Chapter 26 Practice Quiz — Dracula
by Bram Stoker — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter 26
Where is Dr. Seward writing at the start of Chapter 26?
On a train from Varna to Galatz, where the group is heading to intercept Dracula's coffin.
What does Mina report during her first hypnotic trance in the chapter?
She hears lapping water, men's voices, oars in rowlocks, a gun firing, tramping feet overhead, and sees a gleam of light with air blowing on her—indicating the coffin is being unloaded at port.
What does Van Helsing conclude from Mina's trance report about the coffin being near land?
That Dracula has left his earth chest and is close to shore. If he cannot get on shore before dawn, he will be trapped in the box during daylight and vulnerable to the hunters.
What ship carried Dracula's coffin from London to Galatz?
The Czarina Catherine, captained by a Scotsman named Donelson.
What happened to the Roumanian sailors who wanted to throw the box overboard?
Captain Donelson physically fought them off with a handspike, convincing them that "the property and the trust of my owners were better in my hands than in the river Danube."
Who collected Dracula's box from the Czarina Catherine?
Immanuel Hildesheim, acting on instructions from Mr. de Ville of London. He then passed the box to Petrof Skinsky.
How is Petrof Skinsky found dead?
His body is found inside the wall of the churchyard of St. Peter, with his throat torn open as if by a wild animal.
How does Mina contribute to the group's strategy in Chapter 26?
While the men rest, she reviews all the documents and uses logical deduction to determine that Dracula is traveling by river—most likely the Sereth and Bistritza—back toward Castle Dracula.
Why does Van Helsing volunteer to take Mina to Castle Dracula?
He says he is too old for river pursuit or horseback riding, but can "fight in other way." He plans to sanctify the castle and destroy Dracula's remaining earth-boxes, using Mina's hypnotic power to navigate.
How does Jonathan react when Van Helsing proposes taking Mina to Castle Dracula?
He is outraged, asking if Van Helsing would bring Mina "right into the jaws of his deathtrap." He describes the horrors he witnessed there. Van Helsing calms him by explaining he wants to purify the castle, not expose Mina to danger.
What theme does the weakening of Mina's hypnotic trances represent?
The theme of a ticking clock and expiring intelligence. The group's primary advantage—knowing Dracula's location—is fading, creating urgency to act before the connection disappears entirely.
How does Mina's memorandum reflect the novel's faith in modern rationality?
She structures her analysis like a legal brief with labeled premises, numbered arguments, and logical exclusions—applying systematic reasoning to defeat a supernatural threat.
What does the splitting of the group into three parties symbolize?
The theme of sacrifice and separation. Each party faces danger alone, and the farewell scenes underscore the possibility that they may never reunite—the human cost of fighting evil.
What narrative technique does Stoker use to accelerate pace in Chapter 26?
Epistolary fragmentation—rapidly switching between Seward's diary, Mina's journal, Jonathan's journal, and Mina's formal memorandum to compress days of action into a single chapter.
What effect does Captain Donelson's Scottish dialect create?
It provides vivid local color and a touch of comic relief ("the supersteetion of foreigners is pairfectly rideeculous!") while simultaneously conveying the genuine supernatural dread of the voyage.
How does the Czarina Catherine's voyage parallel the Demeter's earlier voyage?
Both ships carry Dracula's coffin across the sea under supernatural conditions—unnatural winds and fog. But the Czarina Catherine reverses the Demeter's direction, heading east toward Dracula's homeland rather than west toward England.
Who says "Our dear Madam Mina is once more our teacher" and why?
Van Helsing says this after Mina presents her deduction about Dracula's river route. It acknowledges her intellectual leadership and reverses the group's earlier decision to exclude her from their plans.
What does Mina mean when she writes "I cannot carry one arm that the rest do, the scar on my forehead forbids that"?
She means she cannot carry a crucifix or holy symbol because the sacred Host burned a mark on her forehead—evidence of her vampiric taint. She is armed with a revolver instead.
What does Jonathan say when he finally agrees to Van Helsing's plan?
"Do as you will—we are in the hands of God!" He says it with a sob, accepting the risk of Mina traveling to Dracula's castle.
What are the "octroi" that Mina mentions in her analysis?
Local customs duties or taxes levied on goods entering a town. Mina identifies them as one of the dangers Dracula faces if traveling by road—inspectors might open and examine his box.
What is the Borgo Pass and why is it significant?
A mountain pass in the Carpathians near Castle Dracula. The Bistritza River runs up around it, making it the closest point to the castle accessible by water—the key to Mina's deduction of Dracula's route.