Original artwork, not a still
Dracula ‧ 1897
The blood is the life!
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It sounds like a creed, and in the book it works as one: Renfield's whole logic is that blood and living things carry life, which is why he is Dracula's natural servant. It remains the line people reach for to evoke old-fashioned Gothic menace, and a ready motto for vampire philosophy.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for DraculaShow the scene
In Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) the line is the mantra of the asylum patient Renfield, in Chapter 11, in Dr. Seward's diary entry for 17 September. Renfield bursts into Seward's study with a dinner knife and cuts the doctor's wrist. Seward floors him, and Renfield drops to the floor to lick up the spilled blood like a dog. He is led away quite placidly by the attendants, repeating the words over and over. The scene fits his delusion, which compels him to eat living creatures to gain their life force.
Sources (2)
- Project Gutenberg: DraculaChapter XI, Dr. Seward's Diary, 17 SeptemberReference checked
- Wikipedia: Renfieldlead and character sectionReference checked
Context reviewed