The Religious Elements of Christian Traditions and Catholic Sacraments Research Paper

The Religious Elements of Christian Traditions and Catholic Sacraments in Dracula - Research Paper Example The religious significance of the crucifixes and other Christian elements in Dracula reflects the protective power of Christianity against the intervention of the Muslim religion to Europe. According to Fierobe, Dracula is the representative figure of the Ottoman influence on the European continent and his fleeing from the country marks the new stage in the expansion of the Christian religion across Europe. In Dracula we read: â€Å"When the count saw my face, his eyes blazed with a sort of demoniac fury, and he suddenly made a grab at my throat. I drew away and his hand touched the string of beads which held the crucifix. It made an instant change in him, for the fury passed so quickly that I could hardly believe that it was ever there†. The implications of this quotation are two-fold: on the one hand, Stoker once again supports the significance of the Christian symbols against the satanic evil; on the other hand, Dracula reinforces the sense of inevitability in the eternal c onflict between the Islamic and Christian religions. However, whether Dracula really symbolizes the broad fight between the Ottoman Empire and Europe is difficult to define. To a large extent, the claim about the broader religious implications of Dracula’s role in the story is at least ambiguous and doubtful.