Chapter 19 Practice Quiz — Dracula
by Bram Stoker — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter 19
What does Van Helsing distribute to each man before they enter Carfax?
A silver crucifix, a wreath of garlic blossoms, a revolver, a knife, a small electric lamp, and a portion of Sacred Wafer in an envelope.
How do the men gain entry to Dracula's Carfax estate?
Dr. Seward uses skeleton keys to pick the lock on the front door, his "mechanical dexterity as a surgeon standing him in good stead."
How many of Dracula's earth boxes remain at Carfax?
29 out of the original 50, meaning 21 boxes have been removed to other locations in London.
What happens when the chapel is overrun by rats?
Lord Godalming blows a small silver whistle, summoning three terriers from Dr. Seward's asylum grounds. The dogs rout the rats and the oppressive atmosphere lifts.
Why does Mina cry twice in one morning?
She is distressed that Jonathan and the others are keeping secrets from her after years of "full confidence," and she feels sad, low-spirited, and shut out from their work.
What does Mina see in her "dream" before falling asleep?
White mist creeping through the door joinings, coalescing into a pillar of cloud with two glowing red eyes, and finally a "livid white face bending over me out of the mist."
What does Mina ask Dr. Seward to give her on 2 October?
A sleeping draught (opiate) because she has not slept well. He gives her a mild sleeping medication.
How does Renfield react when Van Helsing visits him alone?
Renfield is sullen and hostile, calling Van Helsing "the old fool" and an "idiotic brain" with "thick-headed" Dutch ideas, and refusing to say another word.
What role does Jonathan Harker play in the Carfax search?
He serves as guide, leading the men to the chapel because he had "copied maps" of the house and knew it better than the others from his prior research as a solicitor.
Why does Quincey Morris say Renfield seemed like "the sanest lunatic" he ever saw?
Because Renfield made a rational, earnest plea for his freedom, and Morris believed "he had some serious purpose" that deserved a chance to be heard.
What physical symptoms does Mina show that hint she is being attacked by Dracula?
She looks paler than usual, sleeps unusually late, has trouble recognizing Jonathan upon waking, feels "terribly weak and spiritless," and cries easily—all uncharacteristic for her.
What is the central irony of the men's decision to exclude Mina?
They exclude her to protect her from harm, but this exclusion is precisely what leaves her vulnerable to Dracula—she cannot report her symptoms because she does not understand their significance.
What chess metaphor does Van Helsing use after the Carfax search?
He says they have managed to "cry 'check' in some ways in this chess game, which we play for the stake of human souls," framing the conflict with Dracula as a strategic contest.
How does Chapter 19 parallel the fate of Lucy Westenra?
Just as secrecy and failure to share information allowed Dracula to prey on Lucy, the men's decision to withhold information from Mina creates the same vulnerability that doomed her friend.
What does the stench in the Carfax chapel symbolize?
It symbolizes the corruption and moral decay associated with Dracula—described as "corruption had become itself corrupt"—representing evil so extreme it exceeds natural decomposition.
Who says "If that man wasn't attempting a bluff, he is about the sanest lunatic I ever saw"?
Quincey Morris, speaking about Renfield after the group denied his plea for freedom.
What does Jonathan write about Mina's future involvement?
"Henceforth our work is to be a sealed book to her, till at least such time as we can tell her that all is finished, and the earth free from a monster of the nether world."
What Latin phrase does Van Helsing say as he crosses the threshold of Carfax?
"In manus tuas, Domine!" (Into thy hands, Lord!)—crossing himself as he enters the house.
What biblical allusion does Mina make in her dream?
She references Exodus: "a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night"—the divine guidance of the Israelites. Stoker inverts this image, making the pillar of cloud a vehicle for Dracula's demonic visitation.
How does the epistolary format create dramatic irony in this chapter?
Jonathan's journal shows his relief at excluding Mina; Mina's journal reveals her distress and ominous symptoms. No single narrator sees the full picture, but the reader, seeing all journals, recognizes the danger.
What sensory imagery does Stoker use to describe the Carfax chapel?
The stench is "all the ills of mortality" mixed with "the pungent, acrid smell of blood"; dust lies inches deep; rats' eyes glitter "like a bank of earth set with fireflies"; spider webs hang like "old tattered rags."