Good vs. Evil
As a Gothic horror novel, a critical theme in Dracula is good against evil. Dracula is an undead monster. Even though he appears to be living, he is actually dead and feeds on human blood (which is seen as a life force) to prolong his existence. His evilness is shown by the way he feeds off of the most vulnerable characters, in addition to his eerie ability to communicate with animals, such as wolves.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Harker and his friends are all undeniably good characters. They are well-educated, respectable members of society. Jonathan Harker is a lawyer, another one is a judge, a third is a doctor, and a fourth is a professor. Together they symbolize all the civilized aspects of society, such as law and order, medicine, and knowledge.
Even though Jonathan Harker and his friends end up killing the vampires in the novel, the act is shown as emancipating their souls, rather than murder. For example, when they have to kill Lucy, who has become a vampire, Van Helsing suggests that Lucy's fiancé put the stake through her heart, because the act is seen as an act of love and compassion, rather than aggression.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Harker and his friends are all undeniably good characters. They are well-educated, respectable members of society. Jonathan Harker is a lawyer, another one is a judge, a third is a doctor, and a fourth is a professor. Together they symbolize all the civilized aspects of society, such as law and order, medicine, and knowledge.
Even though Jonathan Harker and his friends end up killing the vampires in the novel, the act is shown as emancipating their souls, rather than murder. For example, when they have to kill Lucy, who has become a vampire, Van Helsing suggests that Lucy's fiancé put the stake through her heart, because the act is seen as an act of love and compassion, rather than aggression.