“As you know, human history is full of evil deeds, and maybe we ought to think of them with tears, not fascination.”
The narrator delves into the history of the Dracula myth to uncover the truths about the past and how it still affects the present. She is among the scholars interested in the happenings surrounding Count Dracula and the more they probe into it they discover that history is filled with wickedness. In the beginning, the narrator is fascinated with Count Dracula, but as she unearths how the character is involved in the mayhem of the world she gradually becomes repulsed. Thus the assertion alludes to how we should cease to glorify or be enthralled by the wicked past but to observe it through critical lens.
“The very worst impulses of humankind can survive generations, centuries, even millennia. And the best of our individual efforts can die with us at the end of a single lifetime.”
As the narrator, her father and other scholars go through Eastern Europe to expose the Dracula myth they encounter more in regards to Dracula’s influence. The statement essentially alludes to the nature of wickedness that can persist through several eras such as the savagery of genocide. However, it resonates more with Count Dracula since she is uncovering his past and also present deeds. In the novel, Dracula is seen to influence the government systems in the region through tyrannical leaders. Dracula is an embodiment of humanity’s evilness that can survive through many generations and which haunts modern society.
“I've always been interested in foreign relations. It's my belief that study of history should be our preparation for understanding the present rather than an escape from it.”
Akin to the title, the novel is primarily about history considering its parts chronicles the historical discoveries the characters unearth. The narrator expresses how past deeds, particularly by the infamous character Count Dracula, still affects the present politically and socially. Furthermore, she also finds out the truth about her mother by delving into the specifics of the Dracula history. Since the entirety of the book is a recounting of history, the assertion encompasses the essence of the plot and the themes thereof.
