For decades stories and sagas have told us to be aware of the vampire. Bram Stokers "Dracula" has never stopped being printed since it was published in 1897 and has become the figurehead for vampirism. The vampire has always been an object of terror and at the same time he has fascinated us.
Indeed, vampirism is very often associated with sexuality, especially with repressed sexuality. Williamson points out that Dracula is written in the Victorian age which is "considered to be one of sexual repression and the vampire represents the return of the (masculine) repressed". Craft even speaks of "sexual energy“ which is closely connected to vampirism. Nevertheless, there are other opinions about that period. Elaine Showalter argues that Dracula was also written in a time of "sexual anarchy" (cf Showalter 3) and that this was a decade of alternative definitions of being male or female and also a time where the ‚New Woman‘ was invented.
That Stoker’s" Dracula" has often been interpreted and analyzed for its sexual contents is due to the "powerful sexual charge" which Murray claims runs throughout the novel (cf Murray 200f; Kline 5f). There is no agreement "as to what kind of sexuality is present in the novel", but Spencer points out that among them there is no doubt that "a given sexuality [...] is repressed and displaced throughout the text" (cf Spencer 197). Of course, sexuality is not explicitly described and rather masked, therefore the interpretations of these symbols are different. This paper seeks to analyze the depiction of sexual women in the novel on the basis of particular plots.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Historical context
2.1. Victorian Era
2.1.1. The Angel in the House
2.1.2. The New Woman
3. Sexuality
3.1. The three Vampiresses
3.2. Lucy Westenra
3.3. Mina Harker
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper investigates the representation of female sexuality in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, exploring how the author reflects and challenges Victorian gender ideals through key character arcs and plot developments.
- Analysis of gender roles in the Victorian era, specifically the "Angel in the House" and the "New Woman."
- Examination of the seduction of Jonathan Harker by the three vampiresses as a subversion of traditional male-female power dynamics.
- Evaluation of Lucy Westenra’s transformation into a vampire as a manifestation of repressed female sexual desire.
- Comparison of Mina Harker’s resistance against the Count with the behavior of more transgressive female characters.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1. The three Vampiresses
In the moonlight opposite me were three young women, ladies by their dress and manner. I thought at the time that I must be dreaming when I saw them, for, though the moonlight was behind them, they threw no shadow on the floor. They came close to me and looked at me for some time and then whispered together. Two were dark, and had high aquiline noses, like the Count’s, and great dark, piercing eyes, that seemed to be almost red when contrasted with the pale yellow moon. The other was fair, as fair can be, with great, wavy masses of golden hair and eyes like pale sapphires. I seemed to know her face, and to know it in connection with some dreamy fear, but I could not recollect at the moment how or where. All three had brilliant white teeth, that shone like pearls against the ruby of their voluptuous lips. There was something about them that made me uneasy, some longing and at the same time some deadly fear. I felt in my hear a wicked, burning desire that they would kiss me with those red lips (p. 44).
It is a perfect example of what has been said in the previous chapter. Stoker portrays the "magical" irrational power women have over men. They are presented very extreme having "great dark, piercing eyes […] almost red" with "brilliant white teeth, that shone like pearls against the ruby of their voluptuous lips". Harker is "uneasy" and in "deadly fear" but at the same time he feels a desire to pursuit the women. Harker, as the male character in this scene, is not self-confident as men ought to be of that time; they normally play the active part in sexual events. In this case he is the passive part, which he fears very much, to be overpowered by the three vampire females.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the enduring cultural significance of the vampire figure and outlines the paper's focus on analyzing sexual depictions of women in the novel.
2. Historical context: This section details the Victorian era's social norms, contrasting the ideal "Angel in the House" with the emerging "New Woman" figure.
3. Sexuality: This chapter analyzes three pivotal scenes to explore how active versus passive female roles interact with societal notions of gender and repressed desire.
4. Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes how the novel uses vampirism to reflect contemporary gender tensions and confirms that Dracula remains a complex gothic masterpiece.
5. Bibliography: Lists the academic primary and secondary sources utilized throughout the research paper.
Keywords
Bram Stoker, Dracula, Victorian era, female sexuality, gender roles, Angel in the House, New Woman, vampirism, gothic fiction, sexual repression, literary analysis, Lucy Westenra, Mina Harker, sexual symbolism, femme fatale.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic paper?
The paper examines how Bram Stoker’s Dracula portrays sexual women and explores the underlying sexual implications present in the novel relative to Victorian social standards.
Which historical concepts are central to the work?
The core themes include the Victorian ideal of the "Angel in the House" and the societal fears surrounding the emerging concept of the "New Woman."
What is the ultimate research objective?
The goal is to analyze the depiction of female characters—specifically the three vampiresses, Lucy Westenra, and Mina Harker—to determine if their representation reflects or challenges the gender ideals of their time.
What methodology is applied in this analysis?
The paper utilizes a qualitative literary analysis approach, focusing on specific plot points and character interactions, supported by scholarly references regarding Gothic literature and gender history.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body investigates the seduction of Jonathan Harker, the transformation of Lucy Westenra, the characterization of Mina Harker, and their collective relation to contemporary gender theories.
Which keywords best describe the paper's content?
Important keywords include Dracula, Victorian era, female sexuality, New Woman, gender roles, and gothic fiction.
How does the author characterize the difference between the vampiresses and Mina Harker?
The vampiresses are portrayed as sexually aggressive, "fallen" women, whereas Mina Harker is characterized as a "dual-faceted" figure who balances intelligence with traditional, submissive virtues.
What specific symbolic meaning is attributed to the vampire bite in this text?
The paper discusses scholarly interpretations, such as those by Bentley, suggesting that the vampire's bite often serves as a substitute for sexual intercourse or, in the case of Mina, as a potential symbol for other taboo experiences like menstruation.
Does the paper argue that Stoker intentionally criticized Victorian society?
The paper notes that while the novel is deeply rooted in the sexual anxieties of the 1890s, critics remain divided on whether Stoker was fully aware of these subtexts or whether they emerged organically from the cultural climate.
- Citar trabajo
- Katja Grasberger (Autor), 2014, Women and Sexuality in Bram Stoker’s "Dracula", Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/322902
