Common people Quote by Bram Stoker
““Not so,” he answered. “Well, I know that, did I move and speak in your London, none there are who would not know me for a stranger. That is not enough for me. Here I am noble; I am boyar; the common people know me, and I am master. But a stranger in a strange land, he is no one; men know him not—and to know not is to care not for. I am content if I am like the rest, so that no man stops if he see me, or pause in his speaking if he hear my words, ‘Ha, ha! a stranger!’ I have been so long master that I would be master still—or at least that none other should be master of me. You come to me not alone as agent of my friend Peter Hawkins, of Exeter, to tell me all about my new estate in London.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Dracula, 1897, Chapter 12
A character asserts his identity and authority, dismissing the outsider’s insignificance, reflecting pride and isolation.
In simple terms: He claims power, rejects strangers.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the limits of authority.
Themes
identity
power
isolation
Mood
dramatic
reflective
Type
fiction
character study
philosophical
When to use this quote
- leadership decisions
- cultural integration
- personal branding
Key Concepts
pride
social hierarchy
belonging
Questions to Reflect On
- What drives his need for dominance?
- How does alienation affect his choices?
A Different Perspective
Authority can blind one to others’ perspectives.
![“[...] Look at the way people try to make points of contact with others when they meet. Look at the way you instinctively try to establish whether somebody you meet for the first time knows somebody you know. Watch people do it. I'm from such and such place. Oh yes? So you know So-and-So? Yes! And…” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bcb/alexander-mccall-smith-372_first-time_look-at-the-way-people-try-to-make-point_3123627.jpg)
![“[A]s I stepped over the curb, I became excruciatingly aware of my skin color, and my heart pounded with social anxiety. In going around a single block, I got stares. Mine was the only white face around, and for five minutes, five blocks from my home, I was a stranger in a strange land. . . .” quote by Jared Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3cb/jared-taylor-14340_anxiety_a-s-i-stepped-over-the-curb-i-became-exc_233219.jpg)
