Dracula Lesson Plan

Consider this quote by Dr. van Helsing from an earlier chapter: "All men are mad in some way or the other." What did Renfield's life and death reveal about the demarcation between sanity and insanity?

This question harkens back to an earlier discussion question about Renfield's motivations in (seemingly) showing his sanity and good manners while in Mina's company. More than any other moment in the novel, Renfield's death is what proves him to be an important character on a par with Jonathan or Lucy. On the one hand, as some students might notice, Renfield's vampire-like madness does not prevent him from having an intellect and a conscience, which has implications for how...