Gender And Sexuality In Bram Stoker's Dracula

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Bram Stoker’s legendary novel, Dracula, gives a crisp representation of the popular thoughts, ideas, and beliefs of the Victorian era that paints a detailed picture of what society was like for Bram Stoker’s generation. The archaic ideas reflected in Dracula focus generally on one concept; sex. During the late 19th and early 20th century, this concept was considered taboo by a strongly conservative society. Which at the time, sex was already a controversial topic, with the importance of using caution and awareness when creating such a discussion. But through characterization and symbolism, such a belief is courageously represented throughout the book, and often is the center of the battle between the resistance of temptation against the impending …show more content…

Each character’s storyline can explain his or her role not only in the story but generally in society. Bram Stoker presents all the gender fears of society through the main characters. Mina, being an embodiment of all Victorian virtues, possesses all the traits of the New Woman but remains devoted to the principles of society. Even though she is a victim of Dracula and is on her way to vampirism, she regrets and feels sorry about it. Lucy, on the contrary, gives up under the pressure of vampirism that symbolizes hidden sexual power. Her femininity is expressed through her frivolous attitude towards man and passivity that eventually destroys her. Another type of woman is a female vampire, which represents society’s fear of women's independence and domination. Thus, Dracula blurred the boundaries between sexes through vampirism, giving away to innocent women’s hidden desires and masculine traits of character that was weakened under the pressure of norms and principles of society. By means of the male characters, Stoker represents the fear of women in general and fear of being feminine. Almost all the male characters possess some feminine qualities that intensify especially when they encounter the New

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