Throughout the Gothic novel Dracula, Stoker uses symbology and imagery to reveal the social anxieties and fears of the late Victorian era, e.g. the use of animal descriptions and blood. Wilde, in his own gothic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, uses imagery to explore the nature of man, particularly in relation to sin, pleasure, and influence. These different uses of somewhat similar devices show how far these two novels diverge. While Stoker focuses primarily on the social fears of the time, such as the degradation of man into beast, Wilde intensely explores the psyches of his troubled characters. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayOne of the dominant themes of Dracula is duality, the fear of the double or the doppleganger. In Dracula, there is a struggle to define the blurred lines between man and animal, a struggle conveyed by the physical appearance of Count Dracula himself. The character's introduction is full of animal descriptions. He is described as having "moved impulsively", acting on instinct as an animal would, instead of conforming to the morals that dominated 19th-century Britain. The Count's hair is curly in its "profusion", he has "particularly sharp white teeth" and his ears are "extremely pointed", like those of a wolf. It is obvious that Dracula is an example of the liminal: he is right on the threshold of the devolution of man to beast. This alludes to the Victorian fear and belief that just as man could evolve (in light of Darwin's then recently published theories), so too could man evolve. While Stoker uses the Gothic motif of the double to divide man and beast, Wilde uses the double to divide body and soul. The most obvious example in the novel is the portrait Basil painted and what it symbolizes. As Dorian wishes, the painting ages and records the boy's misdeeds, and he, in turn, receives eternal youth and beauty, thus dividing body and soul. Dorian can then indulge in the pleasure of his sins and live his new hedonistic lifestyle while keeping his body; therefore, the portrait deteriorates and begins to show signs of “cruelty”. Part of the reason for this is the Victorian ideal of keeping up appearances, which held that it is better to appear good than to actually be good. It has been observed that despite Dorian's despicable character, his immediate influence on others due to his physical beauty is still great. Perhaps Wilde's use of the double reveals the impracticality of his own homosexual lifestyle, that he would have to hide his lifestyle and repress his homosexual tendencies in order to maintain his public appearances. Another important and related theme in both novels is that of seduction. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, images of music or musical instruments are used. When Dorian first meets Henry, he is described as having a "low, musical voice". Sybil is also described as rocking her audience and making them "responsive as a violin": she had "long-drawn music" in her voice. Wilde frequently uses musical imagery in association with seduction, particularly in vocals, as a literary allusion to Greek mythology, particularly the sirens that feature in Homer's Odyssey. (Sirens were creatures that lured sailors to their destruction with their irresistibly beautiful song.) In the first case, Henry is able to seduce Dorian with hisinfluence, which is the irresistible “song” that ultimately leads to Dorian’s destruction. Stoker also uses musical images, for example during Jonathan's seduction by the Count's wives. They have “a laugh so silvery and musical”: an irresistible vibrato in their voice seduces Jonathan and pushes him to wait in anticipation of what is to come (another allusion to the Odyssey). Wilde also offers the symbology and imagery of flowers. of all kinds, all of which convey different feelings and illustrate different meanings. First, at the beginning of the novel, Lord Henry "plucked a daisy with pink petals..." and "...torn the daisy to pieces", got rid of the flower. This imagery of the destruction of the flower is linked to the theme of influence; more specifically, it illustrates the effect of Henry's influence on the premature Dorian, depicted as the daisy. The "pink" color of the daisy perhaps makes Dorian a little more effeminate than the other two men, potentially adding to his natural beauty which could be likened to that of a flower. The narrative also conveys a sense of carelessness on Henry's part, unaware of the detrimental effects of his influence on the young and impressionable Dorian. The flowers in the novel are frequently used in association with Sybil Vane. The “petals of her lips” are mentioned as well as her description of a “pale rose”. The “petals of her lips” suggest a delicacy of her character, a fragility; the description of “pale pink” appears, converting innocence, impressionability and purity. These meanings could foreshadow that Dorian will have a detrimental impact on Sybil, just as Henry had a detrimental impact on Dorian. The lips could also suggest strong sexual desire, love based solely on lust, and to some extent Dorian's narcissistic vanity. Additionally, the flowers in the novel carry a specific symbolic meaning related to their positioning. In chapter seven, when Dorian has carelessly disposed of Sybil (much like the daisy that Henry relentlessly tore up) and is walking around London, many images of flowers appear during his walk, helping the reader to interpret what Dorian's emotions are in relation to the confrontation. with Sybil. “Huge carts full of nodding lilies” rumble down the street, with “lilies” in some cases a symbol of hatred. There are also boys carrying crates of “striped tulips” that convey love. And finally, boys also wear "yellow and red roses", the former meaning a broken heart and an apology. Other symbols relate to events of Wilde and Stoker's time. During the 19th century, medical science advanced, perhaps one of the most important developments of that era. Scientists invented a new science based on blood which they believed was linked to racial and sexual issues. To the Victorians, an exchange of blood was symbolic of an exchange of seminal fluid, making blood highly sexualized. Indeed, Stoker uses blood as imagery for sexual encounters and the loss of innocence and virginity. In chapter seven, when Lucy is first bitten by the Count, Mina arrives and discovers that "on the band of her nightgown there was a drop of blood." We know that the exchange of blood is a sexual act, and the drop of blood on the “white” nightgown is the symbol of deflowering of wise Lucy, of a loss of her virginity. Following this, Lucy continues to become very ill and once again blood takes on symbolic importance, this time in the form of several transfusions. Van Helsing declares that she "will die for lack of blood": with the.