Victorian Science and Religion

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Victorian Science and Religion
Bram Stoker's Dracula is an 1897 novel about a Transylvanian nobleman who turns into a vampire and spreads vampirism through London after his enemies kill him. The hyped-up descriptions of the lead character were in stark contrast to other characters in the book, making an interesting representation of scientific thoughts and religion. The Victorian era believed that scientific thoughts were not supposed to mix with religious believes because the two were considered to present opposing sides. Although Stoker's novel represents the Victorian fear of scientific thought meshing with religious beliefs, he argues that religion and science are supposed to co-exist instead of working against each other because they can solve strange and detrimental occurrences in life.
Jonathan is one of the characters used to show that scientific thoughts should coexist with religion to solve real-world issues. Jonathan is amazed by the comfort he takes in the strange gifts given to him while on the carriage. He considers the Catholic rosary to symbolize idol worship, but he feels comfort while holding it (Landix). All he could think about was the amazing nature of the Christian superstition of law. In this way, the leaded glass beads come to represent a symbol of his anxiety and fear at being forced from his familiar world into existence of new terrors so terrifying that even the knowledge of Christ cannot save him from them. In chapter 21, Jonathan is terrified by what he considers a monster in the form of a bat, though he learns later that Vampires do not have wings (Stocker 27) before witnessing a Vampire fly away with Lucy. At this point, it begins to dawn on him that there is more going on around him than just superstition or religious fanaticism, but rather some other element that does not fit within his understanding of life as he knew it. The appearance of Count Dracula himself drives home this realization, for when he wakes up, he knows at once that the Count was there because he could smell him, an ability no man has or ever had before.
The shock of Draconian difference, which Jonathan experiences again in chapter 25 when Dracula reveals his true nature, does not fit into any preconceptions about life as Johnathan knows it. For instance, walking through solid stone to visit Lucy secretly at night is a sign of activity present in the world of science and religious beliefs. It shows the connections that creatures have for one another (Sanders 80). This insight into the Vampire’s reality comes just after Johnathan admits falling in love with her. She has returned his feelings despite the prohibition against her marrying a non-Szgany. Stoker places one of his most poignant descriptions of moments that are now lost but tinged with sadness. The moment is tinged with the irony of a world where “a man such as Jonathan, who went to church and said his prayers, could believe such things” (Stocker 25). Such disbelief shed light on what could happen if scientific thoughts and religious beliefs were combined to solve real-world- issues. Such a co-existence would solve a wide array of problems caused by the differences in ideologies between religion and science. Most of the ideas presented by both religion and science contradict one another. An example is the source of life. While religion believes in supernatural power, as evidenced by Jonathan, science believes in the theories of evolution for all creatures. Therefore, if these ideas are allowed to co-exist, they would eliminate many problems in the world.
Dracula represents the struggle between the continuity of superstition and the occurrence of modern science (Santos). The novel is set in the late 19th Century when science threatened religion and was eventually victorious. However, Dracula's struggle for power takes place long before that period. Dracula's innate desire to seek an eternal life grants him great power over other people by manipulating their feelings. Such makes it difficult for him to continue his existence in modern society. The reason for such is that he does not know social norms or customs, which are subject to change. This becomes a problem when Mina Harker’s fiancé tries to take her back from Dracula after she leaves him voluntarily. Dracula cannot understand why Van Helsing wants Mina back; he considers women as lesser beings born to serve men. In contrast, Van Helsing can neither comprehend nor accept Dracula’s assessment of women as mere property and therefore does not see the logic in Mina choosing to return to her master even though she doesn’t want to. Mental disorder is a prominent theme throughout the novel, which might be interpreted as a reflection of the greater social turmoil that was going on at that time. The events in Dracula's castle are mirrored by Renfield's condition when he is sent after that, committing murder. Instead of fighting against his madness like Mina, Renfield willingly submits himself to Dracula because he sees him as an all-powerful entity who has control over everything. This indirectly supports Dracula’s views regarding women and makes it easier for him to manipulate Mina into falling in love with him. It appears that Dracula's superstition-based worldview is a manifestation of the early 19th Century’s social order, where women were held in high regard. At the same time, men were expected to be the breadwinners.
The theme of superstition and modern science has also been used to illustrate how the coexistence between science and religions can solve worldly problems. These themes can be illustrated by how Van Helsing describes Dracula as a predator who preys on other humans by driving them insane or using magic to make them do his bidding. In modern times, vampires aren't considered real anymore due to beliefs shifting from religious orthodoxy towards secularization because science helped establish itself as something capable of transforming people's lives for the better. At the same time, there are still many instances of people being tricked by con artists who use their supernatural or occult beliefs to make money. Therefore, such can be compared to modern-day capitalism, where power and money are directed to a particular group of people in society. Dracula has launched several commercial ventures which have been both wildly successful and highly influential (Franklin). One such venture has been to enter into a special alliance with the vampire bat, an example being the thriving ecotourism industry that has grown up around Dracula’s monastery at Snagov in Romania. Ther...