Dracula Chapters 11 - 15
Van Helsing and Seward return to Lucy’s home the following morning and find all of the flowers removed from her room. Lucy seems to be nearly dead, so Van Helsing gives her his blood through a blood transfusion. They find out that her mother had removed the flowers from Lucy’s room as she had thought that the smell would bother her. Van Helsing explains to her mother that in the future she should not remove any of the things that they leave there. He once again fills her room with garlic, and a marked change comes over Lucy as her health begins to bounce back.
A newspaper article talks about an escaped wolf in London, that surprisingly returned the morning following its night escape. The zookeepers were surprised that the wolf was covered in shattered glass upon its return. Meanwhile, Renfield escapes from his cell and he tries to kill Seward with a knife. He manages to nick him with the weapon, but he is apprehended by the attendants. Most disturbingly, Renfield licks the blood from his knife, and praises blood to be the source of all life.
Lucy’s last journal entry reveals that she had woken in the night to hear howling and flapping at her door. Her mother comes into the door just as a wolf’s head breaks through the glass. The shock causes her mother’s heart to give out and she dies in Lucy’s bed, while Lucy herself is found unconscious by the servants. They are affected by the state of both mother and daughter. However, the drink they take from the house to calm down turns out to be poisoned. Van Helsing and Seward arrive later than they had intended due to a delayed telegraph. They find the corpse of Lucy’s mother, the fainted servants, and a nearly dead Lucy with large punctures in her throat. They perform another lifesaving blood transfusion for her, and that seems to stabilize her a little bit.
Mina writes to Lucy talking about her wedding, and Johathan’s employer’s invitation to the couple to have them stay with him. Meanwhile, Renfield attacks men he observes carrying boxes of earth out of the neighboring chapel, but he is subdued by attendants before he can cause any serious damage. Van Helsing remains with Lucy, and as he is inspecting her health, he notices that her teeth have grown larger and sharper. He warns the present men that Lucy is certainly going to pass away soon. Lucy wakes up and asks Holmwood to kiss her in a strangely voluptuous manner, which causes Van Helsing to suspect danger and he prevents Holmwood from going near her. Lucy dies, and Van Helsing puts a cross in her mouth and garlic in her coffin. He also expresses his desire to cut off her head and remove her heart before burial, but the sentiments of the others prevent this from taking place. He later discovers that someone has stolen the crucifix that he had placed in her mouth.
Mina and Johnathan notice a man like Count Dracula on their walk around town, although the Count appears much younger. Johnathan passes out from shock, and cannot recall what caused him to lose consciousness. Mina resolves to tear open the package containing Johnathan’s journal, and to read it for his sake. She then receives the shocking news of Lucy’s death via telegram.
An article describes missing children in the area with Lucy’s resting place, and it mentions the legend of the ‘Blofer Lady.’ The children that have been returned have all been found to have characteristic puncture wounds on their necks.
Mina meets with Van Helsing and gives him a transcribed copy of Johnathan’s journal. He loses no time in reading it and has no doubts about the veracity of its contents. He goes further in aiding the Harkers by treating Johnathan so that he can recall the memories of his time in Castle Dracula. Johnathan begins a new journal and he is resolved to thwart all designs of the monster, Dracula.
Van Helsing then turns his attention to Seward and begins to convince him about the supernatural occurrence that he believes now involves Lucy. He shows his student the article about Blofer Lady and explains his theory that Lucy was responsible for these kidnappings. Seward does not believe Van Helsing, and even begins to question his old master’s severity. However, something propels him to aid Van Helsing in his investigation, so they go to examine the children first. They both agree that the marks found on the children were very much like the ones Lucy had before her death. They then make their way to Lucy’s grave and dig up her coffin, but they find it empty. Upon Van Helsing’s insistence, they decide to wait near her coffin, and soon they are rewarded by the approach of a figure. They realize that the figure is holding a child so they move towards it, but the figure drops the child and escapes. They examine the child and find him to be unhurt, and so deposit him at the police station. They return the following morning to Lucy’s coffin and find her in it. She appears to be far more beautiful, and voluptuous in death. Van Helsing shows Seward her sharp teeth, and Seward finally begins to believe him. Van Helsing believes that they should return with the others. They meet with Arthur and Quincey. They explain to them their beliefs and present the solution of stopping Lucy as well as saving her soul. Van Helsing recommends that they cut her head, and stake her heart. Arthur doesn’t wish for them to desecrate her body in this manner, but they convince him to accompany them to the graveyard for proof.
Analysis
In this section, the theme of the struggle between science and tradition comes forward through the arguments that Seward and Van Helsing have regarding Lucy’s condition. Seward represents the scientific world as he seeks to dispel Van Helsing’s theories about Garlic leaves, Host, and the crucifix. However, despite all the advancements in science, he is unable to explain what is happening to Lucy. The solution comes to them through the open-minded folklorist, and metaphysician, Van Helsing. His solution of garlic seems to prove effective even if he isn’t able to offer a convincing argument as to why it works. Yet, Van Helsing is also a scientist, and so he also finds scientific solutions to Lucy’s condition like blood transfusions. Elements like the phonograph, telegraph, and blood transfusions, would have seemed like cutting-edge technology to Victorian readers, which is why Dracula was often termed to be a work of Techno-Fiction.
The nature of blood fusions is somewhat sexualized in the language that Bram Stoker uses around these instances. This characterization is most evident around Arthur’s blood transfusion with Lucy. Van Helsing repeatedly refers to her as his lover during the blood transfusion which he describes as the mixing of their blood. Mingling of blood.
