Bram Stoker presents sanity- rationality, health and soundness in mind - as an abstract concept
in Dracula.
Jon Harker, for example, considers himself and is considered to be sane prior to his meeting of Count Dracula. The peoples Jon Harker comes into contact with as he gets closer to his meeting with Dracula view him strangely for even venturing to meet him for business. The peoples’ perception of Jon is that he must not be thinking correctly because they have a different rational, though Jon just considers them superstitious.
A human that can confine himself, exist in isolation, and engage in living only during the night would not be considered of sound mind. The perception of such a person would be of the insane. But what if that person is really a vampire? Then it would be sane because it is rational for a vampire to have these habits and living conditions.
The constitution of what is sane, insane, and rational is repeatedly brought up as an abstract concept throughout Dracula.
Jon Harker fears to even read his diary entries after his escape, from Dracula, to the ‘normal’ world. He fears his experiences because they are completely disconnected with the world he was familiar with and this caused him to question his own sanity. To him, those experiences were real but to explain them to doctors and authorities completely unfamiliar to what he actually went through would lead them to suspect he is not of sound mind.
Dr. Van Helsing hesitates to tell his dear intellectual companion what his thoughts are as to the cause of Lucy’s strange and devastating health condition for fear that he may be perceived as lacking rationality. This is though Dr. Seward whole-heartedly believes that Dr. Van Helsing is an utmost professional with unmatched intelligence and sound of mind that his methods are with reason.
To those unfamiliar with the ‘realities’ of vampires, the insane patient of Dr. Seward is considered so because he feasts on flies, spiders, and, presumptuously cats. The patient tries to make contact with some type of being that is non-existent to their society so he is deemed insane. His decision making is not considered rational. He will not escape the asylum but only under certain circumstances only known to him. If the Dr. and the asylum knew there was a being that did exist as a vampire and that feeding on flies, spiders, and cats would be a rational thing, would the patient be considered insane?
Sanity is an abstract concept based on societal norms and definitions according to the story
of Dracula. To reference a famous passage from Hamlet, “Though this be madness, yet there is
method in it”.
Interesting notes: another theme in Dracula is imprisonment by curiosity.
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