All literature is a reflection of the culture in which it was composed as well as the values ​​important to that society. “The Other” is a theme common to all literature, varying according to times and cultures depending on their definition. The Victorian era was a conservative period of great social upheaval, where rapid urbanization alongside the emergence of scientific breakthroughs paved the way for new ideas about art, culture and society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'?Get the original essay Victorian England's ideas of the 'other' are reflected in Bram Stoker's depiction of the deeply mysterious world of Eastern Europe, filled with folklore and superstitions. The novel's settings echo historical fears regarding societal changes regarding geographic and political invasion due to the perceived decline of British power, making the nation vulnerable to attacks from "primitive" peoples. Transylvania is used by Bram Stoker to explore this idea as well as Western superiority. When Jonathan Harker travels through Romania, almost everyone he meets is a foreigner, and for him they represent the “other,” existing outside of industrialized Western Europe. “It seems to me that the further east you go, the more punctual the trains are. What should they be in China? A rhetorical device is used to emphasize skepticism towards technological progress in Eastern Europe, emphasizing how the West was industrializing while the East was falling behind. Its underlying condescending tone also demonstrates Victorian England's social view towards the "simpler" people of the East. The villagers of Romania are described as primitive in terms of construction and ideology, as well as being very superstitious. "All made the sign of the cross and pointed two fingers at me", Stoker uses these symbols to demonstrate the villagers' belief in traditional folklore, further contrasting them with British society. While England advanced through rapid industrialization and scientific breakthroughs, the foreign East was stuck in the past. However, there was an underlying fear that the forces of the primitive East, represented by Dracula, threatened to overthrow the progressive and scientific world of contemporary Britain. “His face was a strong, very strong, aquiline, with a high bridge of thin nose and particularly arched nostrils, with a high domed forehead and hair growing lightly around the temples but thickly elsewhere. Stoker uses detailed description and imagery to depict Dracula's appearance as inhuman and present him as the "other". However, Dracula's strangeness exhibits two distinct characteristics of the outcasts of Bram Stoker's era. He is a foreigner and not part of the Christian Church. Stoker emphasizes Dracula's status as a foreign invader from the East by describing his English as imperfect and in need of help understanding British laws and cultural customs. Dracula also has no role in the Church, which is strange because at that time almost every aspect of life, social and political ideas were governed by Christian values. Dracula contrasts with Christianity because he is an evil and lustful creature with satanic ties. Renfield, mad and "beast-like", who feeds on animals, symbolizes the corrupting and satanic influence of Dracula. “I am here to carry out Your orders, Master. I am your slave. The hatred of Dracula and his.