#szgany

[see-arcane]

Before his goodbye to Mina in case he dies, Jonathan is, once again, the only one to make a death threat about humans, something no one else in the group ever does:  "I note this whilst Godalming is getting ready. We have our arms. The Szgany must look out if they mean fight." Quincey has declared that he'd kill Dracula even if a thousand would witness, but never that they would be in danger from him, for example.

Honestly the dynamic really boils down to

[vickyvicarious]

The Count has come. He sat down beside me, and said in his smoothest voice as he opened two letters:— "The Szgany has given me these, of which, though I know not whence they come, I shall, of course, take care. See!"—he must have looked at it—"one is from you, and to my friend Peter Hawkins; the other"—here he caught sight of the strange symbols as he opened the envelope, and the dark look came into his face, and his eyes blazed wickedly—"the other is a vile thing, an outrage upon friendship and hospitality! It is not signed. Well! so it cannot matter to us." And he calmly held letter and envelope in the flame of the lamp till they were consumed. Then he went on:— "The letter to Hawkins—that I shall, of course, send on, since it is yours. Your letters are sacred to me. Your pardon, my friend, that unknowingly I did break the seal. Will you not cover it again?" He held out the letter to me, and with a courteous bow handed me a clean envelope. I could only redirect it and hand it to him in silence.

This is Dracula at peak cruelty. He's got his smoothest voice, his best manners, his finest words about the friendship between them. He opens Jonathan's messages right in front of him, burns the letter right in front of him.

He could have let him think they got out, but he doesn't want Jonathan to keep harboring any hope. He also doesn't want him to think he can ask the people outside for help (which actually makes me believe they are more likely to try and help, which is why Dracula wants to prevent Jonathan seeking it from them). So he crushes both the hope for rescue from afar and help from nearby at once, by telling Jonathan that these letters were given to him, and of course by controlling what gets sent out.

He seems to have already opened and read the letter to Hawkins. But he waited to read the second letter until he is in front of Jonathan. The one to Hawkins has no important information, but it hints that the one to Mina does. If that letter was not in shorthand, Jonathan's life would almost certainly depend on how openly he had asked for help. Because that might have broken the facade of friendship. And by waiting until he was in front of him to read Jonathan's own words, Dracula ensured that it would be Jonathan who was 'responsible' for doing so. He engineered what he probably expected to be a high-stakes game, wherein he read the letter and depending on the contents either allowed Jonathan to try and come up with an excuse he could pretend to accept, or let everything end and attacked him.

The shorthand changes everything. It's infuriating, because Dracula cannot read or understand it. And he refuses to admit that or to allow Jonathan to lie to him about what it contains. So he threatens whoever would write such a thing, but seizes on the excuse of it not being signed to dispose of it without having to call off the game. And he is able to quickly pivot back to hurting Jonathan even more, by forcing him to watch the letter containing all his hopes burn away. (This could be another test as well. If he broke, if he lunged to save it...)

Then Dracula forces Jonathan to play along. It seems clear that he has been sitting in silence throughout this scene. Dracula makes him, if not talk, at least act. He has to be the one to redirect the new envelope. He has to physically hand it over to Dracula. His effort to get a message out was turned into a useless mockery in which he must participate.

And then Dracula locks him in the library and leaves him alone to stew for a while.

I do think that Dracula went off and burned the letter to Mr. Hawkins as well. If that went out it would potentially raise questions, at the very least about a letter to Mina that went missing, and also might screw up his carefully scheduled false timeline (as established in the dictated letters). There's no reason for him to actually send this letter. But by pretending he was going to, he was able to twist the knife a little harder, and get Jonathan to 'participate' again.

[dykepuffs]

-Immediately feels like Jonathan's "I stayed near the station because I didn't have long between trains" might be a habit learnt from Mina or impressed upon him by Mina, along with his comment on the trains getting less punctual as he goes East. Like he already wishes that he could sit in the square by the station and rokker with her about how this is all very cute but it's hardly Kings Cross, and see what she thinks of the paprika hendl and the handsome peasants etc

- Also oooh the "Cowboy hats and broad leather belts" on the Slovaks sounds a lot like he's also describing the outfits of Roma, specifically the staddi kali as the really iconic thing.

-Interests me that in his enumeration of the peoples of Wallachia, Bukovina, Moldavia and Transylvania he doesn't mention Roma. Though potentially either Jonathan can't recognise them, there aren't any/many in the city, or Bram didn't consider them this early in the narrative. The word that he uses later, "Szgany" is an attempt at rendering the Romanian word "Țigani" which is UNAMBIGUOUSLY an insulting way to refer to Roma.

-So Roma at the time would have been technically emancipated for about 30-ish years in Transylvania, but in practise most of the freed Roma who were forcibly settled would have been still very much under the boot of both landowners and police, with the biggest group who remained nomadic being the Ursari. (How much of this did Bram Stoker know? If he did know it, how much was through the lens of American emancipation movements, which were a big influence on Roma emancipation.)

-I am so happy to have my first letter from my good friend Jonathan! He is having such a lovely holiday in such a beautiful country!

[serial-serializednovelreader]

Nova’s Notes - Dracula Daily - June 29th

In which Jonathan gets the worst room service known to man.

“To-day is the date of my last letter, and the Count has taken steps to prove that it was genuine, for again I saw him leave the castle by the same window, and in my clothes.”

Not the last letter!!!! I’m sure this date has been on Jonathan’s mind for a long time and it’s telling that he starts the entry off with that. Also, Dracula’s making another trip in Jonathan’s clothing: that identity thief. And Jonathan's keeping watch by the South window again.

As he went down the wall, lizard fashion, I wished I had a gun or some lethal weapon, that I might destroy him; but I fear that no weapon wrought alone by man's hand would have any effect on him.”

This might be one of my favorite sentences in the whole book (subject to change with more of my reread). Just the fact that he elaborates with lizard fashion (as if we didn't already know, but still) and then follows it up with "I want to enact my fantasies of murder on him". Not just to kill him, mind you -- to destroy him. I don't know if Jonathan figures Dracula is the kind of creature that needs to be destroyed rather than merely murdered or if he simply is so angry at him that he just wants him to be a pile of dust by the time he's done with him, but either way I love it. Then ending it with being uncertain whether he'd even be able to kill him with a weapon made by man in the first place (which is not a far off guess) is just such a cool way to end the sentence. Very metal. From start to finish, a perfect line -- 11/10, no notes.

This time, Jonathan's learned his lesson and doesn't wait to see the "weird sisters" come back. Instead he spends his time in the library until he falls asleep (isn't he vulnerable in there too, though? I though only his room was safe. No? Ok.)

When he wakes up, the Count is there (jumpscare) and says this -- grimly:

"'To-morrow, my friend, we must part. You return to your beautiful England, I to some work which may have such an end that we may never meet. Your letter home has been despatched; to-morrow I shall not be here, but all shall be ready for your journey. In the morning come the Szgany, who have some labours of their own here, and also come some Slovaks. When they have gone, my carriage shall come for you, and shall bear you to the Borgo Pass to meet the diligence from Bukovina to Bistritz. But I am in hopes that I shall see more of you at Castle Dracula.'"

It's so interesting to me that Dracula starts off by saying that he's off to do some work which may mean that Jonathan and him will never meet again (implied subtext: because Jonathan won't be alive for it), but he directly contradicts this in the last sentence by saying he hopes to see more of him at the castle (implied subtext: either Jonathan’ll be a vampire too or perhaps, only his remains will be left at Castle Dracula). In-between, he confirms that the last letter has gone through, states that he will be gone (even implying how with the Szgany and Slovak mention), and then ending with how he plans to get Jonathan home. But it's a lie and they both know it. Dracula was his coachman that first night and if he's gone, Jonathan has no transportation to speak of!

Jonathan decides to test this "journey" business and see if it's at all sincere (a word he can't even put in the same sentence as Dracula at this point -- that's how bad it's gotten). So he asks if he can leave tonight, to which Dracula's like "bUt mY cOaChMaN iSnT hErE" (you're the coachman, shut up) and Jonathan says "I can walk." Same kind of exchange goes for the baggage, except Jonathan notes a "diabolical smile".

I'm so happy that Jonathan is still standing up for himself at this point!! Even with everything he's seen, he's not cowering or letting Dracula walk all over him. Instead, he's fighting to get out: this man has a will of steel!!!

"The Count stood up, and said, with a sweet courtesy which made me rub my eyes, it seemed so real:— 'You English have a saying which is close to my heart, for its spirit is that which rules our boyars: 'Welcome the coming; speed the parting guest.' Come with me, my dear young friend. Not an hour shall you wait in my house against your will, though sad am I at your going, and that you so suddenly desire it. Come!'"

Unfortunately, Dracula does things that hint at being real to the point that Jonathan questions himself. Dracula seems so sweet and courteous now from that diabolical smirk he had just a second ago -- it's hard to reconcile the two. I even wonder if Dracula is using a bit of hypnosis on him, but it doesn't work as well as he had hoped due to Jonathan being keen to his tricks. It almost reminds me of that moment in Aladdin (1992) when Jafar is trying to hypnotize the Sultan into letting him marry Jasmine and it doesn't work at first because he snaps out of it long enough to go "--but you're so old!!" Either way, luckily Jonathan sees through it, but it's sad he's in such a precarious position where he has to be constantly wary of these tricks.

This line Dracula says about Jonathan not spending an hour in his house against his will definitely parallels his first lines to him (as Count Dracula, that is):

"'Welcome to my house! Enter freely and of your own will!...Welcome to my house. Come freely. Go safely; and leave something of the happiness you bring!'"

I noticed upon rereading this entry that he repeated it twice -- and in the second part, emphasized coming freely and going safely. In the first line, he also says to enter of your own will, which parallels this entry's emphasis on him not wanting Jonathan to stay in his house "against [his] will" either. Obviously the fact that Dracula has to emphasize this whole "wills" and "safety" thing would be weird on a normal guy, but after all that we know of him, it's even worse irony that he basically promises Jonathan (well, he doesn't promise, but it almost feels like one) a going of safety -- when he's about to do what he does next. Plus, of course, there’s the whole “feeding him to his roommates” thing.

They begin to walk down the hall and Dracula calls out: "Hark!" That's when Jonathan hears the howling of the wolves once more, almost as if Dracula himself is conducting them to howl (he probably is -- overdramatic much?).

After a pause of a moment, he proceeded, in his stately way, to the door, drew back the ponderous bolts, unhooked the heavy chains, and began to draw it open. To my intense astonishment I saw that it was unlocked. Suspiciously, I looked all round, but could see no key of any kind.

What's interesting to me here is the emphasis on no key. How is Dracula keeping the door locked then? I'm almost certain Jonathan could've opened those himself -- so what's keeping this locked normally? If Dracula is using some kind of vampire power on it, wouldn't that be draining for him? Just some thoughts I had -- we don't get a clear answer here, of course.

That's when the wolves start coming in through the door....

"I knew then that to struggle at the moment against the Count was useless. With such allies as these at his command, I could do nothing. But still the door continued slowly to open, and only the Count's body stood in the gap. Suddenly it struck me that this might be the moment and means of my doom; I was to be given to the wolves, and at my own instigation. There was a diabolical wickedness in the idea great enough for the Count, and as a last chance I cried out:— 'Shut the door; I shall wait till morning!' and covered my face with my hands to hide my tears of bitter disappointment.

This is when Jonathan is faced with a choice: it's Dracula or the wolves. Now as many of you on here have already said, I do doubt Dracula would've let him get bit by the wolves -- after all, he's Dracula's Capri-Sun that he has been waiting to feed on for a month. But in Jonathan’s mind, this is a choice and it’s a very villainous one, because Jonathan would’ve chosen the wolves of his own volition without even knowing it. That’s just evil. So, to no one’s surprise, Jonathan chooses Dracula, because at least he has some hope of escape that way.

Unfortunately, he can’t even show his emotions at having any hope of leaving snatched away from him. He knew there was a catch — he knew this was too easy — but he still had hoped and he can’t help but cry at this last easy hope of leaving being taken from his grasp. But he can’t show that to Dracula for a myriad of reasons. For one thing, it would disrupt the all-important “game”, of benevolent host and happy guest, which would be disastrous. Jonathan has already bent this rule considerably by even saying he wanted to leave (which Dracula mentioned somewhat by remarking on his “sudden” desire to leave) and to bend it further might mean a faster doom. For another, it would give Dracula the satisfaction of seeing him so negatively affected by this encounter with the wolves. So all he can do is put his head in his hands and hide the tears. The worst part is he’s not even sad at this point — he’s disappointed.

“With one sweep of his powerful arm, the Count threw the door shut, and the great bolts clanged and echoed through the hall as they shot back into their places.”

Sorry, I know this is a serious entry today, but did Dracula just use the Force to click the bolts back into their places? In plain view in front of Jonathan? New vampire power unlocked (or should I say, locked :D), I guess. Maybe he does do something special with that particular door to keep it closed.

“In silence we returned to the library, and after a minute or two I went to my own room. The last I saw of Count Dracula was his kissing his hand to me; with a red light of triumph in his eyes, and with a smile that Judas in hell might be proud of.”

So they just sat in awkward silence for like 2 minutes? Yikes. This library time is usually when Dracula would spin yarns and Jonathan would listen politely, try to garner information out of him, or — on a good day, perhaps — be genuinely interested in what he has to say. I understand why Jonathan can’t muster up words, but Dracula? He’s really just going to sit in silence with him and not even try to engage him in conversation? I suppose that’s for the best — I doubt Jonathan would have anything to say to him — but it’s so weird that Dracula doesn’t even want to keep up the facade here. I guess he knows the game is up.

Jonathan sure does. He’s done playing games. He decides to go up to his room and turns around to find Dracula blowing him kisses with a smile he compares to Judas Iscariot. I love that he does that because yeah, he definitely should compare him to the worst betrayer, give him no leeway!!! And also because what did Judas do to betray Jesus? A kiss on the cheek. So, I’m loving the symbolism here.

In his room, about to lay down, Jonathan hears some whispering at his door. It’s the Count:

“‘Back, back, to your own place! Your time is not yet come. Wait! Have patience! To-night is mine. To-morrow night is yours!’"

Eep. Yep, so Dracula is ready to feed tonight and will have the “leftovers” ready for the sisters tomorrow. Hate that!!! It would almost be funny (if it wasn’t condescending and grossly sexist) that he sounds like a dog owner commanding their dogs to not eat a treat. And that’s kind of what this dynamic is, right? Dracula sees himself as an all-knowing master. The roommates/weird sisters (Jonathan’s wording for them is growing on me LOL) are his “pets” (UGH, hate it) that he once “loved” in his way and he now looks after and feeds, but traps in this castle. Jonathan is the snack they’re keeping for later (he is a snack, just not the way they’re thinking, hehe).

I’m sure these women are actually much more capable and smarter than he thinks, but once again, with his superiority complex, I imagine he sees them as beneath his notice as well. They can use their phantom forms to move around the castle, but that’s about it. They depend on Dracula for food, though whether they want to is another question entirely. I imagine they enjoy not having to do any of the “food work” themselves (and making him do it — which since he’s the one who condemned them to this fate is honestly a girlboss move of them). But I’m sure they have their restless moments of wanting to escape the castle and gauging whether it would be worth it to overpower Dracula. Another question arises: could they even overpower Dracula if they wanted to? I’m not sure if his age of being a vampire gives him an advantage over them. Again, the narrative doesn’t give us many answers, but I like thinking about these questions.

Jonathan throws open the door — angry — to see the women licking their lips. They laugh at him before running away. It’s good that Jonathan is still able to do things in anger at this point: it means he hasn’t given up yet. I also like that he does this in front of the women — he may have run from them screaming the other day, but he’s defiant today. That is something, at least.

However, afterwards, he drops to his knees and laments about tomorrow’s doom. I guess he had some hope that even though the final letter was sent, he would still have a few days afterwards to hope of escape, or perhaps he was just in denial: both are understandable.

“Lord, help me, and those to whom I am dear!”

While he doesn’t directly mention Mina, it’s obvious he’s talking about her. Thinking of her is likely what is bringing him strength right now. It’s also notable that he reminds himself that she holds him dear, and will miss him if he doesn’t come home. :(

[ninadove]

Nina reads Dracula 🦇

June 17th

We are BACK!!!!! We are so back!!! And our friend Jonathan hasn’t been turned into a raisin yet!!!

This morning, as I was sitting on the edge of my bed cudgelling my brains —

What does that mean. What the FUCK does that mean.

[Confused French noises]

… Jonathan are you OK —

With joy I hurried to the window, and saw drive into the yard two great leiter-wagons, each drawn by eight sturdy horses, and at the head of each pair a Slovak, with his wide hat, great nail-studded belt, dirty sheepskin, and high boots.

YAY!!!!! OTHER HUMAN BEINGS!!!!!

Again a shock: my door was fastened on the outside.

:(

Then I ran to the window and cried to them. They looked up at me stupidly and pointed, but just then the "hetman" of the Szgany came out, and seeing them pointing to my window, said something, at which they laughed. Henceforth no effort of mine, no piteous cry or agonised entreaty, would make them even look at me.

NO!!!!! OTHER HUMAN BEINGS!!!!!

Shortly afterwards, I heard the cracking of their whips die away in the distance.

🎶 Alone again (naturally) 🎶

< Prev 🦇 Next >

[draculasweedsmokinggirlfriend]

The Szgany are snitches

[dracula-dictionary]

Dracula Dictionary, May 28th

Szgany/gypsy: slurs that refer to Romani people

boyar: a member of the highest rank of the feudal nobility

obeisance: a gesture expressing respect, such as a bow or curtsy

[kittykattymwah]

Jonathan when the Szgany came out, pointed at the window and laughed.

My poor man :((

[myfanfictiongarden]

I firmly believe the poor Szgany guy did not survive… given the circumstances of the time period, he and his people were probably dependent on the Count's "protection", but Dracula only allowed them to live in his lands while they're "useful" to him.

Offering help to his newest victim isn't useful to him.

[fandomcrazy6226]

Liveblogging Dracula Daily - May 28

OK! I know it's been a very long minute, and I'm gonna try and get all caught up on the Dracula emails during this week (my email is overflowing and I need to fix it). So May 28, brought to you in September

(this is also partially because I want to participate in whumptober this year and I don't want two ongoing "daily" post series hanging over my head at the same time)

Oh he can escape! There's a bunch of... Szgany (oh boy hold on... "phonetic translation of the romanian word Țigani, which is just the romanian word for gypsy" good to know). Is there some kind of universal "gypsy alliance"? Wait is that like, not ok to say? I don't know much about like... that culture? I feel like I may be accidentally offending someone so I'm just gonna move on (I swear I'm not trying to be offensive). OK so they pledge themselves to lords and are superstitious but not religious and have their own language

So he's gonna try and get the gypsies to deliver his letters, and he's already been talking to them out his window. (I looked up what "obeisance" means, it basically means respect). Jonathan cannot understand what they're telling him

Sidebar, my cat is with me for the week and she's being absolutely adorable

OK so the letter for Mina is written in shorthand, and he's asking his boss to communicate with her. He explains the situation to her but not the scary parts, which is definitely nice. And also a safety measure in case the Count finds the letters. Am I forgetting what the "secret" is? I feel like I might be

The letters were thrown, and hopefully they'll be delivered.

Oh god the Count is talking smooth

So they gave him the letters, and he seems unconcerned about the one to Jonathan's boss, but what I'm guessing is Mina's with the shorthand symbols isn't signed and the Count chucks it into the fire. He'll send the one to Mr Hawkins, after already reading it and "accidentally" breaking the seal.

And then he locks Jonathan in! Rude! Jonathan ends up sleeping on the couch that night

Well fun times for Jonathan. The poor man needs to get out of there, and I feel like this is all ramping up to something because I'm definitely getting a lot of dread from this

PREVIOUS / NEXT

[vickyvicarious]

Jonathan's description of the Romani people is certainly full of racist stereotypes. But it also reads to me as something he's reciting; as he says, he has notes of them "in my book." His words here seem to be him copying down something he's read in a book (whether here or in his research before he left). It's completely uncritical, but aligns with his earlier notes about history.

Even though he writes that they "attach themselves as a rule to some noble" he's not certain that they will turn him in to Dracula. He guards against the possibility of course, with his shorthand, and does mention that possibility of "should [the letters] not send," but he still willingly took the risk. Of course, it's really the only thing he can do, so even if he fully believes the stereotypes he's got to try anyway. Certainly though, I think he would be willing to alter his beliefs should they act in a way that contradicts what he has heard.

From his perspective, they... don't, at least today. Dracula coming back with the letters could easily be explained by them taking his money and then giving him up. But I choose to believe that they really did try to help him. They might have brought Dracula the letters because he's the only one who knows English. Or, more likely if they know he is a vampire and work for him at least partially out of fear, they intended to hide it but Dracula heard Jonathan calling down to them/saw him throwing something and asked about it. Or so on. There are several different ways they could have wanted to help Jonathan but still have been forced to give his messages to the Count. There's no evidence against such an interpretation, and it is not only better because it's not a racist stereotype, but it also fits the themes of the story and the pattern of humans trying to help one another as well.

However, I can't help but note that Dracula also calls them "Szgany". I didn't know this for a long time, but at some point last year I heard that term is not referring to a specific group of people. Instead it appears to be a phonetic spelling of a slur:

Cigan/Tsigan      Term used to describe Roma. Amongst most Romani communities this is a highly offensive racial slur. It originates from the Greek word "atsinganoi" meaning "untouchable". (from the European Roma Rights Centre)

This is awful, but perfectly in character for Dracula. He looks down on humans in general, and is clearly dismissive of 'peasants' at other times. It also would make sense for him to intentionally reinforce negative stereotypes about them in order to degrade any trust between Jonathan and other people. He did something similar when he called the other locals superstitious peasants.

It's possible that at least some of Jonathan's information about these people comes from Dracula himself, or at least has been 'confirmed' by him. Even if that's not the case, it makes sense that Dracula would be aware of any negative reputation and I could see him playing into it in any conversation or potentially in any interactions he thinks Jonathan can see.

[motherofmonstersao3]

Twenty-Eighth of May. I imagine the Count specifically told the Szgany to watch for any of Jonathan's desperate fumbling at subterfuge, given how inept at it Jonathan has proven himself to be. This is, of course, a power play, but also insurance: Dracula probably doesn't want to take the risk that comes with Jonathan being so desperate to act no longer according to his own reason, and thus make himself more difficult to predict. I do appreciate, however, that the Count maintains his civility and geniality: he knows that Jonathan is firmly within his power, and will remain so, at least until his designs are fulfilled, and aside from the show of power which he does rather gently, he sees no reason to rub Jonathan's nose in it, to rub it in his face. The looming guillotine blade above his neck, now that the game is up and Jonathan knows that Dracula intends for him to die here, to become as much a part of the furniture as the sofa he's sleeping upon, is enough for the Count, and it's telling to me that he doesn't think to engage in excess sadism. He's clever, and he's also got a clear sense of honour--which, I imagine, is meant only to sharpen the fear of infiltration and miscegenation, that an outsider, a foreigner, could be so "un-savage," but as it stands...I mean... I can increasingly see how Dracula became such a sex symbol, is what I mean, even if I don't think any adaptation beyond the Castlevania anime (and the Dracula ballet) ever actually quite understood why.

Partly because, I'd imagine, they were wrapped up in this image of Dracula as this 'bad boy' type of character--that's Langella, at the very least--and not because, well, he's charming, really. For all that he's a vampire, there's still a recognisable, personable, and friendly humanity about him--a magnetism based not out of any like, wild and dark lust, but rather because he feels real even when he's being performative. Unfettered, but not in the sense of an asshole or even a Camus protagonist. More on this later, I suppose.

[captainsparklefingers]

Has it ever been established what sort of arrangement the Szgany have with Dracula? It seems that they're doing jobs for him that he's unable to do himself due to the limits of vampire physiology...yes I know sunlight in the original story isn't an instant death sentence but it does depower Drac, you think that dude could haul several coffins of dirt when he's got the strength of an ordinary old man? I don't think so!

But like. What do they get from him? Beyond the (admittedly understandabe and positive) benefit of not being eaten by Drac and the weed girlfriends Brides, what do they get from this? How was this relationship established? The Szgany know he's a dangerous killer who is using them...is this something that Dracula has cultivated over several generations? And why specifically the Szgany?

I'm not trying to downplay the offensive stereotypes presented by Stoker in the text or how awful it is that a historically marginalized group of people is cast as his thugs and informers, because that's extremely offensive and problematic. And I hope I've worded my query in a way that isn't going to upset anyone. I'm just curious as to what the in universe reason is for the Szgany working for Dracula, how that happened, and why it happened. Because it's not like he couldn't easily turn on the people he's got under his power.

I dunno. I'm just curious. And ALSO, I apologize if this was worded badly, I swear I don't wanna hurt or offend anyone. And I'm also aware that 'Szgany' is Stoker's attempt at spelling out the Romanian language slur used against the Rroma. I only ask my question using that because it's the word used in the text and my question/ is about the in universe circumstances that led to the arrangement that Jonathan is seeing. I can and will go back and change wording if asked or delete this if requested.

[serial-serializednovelreader]

Nova’s Notes - Dracula Daily - May 28

Finally, a letter from our good friend Jonathan Harker! I’m sure nothing bad has happened to him since his last entry. /s

So right off the bat, he tells us his plan for escape using the Szgany people as a means of sending two secret letters home, one to Mina and one to Mr. Hawkins.

“To her I have explained my situation, but without the horrors which I may only surmise. It would shock and frighten her to death were I to expose my heart to her.”

I’ve seen some flack on him from this and that’s valid, but I want to approach this from a different perspective (also, I’m a total Jonathan apologist).

So from what we can see here, he’s “explained the situation” to Mina. I’m going to assume that means “I’m trapped in this castle with no means of escape for the next 32 days, after which I’m not sure what’s going to happen to me. You will receive letters from me saying I’m on my way home, don’t believe them. I am being held here against my will, you and Mr. Hawkins need to find a way to get me out of this.”

Obviously, I’m sure that’s not actually how he said it — he likely said it much more covertly than that — but that’s the gist. While he does say he hasn’t explained the horrors to her, one of the reasons he doesn’t is because, again, he can only speculate about what’s going on here. He doesn’t have hardcore evidence that anyone wants to suck his blood or that the Count wants to murder him. His livelihood is built off of facts and sending a letter that has a ton of speculation without proof in it is pretty much against his moral code at this point.

Also, think about the position it would put Mina in if she received a letter filled with the horrors he has endured. Jonathan is placing her in a position of trust and power by telling his boss to “communicate with her” (to figure out a plan of escape for him). If Mina knows exactly what has gone down in that castle, she likely will be much more frantic in trying to get him out of there (and who can blame her?). But Mr. Hawkins wouldn’t be. He doesn’t know anything about what is going on, and that would then put Mina in the position of likely having to explain everything to Mr. Hawkins and him deciding whether he believes her or not. Sure, she can show him the letter, but I don’t know if he reads shorthand, and if he’s skeptical enough, he might dismiss the entire letter as “not from Jonathan” (this could be an exaggeration, but we also don’t know Mr. Hawkins well enough to know his character).

However, Jonathan being held against his will by an unreasonable client is something a bit more down-to-earth. While Mina might leave off the “after-32-days-who-knows-what-will-happen-to-me” part, she can say that Jonathan has tried to ask the Count to leave and has been refused for various reasons. Mr. Hawkins has likely dealt with this before and knows ways to counteract this. Perhaps he can send a letter to the count requesting his solicitor back for urgent matters, or something of the kind. While this likely wouldn’t have worked (due to, you know, it being *Dracula* we’re dealing with), Jonathan is eager to try anything at this point and this would be playing into Dracula’s illusion of Jonathan simply being a guest who can leave at any time. Plus, Jonathan knows if this tactic doesn’t work, he has more serious grounds to say the Count is holding him against his will.

Another point, he probably doesn’t have an unlimited supply of paper to work with, so he also wants to keep this letter relatively short. He could just read the pages from his diary and include those but that would make for a bulky envelope and it might not even fit.

On the emotional side, if you were in a horrifying situation and had one letter to send home, what would you put in that letter? Would you play up the horror of what you’re going through or simply emphasize the importance of getting out of there and how your loved one can help? While, yes, he should include some of what he’s going through (and, to be fair, he does explain some of the situation to only her which is a step above most protagonists, who likely would either a) not send letters explaining it to anyone or b) just explain it to his male boss). I think most people in his shoes probably wouldn’t want to include the trauma of what they’re going through in order to not stress out their partner, no matter the gender. It’s what a lot of humans do and whether that’s the right call or not depends on the situation.

Finally, another big reason I believe he keeps it a secret is because of the next sentence:

“Should the letters not carry, then the Count shall not yet know my secret or the extent of my knowledge....”

Here’s the thing we have to remember: Jonathan doesn’t know for sure that Dracula doesn’t know shorthand. He’s already proven himself to be smart and knowledgeable, knowing the laws (almost as much as a lawyer in his own right) for a country he’s not even from. Sure, there may have been things the Count has said to suggest that he doesn’t know shorthand (which has given Jonathan that level of security), but we also know he’s a lying liar who lies. So, who knows? Jonathan sure isn’t going to take his chances describing every single weird encounter he’s had since he arrived at this castle, because that would be playing his hand about how much he knows.

Yes, writing these letters is taking a huge chance and is showing a bit of what he knows. But if the Count is able to read the letter in its current form, Jonathan will, at worst, sound like an ungrateful and rude guest with weird ideas (presuming he didn’t say “the count’s murdering me in 32 days” which he probably didn’t). They can still come back from that. Will it be awkward? Yes, very. Dracula might even say “Jonathan, haha! You can leave at anytime, why do you say this?” (LIES).

But if Jonathan detailed every single thing that has happened to him? That would likely get him murdered on the spot. He has broken the rules of this game the Count so enjoys playing by inviting someone else into their confidence (at least to that full extent). It might even put Mina in danger as well.

“‘The Szgany has given me these, of which, though I know not whence they come, I shall, of course, take care.’”

And here we see Count Dracula trying not to lie for one second (impossible). I doubt they gave him the letter of their own free will; I’m almost sure he either used his authority as a nobleman or he used his vampire powers to make them hand over the letters. No matter what, it’s evil and I hate him for it. Of course, he’s going to put the blame on *the Szgany* to make them sound as if they just gave him the letters because there’s nothing Dracula loves more than discrediting those he deems “below him” (which, really, is anyone who ISN’T him when you think about it) and making them seem ignorant. Plus, it’s another abuser tactic to remind Jonathan that no one here is really on his side: he’s already done this with the villagers and the coachmen, so it stands to reason he would do this here. We know that’s not true (look at how the villagers protected Jonathan), but for Jonathan, it’s likely starting to feel true after almost a month of isolation.

“…here he caught sight of the strange symbols as he opened the envelope, and the dark look came into his face, and his eyes blazed wickedly—‘the other is a vile thing, an outrage upon friendship and hospitality! It is not signed. Well! so it cannot matter to us.’ And he calmly held letter and envelope in the flame of the lamp till they were consumed.”

Back to my earlier point: what if Dracula *could* read shorthand? I’m sorry if that’s a theory everyone already has and I just haven’t seen it yet, but it is something to consider. No matter if he does, he obviously knows it’s from Jonathan and it’s written in some kind of code to a loved one, so he was going to burn this no matter what. But still, the possibility of him being able to actually *read* that letter is scary…

Notice how he says “us” here, trying to rope Jonathan back into a little group with him (presumably away from the Szgany, or even, perhaps, from the outside world). It’s sickening to me that even while he’s burning Jonathan’s only hope (at this point), he’s still trying to build a sense of rapport between them. While Jonathan called him a creature — rather than a man — for the first time after the lizard fashion thing, this is where I’d call him a creature because that’s just horrible. He even has the audacity afterward to say “Your letters are sacred to me” while also admitting he broke the seal and read Mr. Hawkins’ letter as well. It’s an invasion of privacy on so many levels and, of course, there’s nothing Jonathan can do about it. If he even had the heart to complain, Dracula could just lean on the excuse of “I don’t understand English customs” (uhhhh you understand their laws to an alarming degree though???).

As a disclaimer, I don’t think it’s a thing in Transylvania to peek into other people’s mail — I’m sure it’s just as much of a taboo there as it is everywhere else — I’m just saying that’s the excuse Dracula would use to justify his evil behavior. Because he likes lying.

After he locks Jonathan in the study (which, wow!!! He’s really punishing him by just straight up locking him in the study now), what can Jonathan do but sleep? I suppose he was so numb to everything after that he just went to sleep. Or, if we really want to take it there, perhaps Dracula compelled him to sleep, as we theorized he did in the carriage ride on the way to the castle. For what purpose is unclear, but perhaps he wanted to tamper in his room and search for more secret letters or something of the kind and didn’t want Jonathan to be suspicious while he did so.

When, an hour or two after, the Count came quietly into the room, his coming awakened me, for I had gone to sleep on the sofa. He was very courteous and very cheery in his manner, and seeing that I had been sleeping, he said:— [para. break] ‘So, my friend, you are tired? Get to bed.’

I hate the way Dracula acts here. “Awwww are you sleepy 🥺 go to bed 🥺🥺🥺” like how???? You locked him in the study????? Ugh, hate him. It makes you wonder what he’s so cheery about and what he was up to while Jonathan was asleep….again, my best guess was tampering in his room.

I passed to my room and went to bed, and, strange to say, slept without dreaming. Despair has its own calms.

This is so sad. That last sentence really hammers home how much Jonathan is suffering and how *even then* he’s trying to make some positivity out of it. But for the first part, we know weird dreams usually indicate that Dracula is up to something, right? Perhaps he knows he messed with Jonathan so much that he doesn’t need to send him dreams — the mind games he played in real life are enough to satisfy him, at least for today. And that’s truly where the horror comes in.

[ninadove]

Nina reads Dracula 🦇

November 6th

That’s it. See you next year everybody

JUST KIDDING. Let’s stab a vampire babyyy

Mina Harker's Journal.

GOOD NEWS. WE LOVE TO SEE IT.

"See!" he said, "here you will be in shelter; and if the wolves do come I can meet them one by one."

The idea of wolves waiting in line for Van Helsing to wack them is very funny to me

In the meantime, Mr. Morris had had to use force to pass through his side of the ring of Szgany. All the time I had been breathlessly watching Jonathan I had, with the tail of my eye, seen him pressing desperately forward, and had seen the knives of the gypsies flash as he won a way through them, and they cut at him. He had parried with his great bowie knife, and at first I thought that he too had come through in safety; but as he sprang beside Jonathan, who had by now jumped from the cart, I could see that with his left hand he was clutching at his side, and that the blood was spurting through his fingers.

It’s not even Dracula himself it’s the fucking henchmen. This sucks (pun intended)

As I looked, the eyes saw the sinking sun, and the look of hate in them turned to triumph.

But, on the instant, came the sweep and flash of Jonathan's great knife. I shrieked as I saw it shear through the throat; whilst at the same moment Mr. Morris's bowie knife plunged into the heart.

🎉🎉🎉

I shall be glad as long as I live that even in that moment of final dissolution, there was in the face a look of peace, such as I never could have imagined might have rested there.

Mina’s kindness 🥺

"I am only too happy to have been of any service!"

STOP IT YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE SO CHARMING EVEN AS YOU LITERALLY DIE 😭

"Now God be thanked that all has not been in vain! See! the snow is not more stainless than her forehead! The curse has passed away!"

I understand why the mark had to go but I would have loved for it to stay. “When humanity stands strong and people reach out for each other, there’s no need for gods” and all that. At least Mina is safe and it only cost us everything 🥹

WELL. WE DID IT CHAT. I knew from the start we were going to lose Quincey, but is there any way not to grow attached to this wonderful brave sweet cowboy? I think not. See you next year beloved… ❤️

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[kroashent]

Val-Cula Daily - May 29

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Deep Dive: Stoker and Orientalism. This is gonna be a long one...

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The "Szgany" peoples are heavily featured in today's story, starting on an iconic, but often problematic association between the Romani ethnic group, the supernatural world, and Western European prejudices. The word Szgany appears to be Stoker's attempt to trasliterate a Romanian word, rather than one that existed in widespread use. There's a more in-depth deep-dive into this than I can provide here: https://screamscenepodcast.tumblr.com/post/699604864253214720/a-point-of-clarification-more-linguistics-cw

Its often said that the past is a foreign country and the context of Stoker's time, while it does not excuse the problems, might help inform them.

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Let's open this can of worms...

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Stoker lived and wrote in the 19th century, the height of an art-historical trend called Orientalism, a renewed Western interest in the Middle East and Islamic culture, brought about by changes to travel and communications technology. African colonization, increased trade and travel with North Africa, South Asia and the Ottoman empire, opened up Western European cultures to an entirely new set of cultures and aesthetics, and interest exploded.

From a cynical view, Orientalism is a problematic movement, a patronizing Colonial and Imperialist coinciding with racist depictions, exploitation and the forced homogenization of cultures resulting from the spread of European Colonialism in Africa and Southeast Asia. But it is also one of fascination and awe at new concepts of expression and thought, a genuine attempt to understand and adapt these expressions and cultures, but through a very removed and warped view brought on by Europe's own ethno-religious struggles, state/religious propaganda of earlier times, geographic distance and linguistic ignorance.

Orientalism was especially prevalent in France, where the Société des Peintres Orientalistes Français (Society of French Orientalist Painters) was founded a mere 4 years prior to Dracula's publication, inspired by French Colonial ties to Algeria and Morocco. French Orientalist painters could be split into two groups: Those who traveled, lived and worked in the areas they painted, and those who never left their own studios. The SPOF often held promotions and dinners, not just of French Orientalist painters, but also showcases of Islamic art, cuisine, language and culture. Similar trends existed in England, although to a lesser extent, and it is evident from Stoker's work that he was often exposed to these movements. The first unabridged and unexpurgated English Language editions of the seminal Orientalist collection, Tales of 1,001 Nights were published in 1882 and 1885, after earlier, heavily censored and altered versions had been in circulation up to that point.

While it is easy to dismiss the movement as another example of Western colonialism, it was also one driven by a genuine desire to understand and share the cultural beauty they encountered, albeit through the often blunt and blundering lens of Belle Epoque/Victorian society. Stoker is making a real attempt to showcase the peoples of Eastern Europe, commonly drawing on food, clothing and architecture in his drawings, but sometimes, as is the case with the Szgany, he falls flat to the standards of contemporary review.

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So, now that I've gotten everyone worked up over a 19th century artistic movement, how does the initial appearance of Dracula's "Gipsie" henchmen work out? I actually thought pretty well.

The Szgany have arrived to do some work for Drac, at which point I direct you to my earlier "Dracula is a crime lord of a technothriller. The Szgany are not following Dracula alone as a superstitious group, but one of a large network, including, but not limited to: A Romanian stagecoach line, a hotel, several British lawyers, several British realtors, a Russian shipping company, a British Zoo, a Bulgarian businessman, a pair of Hungarian Bankers, several British teamsters and a spider-eating man in a padded room. Its sort of weird how the Szgany get singled out, when its actually harder to find a group the ISN'T working for Dracula, however inadvertently. Drac's got connections, is my point.

Anyway, Jonathan writes some postcards to Mina and Hawkins, and drops them out a barred window with some gold. The Szgany turn them over to Dracula! A nefarious betrayal! Or is it?

Neither Jonathan, nor the Szgany share any language, as Jonathan points out when he drops some stuff without context or instruction on top of a caravaner's head. Seeing the crazy man throw things out a window shouting in a strange language, they turn them over to the homeowner, Dracula, for further instruction... which is probably what would have happened with a Romani trapped in an English Lord's remote castle as well, TBH. It doesn't go well.

The Count has come. He sat down beside me, and said in his smoothest voice as he opened two letters:—

"The Szgany has given me these, of which, though I know not whence they come, I shall, of course, take care. See!"—he must have looked at it—"one is from you, and to my friend Peter Hawkins; the other"—here he caught sight of the strange symbols as he opened the envelope, and the dark look came into his face, and his eyes blazed wickedly—"the other is a vile thing, an outrage upon friendship and hospitality! It is not signed. Well! so it cannot matter to us." And he calmly held letter and envelope in the flame of the lamp till they were consumed. Then he went on:—

"The letter to Hawkins—that I shall, of course, send on, since it is yours. Your letters are sacred to me. Your pardon, my friend, that unknowingly I did break the seal. Will you not cover it again?" He held out the letter to me, and with a courteous bow handed me a clean envelope. I could only redirect it and hand it to him in silence. When he went out of the room I could hear the key turn softly. A minute later I went over and tried it, and the door was locked.

Dracula is at his creepiest when he does something threatening but poses it as a "friendly" conversation.