Dracula Chapters 26 and 27 Summary
Hypnosis is used throughout the chase and, through Seward's journal entry, we learn that Mina hears very little while under hypnosis. This means that Dracula must be moving upriver. The team hopes to beat Dracula to Galatz, but they do not. The captain of the ship, the Czarina Catherine, tells them that a man named Immanuel Hildesheim and handed over to a Slovak named Petrof Skinsky. Shortly after this exchange, Skinsky in found in a graveyard with his throat torn out. The ever dedicated and dutiful Mina studies the maps and determines that Dracula would have had to take the river Seethe, which leads to the Borgo pass. They decide to split up. Mina and Van Helsing go by train; Lord Godalming and Harker go by steamboat; and Seward and Morris travel by horseback. Van Helsing hopes to reach the castle before Dracula so that he can purify it. Meanwhile Lord Godalming and Harker hear of a vessel traveling ahead of them. In the meantime, Mina and Van Helsing arrive at Veresti on October 31st. For the last 70 miles they must travel by horse and carriage.
Chapter 27 continues with Mina's journal. Mina travels the same road her husband traveled when he first went to the count. She is experiencing the superstitious nature of the people as her husband did. Coming from the west into the east makes Mina an outsider in many ways. She is hypnotized once more and tells Van Helsing that Dracula is still on the ship. On November 3rd, they again travel all day toward the Borgo Pass. The nest time she is hypnotized, Mina waked up with newfound energy. She miraculously knows the way to the castle, and even knows of an unmarked side road that they can use. Once again Mina acts lethargic and Van Helsing realizes he is no longer capable of hypnotizing her.
Mina and Van Helsing camp in the woods that night, and he forms a protective circle around Mina with wafers. It is at this point in the novel that the 3 vampire women reappear. They try to temp Van Helsing with their sexuality, and they try to get Mina to come with them. Stoker reinforces the idea of untamed female sexuality with the reappearance of these women. Van Helsing is nearly paralyzed by their beauty. The horses die and Van Helsing is left with only the fire and wafers as protection. The sunrise keeps the female vampires away. On November 5th, Mina and Van Helsing arrive at the Count's castle by foot. Using a hammer, Van Helsing breaks the hinges to open the front door. Because he read Jonathan's journal, he is able to find the chapel where Dracula rests during his non-active time. As he goes through the castle he sees the graves of the 3 female vampires. To end their suffering, he puts a stake in their hearts. Their voluptuousness and beauty fade into dust. Van Helsing then finds a tomb "more lordly than all the rest..." The tomb is inscribed with Dracula's name and Van Helsing cleanses it with holy wafers. He also seals the castle doors with wafers to keep Dracula from entering.
The novel ends with Mina Harker's journal. They leave the castle to travel east hoping to find the other men, and, as they do, they experience heavy snowfall and wolves howling perilously close. Soon Mina and Van Helsing see the Gypsies go by with a box of earth. Mina and Van Helsing watch from a distance as Seward, Morris, Harker, and Lord Goldalming meet up and pull out their guns. In a fit of bravery and anger, Jonathan and Morris jump up on the cart and knock down the box of earth. The gypsies move to defend their cargo and Quincy gets a knife cut in the process. At this point Harker pries off the lid of the box to find Dracula staring toward the setting sun with "...a look of hate in them turned to triumph." Jonathan then quickly slashes the Count's throat while Morris plunges his knife into Dracula's heart. Mina writes that she sees "a look of peace, such as [she] never could have imagined might have rested there." As Morris dies he points out that Mina's scar is gone.
In a note attached to the end of the novel (supposedly from Harker), the reader learns that Mina and Jonathan have a child named Quincy.
Chapter 27 continues with Mina's journal. Mina travels the same road her husband traveled when he first went to the count. She is experiencing the superstitious nature of the people as her husband did. Coming from the west into the east makes Mina an outsider in many ways. She is hypnotized once more and tells Van Helsing that Dracula is still on the ship. On November 3rd, they again travel all day toward the Borgo Pass. The nest time she is hypnotized, Mina waked up with newfound energy. She miraculously knows the way to the castle, and even knows of an unmarked side road that they can use. Once again Mina acts lethargic and Van Helsing realizes he is no longer capable of hypnotizing her.
Mina and Van Helsing camp in the woods that night, and he forms a protective circle around Mina with wafers. It is at this point in the novel that the 3 vampire women reappear. They try to temp Van Helsing with their sexuality, and they try to get Mina to come with them. Stoker reinforces the idea of untamed female sexuality with the reappearance of these women. Van Helsing is nearly paralyzed by their beauty. The horses die and Van Helsing is left with only the fire and wafers as protection. The sunrise keeps the female vampires away. On November 5th, Mina and Van Helsing arrive at the Count's castle by foot. Using a hammer, Van Helsing breaks the hinges to open the front door. Because he read Jonathan's journal, he is able to find the chapel where Dracula rests during his non-active time. As he goes through the castle he sees the graves of the 3 female vampires. To end their suffering, he puts a stake in their hearts. Their voluptuousness and beauty fade into dust. Van Helsing then finds a tomb "more lordly than all the rest..." The tomb is inscribed with Dracula's name and Van Helsing cleanses it with holy wafers. He also seals the castle doors with wafers to keep Dracula from entering.
The novel ends with Mina Harker's journal. They leave the castle to travel east hoping to find the other men, and, as they do, they experience heavy snowfall and wolves howling perilously close. Soon Mina and Van Helsing see the Gypsies go by with a box of earth. Mina and Van Helsing watch from a distance as Seward, Morris, Harker, and Lord Goldalming meet up and pull out their guns. In a fit of bravery and anger, Jonathan and Morris jump up on the cart and knock down the box of earth. The gypsies move to defend their cargo and Quincy gets a knife cut in the process. At this point Harker pries off the lid of the box to find Dracula staring toward the setting sun with "...a look of hate in them turned to triumph." Jonathan then quickly slashes the Count's throat while Morris plunges his knife into Dracula's heart. Mina writes that she sees "a look of peace, such as [she] never could have imagined might have rested there." As Morris dies he points out that Mina's scar is gone.
In a note attached to the end of the novel (supposedly from Harker), the reader learns that Mina and Jonathan have a child named Quincy.
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