It is a well-known fact that Dracula has been a potent source of horror in literature and film for generations, but few people are aware of Bram Stoker’s novel, “The Last Voyage of the Demeter”, where the implications of Dracula’s presence are at their most practical.
Set in the bleakest waters of the Black Sea, the novel follows the cursed Russian brigantine Demeter and the strange and terrifying events that take place on its final, ill-fated voyage. The ship, which is on its way to England carrying a peculiar cargo, is taken aboard. With the crew in a state of distress, a strange figure, later revealed to be Dracula, is seen on board the ship.
In traditional Gothic depictions, Dracula is firmly a supernatural figure, using his supernatural powers to control the minds of his victims. Stoker creates a unique version of the vampire here, however, as Dracula is not interested in dominating those on board the ship or creating terror, but rather in matters considerably more practical and mundane – his desire to escape. Utilizing his skills of disguise and manipulation, he is able to find his way to England without being uncovered by the crew.
The horror of “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” is found in the way it juxtaposes the supernatural and the mundane. As the novel progresses, the members of the crew, who seem to be unable to remember or communicate the events that occurred on the ship, display signs of a post-traumatic response. With no clear explanation of the source of their terror, the feeling of dread and surrealism that permeates the novel hints at the magnitude of the events that are undetected and unexplainable.
The horror of Stoker’s novel is found in its realism, as it does not create a world of make-believe and fantasy, but rather one of practical terror. This terror comes not from the supernatural, but from the banality and horror of the everyday world—forcing us to confront the strange and inexplicable aspects of our lives. In “The Last Voyage of the Demeter”, we come to understand that, even in a seemingly “normal” world, there are still hidden dangers lurking in the depths that we may never fully understand or explain.
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