Summary Of Homosexuality In Bram Stoker's Dracula

Mina and Lucy Bram Stoker’s gothic novel, Dracula, was written in the nineteenth century, where he uses the main two female characters to depict the varying role between man and woman. Dracula is set in the Victorian Era, where the man in the relationship has all the power. Stoker uses these female characters, Mina and Lucy, to offset these prejudices. Lucy, is your beautiful and innocent woman, who is defined by her sexuality and is left uninformed about the dangers of Dracula. Mina, who can be defined as pure and innocent, shows off her dedication to her husband by keeping up with his studies which ultimately saves her.

In Stoker’s novel Dracula, Renfield is a patient in Dr. Seward’s mental asylum who has a desire to gain the life of small, living organisms (e.g., flies, spiders, and rats) by consuming their souls. Although the purpose of Renfield’s character may be considered irrelevant to the central plot of Dracula, it is of utmost significance. To elaborate, the Renfield sub-plot functions as an “abstract representation for a better understanding” and in-depth knowledge to the character of Count Dracula through Renfield’s actions (Dracula). According to Gray, the character of Renfield “parallels aspects of Dracula 's livelihood,” such as his need to consume life. The dark relationship that Renfield and Dracula share is evident in the scene when Renfield

The presentation of Good vs. Evil is one of the main themes in the novel, Dracula. The portrayal of good and evil is seen in each character throughout the book. The characters considered “evil” in the novel are Dracula and his vampire brides. Dracula converts humans into vampires and has immense power over certain individuals. Everything he does demonstrates that there is no good in him at all.

Another noteworthy example of the way Stoker’s lascivious thematic begins outside the immediate circle of ‘good’ characters and then worms its way within is Mina Harker’s decent into vampirism. After Dracula manages to get into Mina’s bedchamber her forces himself upon her, drinking of her blood and forcing her to drink of his. “I was bewildered and strangely enough, I did not want to hinder him” (305), Mina declares as she realizes that even while she had tried to fight against the Count’s urgings she found it difficult not to yield to his demands. This is an intense moment where a pure hearted, if not pious, character is defiled and forced to recognize their own very human, and lustful desires. It is the basis of these humanizing desires

You can expect lots of supernatural beings and actions. Warlocks, fairies, werewolves and vampires are creatures who inhabit the Shadow World, that can only be seen if you have the Sight. They also go by the term Downworlders. Supernatural actions as bloodsucking, abnormal healing and demon-summoning isn’t anything odd. Come to think of it, I would also place this book as a romance because it involves the protagonists slowly falling in love with each other as well as several love triangles throughout the novel.

The castle interrupts the hypnotism. This is because it is Dracula’s home; he can more effectively control Mina. This can

Merriam Webster Dictionary defines evil as “sinful” or “wicked” and defines good as “kind” or “right” (“evil”)(“good”).The contrast of evil versus good plays a large role in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. From Christian symbolism to Count Dracula the good against evil theme is very prominent. Bram Stoker was a sickly child and Stoker’s mother, a charity worker and writer, entertained Stoker with fantastic stories (“Dracula”). This is probably what Stoker used to create the theme of good and evil. The heroes proved they are good rather than evil through their selflessness.

In How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster asserts that once a character begins to think like a vampire, they begin “denying someone else’s right to live in the face of our [their] overwhelming demands” (22). Power gives characters a sense of control that allows them to make others feel inferior, while also controlling others for their own personal gain. This corrupts characters into perceiving others as less than human, as shown in A Thousand Splendid Suns, when Rasheed uses multiple acts of violence against his wives in order to control them. One of the ways he asserts his power over his first wife, Mariam, is when, “His powerful hands clasped her jaw. He shoved two fingers into her mouth and pried it open, then forced the cold, hard pebbles into it” (

In Joyce Carol Oates critical essay entitled, Frankenstein’s Fallen Angel, Joyce explores thematic aspects of the novel. Oates claims that Frankenstein is a “unique blend of Gothic, fabulist, allegorical, and philosophical materials” (Oates). The novel is fueled by grotesque and inventive images that are directly from the unconscious. When Frankenstein says, “I have selected his features as beautiful,” this is an example because right after the creature comes alive Frankenstein screams, “breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (Shelley pg37). This concept is revived when Walton believes the Artic will be a country of eternal light but he finds it is only ice.

There were thus harsh restraints regarding female and male sexuality, but male homosexuality was considered even more of a taboo. After the well publicized trial of Oscar Wilde in 1895, sodomy was criminalized, and the public was urged not to commit this evil act. If they did, people could end up in prison. There is no doubt that homosexuality is one of the main themes in Dracula, for Dracula penetrates both women and men where Nina Auerbach analyzes the homosexual codes in the book, stressing the evil attractions of the Count. She claims that the Count is a sexual threat who threatens to destroy the moral order and turn it into a depraved society through his violation of people.

In the novel Dracula by Bram Stocker there I an abundance of evidence that suggests that the female characters are treated differently than their male counterparts. The sources that I have read have failed to address key parts of this topic. The articles that I have read are “Feminism, Sex Role Exchanges, and Other Subliminal Fantasies in Bram Stoker's Dracula” and “Desire and Loathing in Bram Stoker's Dracula”. The articles fail to include how women have their own power. In this essay, there will be an investigation into the gender roles of men and women and how men will push down and leave women behind.