I love reading alot

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Did Dr. Van Helsing has cause to tear into her for very nearly causing her daughter's doom? Absolutely. Did he show restraint by reproving her in such a way as to ensure that there was no enmity between them? Yes!

I have mixed feelings about Dr. Seward but I really love this notion that man-made gods are creatures of vanity while the true Gof is a creature of tender care.

We could all learn from this good captain's brief interlude.

It is interesting that the captain of the Demeter holds onto his belief in God while also thinking he has been abandoned by Him. I'm not quite sure what to make of this, if anything.

Is it wrong to believe that the ends justify the means? Or is it wrong to believe that the means justify the ends? Or seeking justification itself the problem? (I tend to think it is this last that creates so many of our problems!)

I am so sick and tired of the stupid trope of "real men" not crying. (Even as I acknowledge that, as a man, I have cried once in the last 20 years. I don't hold back tears; they just don't come.) Bravo to Bram Stoker providing us an example of healthy masculinity in the narrative around our good friend Jonathan Harker.

I also think Lucy's wish to marry all three is more about her innocent desire to make everyone happy more than her being filled with an insatiable lust.

I note here that Jonathan does not think he must protect Mina because she is frail or weak. Nor does he wish to keep secrets from her. Rather, he feels shame at his desire that is unworthy of one who is so loved and knows that that desire may cause intense pain. However, he records it anyway, believing that that is something important, perhaps even sacred, in telling the truth.

Put another way, would a vampire of Hindu origins be repelled by crucifix or would it need to be a Hindu emblem?

There are some that interpret the philosophy of stoicism as being uncaring and unfeeling. I would argue it is more a philosophy of total self-control and in this case, I think our good friend Jonathan Harker is a prime example of a healthy stoicism. He is starting to suspect the danger he may be in, but he continues to face it with self-control and a dogged determination to do what he must to return to his beloved Miss Mina.