Dracula
Dracula has been heard of for many years, but have you ever realized the roles that gender plays in the novel? The novel, written by Bram Stoker in the late nineteenth century is typically thought of as a horror novel. After analzyation, I have realized the book itself has many symbols and themes for female sexual symbolism within its pages. Dracula was set in the Victorian culture. During this time, women were to be put down socially and men were to be praised and known for their authority and freedom which they had. Throughout his book, Stoker shows what he thinks the ideal Victorian woman should be, and also what the ideal Victorian woman should not be through his main female characters, Mina and Lucy. Mina Murray is a very intelligent …show more content…
Lucy is gorgeous and everyone is aware of this, even Mina can’t stop talking about it. She is blonde, innocent, and very vulnerable, which inspires everyone to protect her. Lucy is proposed to by Quincey Morris, Jack Seward, and Arthur Holmwood. She declines Quincey and Jack, but accepts Arthur’s proposal. Lucy noted that she would not be upset if she married all three men. This goes against the social conventions of the society in the Victorian culture. Throughout the novel, she is driven by her sexual openness and flirtatious nature. She enjoys the attention she gets from men in her society due to her physical …show more content…
Due to the fact that Mina is not as concerned about her sexual needs, as Lucy is, when they are transformed into vampires, they act differently. Lucy’s desires are heightened due to this new power she has to captivate men and she is much more open about it as well. Mina, on the other hand uses her abilities to act as a maternal figure for the men around her and to help them out, which is also what Stoker thinks a model Victorian woman should be like. Meanwhile, Lucy uses her abilities to not act as a maternal figure for those around her, but mistreats children. Stoker uses Lucy to show that women will not last in the Victorian society if they are too sexually aggressive. The men want to kill her because of this and they feel more powerful after she is dead for good. Unlike Lucy, Mina her husband, to kill her because she knows it is what is best for herself and those around
Dracula has been heard of for many years, but have you ever realized the roles that gender plays in the novel? The novel, written by Bram Stoker in the late nineteenth century is typically thought of as a horror novel. After analzyation, I have realized the book itself has many symbols and themes for female sexual symbolism within its pages. Dracula was set in the Victorian culture. During this time, women were to be put down socially and men were to be praised and known for their authority and freedom which they had. Throughout his book, Stoker shows what he thinks the ideal Victorian woman should be, and also what the ideal Victorian woman should not be through his main female characters, Mina and Lucy. Mina Murray is a very intelligent …show more content…
Lucy is gorgeous and everyone is aware of this, even Mina can’t stop talking about it. She is blonde, innocent, and very vulnerable, which inspires everyone to protect her. Lucy is proposed to by Quincey Morris, Jack Seward, and Arthur Holmwood. She declines Quincey and Jack, but accepts Arthur’s proposal. Lucy noted that she would not be upset if she married all three men. This goes against the social conventions of the society in the Victorian culture. Throughout the novel, she is driven by her sexual openness and flirtatious nature. She enjoys the attention she gets from men in her society due to her physical …show more content…
Due to the fact that Mina is not as concerned about her sexual needs, as Lucy is, when they are transformed into vampires, they act differently. Lucy’s desires are heightened due to this new power she has to captivate men and she is much more open about it as well. Mina, on the other hand uses her abilities to act as a maternal figure for the men around her and to help them out, which is also what Stoker thinks a model Victorian woman should be like. Meanwhile, Lucy uses her abilities to not act as a maternal figure for those around her, but mistreats children. Stoker uses Lucy to show that women will not last in the Victorian society if they are too sexually aggressive. The men want to kill her because of this and they feel more powerful after she is dead for good. Unlike Lucy, Mina her husband, to kill her because she knows it is what is best for herself and those around