Dracula; A Catholic Vampire?

Reading from a new historical perspective allows the reader to identify what influence history played on Stroker’s Dracula. Castle focuses on “the relationship between the Anglo Irish ruling class (the Irish Protestant Ascendancy) and the Catholic Irish natives.” Viewed from this perspective Dracula can be a representation of either of these social structures for “when we read Dracula with an awareness of Stroker’s ambivalent Anglo –Irishness, the emphasis shifts from a binary structure in which a Protestant England is invaded by Catholic vampires to an ambivalent structure in which Anglo-Irish Protestants must negotiate between the Catholic peasantry they mistreated and the English politicians who hold their future in their hands” If Dracula was to represent a catholic vampire, it would not make sense that a cross would be harmful to him. The cross is used by the catholic peasants to defend themselves from Dracula. Jonathan who is an English protestant was also able to find solace in the care of catholic nuns. It is understandable that Jonathan would be hesitant to accept the crucifix given to him by the old lady at the Golden Crone Hotel. Though he later finds comfort holding the crucifix “It is odd that a thing which I have been taught to regard as disfavor and as idolatrous should in a time o loneliness and trouble be of help.” (52)