The Frame: Letters vs. Diaries “Frankenstein” is framed by letters from Robert Walton, an Arctic explorer, to his sister, Margaret Saville. Walton rescues Victor Frankenstein. Victor tells his story. The creature tells his story. Walton writes it down. The frame is distant. The reader is reading a letter about a story about a story. “Dracula” has no single frame. It is a collage: Jonathan Harker’s journal, Mina Harker’s journal, Dr. Seward’s diary, newspaper clippings, and a phonograph recording. The collage is immediate. The reader feels like a detective, assembling the evidence.
The Multiple Narrators: Who Speaks? “Frankenstein” has three narrators: Walton, Victor, and the creature. Walton is sympathetic. Victor is unreliable. The creature is sympathetic. The reader must judge. “Dracula” has many narrators: Jonathan, Mina, Seward, Van Helsing, and Lucy. Each sees a part of the truth. The reader sees the whole. The reader knows more than any character. The reader is terrified.
The Unreliable Narrator: Who Lies? Victor Frankenstein is unreliable. He blames the creature. He does not blame himself. The reader must decide. The creature is also unreliable. He says he was born good. He says he became evil. Is he lying? The reader must decide. “Dracula” has no unreliable narrators. Everyone tells the truth. The truth is strange enough.
The Gothic: Terror and Horror “Frankenstein” is Gothic. It has a castle, a monster, and a storm. It also has philosophy. The creature reads “Paradise Lost.” He asks why he was created. He asks why he suffers. The horror is psychological. “Dracula” is also Gothic. It has a castle, a monster, and a storm. It also has action. The characters chase Dracula across Europe. They kill him. The horror is physical.
The Ending: Who Survives? Victor Frankenstein dies. The creature mourns him. The creature disappears. Walton turns back. He saves his crew. He fails his ambition. Dracula dies. Mina is saved. Jonathan is saved. Quincey Morris dies. He is the American. He is the hero. He is forgotten.
Conclusion: “Frankenstein” and “Dracula” are both epistolary novels. They both use multiple narrators. They both create suspense. They are also different. “Frankenstein” is about creation. “Dracula” is about invasion. “Frankenstein” asks: what is a monster? “Dracula” asks: how do we kill one? Both are masterpieces.
