Within the novel Dracula, the author Bram stoker explores the consequences of Victorian Era standards on women. The characters Mina Harker and Lucy Westenra are both victorian era women who were raised in a time where their lives revolved around pleasing their husbands. While Westenra is content with being subservient to her husband, Harker views herself more as an equal to her husband. In her introduction, Mrs.Harker reveals to the readers that she keeps up with her fiance’s studies and attempts to do what she sees “lady journalists do: interviewing and writing descriptions and trying to remember conversation.”(57). Westenra however, juxtaposes Harker. As a sensitive woman both physically, because of her anemia, and mentally Ms.Westenra is devoted to
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Ms.Westenra embraces her identity as a victorian woman and she is below men and feels that all women are as well. Lucy even goes as far as to question, “ why are men so noble when we women are so little worthy of them” (62). In contrast Mrs.Harker does not let her status as a woman make her take a back seat to the men in her life. Ms.Westenra bases her self worth on her gender. Both women are manipulated by Dracula, but only one of them can overcome his powers. When Ms.Westenra has to fight off Count Dracula’s control she isn't able to because in her mind she, being a woman gives her no right to fight against a man. Since the idea that since she is a woman is inferior to men is so heavily ingrained into Ms.Westenra’s sense of self, Dracula easily took control of her. Once she was transformed into a vampire she burdened the other characters because instead if having to only hunt down the Count, they were taxed with stopping Mrs.Westenra. Conversely, Mrs.Harker is aware of society’s thought about how women should act, but unlike Mrs.Westenra, Mrs.Harker doesn’t feel as if she has to dedicate herself to that role. As a result of this attitude Mrs.Harker plays one of the most significant roles in the hunt for
Ms.Westenra embraces her identity as a victorian woman and she is below men and feels that all women are as well. Lucy even goes as far as to question, “ why are men so noble when we women are so little worthy of them” (62). In contrast Mrs.Harker does not let her status as a woman make her take a back seat to the men in her life. Ms.Westenra bases her self worth on her gender. Both women are manipulated by Dracula, but only one of them can overcome his powers. When Ms.Westenra has to fight off Count Dracula’s control she isn't able to because in her mind she, being a woman gives her no right to fight against a man. Since the idea that since she is a woman is inferior to men is so heavily ingrained into Ms.Westenra’s sense of self, Dracula easily took control of her. Once she was transformed into a vampire she burdened the other characters because instead if having to only hunt down the Count, they were taxed with stopping Mrs.Westenra. Conversely, Mrs.Harker is aware of society’s thought about how women should act, but unlike Mrs.Westenra, Mrs.Harker doesn’t feel as if she has to dedicate herself to that role. As a result of this attitude Mrs.Harker plays one of the most significant roles in the hunt for