Chapter 10

Summary

This chapter starts with a letter, dated September 6, to Arthur Holmwood from Dr. Seward. It tells about Lucy’s downward slide in health. Abraham Van Helsing has returned to see her. Dr. Seward records in his diary that how he recounts Lucy’s symptoms to the Professor. The Professor looks grave. He sees her and is appalled to see Lucy almost bloodless. Arthur rushes in, worried after receiving the telegram. Van Helsing takes blood for him and transfuses it to Lucy. He allows Arthur to kiss her and then let her rest. Lucy is much better. The Professor sees the pinpoint marks on Lucy’s throat and asks about them. He then abruptly says he has to leave for Amsterdam. He tells Dr. Seward to keep watch on her himself. On September 8, Lucy seems much better. The Professor sends Dr. Seward a telegram to be at Hellingham. Lucy Westenra records in her diary about the feeling of being looked after and secured. Dr. Seward’s continues to write his diary. He is dosing off when Van Helsing enters and demands to see Lucy. They rush up and see her almost bloodless again. Van Helsing rushes to transfuse blood from Dr. Seward to Lucy. Lucy gets better. On September 11, Van Helsing makes Lucy wear a garland of garlic. He fastens her windows and rubs garlic on her sashes. They all retire for bed.

This chapter dwells on Lucy. Dracula bit Lucy earlier; the aftermath of the bites is described. She has been shorn of every drop of blood and so has to be given blood by Arthur and Dr. Seward. Blood symbolizes ties almost akin to marriage. She has received blood from Arthur, Dr. Seward, Quincey Morris, and Van Helsing himself. This is described in this chapter as well as the next. This makes Lucy the common law wife of all these men. So Dracula, as he also boasts off later, has attacked and made the woman of these men his own. By attacking Lucy, and later on Mina, he too is a husband of these women. Again, there is a reference of sexuality in this act of exchanging blood. However, as it is said earlier, the action itself seems devoid of any such actual act.

The white flowers of garlic are to safeguard Lucy from vampires. Though it escapes Dr. Seward the reason for Lucy’s illness totally, Van Helsing has realized it is the bite o a vampires. Garlic pods were supposed to ward off evil. This chapter also shows the difference in Dr. Seward and Van Helsing. Both are men of science yet as Dr. Seward has a closed mind to other unexplainable things. Van Helsing has an open mind. It should be noted that though Dr. Seward is the first to see Renfield and Lucy, he accepts the truth about Dracula almost in the end.

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