Naive Narrators in Dracula and The Bloody Chamber
Both Stoker and Carter cleverly use naive narrators who start off completely clueless about the danger they're facing. This makes you, as the reader, feel just as confused and vulnerable as the characters themselves.
In Dracula, Jonathan Harker ignores obvious warning signs about the Count, even when locals try to warn him. The multiple narrators make things even more confusing - each one is highly educated but still can't grasp what's really happening. It's pretty ironic that all this Victorian education and science can't help them understand supernatural threats.
Meanwhile, Carter's 17-year-old narrator in The Bloody Chamber is sexually naive and completely oblivious to her new husband's murderous tendencies. Even when her mum questions the marriage, she brushes off the concerns.
Key Point: The naivety reflects how the Enlightenment period made people rely too heavily on logic and science, leaving them unprepared for anything supernatural or unexplainable.
