Dracula in Bram Stoker’s Dracula and The Legend of Vlad The Impaler

ABSTRACT

This study is a literary criticism analyzing the connection of Dracula in Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the Legend of Vlad III the Impaler. The study will be focused on the characterization and the setting of both works. The selection of these different literary genres is based on the researcher’s intention to broaden the literary scope. The novel represents written literature and the legends represent oral literature. Written literature is those displayed in written form including fiction (novel and short story), poetry, and plays/drama. On the other hand, oral literature is those orally transmitted from generation to generation including folklore, myths, legends, fairy tales, proverb, jokes, fables, anecdotes, etc.

Although there are a lot of literary critics have conduct the same research, the researcher would like to give the different answer and conclusion from the previous studies. There are many literary critics who had considered the relations of both works. However, they could not state the proofs. That is why, the researcher would like to find the answer as stated in problem research.

To conduct the research above, the researcher applies intertextual approach. It is because this approach is very suitable with the research problems in this thesis, that is to capture the similar patterns which construct the structure in Bram Stoker’s novel to the legend of Vlad III The Impaler, Prince of Wallachia. This intertextual study is intended to enrich and enlarge the scope of literature particularly between one literary work to another literary work or more.

The result of the research includes the description of Dracula’s figure based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula either in physical or psychological characteristics. Another finding is the comparison including the similarities and differences of Dracula which is found in Stoker’s novel and the story of Vlad the Impaler (Vlad Dracula) that is shed in form of oral literature i.e. legends. There are at least three versions from different countries illustrating the legend of Vlad the Impaler. After exploring the similar and different aspects of both Draculas, then the researcher attempts to prove the intertextual relations of both literary genres. There are many texts in Bram Stoker’s Dracula which refers to the legendary figure of Vlad the Impaler. The researcher, then analyzes those similar patterns found from the texts which refers either explicitly or implicitly to the legends. In the last chapter of the thesis, the researcher concludes this analysis along with the evaluation of intertextual study of both literary works. The suggestion is directed to the revision of the thesis for the next researhers who have desires to conduct the same research. And hopefully, this thesis can be an alternative way to broaden the area of literature in a larger scope.