Journal of Philosophy and Theology

A Balkan Gothic: Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ and the Balkan Identity
Konstantina Tortomani

Abstract
Until the 19th century and the national awakenings of the Balkan peoples the West viewed them merely as Christian Turks. However, even when the various Balkan states were created the notions of the West about the Balkans did not alter much. So, this essay’s aim is to describe the image of the Balkans in the Westerners’ mind. More specifically, this image will be analyzed, not through historical data, but mostly through the contemporary literature of the time, and more precisely, the Gothic Romance genre. Additionally, the focal point of this essay will be Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ and the way the Balkan identity is represented through the various prejudices and notions of a Victorian, British citizen, whose audience is consisted of other ‘Westerners’. Finally, the Balkans of literature will be compared to the actual situation in the end of the 19th century-the beginning of the 20th, as far as the Western efforts to impose their control over the Balkans is concerned.

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