Category: Dracula

Introduction

One of the reasons why the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker and the novel Orlando by Virginia Wolf are being commonly referred to, as such that represent a high literary value, is that the themes and motifs, contained in both works of literature, are discursively sound. That is, they reflect the main subtleties of what used to the predominant gender-related discourse at the time when Stoker and Wolf were in the process of working on their masterpieces.

In its turn, this explains why, whereas, Stoker’s Dracula provides readers with the clearly defined male-chauvinistic outlook on what accounts for the essence of the relationship between the representatives of opposite sexes, Wolf’s conceptualization of the concerned relationship promotes the author’s feminist agenda. In this paper, I will explore the validity of the above-stated at length.

Discussion

When we talk about the qualitative aspects of the Victorian era in Britain (the time when Stoker came up with his novel), the first thing that comes in mind, in this respect, is the fact that European intellectuals of the time were strongly influenced by the Darwinian Theory of Evolution, which at the end of the 19^th century, drastically altered the people’s understanding of the surrounding social reality.

Whereas, before the time when Charles Darwin published his Origins of Species, the socially constructed assumption of women’s inferiority was ‘fueled’ by religion, ever since the end of the 19^th century, this assumption started to become increasingly ‘scientific,’ in the positivist sense of this word.

That is, the fact that throughout history, women continued to suffer from having been socially unprivileged, was being increasingly referred to as yet additional proof of the ‘survival of the fittest’ theory’s validity. After all, as compared to men, women are physically weaker. However, this particular observation was the least concerned with the emergence of the 19^th century’s ‘scientific’ male-chauvinism, as we know it.

In essence, the doctrine was based upon the assumption that the very physiological constituents of women make them both: intellectually inferior to men and yet capable of ‘corrupting’ (by the mean of sex) the latter to such an extent they end up willing to adopt the posture of submissiveness, in regards to women (Senf 34). As one of the most prominent sexologists of the era, Otto Weininger noted: “The condition of sexual excitement is the supreme moment of a woman’s life…

The woman is devoted wholly to sexual matters… The female principle is nothing more than sexuality; the male principle is sexual and something more” (70). According to him, the reason for this is that the female genitals are ‘internal,’ which in turn causes women to experience a somewhat hard time while trying to act asexually.

This explains why women’s sexuality is, in fact, the integral part of their innate sense of self. Whereas male sexuality can be compared with an incidental skin-itch, which goes away after having been scratched, female sexuality is best compared with an allergic skin-rash, the scratching of which only increases the itch’s severity.

The fact that the above-mentioned idea was very popular among the representatives of the British intellectual elite in the late 19^th century, can be well illustrated in regards to the scene in Stoker’s novel, in which Harker is sexually attacked by ‘weird sisters’ from Dracula’s castle: “The girl went on her knees, and bent over me, simply gloating. There was a deliberate voluptuousness which was both thrilling and repulsive, and as she (one of ‘sisters’) arched her neck, she licked her lips like an animal” (Stoker 56).

In light of what has been said earlier, this quotation implies that, contrary to the author’s tendency to refer to the notion of a ‘female virtuousness’ as something utterly objective, he used to suspect that there is a ‘wild beast’ living inside of even the most virtuous women, which in turn makes them utterly susceptible to ‘evil’.

Given the fact that, throughout the course of his life, Stoker used to take pride in having been a thoroughly rational person, he was naturally inclined to think of the notion of ‘evil’ as such that connotes the notion of an ‘irrational wantonness’ – something the author believed was an unmistakably feminine existential trait.

This, of course, reflects the fact that, in regards to how it treats the issue of a female identity/sexuality, Stoker’s Dracula can be well-referred to as a rather misogynist work of literature. The reason for this is quite apparent – the novel’s gender-related motifs appear highly subliminal of the author’s anxieties about women, in general, and sex, in particular, which in turn reflect his close affiliation with the unmistakably Victorian (masculine) values.

Stoker never ceased believing that, apart from giving birth to children, the women’s purpose in life is being concerned with serving as the tools of men’s self-actualization. What it means is that being essentially the ‘creatures’ with strongly defined atavistic instincts (their well-known tendency to think ‘intuitively’), women are not capable of attaining a social prominence on their own – they can only realize their full existential potential through men.

As Weininger pointed out: “The woman receives her consciousness from the man; the function to bring into consciousness what was outside it is a sexual function of the typical man about the typical woman” (61). The character of Lucy appears to sublimate the author’s anxiety, in this respect.

The validity of this suggestion can be well shown in regards to the fact that one of the reasons why, prior to her transformation into a vampire, the secondary characters of Seward, Morris, and Holmwood would refer to Lucy as the embodiment of femininity, is that they tended to think of her as a pretty but quite brainless ‘doll’.

That is, these characters unconsciously knew that, after having taken Lucy for a wife, they would be able to use her as the ‘medium,’ through their individualities could be channeled. In other words, Lucy’s suitors never valued her in terms of a ‘thing in itself.’ For them, she was more of a soulless commodity to own.

Therefore, it does not come as a particular surprise that in the aftermath of Lucy’s ‘metamorphosis’, they unanimously decided that she would be so much better off dead: “Seward: ‘I shall cut off her head and fill her mouth with garlic, and I shall drive a stake through her body’” (Stoker 287).

Even though it was Lucy’s beautiful looks, which these men appreciated the most about her personality, the fact that after having turned into a vampire, Lucy became even more beautiful, did not have any effect on the strength of the mentioned characters’ resolution to get rid of the ‘vampire.’ This simply could not otherwise – has been a ‘Victorian,’ it would never occur to Stoker that a woman’s worth could be discussed outside of how it benefits men – if a woman cannot be ‘owned,’ she cannot be appreciated.

Thus, the phenomenon of the novel’s popularity with the chauvinistically minded male-readers – it draws heavily on what happened to be their unconscious anxieties, in regards to women.

As Demetrakopoulos noted: “It is obvious that the very attraction of the novel (by Stoker) was that all this sexuality was masked and symbolic; it can be enjoyed surreptitiously and hence denied even to oneself” (106). This could not be otherwise, because Dracula does treat the notions of masculinity and femininity as being mutually irreconcilable – something that the earlier mentioned category of readers prefers to believe.

In this respect, Wolf’s novel Orlando, could not possibly be more different. After all, it is not only that this novel implies that men and women are equally capable of feeling ‘asexual,’ but that it is also possible for them to embrace the identity of the opposite gender, without having to suffer any mentally damaging effects, as a consequence.

In this respect, Orlando can be well-referred to as ‘androgynously feminist,’ as it promotes the idea that the particulars of men and women’s physiological constitution have a very small effect on how the affiliates of both genders go about reflecting upon the surrounding reality and their place in it. As Morgan noted: “The aim of the feminist novel of androgynous fantasy… is to expose the discrepancy between the femininity, supposedly natural to women and women’s true psychology, which, like men’s, is seen as simply human” (41).

This, of course, allows us to refer to Orlando as an intellectual by-product of the feminist discourse, which throughout the 20^th century’s first part, was becoming increasingly popular with more and more women. It is understood, of course, that this alone created a number of the objective preconditions for theme and motifs, contained in this particular novel, to oppose the idea that one’s gender defines the workings of the concerned person’s psyche, explored throughout the entirety of Stoker’s novel (Watkins 57).

Therefore, it is rather ironic that Woolf’s view on gender/female identity, which defines the existential stance of the novel’s main character ‘she-male’ Orlando, appears to be consistent with that of Weininger to an extent. After all, despite having been a misogynist, the latter believed that there are no 100% ‘pure’ males and females – regardless of what happened to be a particular individual’s gender-affiliations, there are both: feminine and masculine aspects to his or her sense of self-identity.

As he pointed out: “The presence of male and female sexual organs in the same body would make the body bisexual only if both sexes ruled the whole body and made themselves manifest in every point… (this) would result simply in the negation of sex in the body in question” (Weininger 25).

Thus, the fact that the character of Orlando in Woolf’s novel was able to change sex can be seen as the proof that, while working on her masterpiece, the author herself used to experience the sensation of a ‘sexual ambivalence’ – in the psychological sense of this word, she could equally relate to men and women.

What is particularly interesting, in this respect, is that while acting ‘androgynously,’ Orlando could not help to grow ever more affiliated with the essentially masculine virtue of thinking ‘asexual,’ which in turn comes as a result of men’s ability to remain mentally detached from their genitals. Thus, the idea of ‘sexual ambivalence,’ promoted in Woolf’s novel, can be well deemed reflective of the fact that, in the psychological sense of this word, Orlando was much more of a man.

For example, even after Orlando has been turned into a woman, he/she continued to feel attracted to men: “Though she (Orlando) herself was a woman, it was still a woman she loved; and if the consciousness of being of the same sex had any effect at all, it was to quicken and deepen those feelings which she had had as a man” (Woolf 92). What it means is that Woolf tended to regard a person’s ability to gain an insight into what makes the representatives of an opposite gender ‘tick,’ as the extrapolation of his or her perceptual manliness.

This explains the innate subtleties of Woolf’s feminist stance – the author was never preoccupied with celebrating femininity, but rather with freeing femininity from its feminine weakness, which she considered something that prevents women from being able to expand their intellectual horizons: “A woman could be as tolerant and free-spoken as a man, and a man as strange and subtle as a woman” (Woolf 149).

The author herself exemplifies the validity of the above-quoted – she was indeed a rather intellectually liberated woman, which in turn allowed her to think of the notion of a gender-identity as something that never ceases to remain in the state of a constant transition.

Conclusion

The earlier deployed line of argumentation, in regards to what accounts for the qualitative aspects of one’s feminine-identity, as seen in Stoker’s Dracula and Woolf’s Orlando, allows us to identify the main differences between the novels in question. These differences can be outlined as follows:

• Whereas Stoker’s novel promotes the idea that the psychological leanings or men and women are predetermined biologically, Orlando implies that the physiological particulars of what happened to be one’s gender-affiliation play a rather insignificant role, within the context of promoting the concerned individual to think in one way or another.
• Unlike what it happened to be with Stoker, Woolf does not refer to the concept of a gender-identity as something spatially unchangeable, but rather as such that continues to grow ever more ‘androgynous,’ as time goes on.
• Contrary to what are the discursive implications of Stoker’s novel, the ones of Woolf’s Orlando are the least concerned with advancing the idea that, while pursuing the romantic relationship with each other, men and women must be thoroughly observant of what happened to be the currently prevailing conventions of public morality.

I believe that the provided insights into how the notion of gender/femininity is being treated in the novels Dracula and Orlando by Stoker and Woolf are fully consistent with the paper’s initial statement. There is indeed a good reason to refer to Stoner’s novel as a male-chauvinistic one, whereas, the one by Woolf is best described as such that promotes an unmistakably feminist agenda.

Works Cited

Demetrakopoulos, Stephanie. “Feminism, Sex Role Exchanges, and Other Subliminal Fantasies in Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’”. Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies 2.3 (1977): 104-113. Print.

Morgan, Ellen. “The Feminist Novel of Androgynous Fantasy Source”. Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies 2.3 (1977): 40-49. Print.

Senf, Carol. “’Dracula’: Stoker’s Response to the New Woman”. Victorian Studies 26.1 (1982): 33-49. Print.

Stoker, Bram 1897, Dracula. Web.

Watkins, Susan. “Sex Change and Media Change: From Woolf’s to Potter’s Orlando.” Mosaic: a Journal for the Interdisciplinary Study of Literature 31.3 (1998): 41-59. Print.

Weininger, Otto 1906, Sex & Character. Web.

Woolf, Virginia 1924, Orlando. Web.

The Victorian age is generally thought of as a time of social perfection and rigid oppression. Society was changing which brought in new ideas and concepts while also serving to emphasize old customs of the past as people tried to cling to the way of life they were familiar with. Women were beginning to question their social roles as well since more and more opportunities became available to them through the factories and in other professions. Women who chose to embrace the new concepts were considered to be deviant because they defied the customs of the past in favor of living in the present.

In Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, the concept of deviant women is explored through the characters Mina Murray and Lucy Westenra.

At the beginning of the novel, Mina Murray is seen as the more deviant of the two women because she is working as a school teacher’s assistant. As a schoolmistress, Mina is a working woman, which automatically labels her deviant, but keeps some respectability because her profession is considered within the realm of ‘female’ roles. She is seen as a fine, upstanding young woman because she is in a semi-professional position, properly meek, properly engaged, and loyally attempting to make herself useful for her future husband.

In chapter 5 she writes to Lucy: “When we [she and Jonathan] are married I shall be able to be useful to Jonathan, and if I can stenograph well enough I can take down what he wants to say in this way and write it out for him on the typewriter.” In this account of her current activities, there is no mention of what she might want for herself, only what she can do for Jonathan’s benefit. Since she is doing all the right things to uphold the traditional roles and values of women, her deviance in working is deemed acceptable as long as she stops working once she’s married.

Lucy Westenra appears to be a proper Victorian young lady at the opening of the story because she does not need to work to support herself, but she is deviant in many other ways. Her activities are the acceptable activities of a fashionable lady. She attends picture galleries, walks in the park, and goes for rides in the country.

She is thrilled to have three proposals of marriage in a day but deviates from Victorian rules by making her own decisions regarding which proposal she’ll accept. Even this early in the story, it is seen that Lucy struggles to break out of the bounds of her strict Victorian definition in order to find her own voice and character as she expresses excess of emotion that is considered deviant. By chapter 8, Lucy is sneaking out at night and meeting with Count Dracula, as is described in Mina’s journal, in terms that suggest sexual imagery and activity.

However, both women are seduced to some degree or another by the Count, who doesn’t see the need for all the social constraints observed in England. He is obvious about his sexuality and his desires, something neither woman is used to and something they both find attractive. The Count shows Lucy how to release her emotions and enjoy life, finally feeling the blood coursing through her veins in the desire she always knew she had.

He does the same for Mina, but she is more rooted in her society through her engagement with Jonathan. While both women’s lives will be changed forever as a result of her encounter with the Count, Mina will be able to grow old and have a family while Lucy is forced to suffer a stake through the heart as a means of ridding society of her type of overtly deviant behavior.

As the novel progresses, both women demonstrate signs of resistance against the socially established ‘norms’, predictably more pronounced in Lucy than in Mina. It is guessed that it was because of her excessive need to express her emotions and a stubborn insistence upon having some control over the events of her life that Lucy ends up in the mental institution where much of the action of the story takes place. Lucy’s dual nature in the asylum could easily be explained by the fact that she’s been locked up, to begin with. It can be seen that she struggled with attempting to fit society’s definitions of what she should be despite being what she was.

This was perhaps the result of having a previous difficulty in conforming to the social roles she was expected to play, and the awakening of her sexuality with the introduction of a man willing to explore it with her.

Her death could also be attributed not necessarily to the vampire Dracula but to the dangerous nature of the blood transfusions, she was receiving. Mina herself admits to being a willing and active party to her seduction within her diary, indicating an awakening sense of sexuality in the breast of that young lady as well. However, these awakening ideas are not part of the constrained and ‘civilized’ social ideals of the upper class and are therefore condemned as ‘other’ by blaming them upon an unnatural creation (Dracula) and mental illness.

Works Cited

Stoker, Bram. Dracula. New York: Penguin Popular Classics, (2007).

Introduction

Dracula by Bram Stoker provides a complex representation of female characters. The central figures of the novel, Lucy and Mina are not examples of a typical Victorian-era woman. Dracula was written when the society was already experiencing conflict between a conservative part standing up for gender roles and Victorian feminists seeking equal rights. This time created the so-called New Women who were fighting for intellectual and sexual autonomy for females. The novel Dracula depicted complex female figures not fitting easily to any of the represented forces.

Main body

Mina Harker brightly shows the conflict between two extremes of Victorian England. On the one hand, she possesses some traditional features of an ideal Victorian woman. She is submissive to Jonathan and rather emotional. She also proposes ideas that are typical for the perception of women of that time. Mina writes: “We women have something of the mother in us that makes us rise above smaller matters when the mother spirit is invoked” (234). Her words imply that all women have a maternal instinct that just should be awoken. Mina’s thoughts about every woman as a mother correlate with traditional gender roles. As Hughes notes, in the Victorian era, “women were assumed to desire marriage because it allowed them to become mothers” (para. 7). Thus, Mina certainly represents traditional values; however, she also has characteristics of the New Woman.

Mina is smart, educated, and financially independent from her fiance. Intelligence and critical thinking are essential for the New Woman. It contrasts with traditional Victorian wives, whom Grand calls “cow women,” or man’s “domestic cattle,” never having their own opinion (qtd. in Kistler 6). Mina, however, was not afraid that studying would have a “damaging effect on the ovaries,” turning her into a “dried-up prune,” as some doctors of the Victorian era believed (Hughes para. 6). She also became a key element in helping to defeat Dracula. According to Kistler, “Mina is a producer, and in this role she is integral to the success of the vampire hunters” (10). It is possible to agree that Mina’s character is reflected in Van Helsing’s words, who says that she has “a man’s brain” and “a woman’s heart” (240). Thus, Mina is a complex figure representing features both of the traditional Victorian woman and the New Woman.

In addition, it is interesting to discuss Mina’s attitude toward the New Women. Mina considers that in the future such a woman “will do the proposing herself” (90). She also adds: “And a nice job she will make of it, too! There’s some consolation in that” (90). These words may seem mocking, although sarcasm is not typical for Mina. However, in any case, Mina voices ideas that would be revolutionary for that time and would shatter the ideals of the Victorian era. This controversial moment also adds to the complexity of her character.

Another significant female figure in the novel is Lucy Westenra. Being innocent and pure, she is, nevertheless, represented with a focus on sexuality. In the beginning, Lucy has three suitors and wishes she could marry them all. Later, in the form of a vampire, she tries to seduce Arthur. The representation of Lucy distances her from the traditional image of Victorian “cow woman” but, at the same time, does not make her a prostitute (a good wife or a prostitute — the two only opposites of women in the Victorian era). She can be considered more as a victim of Victorian standards. As Kistler assumes, the novel suggests that the “lack of activity or intellectual engagement” leaves Lucy “vulnerable to vampire attacks” (5). In this regard, it is possible to agree that Lucy was destroyed as she was not able to fit either the traditional Victorian world or the world of the New Women.

One also can assume that, through Lucy’s image, Stoker represented his attitude toward changes in the perception of genders. Lucy became seductive when she turned into a vampire, that is a monster. For expressing sexuality, Lucy was punished and killed by Van Helsing and her suitors. Of course, it was not the only reason for killing her. However, there can be seen a parallel between sexuality and the monstrous image. Sexual desire was not appropriate for Victorian women, and people of that time were pretending that women did not need this kind of satisfaction. They were perceived as objects providing birth-giving or sources of men’s pleasure. According to Hughes, doctors of that time considered that “the majority of women (happily for them) are not very much troubled with sexual feeling of any kind” (para. 7). In this regard, it is possible to agree that Lucy’s storyline reflected a rather negative attitude of Stoker toward the New Women who were standing for sexual autonomy.

Conclusion

One may conclude that Bram Stoker, in his novel Dracula, provided a controversial representation of the gender conflict of the Victorian era. His female characters possess traditional features of ideal Victorian women, at the same time, challenging the values of the divided world where men and women belong to different spheres. In this regard, they turn out to be between two fires, not fitting entirely to any side of the conflict.

References

Hughes, Kathryn. Gender Roles in the 19th Century. The British Library, 2014. Web.

Kistler, Jordan. Rethinking the New Woman in Dracula. 2018. Web.

Thesis: Transgression is presented in Dracula as a betrayal and failure to protect oneself from evil, which is exemplified by Lucy’s metamorphosis.

Firstly, it is important to note that Lucy was vulnerable to Dracula from the beginning, and she received a great deal of assistance from others during her illness. The author writes: “no man knows, till he experiences it, what it is to feel his own lifeblood drawn away into the veins of the woman he loves” (Stoker, 1897, p. 178). Dr. John Seward was supplying his blood to Lucy due to the girl’s anemia, which means that the helpers were willing to donate their blood and life essence to help her. The statement can be linked to the fact that Lucy did not want to cooperate by wearing garlic around her neck indicating failure to protect herself.

Secondly, Lucy eventually becomes the vampire terrorizing children betraying the values of the crew who made significant efforts to protect and care for her. The author writes: “Lucy Westenra, but yet how changed. The sweetness was turned to adamantine, heartless cruelty, and the purity to voluptuous wantonness” (Stoker, 1897, p. 304). In other words, Lucy’s metamorphosis showcases her turning from the most precious of human beings, a young woman, into the worst of the creatures, a vampire. This is linked to the transgression being the direct result of the betrayal of values since it was avoidable, but Lucy did not address her sleepwalking vulnerability.

In conclusion, Lucy’s metamorphosis is an example of how transgression can be interpreted as a betrayal and failure to protect oneself from evil. Lucy was vulnerable to Dracula from the beginning, and she received a great deal of assistance from others during her illness. She eventually becomes the vampire terrorizing children betraying the values of the crew who made significant efforts to protect and care for her.

Reference

Stoker, B. (1897). Dracula. Archibald Constable and Company.

Though having been written more than a century ago, Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ remains a staple of a Gothic horror story and a perfect example of the epistolary genre. While Dracula remains at the centerpiece of the novel, the transgressions portrayed in the story also contribute to the sense of all-encompassing fear. Despite physical aggression and attacks being seemingly the most terrifying instance of transgression in “Dracula,” these are the moral and ethical ones, such as breaking Mina’s boundaries, are implicitly depicted as the worst ones.

What strikes the reader first when exploring the story is the graphic portrayal of the physical transgression perpetrated by the monster. For instance, the attack on Lucy is described by mentioning blood: “how she could have been drained of so much blood with no sign anywhere to show for it” (Stoker, 1897). As a result, once the shock subsides and the novelty wears out, the specified transgression no longer seems horrifying. In turn, the ethical transgression, to which Stoker provides only subtle hints, leave a much greater impact that lasts significantly longer: “I know that if he tells me to come in secret, I must come by wile” (Stoker). Thus, there is a significant difference in how different transgression types are presented in “Dracula.”

While the transgressions involving active violence are placed at the forefront of the story, it is the nuanced portrayal of ethical ones, particularly, the violation of the protagonists’ moral boundaries and their perception of right and wrong, that eventually prove to be the most egregious ones. Specifically, while the physical transgressions are represented in detail, therefore, increasing the shock value, the moral ones are only hinted at, therefore, encouraging the readers’ imagination to run rampant. Thus, the presentation of transgressions in “Dracula” is unique and thought-provoking.

Reference

Stoker, B. (1897). Dracula. Project Gutenberg. Web.

The Phyllis Roth critical essay discusses the themes of the Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel. The research focuses on the summary of Phyllis Roth’s critical analysis of the Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel. The research centers on giving a critical response to the Roth analysis.

The Roth critical essay on the Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel is very entertaining, educational, and touching. In terms of summary, Phyllis Roth emphasized the secrets of Bram Stocker’s Dracula novel. Royce MacGillwray stated “Such a myth lives not merely because it has been skillfully marketed by entrepreneurs but because it expresses something that large numbers of readers feel to be true about their own lives.” (Byron 11).

Maurice Richardson shows Dracula as “a quite blatant demonstration of the Oedipus complex… a kind of incestuous, necrophilous, oral-anal-sadistic all-in-wrestling match” (Byron 11). In addition, Carrol Fry emphasized that the female vampires represent “the fallen women of the 18^th and 19^th century fiction” (Byron 11).

The women vampires are depicted as sexually aggressive who can easily verbally attack. Richardson characterizes the Dracula story as relevant to Freud’s research indicating that the morbid dread character represents repressed sexual desires; Count Dracula is a morbid dread person. Blake Hobby (23) proposed Count Dracula is seen as a person who is characterized as having lustful anticipation of his successful sexual consummation. In addition, Jonathan Harker eagerly anticipates kissing the three sexually aggressive women vampires.

Likewise, the three women vampires fight to be the first to kiss Jonathan. Vampires are depicted as being death, morality, immortality, and aggressive sexual desires. The story discusses the jealous rivalry of the sons and the father for the mother, originally belonging to the son. Likewise, sexual rival ensues among the three suitors, including the rejected Dr. Seward, for hand of Lucy, who eventually turns into a vampire.

Dracula is shown as making love with both Lucy and Mina to the jealous disgust of the two women’s suitors. In fact, Van Helsing reminded Mina, in front of her suitors, “Do you forget that last night he (Count Dracula) banqueted heavily and will sleep late”. The Val Helsing quote reminds Mina of Count Dracula’s sexual intercourse with Mina (Byron 18).

Count Dracula fumes with jealousy when he discovers Jonathan in the same room as his three women vampires. Dracula furiously states to the three women vampires “How dare you touch him, any of you?”(Byron 19). The story ends up with Dracula destroyed and Van Helsing saved. Likewise, Lucy is destroyed and Mina is saved.

In terms of response, the manner and style of writing of Roth’s critical analysis of the Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel was written in exceptional manner and style. The author uses quotes from the original Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel.

The writer uses the quotes to show proof of the author’s understanding of the Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel. The author gathers many evidences to prove that the entire Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel is grounded on sexual aggressiveness. The novel depicts the women as sexually aggressive. The Roth discussion ends with a big bang. She closes by stating who survived in the Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel. The author also ends by mentioning who perished in the same novel.

The author finally closes the curtain on the Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel by majestically mentioning Van Helsing’s quoted line “We want no proofs; we ask non to believe us! This boy will some day know what a brave and gallant woman his mother is. Already he knows here sweetness and loving care; later on he will understand how some men so loved her, that they did dare so much for here sake” (Byron 21).

Further, Christoph Haeberlein (11) stated that the author’s effect on the mind is very thought enlightening. Before the reading the book, one would generally predicate the theme of the author’s writing is based on fear. However, as one reads the Roth writing, fear is set to the sidelines.

Sexual desire and family are the major themes of the Roth critical analysis. The author vividly shows the vampire women as persons hungry to dive into bed with a male partner. In crystal-clear manner, the author describes Count Dracula as a pleasing lover. The same author points to Count Dracula as a jealous person.

Dracula is shown as both a person who needs love as well as gives love. Just like human beings, Count Dracula does not want his sexual objects of desire to be grabbed by other males. The author creatively metamorphoses the Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel from a horror novel to a love story environment. Furthermore, Carol Davison (166) proposed the Roth critical analysis affects the readers’ emotions.

The readers are emotionally entertained by Roth’s unique interpretation of the Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel. The emotion of happiness will crop up as the readers realize that the Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel is not a horror story. The viewers of the Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel will understand that the novel is filled with love conquests. The story includes emphasis on the women vampires as person needing love and willing to give love to any person who comes to their path.

Likewise, the Roth critical analysis of the Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel specifically describes the vampires, including Count Dracula, have similar preferences to both fall in love and to need love in return. The readers of the Roth critical analysis will eagerly comprehend the author’s message of love and family life. The author clearly discusses Dracula’s failures. Just like other regular persons, Count Dracula has the same problem of resolving failures in life.

In fact, Dracula’s failure is very evident. Count Dracula succumbs to defeat at the end of the story. Count Dracula fails to prevent Jonathan from entering and having love intentions on his three female vampires. In turn, Count Dracula instructs the three females to replace their attention from Jonathan to another child. In addition, the Roth critical analysis painstakingly discusses Count Dracula as a good father of the family.

The average father will do whatever is necessary to protect and care for one’s family members. In addition, the typical father does not want his children to violate any of his instructions. Doing so would be a violation of the children’s respect for their father, Count Dracula. As a father, Count Dracula, only means the best for his wife, Mina, and his children.

Likewise, the Roth critical analysis of the Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel influences the readers’ character. The readers will learn that one’s character is important. The readers are persuaded to put love and family above all else. The same author invites the readers to defend one’s territory, market segment, property, love interest and ownership from intruders.

The author of the Roth critical analysis understandably impresses on the readers to create and defend one’s character at all times, even to the point of endangering one’s life. Count Dracula died trying to protect his territory, market segment, property, love interest and ownership from all intruding parties. Lastly, the Roth critical analysis explains that Count Dracula was successful in some of his characteristic endeavors.

Just like ordinary human beings, Count Dracula was not as successful in other character challenges. The tragic end of Count Dracula clearly shows that the head vampire is just like other human beings. Normally, human beings either win or loss in their characteristic ventures. The author clearly shows that the most important factor is not the winning or the losing in one’s everyday struggles.

On the other hand, the author puts priority to the theory that all persons, including the vampires of the Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel, must prioritize taking a stand on every issue. Winning or losing the struggle to defend one’s side of the struggle is secondary to standing for one’s beliefs and convictions. Based on the above discussion, the Phyllis Roth critical essay discusses the arguments of the Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel. The summary of the Roth critical analysis focuses on love and family life, just like normal human beings.

The critical response to the Roth critical analysis shows that Count Dracula, the three woman vampires, Jonathan, Lucy, Mina, and the other characters need to both give love and receive love, just like other human beings. Indeed, the Roth critical essay on the Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel is exceptionally entertaining, exceedingly educational, and superbly touching. In terms of recommendation, the readers should treasure and implement the many critical teachings of the Roth critical analysis.

The readers must understand that love and family are what drives every person, including the vampires, to live. The author of the Roth critical analysis strongly states that the average person, especially Count Dracula, will go out of one’s way to protect and care for one’s family and love interest. Lastly, death is nothing when compared to fighting for one’s market segment, property, love interest and ownership from all encroachers.

Works Cited

Davison, Carol. Bram Stoker’s Dracula: Sucking Through the Century. New York: Dundun Press, 1997.

Haeberlein, Chriistoph. Issues of Sexuality in “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”. New York: Grin Press, 2009.

Hobby, Blake. Bloom’s Literary Themes. New York: Infobase Press, 2010.

Byron, Glennis. Dracula: Bram Stoker. New York: Palgrave Press, 1999.

Introduction

“Dracula” is a horror novel by Bram Stoker. It was first published in 1897. Over the years, the book has been translated and revised several times. In this paper, the author explores the structure and setting of the novel, themes, characters, as well as symbolism and subjectivity.

An analysis of other scholarly writers and their arguments about the novel will also be provided (Belsey 34). A critical evaluation of “Dracula” reveals that it is an epistolary novel with a number of intertwining themes. The plot of the story is supported by symbolism and subjectivity as literary techniques.

“Dracula”: A Synopsis

The book tells a horror story. It portrays events taking place in England and Transylvania. The story is set in the 1890s. It begins with John Hacker, a solicitor visiting Count Dracula (Stoker 2). The Count lives in Carpathian Mountains. The solicitor intends to provide legal support. He is working on his employer’s real estate.

While at the Count’s castle, the solicitor encounters three female vampires. Dracula comes to his rescue. Afterwards, Dracula moves away from Transylvania. In the meantime, Mina is writing to her friend. The girl is Harker’s fiancée. Three men approach Mina’s friend for marriage. She accepts Holmond’s proposal and rejects those from Seward and Quincey (Schaffer 385).

Mina decides to visit Lucy at Whiteby. A ship has been wrecked. The whereabouts of the crew remain unknown. In addition, the captain died. After a while, Lucy starts to sleepwalk. Mina finds her in the cemetery. She sees an object bending over her. She falls sick and Dr. Seward sends for his mentor, Professor Helsing. The professor determines her condition but refuses to disclose it (Stoker 45).

Mina and Jonathan join others in destroying Dracula. They go through journals and diaries to trace the Count. Dracula is able to access the asylum. He starts nagging Mina. Mina is transformed. She becomes a vampire. Dracula is forced to go back to Transylvania.

His trail is followed over land and sea. Meanwhile, Heising and Mina come into contact with the vampires. They manage to kill them. Finally, they use sacred objects to block access to the building. The people catch up with the Count as he gets into the castle. Jonathan and Quincey use knives to kill him (Schaffer 390).

“Dracula”: Structure and Setting

“Dracula” is an epistolary novel. It is composed of journals, letters, and diary entries. It also uses telegrams and newspaper clippings. A number of people have made contributions to the novel. They include Jonathan Harker, Mina Murray, and Seward. Lucy Westerna and Abraham also made major contributions. The book is largely journalistic (Dittmer 240).

Analysis of Themes

Modernity

Modernity is evident in the novel. For example, Harker is uncomfortable with the lodgings provided by his host at the castle. In addition, Stoker moves the story from the old castle to modern Victorian London. Helsing brings together modern and ancient schools of thought. For example, in chapter 17, he warns Seward that they should get rid of the monster. The move illustrates modernity (Byron 50).

Female Sexuality and Homosexuality

Stoker addresses the issue of sexuality in the book. A Victorian woman in “Dracula” has two options. She is either ‘pure’ or a mother. If she is neither of these, she is regarded as a whore and a useless person. In addition, homosexuality is regarded as an indecency in the society (Yu 150).

Reverse Colonization

Even though it is a minor theme, reverse colonization gives the reader an understanding of ‘eastern’ and ‘western’ cultures. A case in point is how the British view Transylvania. They regard it as a society full of social and political instabilities. Dracula travels to London. His shift depicts Britain as the scene of the conflicts. One can argue that the Count represents conquerors and vampires. The ‘animals’ colonize their victims instead of killing them. Consequently, they subvert the host’s culture while strengthening theirs (Arata 636).

Characters

The novel has several characters. The first is Jonathan Harker. He plays a number of roles. For example, he is a solicitor. In addition, he is engaged to Mina. He is also held captive in Dracula’s castle. Count Dracula is another character. He is from Transylvanian. He owns a residence in London. Westerna is Mina’s best friend. Holmwood is Lucy’s suitor and fiancée. John Seaward is a doctor. Helsing is a Dutch professor (Senf 4).

“Dracula”: Symbolism and Subjectivity

Stoker uses symbols to enhance the flow of the plot and to make it more captivating (Dittmer 241). A case in point is the depiction of the three sisters. They appear in Hacker’s dreams. They illustrate sexual proficiency, but they are evil. Another use of symbolism involves the stake driven through Lucy’s heart. It is meant to kill the devil in her and purify her. The use of the name Czarina Catherina is also symbolic. It is the name of a ship. It was derived from a Russian empress known for her promiscuity (Yu 154).

Subjectivity is also used in “Dracula”. It relates to how a person experiences things. A case of subjectivity is seen when Jonathan moves into Count’s castle. He shifts from the known to the unknown. On his way, he encounters people with conspicuous features and customs. However, he views his experiences as adventure (Senf 3). He also acknowledges the superstitious nature of people in this region. Gradually, he sees some truth in these superstitions.

Conclusion

“Dracula” is an interesting epistolary novel. It is set in Victorian London. Stoker addresses a number of themes, including modernity, sexuality, and reverse colonization. Symbolism and subjectivity are used to develop the plot of the story and bring to life the various characters.

Works Cited

Arata, Stephen. “The Occidental Tourist: ‘Dracula’ and Anxiety of Reverse Colonization.” Victorian Studies 33.4 (1990): 621-645. Print.

Belsey, Catherine. Critical Practice (New Accents). 2nd ed. 2002. New York: Routledge. Print.

Byron, Glennis, Bram Stoker’s Gothic and the Resources of Science. 2015. Web.

Dittmer, Jason. “Dracula and the Cultural Construction of Europe.” Connotations: A Journal of Critical Debate 12.2-3 (2003): 233-248. Print.

Schaffer, Talia. “‘A Wilde Desire Took Me’: The Homoerotic History of Dracula.” English Literary History 61.2 (1994): 381-425. Print.

Senf, Carol. “Rethinking the New Woman in Stoker’s Fiction: Looking at the Lady Athlyne.” Journal of Dracula Studies 7.1 (2007): 1-8. Print.

Stoker, Bram. Dracula, New York: Dover Publications. Print.

Yu, Eric. “Productive Fear: Labor Sexuality and Mimicry in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.” Texas Studies in Literature and Language 48.2 (2006): 145-170. Print.

The Victorian society imposed strict restrains on uncovering sexuality, particularly expressing female sexuality because the Victorian vision of a woman was confined to an idealized representation of the roles that females should play in society.

Therefore, Stoker’s novel Dracula reflects a negative attitude toward female sexuality that conforms neither of the above-accepted patterns. As a result, death is the only punishment for any displays of women’s eroticism.

Death and sexuality, therefore, are closely intertwined because they are the most powerful tools of peace disruption among both males and females.

Specific attention should be paid to the representation of a New Woman freed from sexuality, evaluation of sex as an anti-Christian regressive process demoralizing society, and strong association between sex and death as disruptive powers stereotypes in the Victorian era.

Stoker was fully aware of the sexual allegories running through his novel and heavily criticized by him. At the end of the novel, the sexualized women are get punished for their immoral actions and uncontrolled sexual desires: “There was something about them that made me uneasy, some longing and at the same time deadly fear” (Stoker 57).

Within the rigid social and moral frames of the Victorian age society, women were accepted into several limited options – acting the role of a chaste and innocent girl, or imposing the obligation of mother and wife.

Other than that was heavily criticized and rejected by society and by men who resisted their sexual fantasies and wished to exterminate any of abnormal sexual representations (Davis 22). In addition, the death of the female vampire can be associated with the author’s negative outlook toward self-determined women that surpassed the acceptable norms of morale.

All women succumbed to the Count Dracula’s evil intentions were doomed to die, except for Mina Harker, the woman who manages to resist Dracula’s seduction.

In the novel, the heroine reveals a perfect symbiosis of contemporary woman possessing traditional virtues: “She is one of God’s women, fashioned by His own hand to show use men and other women that there is a heaven where we can enter, and that its light can be here on earth” (Stoker 300).

By presenting the portrayal of Mina as the one belonging to the New Women generation, the author provides an example of the Victorian woman that is capable of resisting the devil’s seduction.

Just as the Count Dracula personifies the vices of society and demoralized outlook on sexual relationships, sex is featured as an anti-Christian regressive display, which makes both men and women succumb to their “inner” vampires (Davidson 27).

In the play, Stoker refers to religious ideologies while demonstrating his opposition to the expression of sexuality; he, therefore, considers Dracula as antagonistic hero resisting divine laws: “Thus are we ministers of God’s own wish: that the world, and men for whom His Son dies, will not be given over to monsters, whose very existence would defame Him” (Stoker 508).

At this point, the story can be regarded as a moral tale that informs about the greatest concerns of the Victorian age – the threat of violating the religious traditions, and the threat of feeing women from moral and stereotypical boundaries of that time.

More importantly, the presence of an antagonistic hero creates transparent and clear distinction between right and wrong actions, as well as between divine and vicious sources of social intentions.

Regarding the above-presented juxtapositions, the deep connection between such controversial conceptions as sexuality and death is explicitly revealed. Representing sexuality as the one unfitting societal views is as powerful as representation of death.

Hence, those females and males surpassing the forbidden boundaries are doomed to be on the edge of death. Lucy fails to resist Dracula’s seduction and reveals her sexual nature opposite to her traditional virtues (Stoker 486).

As a result, Van Helsing sees no other choices but to exterminate the evil and turn Lucy into a socially and morally respectable state. Because of the fear of loosing their reputation, men decide to kill Lucy and seduced girls to save the society from vices. These female vampires, therefore, embody the utmost sexual desires of men who are afraid of been captured by their personal fantasies and be socially scorned.

In conclusion, strong expression of female sexuality is closely associated with the disruptive power of death in Stoker’s novel. Women and men of the Victorian era were heavily suppressed by rigid morale and religious ideologies and, as a result, surpassing the established frames would mean death for male honor and female innocence.

Hence, Dracula embodies all the societal vices and sins that were rigidly criticized and forbidden at that time. Therefore, sexualized women, such as Lucy who succumbed to vices, should be punished whereas Mina, a representative of the modern female movement, manages to suppress her inner sexuality and liberate herself from the evil.

This confrontation is also represented through eternal encounters between the Devil and God, between the right and the wrong. Pursuing the religious patterns of that time, Stoker compares Dracula with the Devil who demoralizes and disrupts society.

Works Cited

Davis, Lloyd. Virginal Sexuality and Textuality in Victorian Literature. US: SUNY Press, 1993. Print.

Davison, Carol Margaret. Bram Stocker’s Dracula: Sucking Through the Century, 1897-1997. US: Dundurn Press, 1997. Print.

Stoker, Bram. Dracula. US: Plain Label Books, 1897. Print.

Introduction

The paper is a critical analysis of a movie, The Crazies written by Paul McCollough, directed by George Romeo and produced in 1973, one of the movies I like. The essay discusses the story, movie synopsis, themes as well as its origin are brought forth. Additionally, the paper tries to bring out the link between the movie and the works of Bram Stoker, Dracula. The movie after being released on March 16 1973 was distributed by Cambist Films and runs for 103 minutes. Theme refers to a point of view stance or acuity personified and articulated through art, in this case-The Crazies.

Movie summary

The movie features the following actors and actress; Lane Carroll, Will MacMillan, Robert Karlowsky, McDonaldHarold Wayne Jones, Robert McCully, Lyloyd Hollar, Richard Liberty, Bill Thunhurst, Richard France, Leland Starnes, Harry Spillman and Will Disney.

The movie (Trixie) is an American horror-action movie about the adverse effects of the release of a biological military weapon that got its way accidentally to people living in a small town within America Evan’s city in Pennsylvania. Spells of psychosis in the general population are leading to kill and cause mayhem, when the United States Army turns up to help, indeed things go from bad to worse. It is worth mentioning that a remake of the crazies was released in 2010.

According to the video The Crazies there are two phases, one in which efforts are made to help the general public be safe and sound after the release of the biological weapon and the other a political and military will to curb the menace of violence and murder brought forth by the biological weapon. McMillan and his girlfriend a nurse and Wayne a firefighter like McMillan are central characters. The city has experienced strange happening in the recent past such as an arson fire on a farm within the city.

U.S Army troops well protected arrive at the hospital where McMillan’s girlfriend works as a nurse taking control of the office of the doctor. It come to light that a biological weapon that was had not yet been tested was being carried in an army plane that crashed near a hill within the city. At that instance, the water system was infected with the virus dubbed Trixie; the effects were making people be homicide or just die.¹

The virus is highly contagious prompting government officials to step in by ordering Holler a colonel to go help curb the problem, similarly, Dr. Watts, (France) comes into town in the quest of finding a cure to combat the virus before it is too late. Authorities concluded having in place airborne bombers well equipped to completely destroy the city in case it is deemed fit. More problems and confusion were experienced as the troop shot anyone who tried to escape. The populace was held up in a local school, further chaos led to a sheriff being shot ².

An elderly woman is seen by a soldier, in trying to help her and urging her to follow the soldier, she stubs the soldier with a needle. Almost all local population has been infected. Soldiers are killed by the public who are armed with dynamites as well as guns. A priest is also infected, shocked by what the soldiers are doing to people, using gasoline, burnt himself to death.

Later Lowry and her father Richard together with the other three individuals although were confined in a motor vehicle; managed to escape with the hope of leaving the city. Later, Artie (Richard) had sex with his daughter of course after being infected, Clank, among the other three on seeing this beat Richard who later hanged himself. Kathie (Lowry) was shot dead while wandering outside; Clank in fighting back killed a number of soldiers before he was also killed by a bullet through his head. Judy being infected by the virus is killed by the populace.³ On seeing, this, David got hungry and surrendered to the troop, he kept it a secret about him being infected with the virus.

The doctor’s quest of finding a vaccine for the virus hit a snag when he was mistaken as one of the infected; he died when he was pushed down the stairs. The last scene is where the colonel is ordered to go to another town infected by the virus. While boarding the plane, he looks with a lot of sadness at the troubled city.

Dracula

A novel authored by Bram Stoker in 1897 featuring a vampire. In the novel, Harker a solicitor goes to Count Dracula to offer legal advice for the real estate business. He was fascinated with everything in this town, later he found out that he is confined in the castle seeing facets of the nocturnal way of living of Dracula. In his quest to escape, at night he fell under the spell of the vampires, the count later saved him.⁴

A Russian ship sunk while anchored at Varna and all crew are believed to be dead, one body that of the captain was found. A log made it known that an event transpired that led to the disappearance of the entire crew apparently due to the presence of an animal that looks like a big dog.

Dracula tracked down Harker’s girlfriend and Lucy, a friend to the latter. Lucy later receives three marriage proposals from John, Morris, and Holmwood, she turned down John’s and Morris’s acceptance that of Holmwood.⁵ Dracula notably, had an encounter with Renfield a patient of John; he eats insects and birds according to their size.

Lucy suspiciously got wasted and it was only John who stayed with him. John called Abraham who established Lucy’s conditions but did not disclose it to John. At the time when Abraham was to go back, his massage to John requesting him to take care of Lucy is sent to the wrong address, later Lucy and her mother are attacked by a wolf, both died. After Lucy’s burial, it is evident that children are stalked at night by a lady the kids describe as being beautiful. Abraham concluded that Lucy has become a vampire, he then tells the three guys. They then plot to go after Lucy and try their best in handling the situation.⁶

Harker after escaping from the castle later meet and married his fiancée Mina, together, they resorted to dealing with Dracula. On knowing the plot against him, Dracula visited and bite Harker’s wife, feeding her his blood leading to a spiritual association between the two; this made Dracula fully control Mina.⁷ To address the problem what needed to be done was to first kill the Dracula, this was made possible by the connection he had with Mina. Before sunset, Abraham and his team tracked Dracula and managed to destroy it by cutting his throat and stabbing his heart. The crumbling of Dracula freed Mina. Morris is killed by one of the vampires; those who survived went back to England.

Themes in The crazies

Power and government distrust is one of the recurrent themes in the movie. From the onset, it is evident that it is indeed the government bestowed with power that made things even worse than they were. The government resorted to a brutal way of handling the situation; it seemed to have resorted to breaking and scrambling some eggs so to speak⁸. They shoot people they deemed were escaping, additionally, the preparation of having in place an airborne bomber is much more horrifying as this meant that it was ready to do away with the entire population in that city, this creates a deep sense of distrust between the citizens and there government sort of love-hate relationship. This shows that the citizens are horrified about their civil liberty that opts to be guaranteed by the government.

In addition, a sense of anarchy is brought forth in which case every person fights for himself. The movie tries to bring out the government as being both a savior and at the same time a devil to its people. When David and the other four including his wife tried running away, what the soldiers did to them makes us appreciate the fact that the government can be as dangerous in fact as the ‘crazies’

There is also a case of a high level of secrecy. No one knows what the biological weapon was intended for, a guess that is left to anyone is for war between America and one of its enemies. Additionally, David although infected by the virus, did not disclose it to the troop when he surrendered.

Lastly, in the video The Crazies ⁹what comes out clear is the concept of distinction, in which those not infected are killing and rioting and on the other hand, those not infected and in power resort to barbaric and inhuman tactics to do away with the later. It is worth noting that the movie negatively depicted the efforts of the government in trying to bring or restore order ¹⁰.

The relationship between the movie and Stoker’s Dracula

The Crazies is closely related to the novel written by Stoker. In both, there is the use of vampires and horrifying creatures to convey the intended messages. Similarly, there is a high degree of secrecy in both; for instance, David surrendered to the military and kept his state of infection by the virus a secret, in Dracula, Doctor Abraham establishes that Lucy was infected and would turn to be a vampire, kept that to himself until later when things went extremely wrong. On the other hand, while Crazies ends showing us that another city was infected by the virus, in Dracula, the monster is killed hence depicting victory over the menace of Dracula.

Conclusion

From the movie analysis, it is apparent that it is closely associated or linked with the works of Stoker, Dracula. The major themes that emerge include ill motives of government, power, secrecy, separation or distinction.

Works Cited

Bram, Stoker. “Dracula Summary”. 2010.

Bram, Stoker. Dracula. London: Archibald Constable and Company, 1897. Print.

Snyder, James. “The Crazies Review: A Jolt to the Gut, Brain, Country”, 2010. Web.

‘The Crazies’. Dir. George A. Romero. Prod. Croft, C.A.. Videocassette. Cambist Films, 1973.

Footnotes

1. Snyder, James. “The Crazies Review: A Jolt to the Gut, Brain, Country”, 2010. Web.
2. The Crazies. Dir. George A. Romero. Prod. A. C. Croft. Videocassette. Cambist Films, 1973.
3. Ibid. p. 2.
4. Bram, Stoker. “Dracula Summary”, 2010. Web.
5. Ibid. p. 33.
6. Ibid. p. 41.
7. Ibid. p. 54.
8. Snyder, James. “The Crazies Review: A Jolt to the Gut, Brain, and Country”, 2010. Web.
9. The Crazies. Dir. George A. Romero. Prod. A. C. Croft. Videocassette. Cambist Films, 1973.
10. Snyder, James. “The Crazies Review: A Jolt to the Gut, Brain, and Country”, 2010. Web.