Dracula

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. How many characteristics of the gothic novel can you list? 

Teaching Suggestion: This question will allow you to gauge how much additional information students need before continuing this discussion and before reading Stoker’s novel. Should students reveal only partial understanding of the gothic novel, you can share information from one or both of the following sites:

• this 12-minute Lit Crit video defining key characteristics of the genre
• this 9-minute British Library video discussing gothic motifs

2. What are some examples of gothic stories, and what makes them gothic?

Teaching Suggestion: This question is an excellent opportunity to refine students’ understanding of the term “gothic” and to generate interest in reading Dracula. As students discuss various examples of gothic stories, help them see which are truly gothic in the literary sense, and how the term “gothic” is sometimes used more broadly in casual speech. Encourage them to share what is exciting, moving, or thought-provoking about gothic stories they have encountered. As students debate what is and is not gothic and how the elements of this genre impact audiences, these resources may be of use:

• this exceptionally thorough glossary from the Gothic Archives
• this Jasper Dewitt essay arguing that gothic literature continues to be a vital form of expression in the 21st century

Short Activity

The novel you are about to read is what is called an “epistolary” novel. This means that it is made up of a series of letters, journal entries, and other similar documents. Working in a small group, create a series of documents—text messages, emails, letters, reports, journal entries, or other formats—that, read in sequence, tell a brief story. You should create a minimum of three documents, and your story should have a beginning, middle, and end. Be mindful of the conventions of the document type(s) you choose, so that the result is as natural and authentic sounding as possible.

Teaching Suggestion: After students have completed this activity, discuss with them what they found challenging about writing in this format. What advantages does it have? How can the gaps between documents be used to create suspense and control pace and emphasis? How might different document types be used to establish characterization and tone? How does the epistolary novel impact verisimilitude and audience engagement?

• a history of the epistolary novel from Oregon State University
• a 2-minute YouTube video from Lit Crit explaining why authors use the epistolary form