Diction In Dracula

In the novel, Dracula, by Bram Stoker, we are introduced to two specific ladies that are essential to the essence of this gothic, horror novel. These two women are Mina Harker and Lucy Westenra. The purpose for these two women was for Stoke to clearly depict the two types of women: the innocent and the contaminated. In the beginning, the women were both examples of the stereotypical flawless women of this time period. However, as the novel seems to progress, major differences are bound to arise. Although both women, Lucy and Mina, share the same innocent characteristics, it’s more ascertain that with naïve and inability of self control, Lucy creates a boundary that shows the difference between these two ladies and ultimately causes her

Are there still connections between Bram Stokers famous novel Dracula and modern day society? In Dracula, Stoker expands on many themes that indeed exist today. Not only does he touch on the most obvious theme, sex. He expands on gender division and good versus evil. Some say since times have changed the themes I introduced have changed as well, leaving connections between then and now irrelevant. However, I feel that although times have changed they still have roots from the time of the novel to now. In this essay I will expand on the themes of this novel while connecting them to modern day society, the critical texts I have chosen and will mention later on in the essay are a good representation of the commonalities between the chill, dark Victorian days in which the era that Dracula was written in and modern day.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula also involves elements of the male gaze, however there is a distinct emphasis on sexuality and the female body. When Jonathan Harker sees the three vampire sisters in Dracula’s castle, the readers are subjected to a sexualized description of the females through his eyes. This erotic desire for the sisters is evident when he states, “I felt in my heart a wicked, burning desire that they would kiss me with those red lips” (Stoker 38). Harker’s character is a clear portrayal of how the gaze view women as sexual fetish objects. In another similar passage, Harker describes the body and lips of the sisters as “voluptuous” which illustrates how the male gaze objectifies women by voyeuristically gazing at their bodies. Additionally, as Stoker is the true creator of these female characters, his inner male gaze projects its fantasy on the female figure which is then shaped accordingly through his writing. Stoker focuses on the shape and certain body parts of the women that are considered to be “sexual” by the male gaze, for example through Harker he writes, “…the moonlight the moisture shining on the scarlet lips and on the red tongue as it lapped the white sharp teeth” (39). The clear attention to detail and descriptive language regarding the female mouth is to satisfy the male desire. Victorian society was a sexually repressive era where it

In Dracula, Stoker portrays the typical women: The new woman, the femme fatale and the damsel in distress, all common concepts in gothic literature. There are three predominant female roles within Dracula: Mina Murray, Lucy Westenra and the three vampire brides, all of which possess different attributes and play different roles within the novel. It is apparent that the feminine portrayal within this novel, especially the sexual nature, is an un-doubtable strong, reoccurring theme.

Second, for instance the character, Mina is a “new woman” for her ways. In the Victorian era, women were just getting into the age of the workforce while many women were getting educated and becoming more of a force to be wrecked with. Men were not happy with women becoming more then a housewife and a child bearer. Mina in the book, Dracula, shows the possible woman learning how to become more than just a daughter to be married off to a man. In Stoker’s view of Mina tells Lucy, “I have been practicing shorthand very assiduously… When we married I shall be able to be useful to Jonathan, and if I can stenograph well enough I can take down what he says in this way and write it out for him on the typewriter, at

When Lucy in Stoker’s Dracula is bitten it is as though the social pressures upon her sexuality are removed and she is able to discover previously unknown parts of her nature. The extreme nature of her alteration has her move from dreaming of motherhood to taking the lives of infants in order to continue her own ‘half-life’. This may be Stokes’ way of communicating the fears of the time, such as the repercussions of scientific advancement, the consequences of abandoning traditional beliefs, and the dangers of female

While reading Dracula, by Bram Stoker, readers are transported into the Victorian Era through the pages of great, mythological, literature. Not only does Stoker place emphasis on the gender role issues circulating the 1800’s, but focuses on controversial topics such as religion and sexuality, while masking it behind a riveting fictional work. The book takes place between a series of letters and journal entries written by the characters. Dracula, the antagonist, is depicted as a blood-thirsty vampire, who transforms wholesome men and women into the like. Throughout the book, Stoker covers many feminist theories, while primarily focusing on female sexuality, showing the perception of women during the 1800’s.

That is not the only example of gender reversal in Dracula, at one point Jonathan becomes faint in public and to keep him from falling Mina supports him. It would have been considered very odd to see a woman in public supporting a man like this. Stoker uses Mina and Jonathan’s relationship as another subversion of 19th century traditional social mores and norms in Dracula.

Stoker emphasises the threat of the ‘New Woman’ through constant mentioning of their dress and appearance; he does this to emphasis the contrast between the ‘New Woman’ and the traditional women. In the chapter where Jonathan is approached by the 3 woman vampires, who represent the dreaded ‘New Woman’ the language used to describe the women is very critical. He refers to them as “ladies by their dress and manner” stating them to be effeminate and vulgar and this makes it seem that they are impersonating women. Facially they are described as having “high aquiline noses”; these bird-like, pronounced features make them appear animalistic and dangerous. He contrasts their “dark, piercing eyes” with the “pale yellow

Bram Stoker in Dracula imagens a “proper women” by demonizing Lucy ascribing to her traits of a wanton woman; a whore of a demon. A misogynistic attitude is popular in a patriarchal society especially in the middle of the nineteenth century. On the other hand, Mina although is praised; Stoker unconsciously ties in her behavior that may resemble a woman of propriety she is the very bane of what a progressive woman looks like when looking at her through a gynocritics lens. To prepare the reader for the ideology of the “new and proper woman,” Stoker gives Dr. Steward and Van Helsing separate spheres from that of Lucy’s and Mina’s Character. In chapter fifteen, they are now experts in the dealings and explanation of Lucy the human and Lucy the Un-Dead. As we read the chapters sixteen and seventeen it is preconditioned for us to follow the ways they are dealing with Lucy. It is justifiable to call her a voluptuous lipped “thing” without a soul. Their credibility as learned men allow for them to penetrate a woman for the sake of her soul so she can take her place amongst angels. A woman in the nineteenth century is synonymous to the term “Angel.” Doing anything that is non-Angelic, like the suffragettes places the women to be the binary opposition to Angel; Demon. The “proper woman” is demonstrated with terminology such as; “purity, sweetness, and dainty-looking” (Dracula 211) (220). The interpretation would be considered more

Vampires are sexualized in spite of how horrifying they are supposed to be. In the film Nosferatu (1922), Mina Harker suddenly grabs her breast when she felt the presence of Nosferatu and shows the orgasmic reaction while she is reading a book about Nosferatu. In earlier days, women’s sexual desire was more like a taboo compared to it is today; therefore, vampires were a useful

In Bram’s Stoker’s Dracula, the author covertly shares elements of female sexuality such as sex and lust because he is forced to follow the laws of the Victorian era.

Mina is a true woman, and there is naught in common between them. They are devils of the Pit!” (Pg 87) Stoker’s distaste for the changing era can be derived from Jonathan’s quote. Stoker presented Mina as a conventional Victorian woman, passive and submissive. On the contrary the three sisters are denoted as prototypes of ‘New Women’ in the society, who were sexually aggressive, active and voluptuous.

and themes such as sexuality and gender. These topics and the way they are addressed in the book were very controversial when published on May 26, 1897 and were seen as scandalous by its readers. Through this book, Bram Stoker made the idea of vampires become a relevant part of popular culture as it is today and allowed them to be interpreted as figures symbolizing sex and the transference of disease. During Stoker 's era, women were looked down upon and were accused of being immoral for having sex outside of marriage and contracting any sexual diseases. These “women who lose their virtue(virginity) become ‘fallen women,’ outcasts doomed to death or secluded repentance”(Fry). Though these acts generally involve male participation, it is mainly the woman who must deal with the consequences, while the man is able to be free of judgement and continue his life. “The patriarchal tendencies and views of the Victorian society further enforced male superiority and dominance over women”(Podonsky). This being said, the question is, how did some of this prejudice against women translate into the writing of Stoker 's work Dracula and what did Stoker think of his society 's description of an “ideal” woman? The answer to this question is that the thoughts held by the majority about women made their way into the book Dracula in a very satirical manner and the hopeful mind of Abraham Stoker refused to believe that

Critical analysis of the novel reveals the themes of sexuality and the buried symbols held within the text. Due to feminism and sexual ideas presented in the book, the stories focus the attention on men who fall victims of the forbidden female pleasures and fantasy. From the setting of Dracula, Victoria Era, the novel encompasses all social prejudices and beliefs regarding the roles assigned to women and men. Men used to have enough freedom and lifted up to authority while women were suppressed socially. Bram Stoker uses the two women; Lucy Westenra and Mina Harker and Professor Van Helsing to express the ideal women should be and should not be in the ideal society. The dissenting opinion gives threat to the patriarchal Victorian society to end in ruins.