Van Helsing was doing it.
-Brandon
April 13th, 2009 at 11:19 am
Thanks, I think, Brandon…
-Jenni
April 13th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
When Dr. Seward opens up Lucy’s grave he is stunned to see that it is empty. He thinks that someone has taken her body and then returned it the next day when he goes to look. Although he is confused at how she still looks so beautiful after a week of being dead. He does not believe that Lucy is the one responsible for the two wounds on the children’s necks, when told so by Van Helsing. He is willing to get Lucy to a better place and wishes her rest in peace, when he realizes that Lucy is part of the ‘undead’. He loves her but is going to hurt her by cutting off her head, filling her mouth with garlic and driving a stake through her heart. Arthur refuses to opening Lucy’s grave, he gets upset because he doesn’t want to open the coffin of the woman he loved. He has hope that Lucy might still be alive, and doesn’t want to see her dead to prove matters worse for him. He loves her a lot still, and doesn’t want to hurt her undead body. He feels wrong about it and refuses to perform the task, but goes along with the men for the ritual.
They both react the way they do because both men obviously care a lot for Lucy and love her too, but have different ways of conveying their love. Dr. Seward chooses to “kill” her as the undead to help her get to a better place, while Arthur refuses to hurt her in any way even if she is part of the undead. If I was in this situation I would act like Dr. Seward because the way I look at it I would want Lucy to get to a better place, and I wouldn’t really be hurting her I would be helping her so there would be nothing wrong in that. I wouldn’t be killing Lucy of course; I would be killing the evil inside of her.
-Kianat Zamir
April 13th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
I think that both feelings for Lucy are both similar and different. Seward is more understanding towards Lucy’s dead body. He is surprised to see how she still looks beautiful and does not believe that she would kill the children. He is heartbroken to know that he has to cut off her head because she is part of the ‘un-dead.’ Arthur is more relucant to open the casket and does not want to see her dead body. He wishes she was still alive. He does not want to perfrom the rituals. This is different in the fact that Seward has come to a realization that Lucy is part of the un-dead, and the deeds need to be performed so she will not kill the children.
I agree with Brandon in the fact that they would obviously react to the one they love being dug up in a bad way. They did not hear the story of the un-dead yet, and do not know what they are dealing with. I would be very upset if the women I loved died, and her grave was opened on suspition that she was killing children. I would not want Lucy to go to a better place. She is killing inocent children, even if it is becuase she is un-dead. I would think that she has changed since her death and she is not the same person I once loved.
-Dan