Dracula: Good Triumphs Over Evil

As a pastor I do a lot of reading. I read the Bible but I also read a lot of commentaries, books about the church, books about the culture, and a number of articles and blogs on the internet. I have found that, given the amount of reading I do, it is helpful to read a healthy dose of fiction. Fiction relieves my mind from having to work so hard to digest and retain what I am reading. Fiction also helps feed my imagination and fuel my creativity. I read a broad range of fiction from spy novels to Agatha Christie murder mysteries, to sci-fi and fantasy. But I was a bit unsure when someone from my church suggested that I read Bram Stoker's Dracula.

From the moment I picked it up (free on Kindle) I was drawn right in. The attention given to detail when describing various scenes and, more importantly, when developing characters is why this book has long been considered a literary classic. Because of the sensitive and provocative subject matter, Bram Stoker is careful to devote the majority of his character development to those who valiantly fight against evil and fight to save those affected by it.

Though the title of the book is Dracula, the evil Count’s character is the least developed of any of the main characters, his inner thoughts and motivations never exposed but simply and clearly portrayed as evil. The affliction and distress of those affected by the attacks of Dracula unmistakably and poignantly address the sedition of evil. On the other hand, the qualities and devotion of the protagonists who fight against him are well developed and clearly viewed as good and noble. The protagonists are also very clearly Christians who rely heavily on prayer and Scripture to do battle with the foul and wicked Dracula.

While our culture today glorifies evil, calling good evil and evil good, and glorifies vampires—something Bram Stoker never does—there is no doubt which is which in the pages of Dracula. When I attended Desert Christian School’s presentation of The Sound of Music this fall I saw on the back of the program that the Spring play was going to be Dracula. I immediately commented to my wife that I would be there for that one and I’d invite friends from the church. I can’t wait for this production.

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