The point when Mina spots Lucy on the bench at the top of the hill with the black figure (which we know was Dracula with the benefit of hindsight) could be to show the contrast between good and evil, and how it is one of the main themes of the novel. The battle between good and evil is a traditional gothic theme, which is presented in many gothic novels. Black is the well known gothic colour, to represent darkness and evil, and throughout the novel, this is one of several battles which goes on.
The appearance and clothing of characters is not the only way of how good v evil is represented. Iconography is used many times and the majority of instruments/tools which feature in the novel have a specific relationship with Gothicism. The main of which I think is the crucifix. It is the main barrier which separates and ‘saves’ at times, good from evil. A particular example is early on in the novel when Jonathan Harker is in his room within Castle Dracula. After he cuts himself with his razor, Dracula ‘pounces’ on him at the sight of blood, but as soon as Dracula notices the crucifix hanging below Harkers neck, he backs away and leaves the room.
The other main icon which is used in the novel is garlic. The long period where Lucy is ill in her bed, and when Van Helsing and Dr Seward are repeatedly carrying out transfusions, Lucy goes to bed with a ring of garlic around her neck and with flowers surrounding her, and scattered around her room. Van Helsing does this as garlic is another well known icon which prevents vampires and the un-dead from approaching. This works for a while, but Lucy’s mother foolishly removes the garlic from around Lucy’s neck which allows Dracula to pounce on her during the night, eventually leading to Lucy’s first death.
Also a key part of the good vs. evil battle is the vampirettes. When they appear for the first time in the novel (when Jonathan Harker does not know if he dreamed that scene or not) they are described continuously as voluptuous, and we are also informed that they have deep red lips. I thought at this point in time that they were seen on the outside as ‘the good guys’ and were full of honesty and truth. But on the inside they were actually full of evil, as they appeared to be on the side of Dracula, as they did what he said when he said it and they also seemed to ‘disappear into thin air’. My view of this is that this represents evil trying to trick goodness into becoming bed, as the three women start to seduce Jonathan Harker, and he begins to enjoy it (at which point Dracula enters). This is another example of the battle between good and evil, this time with evil trying to use a ‘false identity’ to trick its opponent.
From these observations I have made, I think that the main way that good and evil are presented is with iconography and appearance of characters. The way that garlic and a crucifix can suddenly create an immense barrier between the two, means it must have a great symbolic meaning. And the way that good people wear white and are described as ‘white figures’ and evil people wear black and are described as a ‘tall black figure’ indicates that these colours show a true distinction between the two.
