Chapter 13 Practice Quiz — Dracula
by Bram Stoker — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter 13
Who arranges the funeral for Lucy and her mother at the beginning of Chapter 13?
Dr. Seward handles the arrangements so that Lucy and Mrs. Westenra can be buried together.
What protective items does Van Helsing place on Lucy's body?
Wild garlic flowers around the bed and a small gold crucifix over her mouth.
What shocking request does Van Helsing make of Seward regarding Lucy's corpse?
He asks Seward to bring post-mortem knives so he can cut off Lucy's head and remove her heart.
Why does Van Helsing abandon his plan to decapitate Lucy?
The gold crucifix was stolen from Lucy's mouth by a servant during the night. Van Helsing says it is now "too late, or too early."
What happens to Mrs. Westenra's estate after her death?
The solicitor Mr. Marquand explains that the entire estate, real and personal, was left absolutely to Arthur Holmwood (Lord Godalming).
What disturbs Arthur when he visits Lucy's body before the coffin is sealed?
Lucy looks strikingly beautiful in death—more lovely each hour—causing Arthur to tremble and ask, "Jack, is she really dead?"
What does Arthur say about the blood transfusion that upsets Van Helsing?
Arthur says the transfusion made him feel as if he and Lucy were truly married—she was "his wife in the sight of God." This distresses Van Helsing because multiple men gave blood.
What is the "King Laugh" speech?
Van Helsing's monologue after Lucy's burial, explaining that laughter is a sovereign king who arrives uninvited even in the darkest moments: "He ask no person, he choose no time of suitability."
Why does Van Helsing call Lucy a "polyandrist" after the burial?
Because if Arthur's blood transfusion made her his wife, then the transfusions from Seward, Van Helsing, and Quincey Morris made her married to all of them—a woman with multiple husbands.
Who does Jonathan Harker see on the streets of London?
He sees Count Dracula—a tall, thin man with a beaky nose, red lips, and pointed white teeth—watching a pretty young woman outside Guiliano's on Piccadilly.
How has Dracula's appearance changed when Jonathan sees him in London?
Dracula appears to have grown younger. Jonathan exclaims, "I believe it is the Count, but he has grown young."—suggesting he has been rejuvenated by feeding on Lucy's blood.
How does Mina react to Jonathan's encounter with Dracula on Piccadilly?
She is alarmed by his terror but does not press him with questions. When Jonathan falls asleep and wakes with no memory, Mina resolves to open his sealed journal to learn the truth.
What is the "bloofer lady"?
A childish mispronunciation of "beautiful lady," used by children near Hampstead Heath to describe a mysterious woman who lures them away at night. The "bloofer lady" is implied to be the vampirized Lucy.
What physical evidence is found on the children lured by the "bloofer lady"?
Small wounds on their throats, described as "such as might be made by a rat or a small dog." The children are weak and emaciated.
What theme does the stolen crucifix represent in Chapter 13?
The vulnerability of sacred protections in a secular world. A servant steals the crucifix for its gold value, unknowingly removing the barrier that prevented Lucy from rising as a vampire.
How does Chapter 13 use dramatic irony?
The reader understands Van Helsing's fears about vampirism while Seward remains oblivious. Similarly, readers connect the "bloofer lady" to Lucy before any character in the novel does.
What narrative forms are used in Chapter 13?
Three distinct forms: Dr. Seward's diary, Mina Harker's journal, and Westminster Gazette newspaper clippings—demonstrating Stoker's epistolary technique.
What does Van Helsing secure Arthur's permission to do before departing?
He asks to read and keep all of Lucy's private papers and letters, promising to return them "in the good time" and assuring Arthur no strange hand will touch them.
How does Van Helsing describe the coming struggle at the end of his conversation with Arthur?
"We and you too, you most of all, dear boy, will have to pass through the bitter water before we reach the sweet. But we must be brave of heart and unselfish, and do our duty, and all will be well!"
What reversal of Victorian gender roles occurs in Mina's journal entry?
When Jonathan sees Dracula, he nearly faints and must lean on Mina for physical support—the opposite of the expected masculine-protector dynamic in Victorian society.