Quotation: The quote that really stood out to me occurred on page 28 of my copy of the book. “But there was no reflection of him in the mirror! The whole room behind me was displayed; but there was no sign of a man in it, except myself. This was startling, and, coming on the top of so many strange things, was beginning to increase that vague feeling of uneasiness which I always have when the Count is near; but at that instant, I saw that the cut had bled a little, and the blood was trickling over my chin…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 that 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.”
Comment/Connection: I know this was a rather big section but I feel like every detail was important to include in what I wanted to really shine a light on. As Jonathan has already had a feeling of discomfort and uneasiness from the Count, however, this moment is when he really starts to see, or lack thereof who he is really staying with. This passage makes me think about all those movies where this scene essentially happens but with different people and outcomes. It shows the restraint of a monster basically to stop the urge from taking over and losing control. I think this scene perfectly fits with the theme of the class and a few of the previous books (Frankenstein, The Beetle, Jekyll and Hyde, etc.) because there is a clear monster and he instills fear in the people (well person) he is around. There is no argument here as these actions cannot really be argued over. As they are things that happened and cannot be looked past to be one way or another.
Question: This passage does make me wonder what the significance of the cross is considering it calmed him down instantly. How is he so impacted by blood like that when he has been living for so long? I get he is isolated from society but I feel like at this point in the Count’s life he should be more in control of rages like that.
