Comments on: And If I See Van Helsing, I Swear That I Will Slay Him! Hah Hah Hah!

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:53:25 +0000

Stoker uses “bloofer” as child-talk for “beautiful.” Apparently, his source (the only one I’ve been able to find) is Charles Dickens who uses “boofer” in the same way in “Our Mutual Friend.” Whether Stoker carelessly rendered “boofer” as “bloofer” – or whether he was playing with the “bl” as in “blood” – we do not know.

By: Bob

Bob — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:44:29 +0000

Happy Halloween to one and all, long canines or not!

By: Claire Zulkey

Claire Zulkey — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:30:24 +0000

Elizabeth I think it’s a matter of picking out which elements are distinctively Irish and which are more of a stretch. For instance, I can buy that the Irish are a superstitious people but who many other nationalities are also superstitious? Probably a lot.

Incidentally, re: “Bloofer Lady,” maybe you can enlighten me. What is “Bloofer” supposed to mean originally? “Beautiful” maybe?

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:09:30 +0000

There is general agreement among lit-crit types that Morris is Stoker’s tribute to America and the frontier spirit. (Stoker visited America several times in the 1880s and 1890s as manager of the Lyceum Theatre.) A possible influence on the creation of the character is Buffalo Bill. Cody and his Wild West show were in London around the time Stoker was working on early notes for the novel; indeed Stoker met Cody, who was a good friend of Henry Irving’s.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:03:16 +0000

As for Valente “pushing the Irish thing too hard,” I completely agree. It is a common fault among scholars – begin with a pet theory and force lines of the text into it, often with ludicrous results. I’m giving a lecture in Chicago on Saturday (at the Irish American Heritage Center) entitled “Bram Stoker’s Dracula: The Irish Connections” and must be careful not to do the same thing.

By: Bob

Bob — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:06:31 +0000

Phrenology and craniometry, both recognized now as pseudo-sciences, were given some credence in 19th century, most notably in anthropology, psychology, and psychiatry. A large skull was indicative of a large brain, which meant more room for exemplary character traits in the frontal lobes and along the length of the skull from forehead to the back of the head.

By: matt

matt — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:22:18 +0000

I think Morris is there primarily to represent the New World, especially in contrast with Van Helsing. He’s all get-up-and-go, and he’s not bound by all the class issues that the Europeans are. Back in the Lucy days, she mentioned how he would or wouldn’t talk ’slang’ based on the circumstance, so I see him as a sort of nouveau riche chameleon. There are worse types to have around, I suppose.
Having said all that, there’s also the end.

By: Joan

Joan — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:34:53 +0000

Thank you for mentioning the child-brain thing – I felt like I’d been bludgeoned back to a child-brain myself after that chapter!! And thank God that the boy’s club all have fine manly-man brains. Right.

By: meave

meave — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:51:43 +0000

You notice how Van Helsing’s big skull is supposed to describe his exemplary character? I’ve been listening to a bunch of Sherlock Holmes on mp3, and in so many stories, the heroes have these fine large noble heads; criminology was confusing in Victorian Timez.