A life of mystery
Although he had no homicidal ambitions and slept in a bed rather than a coffin, Bram Stoker's life is shrouded in mystery. As a child, Stoker's body was host to an unidentified sickness that taunted his health until the age of seven. During this bed-ridden period of his life, his mother would tell him horror stories about bogeys and vampires, common monsters in irish folklore. These stories would spark Stoker's interest in the supernatural and light the flame that was to become Stoker's only truly successful novel. Mystery followed Stoker into his later years where he may have been part of an esoteric circle known as the Order of the Golden Dawn, a group that focused on magic and the development of the spiritual being. The scandalous events and lack of evidence of why or if the happened is reflected by the confusion and doubt that an attack by Dracula may leave his victim to suffer in.
a wife of beauty
Bram Stoker married Florence Balcombe, a Dublin beauty chased after by numerous men including Oscar Wilde. Her beauty was said to be so great that "people used to stand on chairs to look at her". Both Lucy and the three vampiric women are based on Balcombe's flawless appearance and the way she could use it to get what she wanted; in the novel's case, human blood.
A love of indifference
However, even though Miss Balcombe was a beautiful young lady, her marriage to Stoker was loveless. This is reflected in the novel n multiple ways. First, after Lucy married Arthur Holmwood, she was attacked by Dracula and suffered sickness until her death. Arthur never knew Lucy in the way he expected to as Stoker never knew Balcombe. Secondly, sex is hardly referenced in Stoker's novel. There are a few scenes when he describes Dracula's sucking blood in a sexual way, however, he mostly comes and leaves in a dizzy, nonspecific haze. Mina and Jonathan, even after months apart, only met in a sweet embrace upon seeing each other again. Balcombe and he only had one child, and a loveless marraige proved a loveless novel.
a man of friendship
Although his marriage was loveless, Stoker had complete passion for his friendships. Henry Irving, the most famous stage performer of his time, is the reason Stoker made the scenes with Dracula in them so dramatic. The part was written with the state of mind the Irving would play Dracula at the Lyceum Theater where they were both employed. This comradery is displayed by the cooperation between the men in the novel and their becoming inseparable companions in their journey to defeat the monstrous Count Dracula.
a place of inspiration
Bram Stoker wrote Dracula shortly after his trip to Whitby. Whitby inspired the setting of the novel. Stoker was impressed by the areas of profound beauty and found the city a perfect place for his story.
sources
Alduff, Paul S. "Bram Stoker Online." Bram Stoker. N.p., 6 July 2012. Web. 9 Jan. 2013.
Scarborough, Terry. "Bram Stoker: A Brief Biography." Bram Stoker: A Brief Biography. The Victorian Web, 30 Apr. 2008. Web. 9 Jan. 2013.
Stoker, Bram, and Brooke Allen. Dracula. New York: DK Pub., 2004. Print.
Scarborough, Terry. "Bram Stoker: A Brief Biography." Bram Stoker: A Brief Biography. The Victorian Web, 30 Apr. 2008. Web. 9 Jan. 2013.
Stoker, Bram, and Brooke Allen. Dracula. New York: DK Pub., 2004. Print.