September 23
Mina writes in her diary that Jonathan had a difficult evening but went off to work at his new job as leading solicitor without issue. Oh she’s so proud blah blah.
More importantly, she’s going to take the day where he’s out late to lock herself up with his journal from Transylvania to read it.
The emotional labor that Mina is hefting in this relationship right now is immense and I hope she gets a break soon to chill and mourn her wife.
This entry was so short that I glanced at it yesterday and decided I didn’t want to start this post and wait to see Mina’s reaction. I wanted to collect all of that stuff together, so here we go:
September 24
Mina feels for Jonathan but it’s interesting that her first question is if any of what he wrote was true. Did he get the fever first and then write all he did? She can’t ask him now without putting his sanity at risk.
Mina recalls the man that they saw at the park in London, and how certain Jonathan appeared to be that he was the count. Mina wonders if it was the fault of the long and difficult day, but then remembers that Jonathan does believe it to be true if he laid his eyes on Dracula and pointed him out.
There seems to be through it all some thread of continuity…. That fearful Count was coming to London…. If it should be, and he came to London, with his teeming millions…. There may be a solemn duty; and if it come we must not shrink from it…. I shall be prepared.
This reminds me of a time I showed my friend one of my favorite movies—The Exorcism of Emily Rose. It’s a good movie to chew on in a philosophical sense, questioning if there can be circumstances in which, when all other options have been exhausted, faith-based healing might be acceptable to attempt. When the film was over he said, “If there are demons that can really possess people, we need to make a gun we can shoot them with,” which I think reveals a lot about his character. And yet above, Mina is essentially saying the same thing. “If it is true, we have to be armed.”
She’s so good!!!
Mina resolves to decipher Jonathan’s shorthand and type his diary up on the typewriter in case it needs to be reviewed. She thinks about being his advocate on these matters (as well as the rest?? Jesus Mina, please find some time for self-care) and wonders if there will be a time when she can ask Jonathan questions about what he wrote, and reassure him in that too.
Today we also get a letter from Van Helsing to Mina, so perhaps her transcription project was right on time.
Van Helsing has been reading Lucy’s letters and reaches out to Mina, seeing in them how close they were (wives).
In them I find some letters from you, which show how great friends you were and how you love her. Oh, Madam Mina, by that love, I implore you, help me.
Van Helsing is so sappy and keen to call on matters of the heart. I like him.
He asks if he can come to visit Mina in Exeter to discuss these matters, and even tells Mina to protect Jonathan by not telling him anything.
I’ve written down in my planner that the entries for tomorrow and the following day are big ones, so I wanted to get caught up for it, even if it means posting this at midnight my time. I think a lot of our entries will be this hefty until the end from here out.
I’m a little excited to see how the Harker and Westenra parties come together again after everything.
Oh, also I hope that you like the look of the website now. I wanted to make sure I had a blog that could be more easily accessible on mobile. Ads are running now too so I can make some pennies… Sorry. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.