“She wants blood, and blood she must have or die” (Stoker, 123). -Van Helsing
Death, destruction, and war. These are only some of the images triggered by the thought of blood. Rarely does one think of life. Instead, gruesome images arise. However, in Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, blood does not only symbolize death, it also symbolizes life and the sustaining of life, both human and vampire.
Blood as it relates to humans and vampires can be seen as a bit of a contradiction. For vampires, blood is their sole diet. They rely on it to live and continue functioning. However, for humans, the very blood that sustains vampires, when taken, means imminent death. Therefore, when a vampire takes the blood of a human it causes both life and death simultaneously.
Bram Stoker offers another vantage point on blood during the time in the novel when Van Helsing and the men are trying to save Lucy from the jaws of death. Van Helsing begins to preform blood transfusions after the signs of her losing blood have manifested in her pallor and weakness. In very dramatic scenes, Lucy’s life is channeled into her veins by strong men with “bright blood.” After each transfusion Lucy is described as regaining her normal beauty, the blood bringing life back into her cheeks. This parallels the effect blood has on vampires. Therefore, although blood symbolizes death in humans throughout the novel, it also symbolizes a renewed vigor for life.
I don't necessarily think that blood only symbolizes death for humans in the novel. I believe it represents life for both humans and vampires. Of course, as the blood leaves someone they will lose their vitality and as it enters another ti will cause their reinvigoration.
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