Sexuality And Gender Roles In Bram Stoker's Dracula

This is only indicative of the willingness of the elite to abuse those working under them- especially young naive women. This power imbalance is also captured in Dracula through the character Mina. Mina Harker serves as the love interest of Jonathan Harker, but is a strangely sexless character when compared to other women in the novel. This attribute give Mina a more innocent disposition, which makes

In addition to unrealistic standards, Orenstein is alarmed by the growing popularity of princesses because she views them as “retrograde role models” (329). Therefore, she thinks princesses teach false lessons on morals, speculating less attractive girls will be bullied. Although Orenstein takes a second wave feminist approach, Poniewozik has a third wave feminism viewpoint, which states women can perform female and male tasks. Poniewozik describes various new princess movies that have a third wave feminism approach, for example in The Prince & Me, Paige chooses her career of becoming a doctor over the prince (324). However, in the sequel, she marries the prince and continues working as a doctor.

Furthermore, Feminist Criticism provides a better view of literature because it shows that women can be powerful. When Emilia finds out that her husband has been plotting an evil plan she says,” Tis proper I obey him, but not now”(Othello V.2.195). Emilia refuses to help her husband after she finds the cruel intentions he has despite the expectation of women always being submissive to their husbands. Women also have a voice and feelings, they are capable of defying their husbands commands when they know what he expects is simply wrong. In a literary article,The Role of Women in Othello: A Feminist Reading states that,” Society weighs heavily on the shoulders of women; they feel that they must support the men and defer to them, even if the actions of the men are questionable” (Literary Articles).

The major theme in the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker is the threat of female sexual expression. During this time period, female sexual behavior was frowned upon. Women were said to have to be either a virgin or a wife and mother. Social standards were very strict during this time, making it unheard of for women to show sexual expressions. In is era, the main concern was the role women had in society.

“Stoker does not ascribe sexual traits to women without either turning them into the Un-Dead or fragmenting them into disembodied physical features. Sexuality, then, is not associated with real women but rather with debased aberrations of the category of woman.” (3). “Of course, Dracula had to be prevented from assailing other vulnerable young Englishwomen, but it had to be done because Englishmen could not count on their countrywomen to be strong enough to deter the menace on their own. The men save England from an invading peril and protect her women from a hazard that—simply because they are female—they are too weak to resist. As a result, English values are codified: the men are manly protectors once more, and the women have returned to their role as the domestic angel.”

Penelope however is put under scrutiny by her own son Telemachus when he tells Odysseus about the suitors who have been seeking her hand in marriage (Cliffnotes, 2016). Telemachus plants the seed of doubt in Odysseus mind whether or not Penelope is a faithful women. Odysseus kills all the maids who he believed betrayed him by sleeping with the suitors, this is another example of how prevalent sexual infidelity is in the Odyssey (Homer, 1967:22.213). Odysseus once again shows signs of sexual infidelity when he sleeps with the goddess Circe in order for her to return his men back to their human form as she had turned them into pigs (Homer,

It also suggests that for becoming a sexual woman, Lucy must be punished by sexual means, which leads to her destruction. Likewise, the three siren-like vampire women at Castle Dracula whose dominant sexuality confirms the male fear that their pursuit of sexual gratification surpasses that of men are killed at the end. Van Helsing sees as his obligation to destroy and finish off them, indicating that Van Helsing himself also performs a rape on the three “weird sisters.” He not only rapes one but three women, which can be interpreted as a demonstration of complete power of the Victorian male over the

The fact that there were some role reversals in the novel, especially among the female characters, made most characters all the more dynamic. All the same, the novel was very obviously influenced by gender roles and when Stoker was writing Dracula there was an obvious dividing line between male and female characters that he would not cross. Stoker’s preoccupation with female sexuality in Dracula “is attested to by the fact that [gender roles] actually come to dominate the story, with the vampire hunters mainly concerned not with Dracula himself but with his effect on their beloved companions” (Dixon) While Mina, who represented the ideal Victorian woman, acted as a support system and assistant to the heroic group of men. While things have changed significantly for men and women alike in the modern age, Dracula will likely remain in place as one of the most famous and telling critiques of Victorian gender

The persona Dracula is also different than commonly considered: She has a hairy, moustached man with a wolfish demeanour who is constantly known as childish and unholy by Van Helsing; a considerably retreat from a dashing[a]: jaunty; smart; chic; romantic; gallant, ancient sensuality of modern vampires. The story, will, however have a variety things for someone to think about such as sexuality, gender roles, capitalism, immigration and homophobia all of that can be found and developed through close reading of the written text message. Dracula by Bram Stoker is considered to be the very embodiment of gothic novels. It is a classic story of mythical creatures, supernatural and mysterious events, omens and visions, apocalypticism, threatening creatures, romance, darkness, emotion and all the elements a gothic novel ought to include. A single of the things medieval novels concentrate on are supernatural and mysterious events.

It’s arguable that Jane was a dedicated feminist, who consistently fought against the boundaries and norms social existence at the time and that she rebelled against being overpowered by men. However, many events in the novel do emphasise how Jane can be vulnerable when she is outside the safekeeping of a man, as is shown when she leaves Rochester. Jane battles against the constraints of Victorian society but contradicts her own battles when she marries Rochester, as he becomes vulnerable from blindness. In conclusion, Jane Eyre was a woman with strong feminist beliefs and principals, yet it becomes clear that Jane’s own mind is not completely outside the constraints of society as she succumbs to love and marries Mr. Rochester and in doing so, becomes a heroine of romantic sorts. It is arguable even that this is a deliberate feature by Charotte Brontë to show the power men possess over women.

“There’s nothing remarkable in their making a man foolish, in women winning men To sin, for Adam our father was deceived just so, and Solomon, and also Samson, Delilah was his death and later David Endured misery for Batheba’s beauty. Women ruined them: how wonderful if men could love them well, but never believe them!” (130). Ever since Adam & Eve days, females have been seen as femme fatale. As “An alluring and seductive woman, especially one who leads men into compromising and dangerous situations.”- (dictionary). Sir Gawain expresses his thoughts and advices his audience that it is ok to love woman but never believe their stories nor fall for for their seduction otherwise a permanent scar will be carried upon sinners.

The downfall of Lucy Westerna and the arrival of Dracula arose fears in which only challenging their sense of humanity and understanding of the world could they be able to overcome the dangers which had surrounded them. A sense of urgency is created in when Bram Stoker uses exclamation marks, as the turn of Lucy begins. “Arthur! Kiss me!” she states it as if it must happen now, or it never will. As Lucy becomes a vampire, she becomes increasingly sexualized.