Aiyana Pearson
Jones 1
Dracula Essay
28 December 2014
To Be A Woman
Speaking of sexualization, women in general can’t act or wear what they want without third party opinions. Why is how a female acts a topic of conversation? Why is it their responsibility to dress the way society tells them to because it distracts the opposite gender? I understand women are gaining rights. But, superficial thing such as dress codes and media are merely ways of controlling women and trying to place them in traditional gender roles. How they should act, think, or carry themselves should never be topics of debate. Especially in regards to how they should change to better suit barbarian ideals of men or nowadays even women. Bram Stokers Dracula is a misogynistic …show more content…
Notice that you seldom hear of any sexual acts from her. With that in mind, lets recall the scene where she is forced to suck the blood of Dracula and vice versa. I believe this scene was to show the evils of not staying in traditional gender roles. Note the passage located in chapter 21, where it says “forcing her face down on his bosom. Her white nightdress was smeared with blood, and a thin stream trickled down the man's bare chest which was shown by his torn-open dress. The attitude of the two had a terrible resemblance to a child forcing a kitten's nose into a saucer of milk to compel it to drink” (Stoker 304). So we have a man in a dress, the blood is "milk" and he's making Mina drink from his breast. Much like a baby would breast feed from her mother, who, in our story, was formerly our curious Mina. He is forcing himself into the mothering role and it is clearly a negative scene. So the message could easily be directed to the “new women” to tell them that trying to force themselves out of where they should be can be dangerous and they may not like …show more content…
If they oversexualize themselves it is not ok. At least that is what this book is showing. Again, this book does represent some real people we may endure in our lives. Although in a less tragic ending for some. You have the Gypsy who represent the mindless drones in the world who conform and die or in most cases are mere slaves to society.These people are common, they are either ignorant to the ill-occurrences around them or are partaking in them.Then we have the Lucys of the world, these are the curious,society-proclaimed sluts, who are open-minded to “new woman ideals”,they push limit, and they act out ideals, causing them to die because of their beliefs. Then we have the most desirable Minas of the world. Minas are Good, pure, motherly-like, they are forced into promiscuity, yet open to new woman ideals, however she is hesitant to put them into action, and is still willing to conform.Therefore she lives. Society likes Mina even more than Gypsies. This is because Mina allows them to feel a power over her because she outwardly expresses her curiosity of the new woman and in the same breath outwardly conforms wholeheartedly. Society has done wonders in continually brainwashing women into questioning their self worth. To bring disdain to not only other women but to themselves based on what society labels as socially unacceptable and wrong. In the story, poor Mina question herself. In chapter 21, Mina says
Jones 1
Dracula Essay
28 December 2014
To Be A Woman
Speaking of sexualization, women in general can’t act or wear what they want without third party opinions. Why is how a female acts a topic of conversation? Why is it their responsibility to dress the way society tells them to because it distracts the opposite gender? I understand women are gaining rights. But, superficial thing such as dress codes and media are merely ways of controlling women and trying to place them in traditional gender roles. How they should act, think, or carry themselves should never be topics of debate. Especially in regards to how they should change to better suit barbarian ideals of men or nowadays even women. Bram Stokers Dracula is a misogynistic …show more content…
Notice that you seldom hear of any sexual acts from her. With that in mind, lets recall the scene where she is forced to suck the blood of Dracula and vice versa. I believe this scene was to show the evils of not staying in traditional gender roles. Note the passage located in chapter 21, where it says “forcing her face down on his bosom. Her white nightdress was smeared with blood, and a thin stream trickled down the man's bare chest which was shown by his torn-open dress. The attitude of the two had a terrible resemblance to a child forcing a kitten's nose into a saucer of milk to compel it to drink” (Stoker 304). So we have a man in a dress, the blood is "milk" and he's making Mina drink from his breast. Much like a baby would breast feed from her mother, who, in our story, was formerly our curious Mina. He is forcing himself into the mothering role and it is clearly a negative scene. So the message could easily be directed to the “new women” to tell them that trying to force themselves out of where they should be can be dangerous and they may not like …show more content…
If they oversexualize themselves it is not ok. At least that is what this book is showing. Again, this book does represent some real people we may endure in our lives. Although in a less tragic ending for some. You have the Gypsy who represent the mindless drones in the world who conform and die or in most cases are mere slaves to society.These people are common, they are either ignorant to the ill-occurrences around them or are partaking in them.Then we have the Lucys of the world, these are the curious,society-proclaimed sluts, who are open-minded to “new woman ideals”,they push limit, and they act out ideals, causing them to die because of their beliefs. Then we have the most desirable Minas of the world. Minas are Good, pure, motherly-like, they are forced into promiscuity, yet open to new woman ideals, however she is hesitant to put them into action, and is still willing to conform.Therefore she lives. Society likes Mina even more than Gypsies. This is because Mina allows them to feel a power over her because she outwardly expresses her curiosity of the new woman and in the same breath outwardly conforms wholeheartedly. Society has done wonders in continually brainwashing women into questioning their self worth. To bring disdain to not only other women but to themselves based on what society labels as socially unacceptable and wrong. In the story, poor Mina question herself. In chapter 21, Mina says