#* jonathan harker

[tiffycat]

September 22 - Jonathan was holding me by the arm, the way he used to in old days before I went to school

[rikiteekeetavee]

Imagine being Mina on September 22.

Five days ago, she wrote to Lucy about the loss of her father figure, about how hard managing the household is, how she misses her and wants to visit her, how keeping a brave face for Jonathan and the sleepless nights from his night terrors wears her down. Asking if the wedding with Arthur will be private (are we invited?)

Every day since then she goes to the mailbox, expecting a reply from Lucy. Longing for words of sympathy and comfort. Information about her soon-to-come wedding. An invitation, a relief.

The funeral happens. Her husband collapses from a bad fit. She returns home.

There's mail from the Westenra address in their mailbox, finally.

But not from Lucy. No longer from Lucy.

[ace-succo]

Van Helsing is the OG professional yapper cause does that man ever shut the fuck up

[thebibi]

Two couples paralleling each other on the same day (September 21st) where one person has a nervous breakdown about vampires and the other tries to console them while not being aware of the problem is just SO ripe for analysis.

Mina and Jack both being hyper aware of how society will judge their companions for their display of emotion, but reacting very differently. Mina ignores what others might say by focusing on how to take care of Jonathan. Jack immediately tries to hide Van Helsing's "hysteria" from the public and judges him harshly for it, even though we know he clears admires him.

And with Jack and Van Helsing it's really fascinating because all these moments between them are private: Van Helsing sneaking into Jack's room at night and again in the morning, dragging him to place where no one else can see them, or having a cry in a taxi with the shutters down, just so they can express themselves freely.

I can't help but be fascinated by how a seemingly heterosexual couple can break the rules of social etiquette without apparent circumstances, while Jack is so disraught he draws down the blinds. I wonder who has the right of freedom of expression in this novel? And I wonder who would be given greater sympathy from this time period?

[see-arcane]

Another thing about the Rotten Row at Hyde Park (where Jonathan took Mina) is that it had fancy horse riders, but also pretty girls on horseback. Courtesans called The Pretty Horsebreakers.

Titled noblemen and women, wealthy heirs and heiresses, and ladies and gentlemen in town to make a match. But it wasn’t the well-bred young ladies on the marriage mart who drew a crowd. It was a group of fashionably-clad and impeccably-mounted courtesans known as “the Pretty Horsebreakers.” The Pretty Horsebreakers were as skilled in the equestrian arts as they were in the art of seduction. When they appeared in Rotten Row, either alone or in company with others of their kind, they commanded society’s attention—especially that of eligible men.

Other women would try to mimic them.

How were marriage-minded young ladies to compete with such beauty, such skill, such dynamism? By copying the Pretty Horsebreakers’ style, of course. In efforts to make themselves noticeable to single men, young ladies of the day were often known to “ape” not only the dress and horsemanship of the courtesans but also to mimic their cant phrases and speech.

Mina: <:'c

Jonathan, also <:'c, but knows his Mina: "You want to go look at the horses and all the fancy pretty girls on them?"

Mina, nodding bisexually: c:>

[vickyvicarious]

"I believe it is the Count, but he has grown young. My God, if this be so! Oh, my God! my God! If I only knew! if I only knew!"

These are Jonathan's last words before he fully dissociates, then passes out and wakes up not remembering his panic. I love the repetition at the end, it works really well on multiple levels:

if he only knew whether he's truly seeing the Count here (doubting sanity)

if he only knew whether his vague memories are true (doubting memory/sanity)

if he only knew what he was getting into and hadn't gone to the castle (regret)

if he only knew soon enough to refuse to help the Count at all, making it harder for him to get here to prey on other people (guilt)

And the "my God!" repeated right before as an exclamation of horror and a prayer only adds to it all.

[autumnsartblog]

Made this and forgot to post it — 22nd of September ( 1893 )

— REBLOGS + COMMENTS appreciated

[lady-dulcinea]

Jonathan spots Count Dracula during the Pop

from the Milwaukee Ballet's production of Michael Pink's Dracula Randy Crespo as Jonathan Harker

[immediatebreakfast]

...and Jonathan with another attack that may harm him. Some day he may ask me about it. Down it all goes.

Jonathan starting his journal in May so that it can freshen his memory for when he will talk about his travels with Mina.

Mina re-starting her own journal in September to both practice her shorthand and to share with Jonathan any event he may ask about in the future when his memory eventually heals.

Both actions and journals done out of love, yet so different in their intentions.

It seems only yesterday that the last entry was made, and yet how much between then, in Whitby and all the world before me, Jonathan away and no news of him; and now, married to Jonathan, Jonathan a solicitor, a partner, rich, master of his business, Mr. Hawkins dead and buried, and Jonathan with another attack that may harm him.

Jonathan's journal was intended to be a source of enthusiasm for this young couple in love to remember his first job, and all of those charming little details that he found during the journey when he was not on the clock. The recipes, the descriptions of landscapes, the people, and all of the new things which were so amazingly curious... Only for it to end up as the only object directly tied to Jonathan's survival as those hellish days went by, the pages filling with each horrific action, and every sentence filled with grief. All forgotten, and sealed under a promise of solemn secrecy.

The time is come, I fear, when I must open that parcel, and know what is written.

Until today, not out of morbid questioning, but out worry for the young man who wrote it.

Mina's journal was intended to be a practical exercise for the future, a not so far away goal of work through paperwork, and a means to cultivate a special talent to use ahead. From the intimate conversations about the joys of marriage, to interviews of old folk by the sea, all of it... Took a second step to let the horrific unexplained events be recorded less the memory fails. Yet, she picks the pages again with a different purpose today.

In the doylist sense, both diaries serve as plot points that change the course of the narrative as long as they are used. Both Mina and Jonathan were "out" of the main plot after they reunited because there was no need for them to document anything while they were together once again. The inactivity of the journals stagnated the plot around them, and left then behind as the other characters dealt with the threat of the Count, but now that there is a meaningful reason to start out the process again, their participation is now clear once again.

The second Mina wrote the first sentence on her journal, both her and Jonathan are now upon the narrative again, whenever they want it or not.

[wiliecoyotegenius]

The Sept 22 scenes involving both groups—the Harkers, and the suitors plus Van Helsing—occur after they attend funerals. Lucy's and Mr. Hawkins', respectively.

Lucy was being buried a few miles away in London, where Mina and Jonathan were burying Mr. Hawkins at the same time.

And when Mina gets home, she is met with the letter telling her of the Westenras' deaths, the pain of the empty chair at home, and the worry that Jonathan will relapse again.

They are dealing with so much.

[lasarusbird]

Mina on September 22:

...and Jonathan with another attack that may harm him. Some day he may ask me about it. Down it all goes.

In May, Jonathan began keeping a journal to help him remember things for when he talks to Mina about his travels.

In September, Mina picks up her own journal again, this time to work on her shorthand skills and to share with Jonathan anything he may ask about once his mind recovers.

[ace-succo]

People before they start reading Dracula thinking it's a gothic book about vampires, horror, blood, Halloween icon, suspense etc.

What Dracula is actually like: cowboys shooting at bats and numerous yapping sessions.

[starkidlabs]

Dracula and Jonathan’s Tango - from The Polish National Opera production of ‘Dracula’.

With Choreography by Krzysztof Pastor and Music by Wojciech Kilar.

[the-swift-tricker]

jonathan harker on may 12th: i witnessed with abject terror as the count descended the sheer stone wall of the castle face first as a lizard would. the unmitigated horror of the spectacle haunts my waking hours like an inescapable nightmare. this man or this thing shall surely be my undoing.

jonathan harker on may 15th: saw the old bastard do the crawling trick again and honestly fuck him it's not even that impressive i don't even care anymore i hope he falls.

[see-arcane]

One week left of September.

Halloween looms on the horizon. Horror movies old and new are making their grand gruesome march onto the screens. An insidious blow lurks ahead for readers and listeners of the Dracula Daily and @re-dracula combo. And now along comes this sinister cyclops with a bloodstained treat (?) for the candy pail.

Said treat being my very own Substack set to launch this October. When it does, it will come with a number of gothic goodies:

All of the Harker teaser chapters to date, plus a new addition.

My backlog of the old Penclosa teaser and a number of chapters that went un-posted.

The pilot teaser of Was Frankenstein Not the Monster?

A short horror story, “Groom,” taking place after a very grim climax in the Carpathians.

The backlog of teaser chapters for my book, The Vampyres, with a third chapter on top.

While I’ll still be dropping updates and scribbles on here, I plan to add extra bits and bobs on the Substack in the future. I hope you’ll enjoy the read.

Be Seeing You. 👁️

[vickyvicarious]

But there are things that you know not, but that you shall know, and bless me for knowing, though they are not pleasant things. [...] Believe me yet a little, friend John. If you trust me not, then I must tell what I think; and that is not perhaps well. [...] Let us not be two, but one, that so we work to a good end. Will you not have faith in me?" I took his hand, and promised him.

In his conversation with Jack, Van Helsing once again doesn't tell him anything. But this time, he's clear that he will - either in the future, should Jack be willing to trust him now and wait; or right now, if Jack refuses to agree. Van Helsing would prefer not to tell it now, as he fears it would make Jack no longer willing to help him. But he says that he will, if necessary. And then Jack agrees to continue trusting him and work together without knowing why.

In its own way, this conversation is like the Van Helsing + Jack version of Jonathan and Mina's on their wedding day. One person possesses a secret (Jonathan/VH), and says they don't want the other to know it. But they offer it up regardless, after making their reluctance known. And the second person (Mina/Jack) decides to remain ignorant for now out of respect for their wishes. In both cases it is a great show of trust on both parts.

Obviously various particular details are off. The biggest one being the way Jonathan wants Mina to join him in ignorance, and Van Helsing wants to be the only one who knows. But Van Helsing is clearly expecting Jack to find out if he agrees to help. I imagine he's anticipating some kind of reaction from vampire!Lucy when they behead her that makes it clear what she is, providing immediate proof so there's no time to doubt him. That will eventually put them on the same footing. Also, it brings in the doubt of their sanity - Jonathan doubts his own, whereas Van Helsing realizes Jack is a skeptic and may doubt his mind unless given proof.