#swales

Did you know that water harvesting is a prevention method for both floods and drought?

In the novel, Mina’s journal entry about arriving at Whitby kicks off chapter six, and the log of the Demeter is tucked within chapter seven.

It’s interesting to see the feeling of doom falling heavily on the Demeter put squarely up against the near-tranquility of Mina and Lucy’s vacation by the sea.

As Mina tries to pull information on local legends out of Swales — which parallels and contrasts Jonathan ignoring the locals’ warnings in Transylvania and chalking them up to be supersticious peasants — the Demeter is getting closer to England with all sorts of bad juju.

It makes the reader feel as if Mina needs this info from Swales. It’s not just for her own curiosity. Whatever he has to say may be key moving forward — especially with the tidbit Mina mentions of the bells going off when a ship goes missing that feels very foreshadow-y.

The suspense is picking up: the crew on the Demeter is panicking, we don’t know what’s happening with our good friend Jonathan, and the nearly 100-year-old man walked away with what could be valuable information.

Mina: 

Jonathan: 

Lucy: 

Arthur: 

Jack: 

Quincey: 

Van Helsing:

Dracula: 

Renfield:

Swales: 

Also Jonathan/Mina:

[ID: Mina: “Area Woman Not Listened to Again”; “Relaxing Tea Better Fucking Work”

Jonathan: “Wrongly Imprisoned Man Won’t Shut Up About It”; “I Shouldn’t Be Alive”

Lucy: “Report: Area Woman Has Best Friends in Whole World”; “Nation’s Poor Bastards Never Even Saw It Coming”

Arthur: “Ah, To Be Young, Rich, White, College-Educated, Straight, and in Love”; “Man Who Thought He’d Lost All Hope Loses Last Additional Bit Of Hope He Didn’t Even Know He Still Had” 

Jack: “Area Man Pronounced Dead On The Inside”; “Oh, God, Area Man Making His Move”

Quincey: “Report: Majority of Americans Would Jump At Chance To Rip Off Shirt And Use It As Tourniquet”; “Man Always Carries Gun In Case He Needs To Escalate Situation” 

Van Helsing: “Here’s Why You’re Wrong”; “Area Man a Walking Encyclopedia Of Everything Except Living A Normal Life”

Dracula: “I Am Old And Confused And Paralyzed With Sexual Frustration”; “Zing! I Just Got You With Another One Of My Signature ‘Complete Lies’”

Renfield: “Badly Injured Man Not Done Partying Yet”; “Fast-Learning New Hire Gains Quick Grasp Of How Terrible Job Is”

Swales: “Area Man Has Story For Every Stain On Pants”; “Grandfather’s Advice Pretty Bad For Someone Who’s Lived That Long”