Role Of Mina In Dracula

During the late 19th century Victorian era, women’s roles and positions are portrayed as dependent, devoted to families, and home-loving. As time goes on, the term “New Woman” was introduced. This “New Woman” moved away from the stereotypical woman during the Victorian era. “New Woman” was educated, intelligent, and independent. One novel that represents these two types of women is Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Two female characters in the novel are Mina Murray Harker and Lucy Westenra. Both Mina and Lucy represent the typical woman in the Victorian era; however, as the story moves on, Mina transform from the Victorian woman to “New Woman.” Mina has characteristics of both the Victorian woman and “New Woman.” As a typical woman in the Victorian era, …show more content…
One can view Mina as the real hero because she plays the most important role during when Van Helsing’s people traveled to kill Count Dracula. With her telepathically connection to Dracula, Van Helsing’s people were able to locate Dracula and able to kill him. However, that is not the reason why Mina is the real hero. She is the real hero because she is the only character who was brave enough to go against the traditional role of women and becomes a new type of women. During the Victoria era, most women’s right were extremely limited and lost ownership of their properties. These women were also viewed as dependent, devoted to families, and home-loving. In Stocker’s Dracula, all of the female characters, Mina, Lucy, and the brides of Dracula, represent the women in the Victorian era. Among all female characters, only Mina was brave enough to go against the traditional role of women and becomes a new type of women. Since “New Woman” was totally different from a typical woman during that time period, society rejects the one who is different from the others. If society rejects the one, one chooses either try to fit into a society or death. For example, Nathanael in Hoffmann’s The Sandman was rejected by the society because he was just different from other people and everyone thought that he was just crazy. As a consequence, Nathanael chose the death because he could not handle the rejections from the society anymore. However, Mina did not choose neither one. Mina was also different from other people. She was educated, intelligent, and independent, whereas typical women were uneducated and dependent. Instead of choosing either try to fit into a society or death, Mina continually purses to be different than others. As a result, she stays differently and live happily after. Actually, women’s roles changed from the Victoria women to the “New Women,” in late 19th century and early 20th century. Mina Murray Harker is the real hero