I was quite surprised by how Dracula appears to be quite a nice guy in the second chapter (at least at first). For example, he carries in Jonathan Harker's luggage when he arrives at his castle, even though he is the Count: "and stepping out, took my luggage". This is avery big surprise because everything up until this point seems to be poitning to Count Dracula as being a very mysterious and evil character, eg. the people at the inn give Jonathan Harker a crucifix to protect him against evil.
However, Dracula's kindness also creates a feeling of unease for it is strange that he should be acting in such a welcoming way. I could not help feeling that Dracula has something to hide and that he has alterior motives behind his hospitality.
To add to these suspicions is the strange fact that Dracula does not eat with his guest and that he goes outside during the day, leaving Jonathan Hraker to roam freely about his castle.
Also, when Jonathan Harker decides to wander around the castle, he discovers a very strange and worrying thing: many of the castle's doors are locked, preventing anyone from leaving the building. This finally convinced me that Dracula has indeed got something to hide and Dracula suddenly becomes a very evil figure in the story.
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Yes Alex. I like the way you track how your suspicion is raised - from surprise at his initial welcome, to the unease through Dracula's actions. This gradual revelation of facts is part of Stoker's skill in building the reader's interest too.
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