Dracula - Chapter 3

I feel that the third chapter is filled with a lot of tension. Jonathan Harker knows that he is a prisoner, but does not want to aggravate the situation and so keeps quiet about what he has discovered. Jonathan Harker has to try and find out what is going on whilst still pretending to be ignorant of the strange situation. Both Dracula and Jonathan Harker know about what is going on, but both are feigning ignorance. This is a very awkward and tense situation.

I believe that this is the chapter in which Dracula is finally revealed as an extremely strange host. Jonathan Harker sees him crawling out the window and this is extremely strange. The Count is made to seem even stranger and less human because his cloak spreads out around him "like great wings". This makes the reader think not of a human but of a winged animal such as a bat. This makes Dracula seem less human and possibly more dangerous and unpredictable like an animal.

However, this is not the only supernatural thing that occurs in the castle in this chapter. There is a very disturbing incident where Jonathan Harker falls asleep in a part of the castle which he does not normally sleep in. He describes a visit from three vampires (or at least thats what I think they are). Dracula appears in this incident and gives the vampires a sack with very disturbing connotations.

This is a highly worrying experience for Jonathan Harker.This is still not the end of such occurences in this chapter though, for when Jonathan Harker awakes (it is strange enough that he finds himself again in his own chambers) he cannot see Dracula in the mirror that he uses to shave with even though he is right beside Jonathan Harker. The reader's fear of Dracula is increased greatly when Dracula becomes angry and throws the shaving mirror out of the window. The mirror shatters and I think that this could be seen as symbolic for how Jonathan Harker's hope is slowly becoming shattered as well.