America and normalcy
For these characters, America represents normal waking life, and their journey to Europe and the strangeness they encounter there is the unknown. America is known but that doesn't mean the imagery is completely normal. In light of the daily norms of their lives, the mysterious book and the evil librarian stand out like sore thumbs. Their lives in America are their "home base," and when the father senses danger, he tries to return his daughter to America, but she wisely maintains her course.
Turkey and ancient mystery
When the gang ends up in Turkey, they are in a new scenery that is constructed with older buildings than any in America. The ancient mystery of their book is doubled by their new surroundings. They travel to Istanbul and encounter a parallel hero with the same mysterious book, Professor Turgut Bora. The Turkish imagery is one that speaks of the plurality of life (because of all the cultural influences in that nation) and of time (because of the vast history of Turkey). Aesthetically speaking, they travel back in time to go to Turkey.
Eastern Europe and the sublime
In Eastern Europe, they find a "Twilight Zone" where they realize in a startling turn of events that they are pursuing not only the narrator's mother, Helen, but they are seeking to kill her evil Patriarch—Count Dracula himself. They pass through Hungary and Bulgaria where they eventually arrive in a church. This domain is simultaneously pleasant and scenic, but also disturbing and surreal, as if to bring those two realms into union.
Church and academy
Two kinds of tradition are depicted, and their imagery shapes the novel from start to finish. They find churches and cathedrals throughout Europe, in Turkey, Bulgaria, and Hungary. They are frequently in libraries, and they work at universities. Together, the use of literature and religion help to embed the story in a long discourse about human experience that stretches back in time unimaginable lengths. These considerations are often partnered with discussions about death.
