Bram Stoker and Russophobia

In Victorian England, a marked fear of Russia prevailed in the government and the public. As a result of the Crimean War and other Russian threats to the British empire, the English mind was haunted by a shadowy enemy of barbarous Eastern invaders. The influence of this Russophobia is evident in the works of Bram Stoker, who responded to the Russian challenge to British Imperial hegemony through the character of Dracula, a primitive and menacing Eastern figure destroyed by warriors pledged to the Crown.
The text investigates the role of Russophobia in Stoker’s fiction, particularly his novels Dracula and The Lady of the Shroud. It offers historical information about Russophobia and the Crimean War, considers Slavic and Balkan connections, and analyzes Stoker’s vampire themes. The resulting work shows how two nations’ histories intertwine in an unexpected literary avenue. Illustrations include numerous political cartoons of the era.

Jimmie E. Cain, Jr., is an associate professor in the English department at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Jimmie E. Cain, Jr.
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 215
Bibliographic Info: 25 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2006
pISBN: 978-0-7864-2407-8
Imprint: McFarland

Preface      ix

Introduction      1

1. Russophobia and the Crimean War      13

2. Spawn of War: The Consequences of the Crimean War and Post-Crimean Russophobia      48

3. George Stoker’s With the Unspeakables: A Family Portrait of Russophobia      101

4. Dracula: Righting Old Wrongs and Displacing New Fears      118

5. The Lady of the Shroud: John Bull in the Balkans      150

Conclusion      167

Notes      173

Works Cited      191

Index      197