One detail that Bram Stoker implements in the book Dracula is the mirror. Generally mirrors are thought to reflect the person. Whether it be their appearance, their emotions, their alternate personalities (Golem speaking to his reflection in the water in lord of the rings), or their souls (the portrait of Dorian grey in the picture of Dorian grey). The mirror is mentioned multiple times in the book.
Jonathon notices that he cannot see Dracula in the reflection of his shaving mirror.
“I turned to the glass again to see how I had been mistaken. This time there could be no error, for the man was close to me, and I could see him over my shoulder. But there was no reflection of him in the mirror! The whole room behind me was dis-played, but there was no sign of a man in it, except myself.” (Page 38)
This could be showing different things. It could be that (as in the picture of Dorian Grey) the absence of a reflection of Dracula shows the absence of a soul, that he is not human. That if he had any humanity before, he no longer possesses it. Maybe it is because a mirror can reflect actions or allows us to reflect on our actions. Without a reflection maybe the author is telling us that count Dracula is unable to reflect on his actions.
“I saw something like them in Hampton Court, but they were worn and frayed and moth-eaten. But still in none of the rooms is there a mirror.” (Page 29)
Typically in a house there would be many mirrors especially in a place such as castle Dracula with its size. Bram Stoker specifically points out to us that Castle Dracula does not contain any mirrors. This is perhaps because the Count does not want to be reminded of his loss of humanity or soul.
